Government in America

Government in America Chapter One

Bellringer • The textbook claims that even though government and politics substantially affects our daily lives, America’s youth are especially apathetic about our nation’s government and politics. LIST: • 3—ways government affects your life • 2—reasons youth are apathetic about government and politics • 1—way citizens have an impact

Politics and Government Matter • Many Americans-especially young people-are apathetic about politics and government. • Huge gap has opened between young (under 25) and the elderly (over 65) on measures of political interest, knowledge, and participation. • So what? Why does voter turnout matter?

Government Defined: • institutions that make authoritative public policies for society as a whole. • Four key institutions make public policy at the national level: • Congress • The President • The Courts • The Bureaucracy (federal administrative agencies)

Government • This chapter raises two fundamental questions about governing that will serve as themes for the whole text: • How should we govern? • What should government do?

What governments do: • Regardless of how they assumed power, all governments have certain functions in common: • Maintain national defense. • Provide public goods-that everyone can share • Have police powers to provide order • Socialize youth-Pledge of Allegiance • Collect taxes to pay for services

Politics • Politics determines whom we select as governmental leaders and what policies they pursue. • Harold D. Lasswell defined politics as “who gets what, when, and how.” • Political Socialization—ways in which people get involved in politics. • Single-issue groups—interest groups whose members will vote on a single issue, such as pro-life and pro-choice that ignore a politician’s stand on everything except abortion.

The Policymaking System • A policymaking system is the process by which policy comes into being and evolves over time. • In a democratic society, parties, elections interest groups, and the media are key linkage institutions between the preferences of citizens and the government’s policy agenda.

The Policymaking System(continued) • People confront politicians with problems they expect them to solve; they are trying to influence the government’s policy agenda. • Political Issue—arises when people disagree about a problem or about a public policy choice. • The end product of government and politics is public policy.

The Policymaking System(continued) • Policymakers stand at the core of the political system, working within the three policymaking institutions established by the U.S. Constitution: the Congress, the presidency, and the courts.

Policy Impacts • Policy impacts are the effects policy has on people and on society’s problems. • There are many types of public policies, including congressional statutes, presidential actions, court decisions, budgetary choices, and regulation. • Having a policy implies a goal: people who raise a policy issue usually want a policy that works.

Policy Impacts(continued) • Translating people’s desires into public policy is crucial to the workings of democracy. • Policies can be established through inaction as well as action.

Democracy • Democracy is spreading throughout the world, in areas that were formerly undemocratic. However, people around the world define democracy differently—and few Americans really understand it fully.

Defining Democracy: • The writers of the Constitution were suspicious of democracy. • In his Gettysburg Address, Lincoln defined democracy as “government of the people, by the people, and for the people.” • The basic definition used throughout this text is: democracy is a means of selecting policymakers and of organizing government so that policy represents and responds to the public’s preferences.

Traditional Democratic Theory • Traditional democratic theory rests upon several principles that specify how a democratic government makes its decisions.

Democratic theorist Robert Dahl: • Five criteria that are essential for “an ideal democratic process.” • Equality in voting—“one person, one vote” • Effective participation—political participation must be representative. • Enlightened understanding—free press and free speech are essential to civic understanding. • Citizen control of the agenda—citizens should have the collective right to control the government’s policy agenda. • Inclusion—citizenship must be open to all within a nation.

Traditional Democratic Theory • In addition, democracies must practice majority rule and preserve minority rights. • The relationship between the few leaders and the many followers is one of representation: the closer the correspondence between representatives and their electoral majority, the closer the approximation to democracy. • Most Americans also feel that it is vital to protect minority rights, such as freedom of speech.

Contemporary theories Who really governs our nation? • Pluralist • Elite and class theory • Hyperpluralism

Pluralist Theory • Pluralist theory contends that many centers of influence compete for power and control.(Group Politics) • Groups compete with one another for control over public policy, with no one group or set of groups dominating. • There are multiple access points to our government, with power dispersed among the various branches and levels of government.

Pluralist Theory(continued) • Bargaining and compromise are essential ingredients of our democracy. • Electoral majorities rarely rule; rather as Dahl puts it, “all active and legitimate groups in the population can make themselves heard at some crucial stage in the [policymaking] process.” • The recent increase in interest group activity is cited by pluralists as evidence of pluralism. • Critic Robert Putnam: technology has enabled Americans to go “bowling alone.”

Elite and Class Theory • Elite and class theory contends that our society (like all societies) is divided along class lines. • An upper-class elite rules, regardless of government organization. • Wealth is the basis of class power: a few powerful Americans are the policymakers

Elite and Class Theory(continued) • Big business and its power is at the center of most elite and class theories. • Some observers argue that elitism is increasing in recent times.

Hyperpluralism • Hyperpluralism—pluralism gone sour. • Many groups are so strong that government is unable to act. • There are too many groups with access to different levels and branches of government: these groups have multiple ways to both prevent policies they disagree with and promote those they support. • When politicians try to placate every group, the result is confusing, contradictory, and muddled policy. Or no policy at all.

Challenges to Democracy • Increased Technical Expertise • Limited Participation in Government • Escalating Campaign Costs • Diverse Political Interests

A Culture War? • Some scholars believe that America is becoming sharply polarized: • Polarization: “an intense commitment to a candidate, a culture, or an ideology that sets people in one group definitively apart from another, rival group.” James Q Wilson

Which is more important: High citizen participation – even when the citizens are not knowledgeable Participation should be limited to only those citizens who are knowledgeable Socratic Seminar

Government in America