Chapter 1

The Study of American

Government

1. What is meant by politics?

2. Can you give two definitions of
democracy?
3. How is political power actually
distributed in America?
4. What is the political agenda and why
has it expanded?
5. How can you classify and explain the
politics of different issues?

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Learning Objectives

 Issue: a real or apparent conflict

between the interests, ideas, or beliefs
of different citizens

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Issues and Politics

 Politics: activity by which an issue is

agitated or settled
Negotiation
Argument
Discussion
Application of force
Persuasion

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Issues and Politics

 Power: ability of one person to get

another person to act in accordance
with his/her wishes

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Power, Authority, and

Legitimacy

 Authority: rightful power

Varies from time to time
Varies from country to country

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Power, Authority, and

Legitimacy

 Legitimacy: political authority conferred

by law or by a constitution

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Power, Authority, and

Legitimacy

 Democracy: rule of the many

Direct democracy: government in
which most citizens participate directly
Representative democracy:
government in which elected leaders
make decisions

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What is Democracy?

1. Class view
Government dominated by capitalists

2. Power elite view

Government dominated by a few top
leaders, mostly outside of government

3. Bureaucratic view
Government dominated by appointed
officials

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Political Power in America:

Five Views

4. Pluralist view
Belief that competition among all affected
interests shapes public policy

5. Creedal passion view

Government dominated by impassioned
elites

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Political Power in America:

Five Views

10

 Who governs?
1. How is political power actually distributed
in America?
2. What explains major political change?

To what ends?
1. What value or values matter most in
American democracy?
2. Are trade-offs among political purposes
inevitable?

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Who Governsand to
What Ends?

11

 Political agenda: issues that people

believe require governmental action;
affected by
Shared political values
Weight of custom and tradition
Impact of events
Changes in way political elites think and
talk about politics

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Expanding the Political

Agenda

12

Americans felt
powerfully connected
to their fellow citizens
in the immediate
aftermath of 9/11.

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Expanding the Political

Agenda

13

 Groups (organized and unorganized)

Government institutions
Includes courts, bureaucracies
Source of policy (not just reactive)

Media
Action by the States

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Expanding the Political

Agenda

14

 Type of issue affects politicking

Costs (monetary or nonmonetary)
Benefits (monetary or nonmonetary)

Perception of costs vs. benefits

Is beneficiary deserving?

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The Politics of Different

Issues

15

 Simple theory of politics:

1. Are costs and benefits of proposed
policy widely distributed?
Income tax, Social Security

2. Are costs and benefits of proposed

policy narrowly distributed?
Farm subsidies

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The Politics of Different

Issues

16

 Majoritarian politics
Distributed benefits, distributed costs
Free-rider problem
Example: Social Security

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Four Types of Politics

17

 Interest group politics

Usually involves organized interest groups
Concentrated benefits, concentrated costs
Example: regulations affecting layoff
notifications for union members

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Four Types of Politics

18

 Client politics
Concentrated benefits, distributed costs
Pork-barrel legislations and log-rolling
Example: farm subsidies

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Four Types of Politics

19

 Entrepreneurial Politics
Distributed benefits, concentrated costs
Policy entrepreneurs
Ralph Nader

Example: environmental protection

regulations

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Four Types of Politics

20

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A Way of Classifying and Explaining

the Politics of Different Policy
Issues

21

 Policy dynamics
Issue can remain stable, change a little or
a lot, change slowly or quickly
No typical path
Most major social legislation reflects
majoritarian politics

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Four Types of Politics

22

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Major Overhaul of U.S. Military

Includes Defense Cuts

23

Click picture to play video

Taking a closer look:

1. Which of the four types of politics best
describes defense policy?
2. When formulating this policy, who likely
served as President Obamas primary
advisors?
3. What can you hypothesize about the
timing of this policy proposal?

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Major Overhaul of U.S. Military

Includes Defense Cuts

24

 Political scientists ask how and why

1. Who governsand to what ends?
2. How do political issues get on the public
agenda?
3. How do the politics of issues change over time?
4. What political obstacles and opportunities will
arise?
5. What is the role of public opinion, interest
groups, the media, the courts and political
parties?

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Understanding Politics

25