Chapter 1: Introducing Government in America

1. Chapter 1: Introducing Government in America • Government • Politics • The Policymaking System • Democracy • The Scope of Government in America • Summary

2. GovernmentLO 1.1: Describe the key functions of government and explain why they matter. • Government makes public policies made for society. • Governments must perform five basic functions. • Maintain a national defense. • Provide public services. • Preserve order. • Socialize the young. • Collect taxes. To Learning Objectives

3. LO 1.1 To Learning Objectives

4. LO 1.1 To Learning Objectives

5. LO 1.1 To Learning Objectives

6. PoliticsLO 1.2: Define the various aspects of politics. • Politics is the process by which we select our governmental leaders and what policies they pursue. • Harold Lasswell defines politics as the struggle over who gets what, when, and how. To Learning Objectives

7. The Policymaking SystemLO 1.3: Assess how citizens can have an impact on public policy and how policies can impact people. • People Shape Policy • Policies Impact People To Learning Objectives

8. LO 1.3 To Learning Objectives

9. LO 1.3 The Policymaking System • People Shape Policy • People have interests, problems, and concerns. • The four linkage institutions are political parties, elections, mass media, and interest groups. To Learning Objectives

10. LO 1.3 The Policymaking System • People Shape Policy (cont.) • Policy agenda is the issues that attract the serious attention of public officials. • The four policymaking institutions are the legislative branch, executive branch, judicial branch, and the bureaucracy. To Learning Objectives

11. LO 1.3 The Policymaking System • Policies Impact People • Public policy is a choice that government makes in response to a political issue. • Policy impacts are the effects a policy has on people and problems. To Learning Objectives

12. LO 1.3 To Learning Objectives

13. DemocracyLO 1.4: List the key principles of democracy, theories regarding how it works in practice, and challenges it faces today. • Traditional Democratic Theory • Three Contemporary Theories of American Democracy • Challenges to Democracy • American Political Culture and Democracy • A Culture War? • Preview Questions about Democracy To Learning Objectives

14. LO 1.4 To Learning Objectives

15. LO 1.4 Democracy • Traditional Democratic Theory • Democracy is a system in which policy represents and responds to the public’s preferences. • Five components of Traditional Democratic Theory are equality in voting, effective participation, enlightened understanding, citizen control of the agenda, and inclusion. To Learning Objectives

16. LO 1.4 Democracy • Three Contemporary Theories of American Democracy • Pluralist Theory is a theory of government and policies emphasizing that politics is mainly a competition among groups, each one pressing for its own preferred policies. • Groups must bargain and compromise to get policies. To Learning Objectives

17. LO 1.4 Democracy • Three Contemporary Theories of American Democracy (cont.) • Elite and Class Theory contends that societies are divided along class lines and that an upper-class elite will rule. • Policies benefit those with money and power. To Learning Objectives

18. LO 1.4 Democracy • Three Contemporary Theories of American Democracy (cont.) • Hyperpluralism is a theory of government and politics contending that groups are so strong that government is weakened. • Confusing and contradictory policies result from politicians trying to placate every group. To Learning Objectives

19. LO 1.4 Democracy • Challenges to Democracy • Increased complexity of issues make it harder for citizens to make decisions. • Limited participation in government, especially voting. • Escalating campaign costs stop people from running for office. • Diverse political interests result into policy gridlock. To Learning Objectives

20. LO 1.4 Democracy • American Political Culture and Democracy • Political culture is an overall set of values widely shared within a society. • Five elements of American political culture are liberty, egalitarianism, individualism, laissez-faire, and populism. To Learning Objectives

21. LO 1.4 To Learning Objectives

22. LO 1.4 Democracy • A Culture War? • James Q. Wilson believes that America is a more polarized nation today than at any time in living memory. • Other scholars believe that there is relatively little evidence of a so-called culture war going on among ordinary American citizens. To Learning Objectives

23. LO 1.4 Democracy • Preview Questions about Democracy • Are people knowledgeable about matters of public policy? • If there are choices, do the media help citizens understand them? • Is Congress representative of American society, and is it capable of reacting to changing times? To Learning Objectives

24. The Scope of Government in AmericaLO 1.5: Explain the debate in America over the proper scope of government. • How Active Is American Government? • Preview Questions about the Scope of Government To Learning Objectives

25. LO 1.5 The Scope of Government in America • How Active Is American Government? • Spends $3.8 trillion yearly. • Employs 2.8 million civilians and 1.4 million in the military. • It owns one-third of the land in the United States. • It occupies 2.6 billion square feet of office space. To Learning Objectives

26. LO 1.5 The Scope of Government in America • Preview Questions about the Scope of Government • What role did the Constitution’s authors foresee for the federal government? • Does the public favor a large, active government? • Is Congress too responsive to the demands of the public and organized interests? To Learning Objectives

27. Photo Credits page 2: Chuck Kennedy/Getty; 3T: AP Photo; 3TC: Getty Images; 3TB: Jewel Samad/Getty Images; 3B: Joseph Sohm/Corbis; 5: Colorblend Images/Getty Images; 7: AFP/Getty Images; 8: AP Photo; 9: AP Photo; 10: AFP Getty Images; 12 AFP Getty Images; 14: Chris Wildt/www.cartoonstock.com; 16: Alex Wong/Getty Images; 18: Joseph Sohm/Corbis; 20: Robert Trippett/Sipa; 21: David Horsey; 23: Jewel Sammad/Getty Images

28. Text Credits U.S. Census Bureau Current Population Surveys. Data can be found at http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/socdemo/voting/publications/historical/index.html.