2. “There has never been,
nor ever will be, a
people who are
politically ignorant
and free.”
-- T. Jefferson
3.
4. Political Knowledge
• Fosters civic virtues (e.g. tolerance)
• Helps ID beneficial policies and affects voting
• Promotes participation
> Young people score less than ½ on political
knowledge test as those 65+
5. Why are young people so deficient?
• Perception/reality of little policy impact
• Changes in media > multiplicity and
narrowcasting
• Diminished cultural interest contributes to
lack of political culture
• Busier
8. Functions of Government
•Maintain defense
•Provide services
– PUBLIC GOODS: services that cannot be denied to anyone and
must be provided by gov’t rather than private sector
•Preserve order
•Socialize the young
•Collect taxes
9. “Politics”
• Process whereby we select leaders & policies
• Political Participation: activities to influence
leaders and policies
– Voting is most common method
• Single-Issue Groups: groups so concerned with one
issue that members often cast their votes on the basis
of that issue only, ignoring everything else
10. Policymaking System
• How policy is made
• How does gov’t. know the interests and
priorities of people?
Linkage Institutions
(parties, elections, Interest Groups, media,
activities/demonstrations, etc.)
POLICY AGENDA: issues that attract the attention of
public officials and people actively involved in
politics
11.
12.
13. POLITICAL ISSUE: when one group’s positions
and interests on an issue conflict with those of
another group.
POLICYMAKING INSTITUTIONS: the branches of
gov’t (Congress, President, Courts) empowered
with taking action on issues (also: bureaucracy).
PUBLIC POLICY: a course of action taken with
regard to some problem.
14. “Democracy”
• Government that represents & responds to
public’s preferences
• Traditional Democratic Process (Robert Dahl):
– Equality in voting
– Effective participation
– Free Speech & Press
– Collective control of agenda
– Inclusion
15. Majority Rule
(policies should reflect will of majority)
vs.
Minority
Rights
(restraints on the majority via rights of
minorities)
16.
17. Who Really Governs?
Three Contemporary Theories of American Democracy
• Pluralism: competing interest groups set
agenda and policy
– NRA, BLM, NOW, etc.
• Elitism: small upper-class holds power and
makes policy
– 1%, ‘Big Business’
• Hyperpluralism: strong competing groups
cripple efficient governmental policy
– Gridlock and/or contradictory policy
18.
19. Challenges to Democracy
• Complex Issues
• Limited participation
• Escalating costs of campaigns
• Quality of information
• Diverse interests
– “Policy Gridlock”
20. Political Culture
• How is the U.S. a ‘Nation’?
– Shared beliefs and values
Liberty, Equality, Individualism,
Laissez-Faire, & Populism
21. Scope of American Government
U.S. governments spend ~1/3 of GDP
(nearly $4 trillion)
Employ ~24 million people
(~8% of population)
Differing opinions on the scope of government is
a source of continuing controversy
