POSC 2201 American Politics

Six Theories of American Politics 1 Six Theories of American Politics 1. Popular Democracy “Rule of the many” (meaning “of the many” rather than “the few”)

1. Popular Democracy Variations: A 1. Popular Democracy Variations: A. Rule by public opinion / majority rules

Race: Change in Public Opinion Preceded Civil Right Legislation in the 60s “In general, do you think Negroes are as intelligent as white people--that is , can they learn just as well if they are given the same education?” 1942 / 42% of Whites Agreed 1956 / 78% Agreed “Do you think white students and Negro students should go to the same schools or to separate schools?” 1942 / 30% “Same schools” 1956 / 49% “Same schools” 1960s / 60%+ “Same schools”

1964 Civil Rights Act 1965 Voting Rights Act 1968 Fair Housing Act Race: Change in Public Opinion Preceded Civil Right Legislation in the 60s 1964 Civil Rights Act 1965 Voting Rights Act 1968 Fair Housing Act

1. Popular Democracy Opinion May Be Too Vague to Guide Policy Americans think “too much” is being spent on “welfare” Americans think “too little” is being spent on “helping the poor”

1. Popular Democracy B. Need to Take Intensity into Account Person 1 / Strongly opposed to single payer health insurance Opposes Affirmative Action Favors Gun Control Person 2 / Strongly opposed to Gun Control Favors Single Payer Health Care Person 3 / Strongly Supports Affirmative Action Favors Single Payer Health Insurance

Need to Take Intensity into Account Two Options: “Minimum Winning Coalition” / two players gang up to screw over the third “Universalism” / everybody gets what he or she wants most

1. Popular Democracy C. “Elitist theory of democracy” Elites Rule / But the public gets to choose between competing elites. Joseph Aloïs Schumpeter

2. Power Elite Dominance There is a single elite Relatively Unified Rules in its Own Interests Rules Over All Policy Areas

2. Power Elite Dominance Vulgar Version: Conspiracy Theory Classic One: Jews Rule the World – Anti-Semitic

2. Power Elite Dominance Less Vulgar: Sociological Version “Derived from the work of sociologist C. Wright Mills, this power elite view argues that American democracy is dominated by a few top leaders, many of them wealthy or privately powerful, who do not hold elective office.” Wilson, James Q.; DiIulio, Jr., John J.; Bose, Meena. American Government: Institutions and Policies (Page 8). Cengage Learning. Kindle Edition.

2. Power Elite Dominance Sociological view: Holds that a group with similar backgrounds, similar interests and similar viewpoints has power, and rule in their own interest, even if they don’t conspire. They don’t need to conspire, since they believe in and seek the same things.

3. Interest Group Pluralism Groups Have Power Multiple Groups, With Competing Interests Each Group Has Some Power Over a Single Policy Area

Financial Regulation: Interest Group Plurality in the Design of Financial Regulatory Policies, Stefano Pagliari, Kevin Young

3. Interest Group Pluralism Ask About Issues? Are their Powerful Interests on Both Sides, Or Only on One Side? Immigration Single Payer Health Care Abortion Obamacare Contraceptive Mandate

Rich Fat Cats / Where Do They Fit In? Charles Koch and David  Koch

Rich Fat Cats / Where Do They Fit In? Sheldon Adelson

Rich Fat Cats / Where Do They Fit In? George Soros

Rich Fat Cats / Where Do They Fit In? Michael Bloomberg Tom Steyer

4. Bureaucratic Politics

4. Bureaucratic Politics There are multiple, sometimes contradictory, ideas about how bureaucracies operate. Seek to maximize their budgets Seek to maintain their autonomy That they have a well-defined “essence,” and “distinctive competence” and seek to operate within that That they are arrogant and overbearing, and seek to impose their agenda on the nation. That they are often “captured” and serve the interests of private interest groups.

4. Bureaucratic Politics Maintaining Your Budget: You are the mayor, and the city counsel demands that you reduce your budget. You have two choices: Lay off several bureaucrats in City Hall, or Close two fire stations Which do you do?

4. Bureaucratic Politics Propose Closing the Fire Stations

4. Bureaucratic Politics Organizational “Essence” Air Force Wants to get Rid of the A-10 “Warthog”

4. Bureaucratic Politics Organizational “Essence” F-16 F-15

4. Bureaucratic Politics Organizational “Essence” Su-35 / Flanker

4. Bureaucratic Politics Organizational “Essence” “Real” vs. “Official” Plane Nicknames – tell a lot about what the pilots think about the plane. Official Unofficial F-16 “Fighting Falcon” Viper B-52 “Stratofortress” BUFF A-10 “Thunderbolt II” Warthog

5. Leadership Personality Holds that the Character and Personality of the Leader Matters In History, the “Great Man” Theory of History

5. Leadership Personality Read My Lips: No New Taxes!

6. Rational Decision Making Rationality: weighing costs and benefits / preferring policy with large benefits relative to costs, low costs relative to benefits. Can’t apply where there is a fundamental moral conflict, such as abortion.

6. Rational Decision Making Example: Reform of Social Welfare Policy in the 1990s The welfare rolls had been growing The costs of welfare had been rapidly increasing Many women on welfare had been on the rolls for many years Yet poverty was not decreasing That was done? A work requirement was imposed A limit to the time a person could be on welfare was imposed. The “means testing” of programs was changed to reward work, even for low wage workers. Generous provisions for child care for women required to work were instituted

6. Rational Decision Making

6. Rational Decision Making