Sept 16 – Gov – Media Agenda: Think and Ink Policy-Making cycle Mind-Map The Media Homework: P (end of)245 Continue ch 7 SG Take out: Notebook Pen/Pencil Outcomes: Define policymaking system and democracy Clarify how the media act as key linkage institutions

Think and Ink On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the best: How SUPER is our electoral process? Be prepared to explain your reasoning.

Policymaking in a Democracy

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?

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 Lasswell’s definition: –Who gets what, when and how.

Linkage Institutions Policy Agenda Policymaking Institutions Policy Impact of Policies People Interests, Problems or Concerns The process by which policy comes into being and evolves over time.

Policy Agenda Political Issues –These arise when people disagree about a problem and how to fix it. 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.

Policymaking Institutions Legislature (Congress) Executive (President) Courts (Federal and State) Bureaucracies (Federal and State)

Policy Impacts People

Democracy Definition: –A system of selecting policymakers and of organizing government so that policy represents and responds to the public’s preferences. Equality in voting Effective participation Enlightened understanding Citizen control of the agenda Inclusion

Linkage Institutions How do people get policymakers to pay attention to their issues? Parties Elections Interest Groups MEDIA

Mind Map How do our beliefs and behaviors affect what becomes policy? –Ie: How does what we’ve studied in Unit 1 relate to this policymaking process? Draw it out. Some things to include: Public opinion Polling Political Ideology Political participation Elections Political socialization Voters Policymaking process: interests, problems Linkage institutions Policy agenda Policymaking Institutions Policy