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Who Governs?

Who Governs?. POSC 121 Grossmont College Braunwarth. Who Governs in the U.S.?. Do we live in a democracy? Does the power really rest with the people? We certainly have the power to vote but to what degree does power rest with elites?

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Who Governs?

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  1. Who Governs? POSC 121 Grossmont CollegeBraunwarth

  2. Who Governs in the U.S.? • Do we live in a democracy? • Does the power really rest with the people? • We certainly have the power to vote but to what degree does power rest with elites? • Does our political culture stress the idea of rule by the people or rule by elites? • What does Jefferson argue in the Declaration of Independence?

  3. The Constitution • What about the Constitution? • Does if facilitate popular or elite rule? • Can you identify examples of both? • How do the Federalist Papers tackle this question? • Federalist #10Federalist #51Anti-Federalist #1 • What about various Constitutional Amendments? Have they made the Government more or less under the control of the people?

  4. Political Institutions • Are our political institutions (the Congress, the Presidency, the Courts) designed to facilitate rule by the people or rule by the elites? • Can you identify some key Supreme Court decisions that affect who governs in the U.S.? • What would be the perspective of Susan B. Anthony or Martin Luther King on this question?

  5. The Role of other Political Actors • How about Interest Groups? • Consider ”Revisiting Eisenhower's Farewell Address: The Military Industrial Complex in the 21st Century” by Leon Newton • Some argue that government policy is essentially decided by competing interest groups • The Media? • Consider the Lakoff reading or “The representation of Political Rhetoric on Television News” by Joe Braunwarth • Ideally, the media should inform the people but often it is simply a mouthpiece for the elite

  6. The Role of other Political Actors • Political Parties? • Consider ”Minor Party Relevance in American Politics” by Steve Candee • Parties play a major role electorally as well as in the creation of public policy • The Voters Themselves? • Consider ”Voters: How Do They Decide?” by Dave Saffell • The major difference between our system and non-democracies is that we require our leaders to stand for periodic elections

  7. Foreign Policy • Is foreign policy governed by the democratic process or is it under the purview of elites? • What do these readings say? • ”Presidential Doctrines in American Foreign Policy” by Marcus Stadelmann • ”Sorrows of Empire” by Chalmers Johnson • What effect does the resulting foreign policy have on individuals?

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