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Explore the relationship between power and politics, as well as the influence of social factors on political participation. Learn about the different models of American political power and the characteristics of the state. Discover the dynamics of the U.S. economic system and the changing labor force. Examine the impact of technology and public policies on job protection and economic stability.
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Chapter 14 Politics and the Economy
Chapter Outline • Political and Economic Institutions • Power and Political Institutions • Power and the State • Individual Participation in U.S. Government • Modern Economic Systems • The U.S. Economic System • Work in the United States
Two Kinds of Power • Coercion is power based on fear by using force and intimidation. • Authority is power based on socially accepted norms that maintain the right of some authority to wield power.
Three Types of Authority • Traditional authority is rooted in established roles, like father, elder, or king. • Charismatic authority arises from the exceptional personality that may sway and inspire others. • Rational-legal authority is based on formal regulations and laws.
Perceptions of Government Responsibilities: % Who Agree with the Statement:
Characteristics of The State • Jurisdiction - includes policing, armed forces, taxation, conflict resolution, relationships with other states, and resources for collective goals. • Coercion - monopolizing the use of physical force through police powers, taxation, and the maintenance of armed forces.
% Voting Democrat or Republican in 1996 Presidential Election
% Voting Democrat or Republican in 1996 Presidential Election
% Voting Democrat or Republican in 1996 Presidential Election
Social Factors and Political Participation • Social class - those who benefit most are most inclined to get involved in politics. • Age - 50% of U.S. voters are over 45 y.o. • Race and ethnicity - African-Americans are more inclined to political participation than in the past.
Social Factors and Political Participation • Differentials in office holding - about 1% of federal legislators are African-Americans and only 8 are women. • Party affiliation - Republicans have traditionally represented business while Democrats have been more supportive of the interests of workers and the disadvantaged.
Why Doesn’t the United States Have a Worker’s Party? • U.S. standard of living is sufficiently luxurious to lull many people into complacency. • American dream continues to influence people to think of individualistic over common goals.
Capitalism • Private ownership of the means of production - land, capital, and the labor of workers. • Encourages hard work and innovation toward maximizing competitive advantage. • Does not attend to distribution and does not provide for the public good.
Socialism • The means of production is owned by the workers and distribution is for the public good. • Creed of pure socialism: from each according to ability, to each according to need. • The key drawback of socialism is the absence of personal economic incentive.
Professions • Production of an unstandardized product. • High degree of personal involvement. • Wide knowledge of a specialized skill. • Sense of obligation to one's art. • Sense of group identity. • Significant service to society.
The Shifting Job Market: Projected Changes Between 2000 and 2010
The Downside of Technology • Deskilling of some jobs. • Displacements of the work force as some jobs vanish and new ones appear. • Big brother jitters and stress as computerized jobs also provide the means of constant worker monitoring by supervisors.
Using Public Policy to Protect U.S. Jobs • The conservative free market approach - proposes that the way to keep jobs in the U.S. is to reduce wages and benefits. • New industrial policies - government should restrict plant closings and support investments in local economies to provide more secure jobs.
Using Public Policy to Protect U.S. Jobs • Social welfare policies - helping people who are being thrown out of work through more generous unemployment benefits, paid leave for employees who are about to be laid off, and extensive job re-training programs.