Chapter 14
Politics and the Economy
Chapter Outline
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Political and Economic Institutions
Power and Political Institutions
Power and the State
Individual Participation in U.S. Government
Modern Economic Systems
The U.S. Economic System
Work in the United States
Two Kinds of Power
1.
2.
Coercion is power based on fear by
using force and intimidation.
Authority is power based on socially
accepted norms that maintain the right
of some authority to wield power.
Three Types of Authority
1.
2.
3.
Traditional authority is rooted in
established roles, like father, elder, or
king.
Charismatic authority arises from the
exceptional personality that may sway
and inspire others.
Rational-legal authority is based on
formal regulations and laws.
Power
Concept
Example “mowing the lawn”
Power
Coercion
“I know you don’t want to mow
the lawn, but do it anyway.”
“Do it or else.”
Authority
“It is your duty to mow the lawn.”
Power
Concept
Example “mowing the lawn”
Traditional
Authority
Charismatic
authority
Rational-legal
authority
“I’m your father, and I told you
to mow the lawn.”
“I know you’ve been wondering
how you might serve me, . . .
“It is your turn to mow the lawn;
I did it last week.”
Perceptions of Government
Responsibilities: % Who Agree
with the Statement:
Comparison of Three Models
of American Political Power
Basic units of analysis
Pluralist
Interest Groups
Power-Elite
Power elites
State Autonomy
Government
bureaucracy
Comparison of Three Models
of American Political Power
Source of power
Pluralist
Power-Elite
State Autonomy
Situational; depends on
issue
Inherited and positional; top
positions in key economic
and social institutions
Control of personnel and
budget of government
Comparison of Three Models
of American Political Power
Distribution of power
Pluralist
Power-Elite
State Autonomy
Dispersed among
competing diverse groups
Concentrated in relatively
homogeneous elite
Held by bureaucrats
Comparison of Three Models
of American Political Power
Limits of power
Pluralist
Power-Elite
State Autonomy
Limited by shifting and
crosscutting loyalties
Potentially limited when
other groups can unite in
opposition
Limited if elite is unified
Comparison of Three Models
of American Political Power
Role of the State
Pluralist
Power-Elite
State Autonomy
Arena where interest groups
compete
One of several sources of
power
A major source of power
Characteristics of The State
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Jurisdiction - includes policing, armed
forces, taxation, conflict resolution,
relationships with other states, and
resources for collective goals.
Coercion - monopolizing the use of
physical force through police powers,
taxation, and the maintenance of armed
forces.
Participation in the 2000
Election
Education
8 years or less
Some high school
High school
graduate
Some college
College graduate
or more
%
Registered
36
46
% Who
Voted
27
34
60
49
70
60
77
72
Participation in the 2000
Election
Race/Ethnicity
White
African American
Hispanic
%
Registered
66
64
35
% Who
Voted
56
54
28
Participation in the 2000
Election
Age
18–20
21–24
25–34
35–44
45–64
65
%
Registered
41
49
55
64
71
769
% Who
Voted
28
35
44
55
64
68
% Voting Democrat or Republican
in 1996 Presidential Election
Race/Ethnicity
Democrat
Republican
White
African American
54
99
46
1
% Voting Democrat or Republican
in 1996 Presidential Election
Education
Grade school
High school
College
Democrat
82
60
49
Republican
18
40
51
% Voting Democrat or Republican
in 1996 Presidential Election
Age
Democrat
Republican
18–37
38–53
54–69
70-85
86 and over
58
58
56
64
57
42
42
44
36
43
Social Factors
and Political Participation
1.
2.
3.
Social class - those who benefit most
are most inclined to get involved in
politics.
Age - 50% of U.S. voters are over 45
y.o.
Race and ethnicity - AfricanAmericans are more inclined to
political participation than in the past.
Social Factors
and Political Participation
4.
5.
Differentials in office holding - about
1% of federal legislators are AfricanAmericans and only 8 are women.
Party affiliation - Republicans have
traditionally represented business
while Democrats have been more
supportive of the interests of workers
and the disadvantaged.
Why Doesn’t the United States
Have a Worker’s Party?
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U.S. standard of living is sufficiently
luxurious to lull many people into
complacency.
American dream continues to influence
people to think of individualistic over
common goals.
Capitalism
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Private ownership of the means of
production - land, capital, and the labor
of workers.
Encourages hard work and innovation
toward maximizing competitive
advantage.
Does not attend to distribution and does
not provide for the public good.
Socialism
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The means of production is owned by
the workers and distribution is for the
public good.
Creed of pure socialism: from each
according to ability, to each according to
need.
The key drawback of socialism is the
absence of personal economic
incentive.
Changing Labor Force in the
United States
Professions
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Production of an unstandardized
product.
High degree of personal involvement.
Wide knowledge of a specialized skill.
Sense of obligation to one's art.
Sense of group identity.
Significant service to society.
The Shifting Job Market: Projected
Changes Between 2000 and 2010
The Downside of Technology
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Deskilling of some jobs.
Displacements of the work force as
some jobs vanish and new ones appear.
Big brother jitters and stress as
computerized jobs also provide the
means of constant worker monitoring by
supervisors.
Using Public Policy
to Protect U.S. Jobs
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The conservative free market
approach - proposes that the way to
keep jobs in the U.S. is to reduce wages
and benefits.
New industrial policies - government
should restrict plant closings and
support investments in local economies
to provide more secure jobs.
Using Public Policy
to Protect U.S. Jobs
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Social welfare policies - helping
people who are being thrown out of
work through more generous
unemployment benefits, paid leave for
employees who are about to be laid off,
and extensive job re-training programs.