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Introducing Government in America
Introduction
• Politics and government matter.
• Americans are apathetic about politics and government.
Introduction• The American Youth:
– Few keep up with politics.– Less likely to be informed.
Introduction
Introduction• Presidential Election Turnout Rates by Age (Figure 1.3)
Government
• Definition:– The institutions and processes through which public policies are made for society.
• This definition leads to two basic questions:– How should we govern?– What should government do?
Politics
• Definition:– How we elect our leaders and what our leaders do with government.
– In other words, politics is…•Who gets what, when and how.
Figure 1.3
The Policymaking System
• The process by which policy comes into being and evolves over time.
• Policymaking begins and ends with the people!
Figure 1.4
People
• Interests• Problems• Concerns
Linkage Institutions
• The “institutions” that LINK the American people it their government!– Political Parties– Elections– News & Entertainment Media– Interest Groups
Policy Agenda
• Political Issues– These arise when people disagree about a problem and how to fix it.
• Some issues will be considered, and others will not.
• A government’s policy agenda changes regularly.
Policymaking Institutions
• Legislature – Congress
• House of Representatives• Senate
• Executive – President– Cabinet & Executive Offices
• Courts – Federal and State
• Bureaucracies – Federal and State
Policy Impacts People
Policy Impacts People
• Impacts of Policies:– Does it solve the problem?– Does it create more problems?
Democracy
• Definition:– A system of voting in representatives to do the work of government for us.
• Key beliefs:– Equality in voting– Effective participation– Informed citizenry– Citizen influence on politics– Inclusion
Theories of U.S. Democracy
• Pluralist Theory– A theory of government and policies emphasizing that politics is mainly a competition among groups, each one pressing for its own preferred policies.
• Groups will work together• Public interest will prevail
Theories of U.S. Democracy
• Elite and Class Theory– A theory of government and politics contending that societies are divided along class lines and that an upper-class elite will rule, regardless of the formal niceties of governmental organization.
• Not all groups are equal• Policies benefit those with money / power
Theories of U.S. Democracy
• Hyperpluralism– A theory of government and politics contending that groups are so strong that government is weakened.
• There are too many ways for groups to control policy.
• Confusing / contradictory policies
Questions About Democracy
• Are the people knowledgeable- and do they apply what they know?
• Do interest groups help the process, or do they get in the way?
• Do political parties offer clear consistent choices for voters?
• Does the President & Congress work in the best interests of ALL the people?
Questions about the Scope of Government
• How big a role does the Constitution say should be played by the federal government?
• Does a bigger, more involved (active) government limit the people’s freedoms?
• Do we need a bigger, more involved government to protect our freedoms?
Questions about the Scope of Government,
continued• Do competing political parties make for better policies?
• Do more interest groups create a bigger government?
• Does the media help control the size and policies government?
Questions about the Scope of Government,
continued• Can the president control the government, or has it gotten too big?
• Can Congress respond to the needs of the people, or just to the interest groups?
• Do members of Congress expand government by seeking to be re-elected?
Questions about the Scope of Government,
continued• Do the federal courts overstep their bounds and intrude on the powers of other branches of government?
• Are the federal agencies too large and unresponsive to the public they are supposed to serve?