American Political Culture Chapter 1 Political Science 101

Why should we care what government does? Why do most Americans talk about what Government does to them, while still wanting government to do a lot for them?

What Americans think about government Why do most Americans talk about what Government does to them, while still wanting government to do a lot for them? Government – formal institutions through which a land and its people are ruled. Politics –refers to conflicts and struggles over the leadership, structures Many Americans do not like the level of involvement of government. Many Americans expect the government to do quite a bit to help them.

Government – formal institutions through which a land and its people are ruled. Politics –refers to conflicts and struggles over the leadership, structures Many Americans do not like the level of involvement of government. Many Americans expect the government to do quite a bit to help them. Trust in government Despite the dependence many Americans have on the government, they have a low level of trust. The also feel they have a low level of efficacy – no ability to change or influence the government’s actions. 1960’s –3/4 of Americans trusted their government 2013 – 19% of Americans expressed trust in their government

September 11, 2001 – terrorist attacks led to a substantial increase in trust levels of Americans 2004 – trust levels returned to pre -2001 trust levels. 2011 – dispute over budget and national debt levels left Americans worried –10% trusted the government to do the right thing. 2013 – Intense partisan conflict undermined Americans level of trust. Does it matter if Americans trust their government? Does it matter if Americans believe they can make a difference/influence their government.

Political Efficacy – the belief that ordinary citizens can impact their government. When political efficacy drops political indifference begins to rise – this stems from a habitual lack of knowledge and effort. It also becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. So…what is political knowledge? Is it having opinions, understanding of current issues? That is part of it…. We also need to know what governs this nation. How it is governed. What the rule of law means. Political knowledge is not making up rules….

Political knowledge is also part of the link to political indifference Not being able to understand how your interests are affected by politics can create a lack of perceived influence. Citizenship comes from the Greek ideal of enlightened political engagement. Romans also contribute with the idea of common good. It is necessity of political knowledge is vital to understanding how the government works. Doing so allows citizens to determine how to act on their interests. * Espousing opinions without facts or mechanical understandings can complicate political issues. Digital Citizenship – as society moves forward with social media the collection of information occurs in new, non-traditional way. Ways that the information is presented and collected can impact political knowledge.

Government Suspicion has always existed to some degree and may be part of the American culture. The degree of mistrust has varied considerably. Jefferson….government that governs best, “governs the least” How does one determine what the functions of government should be? Does it vary for each government or is it fairly uniform (inherency)? The text says it has been hotly debated…is it a confusing matter? How do we figure this out?

Forms of Government Note: Can’t assume that because a government adopts a label, that it is true. WHO GOVERNS TYPE OF GOVERNMENT One person ruling Autocracy Small Group of rulers Oligarchy Many People Democracy Many People through representation Indirect Democracy Many People through representation with the constraints of rule of law Republic LIMITS ON GOVERNMENT TYPE OF GOVERNMENT Legal, codified limits (both procedural and substantive) on what the government can or cannot do Constitutional Few legal limits; some limits imposed by social groups Authoritarian No limits Totalitarian

Forms of Government