 Politics and government matter.
 Americans are apathetic about politics and government.
 American youth are not likely to be informed about government and politics and rarely participate in politics.
 Volunteerism among young Americans in civil society has increased.

Political analysis attempts to answer the what, why and how questions about politics.
 Description
-The “what” questions based on facts
 Explanation
-The “why” and “how” something happens
 Prediction
--the effects of decisions and non-decisions
 Prescription
-Value statement of what “should be done”

 Science - uses methods that allow people to agree on results
 Search for regularities
 Patterns or correlations
 Empirical
 Observable or measurable
 Cumulative
 Builds on previous foundation
 Testable
 Others can evaluate and repeat analysis

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Type
Traditional
Basis
Custom and established way of doing things
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Charismatic
Legal-Rational intense commitment to the leader and his message rules and procedures merit not connections the office, not the person
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Legitimacy: rightful authority to rule—individuals within a state recognize the government’s right to make collective decisions;
 Today: legal and psychological right to govern
Example
Monarchy
Many revolutionary leaders bureaucracy;
Representative democracy

 Definition:
 Politics is the process by which we select our governmental leaders and what policies they produce—politics produces authoritative decisions about public issues.
 The process of deciding who benefits and who is excluded from benefiting in society.
 Also consider Lasswell’s definition:
 Who gets what, when and how.

 The process by which policy comes into being and evolves over time
Figure 1.4

 Definition: 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

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Definition: 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.

 Definition: Policymaking institutions are the branches of government charged with taking action on political issues.
 Legislature (Congress)
 Executive (Presidency)
 Bureaucracies (Federal and State)
 Courts (Federal and State)

 Public Policy: a choice that government makes in response to a political issue

Types of
Governments:
Who Governs?
 Monarchy:
A king or queen has absolute authority over a territory and its government.
 Oligarchy:
Only an elite few hold power.
 Democracy:
The supreme power of governance lies in the hands of citizens.

Types of
Governments:
Function and
Structure?
 Totalitarianism:
A tyrannical government structure which controls every aspect of their citizens’ lives.
 Authoritarianism:
A government which holds strong powers, but which is checked by other forces in society.
 Constitutionalism:
A form of government structured by law which provides for limited government.

 Security
 Mediation
 Provision of public goods
 Allocation of resources
 To raise and spend money; control of money supply
 Political socialization

 Economic system characteristic of a. private property b. free market with limited gov’t intervention c. economic output determined by supply and demand

Liberals:
1.
More governmental regulation of economy
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3.
More policies to help disadvantaged groups
More policies to redistribute income
Conservatives:
1.
Fewer governmental regulations, more reliance on market
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3.
Fewer policies in the name of disadvantaged groups
Fewer tax laws that discourage business growth