Introduction to Government

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Introduction to Government

• AP American Government

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Political Culture vs.Political Socialization

• Political Culture a collection of beliefs and
  attitudes toward government and the political
  process held by a community or nation affects
  political behavior
• Significance political culture allows society to
  agree upon the fundamental principles of the
  nation, to have a common perception of the rights
  and obligations of citizens, and to have a set of
  rules for participating in the political process
• Political Socialization the process by which
  such beliefs and values are transmitted to new
  immigrants and to our children (core
  values)

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Declaration of Independence

• We hold these truths to be self-evident, that
  all men are
• created equal, that they are endowed by the
  Creator with
• certain unalienable rights, that among these are
  life, liberty
• and the pursuit of happiness.
• Purpose of Declaration to establish the basic
  goals/values
• There are universal truths that can be known and
  acted upon
• There is equality before the law
• There is a belief in a higher power that
  transcends human law
• There are rights that are entitled at birth
• There is liberty and the pursuit of happiness
• Compare to Constitution

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Understanding Government

• Government a permanent structure (institution)
  through which society makes and enforces its
  public policies
• Institution a long standing structure or
  association that performs certain functions for
  society
• Politics the struggle or process engaged in by
  human beings to decide which members of society
  receive the benefits or privileges and which
  members are excluded from certain benefits or
  privileges

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Why is there Conflict in Politics?

• People have different beliefs over what is right
  or wrong
• People have different beliefs over religion
• People have different beliefs over the role of
  government
• People have different beliefs over what society
  goals should be
• Because there is competition for scarce resources
  (i.e. benefits and privileges)

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Why do Citizens Obey Laws?

• Authority government has the authority to make
  such laws along with the ultimate right to
  enforce compliance with their decisions
• Legitimacy people obey because laws possess
  legitimacy as a result of having been made
  according to an accepted political process by
  representatives of the people
• Power government has power to enforce laws
  meaning that government has the ability to cause
  others to modify behavior and conform

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Core Values
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Individual Liberty all persons have personal
freedom but there are limits on those freedoms
we give up some of our freedom for the good of
government and society Political Equality all
persons are born with equal standing before the
government equal rights this leads to popular
sovereignty Majority Rule this assumes that the
right to rule belongs to the people and that the
people are equal decisions should be made by the
greater number of people Minority Rights the
majority is not the people therefore the rights
of the minority must be protected or everyones
rights will diminish
Economic Rights includes the right to own
property is essential to individual rights and
the pursuit of happiness but economic equality is
not guaranteed
Core Values
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ClassicalDemocracy

• Definition a democracy which emphasizes the
  importance of citizen participation in government
  through debating, voting and holding office
• Citizens are committed to learning about
  democracy
• Citizens are committed to participating in the
  democracy
• Citizens are well informed and discuss public
  affairs
• Citizens tell public officials what they think
  and they vote
• Citizens share common goals and work together

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Why Does the Reality of Political Participation
Fall Short of Classical Democratic Expectations?

• Answer The United States is not a classical
  democracy because majority rule does not exist if
  the majority of the people do not participate.
  In addition, those who do participate do no
  represent the true demographics of the nation nor
  do those who are elected reflect the nations
  demographics.
• Statistics
• -- 50 of citizens do not vote in presidential
  elections
• -- 67 of citizens do not vote in
  non-presidential elections
• -- Less than 33 of citizens vote in local
  elections
• -- 20 of citizens do nothing that is political
• -- 10 of citizens take advantage of
  opportunities to participate

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Pluralism

• Definition the theory that American government
  is responsive to groups of citizens working
  together to promote their common interests and
  that enough people belong to interest groups to
  ensure that government ultimately hears everyone,
  even though most people do not actively
  participate in the government
• Citizens join organizations that represent their
  interests
• These groups bring members views to
  decision-makers
• This process create balance in the overall system
• As a result, no group(s) can dominate the
  government

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Does the Reality of Pluralism Fall Short of its
Expectations?

• In a marketplace of ideas, and political
  objectives under rules that allow for the
  distribution of policy victories across the great
  majority of the electorate while preventing any
  one group from becoming permanent losers. This
  allows the greater good to be served with an
  economy of participation.
• Answer Despite this theory, many issues fall
  through the cracks of interest group
  representation (lack of organization,
  insufficient funds). There is no guarantee than
  an issue can be resolved through this process no
  can we guarantee that an issue can be resolved
  through this process nor can we guarantee that
  either party will be satisfied by a given policy.
• Compare to Constitution

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HyperPluralism

• Definition the idea that it is difficult for
  government to arrive at solutions to problems
  because interest groups (organizations that try
  to achieve at least some of their goals with
  government assistance) have become so numerous
  and so many groups have a veto on issues that
  affect them.
• With so many interest groups, it is difficult to
  find common ground to work out solutions to
  problems
• Efforts to bring about major change in nation
  democratic priorities are extremely difficult
• Gridlock occurs when policies are not
  administered effectively because the
  President/Congress cannot agree on what to do
• Parties play the blame game which encourages
  elected officials to distrust each other and
  promotes public cynicism about government
  responsiveness and effectiveness
• Compromise slows the process down and can lead to
  vaguely worded laws (seeming allowing others to
  then legislate)

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What is the Validity of theTheory of Elitism?
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Elitism

• Definition the an explanation of how government
  works that focuses on the roles of relatively
  small numbers of individuals in key positions
• Based on the law of iron oligarchy which states
  that in any effective organization, power always
  gravitates towards a few
• Argues that the United States is much less
  democratic than pluralist believe
• Points out that groups with average or below
  average incomes have limited representation
• Argues that interest groups create their own
  elite by establishing permanent organization with
  paid staff/leadership
• Points out that over time, paid staff members
  being to identify with the decision-makers rather
  than the rank and file members
• As a result, group membership no longer
  guarantees that ones interests will be
  accurately represented by the process

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Power Elitism

• Definition the belief that a small group of
  people share the most powerful jobs and make the
  most important economic and political decisions
  these decisions aid them in retaining power
• Criticizes pluralism for focusing only on the
  public sector and ignoring the private sector of
  our dual system
• Claims that citizens incorrectly assume that
  decisions are made in the public sector where
  interest groups compete intensely
• Claims business forms a system unto itself,
  where the elite make decisions that affect the
  welfare of all Americans and use their vast
  resources to influence the outcome of public
  policy
• Claims that under this system, groups with little
  or no representation are permanent losers and
  interest groups only compete for a small piece of
  the pie

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What makes America great?

• Our Shared Goals
• Democracy
• Individual Liberty
• Economic Rights
• Political Equality
• Majority Rule
• Minority Rights
• Our Diversity
• What else makes
• America great?

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