Authority and Government 7.2 – The US Political System

7.2 – US Political System

Political Norms There are norms in politics as to what is or is not acceptable. This includes the Overton Window and the respect government officials are supposed to afford to one another. Overton Window – As the spectrum moves, an idea at a given location may become more or less politically acceptable. Proponents of policies outside the window seek to persuade the public in order to expand the window. Proponents of policies within the window seek to convince people that policies outside it are dangerous

In what ways has President Trump expanded the Overton Window?

Political Parties Politics are activities that politicians and special interest groups engage in within government. Crafting bills, trying to influence legislators, campaigning for elections or on specific political issues. Political Party – Political parties form a bridge between the will of the people and their government’s actions. Parties also provide a check on the concentration of power Many countries, such as Germany and India, have several significant political parties, and some nations have one-party systems, such as China and Cuba. The United States is in practice a two-party system, but with many smaller parties also participating and a high degree of autonomy for individual candidates. Partisanship –

In what ways do US political parties discourage compromise?

Ideology Many political parties base their political action and election program on an ideology. Ideology - Goals: Methods: Some parties follow a certain ideology very closely, while others may take broad inspiration from a group of related ideologies without specifically embracing any one of them. The popularity of an ideology is in part due to the influence of moral entrepreneurs, who sometimes act in their own interests.

Moral Entrepreneurs Moral Entrepreneur - Special-Interest Group – People organized to address some economic or social issue. They advance the political aims of specific segments of the population Political Action Committees (PAC) – an organization formed by a special- interest group, independent of political parties, to raise and spend money in support of political goals. PACs play a powerful role in electoral politics because of money, access to the media and voter influence As a result of the 2010 Citizens United Supreme Court case, moral entrepreneurs are enabled to give unlimited funding to campaigns. The case equated donations as a form of free speech that cannot be limited The moral entrepreneur may press for the creation or enforcement of a norm for any number of reasons, altruistic or selfish. They hold the power to generate a moral panic; similarly multiple moral entrepreneurs may have conflicting goals and work to counteract each other.

Why do PACs often use provocative images in their ads?

Political Spectrum The Political Spectrum, from the liberal left to the conservative right, involves attitudes on both economic and social issues Social Issues - moral questions about how people ought to live. Economic Issues – fiscal questions about economic inequality and the role of government in capitalism. Politicians shape, and in turn are shaped by, social structures such as gender, class and nationality. Such social structures ensure that political influence within society is unequal Poor people tend to seek to limit gap in wealth through government redistribution programs. Lower income citizens focus on jobs and economy since their need is greater. Affluent people tend to be more conservative on economic issues and liberal on social issues. Higher income citizens have the financial security to focus more on social issue.

Voter Participation Voter turnout is the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election. Age and citizenship status are often among the criteria used to determine eligibility, but some countries further restrict eligibility based on sex, race, and/or religion. Low turnout is considered undesirable, as a result, there have been many efforts to encourage participation in the political process. In spite of significant study into the issue, scholars are divided on the reasons for the decline. Its cause has been attributed to a wide array of economic and cultural factors. Different countries have very different voter turnout rates. Turnout in the US 2012 presidential election was about 55%. In both Belgium, which has compulsory voting, and Malta, which does not, participation reaches about 95%. Voter Apathy – Indifference comes from people who are mostly happy with their lives and feel generally unaffected by government. Indifference also reflects alienation from politics, where people who are so deeply dissatisfied with society that they doubt elections (or their participation in them) make any difference

Why are turnout rates low for young voters Why are turnout rates low for young voters? What did Sanders offer that captured their interest?

Voter Demographics If low turnout is a reflection of contentment of voters about likely winners, then low turnout is as legitimate as high turnout, as long as the right to vote exists. Low turnouts can lead to unequal representation among various parts of the population. While socioeconomic factors (age, race, gender, wealth and education) undoubtedly play a role in determining voter turnout, new evidence suggests that socialization also factors in. Parental turnout is a strong predictor of voting in young people, as people inherit behaviors from their parents Much of the impetus to vote comes from a sense of civic duty, which takes time and certain social conditions that can take decades to develop: trust in government, degree of partisanship among the population, interest in politics, and belief in the efficacy of voting One of the factors that is most likely to increase turnout is a close race. With an intensely polarized electorate and all polls showing a close finish between President Bush and Senator Kerry, the turnout in the 2004 election was about 60%. Elections where control of the President is not at stake generally have much lower turnouts—often half that for midterm elections. Local election is closer to 33%