Introducing Government in America

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Introducing Government in America

• Jeffrey C. Berry
• Mid-Valley Bldg B202 H
• 447-6657
• Email jberry_at_stcc.cc.tx.us

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Learning Objectives

• Distinguish among the fundamental concepts of
  government, politics and public policy.
• Understand how government, politics, and public
  policy are interrelated.
• State how people can influence the governments
  policy agenda.
• Describe the basic concept of the policymaking
  system.
• State the essential principles of traditional
  democratic theory.
• Examine the three contempory theories of American
  democracy pluralism, elite and class theory,
  and hyperpluralism.
• Discuss and analyze the challenges to democracy
  presented in the text.
• Understand the importance of individualism in
  limiting the scope of American government.
• Asses the two basic questions of government How
  should we govern? And What should government do?

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Government

• Definition
• 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?

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Politics

• Definition
• The process by which we select our governmental
  leaders and what policies these leaders produce.
  Politics produces authoritative decisions about
  public issues.
• Also consider Lasswells definition
• Who gets what, when and how.

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The Policymaking System

• The process by which policy comes into being and
  evolves over time.

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People

• Interests
• Problems
• Concerns

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Linkage Institutions

• Political Parties
• Elections
• News Entertainment Media
• Interest Groups

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Policy Agenda

• Political Issues
• These are the whats that the various people
  want taken care of.
• Items at the top of the policy agenda are taken
  care of first.
• It may take years to get an item on the policy
  agenda, and then several more years to get it
  acted on.

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Policymaking Institutions

• Legislature (Congress)
• Executive (President)
• Courts (Federal and State)
• Bureaucracies (Federal and State)

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Policy

• Expenditures of money
• Raising or lowering taxes
• New laws or regulations
• Non-decisions (gridlock)

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People

• Impacts of policies
• Does it solve the problem?
• Does it create more problems?

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Democracy

• Definition
• A system of selecting policymakers and of
  organizing government so that policy represents
  and responds to the publics preferences.
• Equality in voting
• Effective participation
• Enlightened understanding
• Citizen control of the agenda
• Inclusion

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Theories of U.S. Democracy

• Pluralist Theory
• A theory of government and policies emphasizing
  that politics is mainly a competition among
  groups, each one pressing for its own preferred
  policies.
• Groups will work together
• Public interest will prevail

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Theories of U.S. Democracy

• Elite and Class Theory
• A theory of government and politics contending
  that societies are divided along class lines and
  that an upper-class elite will rule, regardless
  of the formal niceties of governmental
  organization.
• Not all groups are equal
• Policies benefit those with money / power

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Theories of U.S. Democracy

• Hyperpluralism
• A theory of government and politics contending
  that groups are so strong that government is
  weakened.
• Exaggerated / perverted form of pluralism
• Confusing / contradictory policies
• Gridlock- inability to act at all

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Challenges to Democracy

• Increased Technical Expertise
• Limited Participation in Government
• Escalating Campaign Costs
• Diverse Political Interests

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Questions About Democracy

• Are the people knowledgeable- and do they apply
  what they know?
• Do interest groups help the process, or do they
  get in the way?
• Do political parties offer clear consistent
  choices for voters?
• Does the President Congress work in the best
  interests of ALL the people?

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Questions about the Scope of Government

• How big a role does the Constitution say should
  be played by the federal government?
• Does a bigger, more involved (active) government
  limit the peoples freedoms?
• Do we need a bigger, more involved government to
  protect our freedoms?

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Questions about the Scope of Government,
continued

• Do competing political parties make for better
  policies?
• Do more interest groups create a bigger
  government?
• Does the media help control the size and policies
  government?

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Questions about the Scope of Government,
continued

• Can the president control the government, or has
  it gotten too big?
• Can Congress respond to the needs of the people,
  or just to the interest groups?
• Do members of Congress expand government by
  seeking to be re-elected?

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Questions about the Scope of Government,
continued

• Do the federal courts overstep their bounds and
  intrude on the powers of other branches of
  government?
• Are the federal agencies too large and
  unresponsive to the public they are supposed to
  serve?

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Internet Resources

• Policy issues
• Federalist Papers
• Democracy in America
• Bowling Alone
• Yahoos Government