Chapter 1: Theory of Modern Government (cont.)
III.
IV.
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It’s All About the Politics (pages 10-11)
A.
Politics is the process by which we select our governmental leaders and what policies these
leaders pursue. [Government + Politics = Public Policy] In other words, what
government does through politics results in public policy “who gets what, when, and
how.”.
1.
“Who of Politics” includes voters, candidates, groups, and parties
2.
“What of Politics” is the substance; i.e., benefits such as medical care for the
elderly AND burdens such as new taxes
3.
“How of Politics” is through voting, supporting, compromising, lobbying, etc.
4.
“Why of Politics” is their ability to succeed or fail in getting elected and/or making
policy.
B.
Political Participation refers to the ways in which people get involved in politics.
1.
Voting is the most common form of political participation; however, America does
quite poorly with one of the lowest rates of voter participation in the world.
2.
Protests and Civil Disobedience are other examples of participation.
C.
Single-issue groups are interest groups (stakeholders) whose members will vote on a
single issue.
1.
Pro-life (National Right to Life Committee) and Pro-choice (National Abortion
Rights Action League) are single-issue groups that ignore a politician’s stand on
everything EXCEPT abortion.
2.
National Rifle Association (NRA) and National Coalition to Ban Handguns
(NCBH) are single-issue groups that ignore politician’s stand on everything
EXCEPT gun control.
D.
Political Ideologies is a coherent set of beliefs about politics, public policy, and public
purpose. It helps give meaning to political events, personalities, and policies. In the United
States, we tend to focus beliefs into two ideologies:
1.
Conservatives (Republicans, Elephants, the Right) prefer a government based on
tradition and social stability, stressing established institutions (versus creating new
ones), and preferring gradual development to abrupt change.
2.
Liberals (Democrats, Donkey, the Left) prefer a government active in dealing with
human needs, support individual rights and liberties, and give higher priority to
social needs than to military needs.
The Policymaking System (pages 11-14)
A.
Policymaking system is a set of institutions and activities that link together government,
policies, and public policy.
1.
When people confront government officials with problems they expect them to
solve, they are trying to influence the government’s policy agenda (the list of
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Chapter 1 Notes
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2.
3.
4.
5.
B.
V.
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subjects or problems to which people inside and outside government are paying
serious attention at any given time).
Linkage institutions are institutions (parties, elections, interest groups, and the
media) that connect the preferences of citizens to the government’s policy agenda.
a)
Parties and Interest Groups strive to ensure that their members’ concerns
receive appropriate political attention.
b)
The media investigates social problems and informs people about them.
c)
Elections allow citizens the chance to make their opinions heard by
choosing their public officials.
Policymaking Institutions are the branches of government (Executive,
Legislative, Judicial, and Bureaucracy) charged with taking action on political
issues.
A political issue arises when people disagree about a problem or about a public
policy choices made to combat a problem.
The end product of government and politics is public policy (every decision that
government makes - every law it passes, budget it establishes, ruling it hands down,
or even inaction).
Policy Impacts are the effects policy has on people and on society’s problems.
1.
Having a policy implies a goal: people who raise a policy issue usually want a
policy that works.
2.
Policy impact analysts ask how well a policy achieves its goal – and at what cost
3.
Translating people’s desires into public policy is crucial to the workings of
democracy.
Democracy (pages 14-20) is a form of government in which the people govern, either directly
(direct democracy where the will of the people is translated into public policy directly by the
people) or through elected representatives (representative democracy where a small group of
persons chosen by the people to act as their representatives expresses the popular will).
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Chapter 1 Notes
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A.
Traditional Democratic Theory exists in this country because the American people
believe in its basic concepts. It will continue to exist only for as long as we, THE
PEOPLE, continue to subscribe to and practice those concepts. An ideal democratic
process should satisfy five criteria:
1.
Worth of the Individual / Inclusion – Each person’s worth and dignity must be
recognized and respected by all other individuals, and by society at all times.
However, at various times, the welfare of one or a few individuals is subordinate to
the interests of the many.
2.
Equality of All Persons - Each person is free to develop him/herself as fully as
he/she can.
a)
It is also the aspect of equality before the law.
b)
Equality in voting and Universal Suffrage is essential. Citizens must have
adequate and equal opportunities to express their preferences throughout the
decision-making process.
3.
Majority Rule (the will of over half the voters should be followed) with Minority
Rights (guarantees rights to those who do not belong to the majority voice) is
essential.
4.
Necessity of Compromise – Compromise allows citizens to have the collective
right to control the government’s policy agenda.
a)
It is the process of blending, adjusting, and reconciling competing views
and interests.
b)
During the George Herbert Walker Bush administration the cry of policy
gridlock (a condition that occurs when no coalition is strong enough to
form a majority and establish policy; the result is that nothing may get
done) was heard because a Republican president had difficult achieving his
legislative agenda with the Democratic Congress.
5.
Individual Freedom - A democratic society must be a marketplace of ideas with
free speech and free press essential to civic understanding. Freedom cannot be
absolute, or anarchy will result. Justice Oliver Wendall Holmes explained the
balance of individual rights with freedom as “the right to swing my fist ends where
the other man’s nose begins.”
B.
Representation (a/k/a representative democracy) describes the relationship between the
few leaders and the many followers. The desires of the people should be replicated in
government through the choices of elected officials.
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