What is American Politics

1
What is American Politics?

• Poli Sci 1
• Lecture 1

2
Gov. Davis Political Quandary

• 36 billion budget deficit.
• How to close the gap?
• Tripling of car tax (legal loophole)
• Cuts in social services

• But Davis needed allies to beat recall election.
• Cuts would be unpopular with moderates and
  liberals.

3
What to do?

• Proposed high income and sin taxes instead of car
  tax.
• Working with core groups to shore up support.
• But cuts were still required.
• Who would be sacrificed to pay the deficit?

• As individuals, groups, and governmental actors
  make and implement decisions about what is good
  or bad for society, politics is at work.

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Politics is

• Exercise of Power Competition of interests
• Who gets what, when and how

• the central process through which power and
  influence are used in the promotion of certain
  values and interests.

5
Politics is

• a struggle or process that arises as a means to
  resolve conflict.
• Differences over beliefs
• Differences over social goals
• Competition for scarce resources

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Government and Politics

• Complex societies need Government
• to regulate conflict in society.
• Rules for conflict (elections, legislatures,
  courts).

• Settlements through public policy acceptable to
  both winners and losers.
• Public policy is the outcome of the struggle.

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Government and Politics

• Governments Impact
• Daily lives impacted.
• From what is safe to eat, to the death penalty.
• Settlements to political disputes imposed by
  promising rewards or threatening punishment.

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Government Authority and Legitimacy

• Why do we obey?
• Because Government works within the legitimacy of
  a democratic system.
• Representative Democracy
• Public elects representatives to make policy
  decisions.

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Government Authority and Legitimacy

• Promotion (and debate) of fundamental values
• Liberty, equality, and property
• Authority through punitive measures

• Boundaries must be maintained to hold legitimacy.
• Must not violate values of liberty, equality, and
  property.

10
American Ideals

• Americans continue to believe in the value of
  their political institutions.

• Hollywood portrayals
• The institution is sound it just needs good
  people to run it.

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How Sound is American Democracy?

• Campaign fundraising problems
• Voter apathy

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Americas Challenges

• Can American political institutions meet the
  challenges that face America?
• 12.5 poverty rate (36 million Americans)

• 3 of all Americans are illiterate, and 20 can
  barely read
• 2.1 million people are incarcerated
• 45 million Americans lack health insurance
• What does democracy mean?
• Material equality or equality of opportunity?

13
Americas Challenges

• Are American political institutions unprepared
  for the information age?
• Do we need to go beyond liberal and
  conservative categories?
• Class Goal Analyze the process of who gets
  what, when, and how.