Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman. Introducing Government in America...

Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman.

Introducing Government in America

Chapter 1

Edwards, Wattenberg, and LineberryGovernment in America: People, Politics, and

PolicyFourteenth Edition


The Purposes of Government

List the first seven things you do after you get out of bed on a school day.(Ex. Go to the bathroom)


IntroductionPolitics and government matter.Most Americans are apathetic about politics and government.American youth are not likely to be informed about government and politics and rarely participate in politics.Does this apathy spell trouble for our republic?


Introduction


GovernmentDefinition: Government is 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?Governments typically maintain a national defense, provide services, collect taxes, and preserve order.


The Purposes of GOVERNMENT

What are the purposes of government? To maintain social orderProvide leadershipTo provide public services To provide security and defenseTo provide for the economy (promote economic security and economic assistance)

*Democracies also protect individual liberty.


PoliticsDefinition:– Politics is the process by which we select

our governmental leaders and what policies they produce—politics produces authoritative decisions about public issues.

Also consider Lasswell’s definition:– Who gets what, when and how.


Define politics in the context of democratic government

Politics determine what leaders we select and what policies they pursue. The who of politics is the voters, candidates, parties, and groups; the what is the benefits and burdens of government; the how is the various ways in which people participate in politics.


Is politics bad?Let’s just say that rebellion, revolution, and war are historical examples of the failure of politics.


Politics and Power: “The Johnson Treatment”


The Policymaking SystemThe process by which policy comes into being and evolves over time


PeopleInterestsProblemsConcerns


Linkage InstitutionsDefinition: Linkage institutions are the political channels through which people’s concerns become political issues on the policy agenda.– Political Parties– Elections– News & Entertainment Media– Interest Groups


Policy AgendaDefinition: The policy agenda are issues that attract the serious attention of public officials.Political issues 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 InstitutionsDefinition: Policymaking institutions are the branches of government charged with taking action on political issues.– Legislature (Congress)– Executive (President)– Courts (Federal and State)– Bureaucracies (Federal and State)


Laws Matter

Policies Impact People

Public Policy: a choice that government makes in response to a political issue.[President Obama signing the Affordable Health Care Act in 2010]


Policies Impact PeopleImpacts of Policies:– Does it solve the problem?– Does it create more problems?Depending on the answer, policy impacts carry the political system back to its point of origin: the concerns of people.


Assess how citizens can have an impact on public policy and how politics can impact

people.The policymaking system is in effect a cycle. Citizens’ interests and concerns are transmitted through linkage institutions (ex. Parties and elections, etc.,). These concerns shape the government’s policy agenda, from which those in policymaking institutions (ex. Congress, the President) choose issues to address. The policies that are made (laws, executive orders, regulations, and court judgments) then influence peoples’ lives.


DemocracyDefinition: Democracy is a system of selecting policymakers and of organizing government so that policy represents and responds to the public’s preferences.Components of Traditional Democratic Theory:– Equality in voting– Effective participation– Enlightened understanding– Citizen control of the agenda– 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

Americans are joiners.Groups will work togetherPublic interest will prevail through bargaining and compromise



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


Theories of U.S. Democracy: Elite and

Class theoryNot all groups equalPolicies benefit those with money and powerIf this theory is the reality of how our government functions then we do not have a true democracy. Only a few voices are heard; most peoples’ concerns are sacrificed to the wishes of the wealthy. The US is more like a plutocracy then a democracy.



Hyperpluralism– A theory of government and politics contending that

groups are so strong that government is weakened.Groups control policy and prevent government from actingDifficulty in coordinating policy implementationConfusing and contradictory policies result from politicians trying to placate every group


Challenges to DemocracyIncreased Technical ExpertiseLimited Participation in GovernmentEscalating Campaign CostsDiverse Political Interests (policy gridlock)


American Political Culture and Democracy

Political Culture: An overall set of values widely shared within a society.American democracy is held together by a unifying political culture.American culture is diverse and comprised of:– Liberty– Egalitarianism– Individualism– Laissez-faire– Populism


Impact of American Political Culture

American’s faith in and adherence to liberty, individualism and laissez-faire is an important reason why compared to other governments, the US government is much smaller and less involved in economic and social policy. Those who argue that bigger government can actually promote liberty have a difficult time overcoming American attitudes that liberty is incompatible w/big government.


Political Culture: (Understanding American Government and Politics, 2nd Edition, 2011)

Political Culture: the values and beliefs of citizens toward the political system and toward themselves as actors in it It is NOT the same as public opinion…which is more susceptible to change…political culture is a broader, more permanent set of beliefs


The American CreedThe central value of the American creed is equality. A sense of equality underlies each of the specific beliefs of the creed – individualism, democracy, liberty, property, and religion.


The American Creed: What does equality mean to Americans?

Americans believe everyone should be treated equally under the law, have an equal ability to influence government, and an equal opportunity to succeed in life.Americans generally prefer that individuals have an equal chance for success rather than a guarantee that all persons will have equal results.


Individualism: People Should Choose Their Own Path in Life For Americans, individuals-not groups or classes-are the fundamental political unit. Americans believe in individualism, meaning that all individuals should be able to succeed to the maximum extent given their talents and abilities. The leading example of what Americans mean by freedom is the ability of individuals to choose their own path in life.


Individualism: People Should Choose Their Own Path in Life

To Americans, individuals should be treated equally, regardless of group membership or other characteristics.American individualism also includes a adherence to the idea of equality of opportunity for all, but not equality of outcome.


Democracy“Government Actions should reflect the will of the people.”


LibertyWhat does liberty mean to Americans?“Americans often define liberty as freedom from government restriction on the exercise of one’s rights; that is, whenever possible, gov’t should let people do as they please. Gov’t’s obligation…is not to make decisions for you about what would make your life better, but to protect your right to decide what a ‘better life’ is and to protect your freedom to go for it.”This is a negative view of government, meaning govt is viewed more as an obstacle to freedom rather than as a way to advance freedom. Liberty is the absence of gov’t.


LibertyDo Americans generally see more government as a threat to liberty or as a way to advance liberty?“To Americans, gov’t secures liberty either by not restricting rights or by restricting them only when their expression imposes excessively on the rights of other individuals.” Americans are suspicious of gov’t programs that require people to do something or penalize them for not doing something the gov’t determines as necessary.


Liberty Long established govt programs such as Social Security (1935) and Medicare/Medicaid (1965)faced stiff opposition by opponents who argued that these programs violated individual liberty. The health care law President Obama signed into law in 2010 still faces challenges in the federal courts over its constitutionality. Opponents, among other things, charge its mandate provision is a threat to liberty because it “forces” people to buy health insurance.


LibertyHow does our (American) view of liberty and the role of government compare with other countries?

“Individuals in other countries view liberty in somewhat different ways from those in America. In most European countries, liberty requires being given something by gov’t in order to thrive fully as a human being…”“…In this view, the freedom to speak or earn a living is weak unless citizens are given the tools to use these freedoms effectively. For example, w/out high-quality education for all or universal health-care, the promise of ‘life’ or the ‘pursuit of happiness’ is empty.”


LibertyIn the U.S. whenever liberty was injected into debates over the lack of universal health care it was used by opponents who claimed government mandates threaten liberty.


Property“Americans believe in extensive property rights – that people should be able to acquire, own, and use goods and assets free from gov’t constraints, so long as their acquisition and use does not interfere w/the rights of other individuals.”“Property rights are twofold: freedom to acquire property and freedom to use property.”


PropertyAmericans are extremely reluctant to even discuss whether some people are “overpaid.”

“Exactly how property rights coexist w/democracy in the confines of a single political culture is an enduring puzzle…”


Religion“Americans believe in religious freedom – the idea that individuals should be free to choose and practice their religious faith and that gov’t should not establish any particular religion as the official or preferred religion.”“Americans view the freedom to practice one’s religion as akin to the right to free speech.”


Religion“The twin beliefs in freedom of expression and noninterference by gov’t, although not common at the time of the American Revolution, were enshrined in the Constitution and have grown gradually over time.”“Religious belief has been central to American political discourse. Many efforts such as the anti-slavery, civil rights, and anti-abortion movements relied on religious language and principles. Presidents of both parties, inc’l Presidents G. W. Bush and Barack Obama, have sprinkled religious language in their speeches…”


Religion “American beliefs lean against the idea of an official religion or church, but religiosity, the tendency of people to have some sort of religion, pervades political culture.”“…Nearly three-quarters of Americans in 2008 said it was important for a president to have strong religious beliefs, and only about 30% though politicians expressed their religious faith too much.”“…The degree of religiosity is unusually high. The general pattern around the globe is that wealthier, more developed and industrialized countries tend to place less emphasis on religious belief.”


The American Creed’s Impact

“The American creed provides a starting point for most Americans to evaluate issues, candidates, and gov’t actions.”Even though throughout much of our nation’s history not all groups shared equally in the promises and benefits of creedal beliefs or the overarching value of equality, those excluded groups still believed in the promise of the American creed. They did not argue that this set of beliefs should be discarded. Instead, women, white property-less men, blacks, and other racial and ethnic minorities demanded to be let into the club.”


Consequences and Implications of the American Creed

“Americans prefer gov’t to be limited in the scope of its activities.”“This means that gov’t is seen as the last resort to solving problems…”“ ‘Gov’t as last resort’ does not mean that Americans do not look to gov’t to solve many problems and provide many services. They do, and the policy area in which Americans expect gov’t to act have grown significantly during recent history…



“Some political scientists describe American opinion as ideologically (philosophically) conservative but operationally liberal, meaning that Americans may generally believe in limited govt while simultaneously supporting specific govt programs.”

“The dedication to limited govt is stronger in the US than in other countries.”



“Americans often do not trust that gov’t will do the right thing.”

There is a great deal of skepticism about govt doing the right thing…studies have consistently shown this…



“There is a weak sense of sovereign power in the U. S.”

“In the U.S. it is truly difficult to think of any truly ‘final’ authority. American govt is structured so that one part of govt can challenge and check the others…”

“The Constitution also reflects a limited popular sovereignty…much of govt is removed from the direct influence of the people (The Madisonian Model).



“Competing ideas are viewed with suspicion.”

“In general, the American people and their leaders tend to assume the superiority of the American creed. For a long time in the U.S., one way to discredit an idea has been to label it socialistic. A tactic increasingly used is also to label a proponent of an idea that one opposes a socialist. (ex. Some Republicans and Tea Party members have called President Obama a socialist and the health care law he signed socialistic.)



“Appeals to public interest are difficult in an individualistic political culture.”

Because American political culture has such a strong emphasis on individual freedom, opportunity, and rights, it is very difficult to convince people to sacrifice for the public interest. To be successful, a politician has to convince people a new program is in their best economic interest and that they won’t “suffer” at someone else’s expense.



“Political conflict emerges from tension among the creed’s beliefs and from debate over the meaning of the beliefs.”

“The creed creates tension because, first, its beliefs are often in conflict with one another, and second, the meaning of the individual beliefs is open to debate. Both of these sources of tension have led to significant amounts of political debate and struggle in our country.



Cultural differences across regions“…Even a quick glance at the U. S. shows

significant variation across the states in in partisan strength, public opinion, and the content of laws and policies…”

Why do states vary if there is a national political culture?

T



“…Much of the conflict between the two major political parties may be attributed to the differential emphasis they place on American creed beliefs when these beliefs – for example, property versus democracy – are in conflict, or to the different meaning parties may attach to a belief such as liberty.”

Ex. A bright, but poor HS student qualifies for admission to a prestigious university, but lacks the ability to pay…Should she receive govt help (this means away from others through taxation to support financial aid programs) to realize her full potential?


Challenges to the American Creed

Communitarianism: “In this view, individuals are not self-made: society makes us and we owe something to society in return.”


Questions About Democracy

People– Are people knowledgeable about policy?– Do they apply what the know when they

vote?– Do elections facilitate political

participation?Institutions– Is Congress a representative institution?– Does the president look after the general

welfare?


Questions About Democracy

Linkage Institutions– Do interest groups help the process, or

do they get in the way?– Do political parties offer clear consistent

choices for voters or do they intentionally obscure their positions?

– Do media help citizens understand choices?


How Active is American Government?

It spends about $3.1 trillion annuallyIt employs over 2.2 million peopleIt owns one-third of the landIt occupies 2.6 billion square feet of office spaceIt owns and operates 400,000 nonmilitary vehicles


Questions about theScope of Government

Constitution and Federalism– What role does the Constitution’s authors

foresee for the federal government?– Does the Constitution favor government

with a broad scope?– Why did functions of federal government

increase?– Has a more active government

constrained or protected civil rights and liberties?


Questions about the Scope of Government

Public and Linkage Institutions– Does the public favor a large, active

government?– Do competing political parties force

government to provide more public services?– Do elections control the scope of government?– Does pressure from interest groups create a

bigger government?– Has the media helped control the size of

government and its policies?


Questions about theScope of Government

Elected Institutions– Has the president been a driving force

behind increasing the scope and power of government?

– Can the president control a large government?

– Is Congress predisposed to support big government?

– Is Congress too responsive to the public and interest groups?


Questions about the Scope of Government

Nonelected Institutions– Are the federal courts too active in policy

making, intruding on the authority of other branches of government?

– Is the bureaucracy constantly try to expand its budget or is it simply reflecting the desires of elected officials?

– Is the federal bureaucracy too large and thus wasteful and inefficient in the implementation of policy?


SummaryYoung people are apathetic about government and politics, even though they affect everyone.Democratic government, which is how the United States is governed, consists of those institutions that make policy for the benefit of the people.What government should do to benefit the people is a topic central to questions of American government.

Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman. Introducing Government in America...

Documents

Transcript of Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman. Introducing Government in America...