American Government: Processes and Policies

1
American Government Processes and Policies

• An Introduction

2
Todays Lecture

• Define government and politics
• Define Democracy
• Discuss theories of democracy
• Rational choice theory

3
Government

• 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 provide services, collect
  taxes, and maintain order

4
Politics

• The process by which we select our governmental
  representatives and what policies they produce.
• Politics produces authoritative decisions about
  public issues.
• Agreement through compromise and bargaining
• Also consider Lasswells definition
• Who gets what, when and how.
• Politics in a democracy concerns who participates
  and how.

5
Democracy

• A system of selecting policymakers and of
  organizing government so that policy represents
  the publics preferences.
• Equality in voting
• Citizen control of the agenda
• Aristotle and the traditional view
• Mob rule
• Ineffective government
• Springfield epitomizes good and bad of democracy

6
Characteristics of American Democracy

• Personal liberty freedom from interference from
  the government (civil liberties) and freedom to
  act free from governmental discrimination
• Political equality one person, one vote
• Popular consent governments draw power from
  consent of the governed

7
Characteristics of American Democracy (cont.)

• Majority rule 50 percent one vote carries the
  dayusually
• But also provisions to protect the minority
• Popular sovereignty the right of the majority to
  govern themselves
• Individualism

8
Some Theories of Democracy

• Pluralism politics is mainly a competition among
  groups, where the public interest will prevail.
• Elite and class theory groups with money will
  have power and influence groups are not equal.
• Hyperpluralism groups are TOO strong and
  dominate all politics weakens democracy.

9
Rational Choice Theory

• Groups and individuals act in their own
  self-interest
• They weigh the costs and benefits of any decision
  and choose to maximize benefits and minimize
  costs
• The distribution of resources often dictate
  whether an individual or group achieves what it
  wants

10
Rat Choice Applied

• The framing of the Constitution
• Framers agreed in part because creating new
  nation also benefited themselves
• Voting and political parties
• Voters vote for the person who will benefit them
  the most
• Policymaking
• Legislators and presidents support policies
  usually because it will benefit them on
  reelection day

11
Questions About Democracy

• People
• Are people knowledgeable about policy?
• Do they apply what the know when they vote?
• Linkage Institutions
• Do interest groups help political process?
• Do political parties offer clear consistent
  choices for voters or do they intentionally
  obscure their positions?
• Do media help citizens understand choices?

12
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?

13
Summary

• Weve defined government, politics, and
  democracy.
• America is a unique democracy in which people
  have ultimate say over policy.
• We have offered several theories of democracy,
  including rational choice theory.
• Rational choice theory explains much that is
  American government and politics.