AP GOVERNMENT INTRODUCTION

1. AP GOVERNMENT INTRODUCTION

2. Journal #12/1/11 • What is the proper role of Government?

3. Government • Makes and enforces public policies • Consists of lawmakers, administrators and judges

4. Public Policy • Is a choice that gov’t makes in response to some issue on its agenda

5. Types of Public Policy • Congressional statute (laws) • Presidential action • Court decision • Regulation

6. Who Governs? • Four basic theories • 1. Elite theory- • 2. Bureaucratic theory- • 3. Interest group theory- • 4. Pluralist theory

7. Forms of Government • Monarchy/Dictatorship/Oligarchy • Republic • Theocracy

8. HOW IS POWER DISTRIBUTED? • Unitary • Federal • Confederation

9. Figure 3.1: Lines of Power in Three Systems of Government

10. Figure 3.1: Lines of Power in Three Systems of Government (cont’d)

11. Figure 3.1: Lines of Power in Three Systems of Government (cont’d)

12. Relationship between Leg. & Executive • Presidential • Parliamentary

14. Gov’t by force / By the People • Dictatorship • Democracy • participatory • Representative

15. Journal # 2, 2/5/10 • Which form of government, presidential or parliamentary is best to respond to the needs of the citizens? Why?

16. American Political Culture • Political culture – is the distinctive and patterned way of thinking about how political and economic life ought to be carried out. • Political culture should not be confused with Political ideology

17. Basic views - political • Liberty (Freedoms) • Equality • Democracy • Civic duty • Individual responsibility

18. Economic assumptions • Liberty – free-enterprise • “equality of opportunity” • Individualism

19. Cultural Conflict • Areas of disagreement include- abortion, gay rights, drug use, school prayer, and pornography • Two basic views • Orthodox – morality more important than self-expression • Progressive- personal freedom more important than traditional moral rules

20. Figure 4.1: Trust in the Federal Government, 1958-2001 • Source: University of Michigan, The National Election Studies, (September 1999), table 5A.1, updated by Los Angeles Times, poll taken November 10-13, 2001.

21. Political Efficacy- The capacity to understand and influence political events

22. Figure 4.2: Changes in the Sense of Political Efficacy • Source: University of Michigan, The National Election Studies, 1952-2000

23. Table 4.2: Patriotism in America, France, and Germany

24. Table 4.3: Commitment to Income Equity in Sweden and the United States

25. Figure 4.4a: Views of Toleration and Morality • Source: The American Enterprise (January/February 1999): 37, reporting data from Roper, Washington Post, Harvard, and Kaiser Family Foundation polls.

26. Figure 4.4b: Views of Toleration and Morality (cont’d) • Source: The American Enterprise (January/February 1999): 37, reporting data from Roper, Washington Post, Harvard, and Kaiser Family Foundation polls.

27. Figure 4.5: Changes in Levels of Political Tolerance, 1930-1999 • Source: Gallup poll data, various years, as compiled by Professor John Zaller, Department of Political Science, UCLA; The Gallup Organization, Poll Releases (March 29, 1999), 2-6.

28. Table 4.7: Religion in Industrialized Nations, 1990-1993