Introducing Government in America

1. Introducing Government in America

2. Politics and Government Matter • List of ways government has affected your life: • Public Schools • Drivers license and driving • Age you can drink, smoke, vote • Social Security and your job

3. Politics and Government Matter • Why do young people not care about politics and government? • Do you feel like you can make a difference? • Why don’t young people vote?

4. Politics and Government Matter

5. Politics and Government Matter

6. Presidential Election Turnout Rates by Age

7. Politics and Government Matter • Why should you stay informed about public affairs? • 1. Fosters civic virtues such as political tolerance. • 2. Helps citizens to identify which policies would benefit them and incorporate them in their voting behavior. • 3. Promotes active participation in politics.

8. Politics and Government Matter • Why does voter turnout matter? • Those who participate in the political process are more likely to benefit from government policies and programs. • Media in politics today. Presidential speeches.

9. Government • The institutions that make authoritative decisions for any given society are collectively known as government. • In our own national government these consist of Congress, the president, the courts, and federal administrative agencies. • Roughly 500,000 elected officials in the United States.

10. Government • Two fundamental questions about governing: • 1. How Should We Govern? • 2. What Should Government Do? • Maintain a national defense • Provide public services • Preserve order • Socialize the young • Collect taxes

11. Politics • Politics determines whom we select as our government leaders and what policies these leaders pursue. • The Lasswell Model: -“Who gets what, when, and how.”

12. Politics • “WHO”……….. • At a minimum this includes voters, candidates, groups, and parties.

13. Politics • “WHAT”……… • Refers to the substance of politics and government benefits such as medical care for elderly, and burdens such as taxes.

14. Politics • “HOW”……… • How people participate in politics. Through voting, supporting, lobbying.

15. Politics • The way in which people get involved in politics make up their political participation. • Voting • Run for office • America has one of the lowest rates of voter participation in the world. • Low voter turnout has an effect on who holds political power.

16. Politics • Single-issue groups: groups so concerned with one issue that members cast their vote on the basis of that issue only, ignoring a politician’s stand on everything else. • Example: Abortion

17. The Policy Making System

18. The Policy Making System • What do people do to express their opinions in a democracy? • Vote • Join political party • Form interest groups In this way, people’s concerns enter the linkage institutions.

19. The Policy Making System • Linkage Institutions: the political channels through which people’s concerns become political issues on the policy agenda. • Parties and interest groups strive to ensure their members concerns receive appropriate political attention. • Elections provide citizens with a chance to make their opinions heard.

20. The Policy Making System • All these institutions help to shape the government’s policy agenda, the issues that attract serious attention of public officials and other people actively involved in politics. • If a politician wants to get elected, they must pay attention to the problems that concern voters. • Political issues: an issue that arises when people disagree about a problem and how to fix it.

21. The Policy Making System • Policymaking Institutions: • Congress • Presidency • The Courts • Bureaucracies • Very few policies are made by a single policymaking institution.

22. The Policy Making System • Public Policy: Every decision the government makes, budget it establishes, and ruling it hands down. • Many different types of policies: • Congressional Statute • Presidential Action • Court Decision • Regulation

23. The Policy Making System • Public Policy: • Some issues remain low priority until they gain media attention. Example: AIDS Magic Johnson

24. The Policy Making System • Once policies are made and implemented, they affect people. • Policy impacts are the effects that a policy has on society’s problems. • Translating people’s desires into effective public policy is crucial to the workings of democracy.

25. The Policy Making System

26. Democracy • Democracy: a system of selecting policymakers and of organizing government so that policy represents and responds to the public’s preferences. • Traditional democratic theory rests on a number of key principles that specify how government decisions are made in a democracy.

27. Traditional Democratic Theory • Key Principles: • Equality in voting • Effective participation • Enlightened understanding • Citizen control of the agenda • Inclusion

28. Traditional Democratic Theory • Key Vocabulary: • Majority rule: the will of over half the voters will be followed. • Minority rights: Basic principles such as freedom of speech and assembly. The majority cannot infringe on these rights. • Representation: Describes the relationship between the few leaders and many followers.

29. Contemporary Theories of American Democracy • Pluralist Theory: states that groups with shared interests influence public policy by pressing their concerns through organized efforts. • Example: NRA, NOW, UAW

30. Contemporary Theories of American Democracy • Elite and Class Theory: states that upper-class elite pulls the strings of government. • Tax cuts for wealthy, helping big business.

31. Contemporary Theories of American Democracy • Hyperpluralism: states that many groups, not just the elite ones, are so strong that government is unable to act. • Government is a servant to these groups.

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

33. American Political Culture • Political Culture: an overall set of values widely shared within a society. • Examples: • Liberty • Egalitarianism • Individualism • Laissez-faire • Populism

34. Challenges to Democracy • Increased Technical Expertise • Limited Participation in Government • Escalating Campaign Costs • Diverse Political Interests (policy gridlock)

35. Democratic Theories • Criteria of traditional democratic theory as formulated by Robert Dahl consists of : • Citizenship must be open to all within a nation. • Those who participate in political organizations must be representative of the general population. • freedom of speech and press • One person gets one vote.

36. Democratic Theories • B. Berelson in “Democratic Practice and Democratic theory” concluded that an effective democratic system requires some citizens to be apathetic, while others to be interested and active.

37. Democratic Theories • According to E.E. Schattschneider, politics can also be defined as conflict expansion.