Trust and confidence in government have declined in recent decades. By Andrew

a.) Explain how divided government has contributed to the decline in trust and confidence in government. Be sure to include a definition of divided government in your response.

Answer Divided government- When one branch of government or section of that branch is split between parties. Ex. Senate is Republican and House is Democrat, Congress is Democrat and President is Republican, etc. Problems of Divided Government- Slower turn out time, gridlock, too many groups pulling in opposite direction, unable to come to conclusion on anything. Extremes of party running government, moderates pushed out of policy making. Ex. Balancing the budget never occurs because Dem and Repub cannot agree on anything.

Divided government could also slow down confirmation process, further decreasing confidence. If Senate cannot even agree to put someone in office, how are they supposed to run the country effectively? Increased partisanship does a number on people’s confidence and government. People see these issues, lose confidence in government’s ability to regulate and govern. Too slow, non-decisive, etc. 1 point for definition of divided government and one for example

b.) Explain how the increased cost of election campaigns has contributed to the decline in trust and confidence in government.

Answer Increased cost of elections means that money is coming from somewhere. Loads of money coming from Political Action Committees, special interest groups, etc. Groups contribute money, and later on they get kickback of bill that favors them or supports their positions. Almost like the representatives are being bought. Also, candidates spend large amount of time fundraising. If they are current representatives, this is taking away from their time doing their job. Decreased confidence in government’s ability to do their jobs because they are taking government and people’s time to get their next job.

Perception of wasteful spending in government. Ex. They fundraise MILLIONS of dollars, and it is all gone by end of the election. Money has to go somewhere, spending millions of dollars in the span of a few months seems very wasteful. Finally, people feel that their little contributions don’t mean much. PACs are adding boatloads of money, getting much more influence than the representatives own constituents. Also feel that the little guy who may be a better representative but doesn’t have the funds is getting screwed out of his chance. 1 point for each explanation

c.) Explain two specific consequences of the decline in trust and confidence in government for individual political behavior.

Answer Scandals by chief government officials- Head government officials are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that represents the government well. When they cause a scandal, it decreases the public’s confidence in their ability to do their job effectively, in their honesty, and other issues. Causes questions about the truthfulness and legality of government actions. Also gives the impression that representatives feel that they are above the law

Decreased Voter turnout- People come to the polls less. Apathetic attitude. Believe their voice won’t be heard. Believe that representatives are obsessed with self, are too big-headed, don’t listen to constituents, believe they are above the law, etc. Feel a disconnect between leadership of nation and people of nation.

Increased third-party candidates- more third party candidates in running. Might identify individual issues with Democratic or Republican party. Third party candidate might be seen as outside of the influence of the large parties, less likely to be connected with improper conduct. Good option besides main parties.

Protests are possible. People don’t feel they are being represented/protected, protest to show their discontent. Ex. Occupy Protests Decrease in political activity on multiple levels. Community political activity may decrease also. 1 point for each explanation