1. Ch 1: Introducing
Government in
America

2. The sad truth Politics & government matter.
Most Americans are apathetic about politics & government.
American youth are less likely to be informed about government & politics and participate less in politics. (p. 6-7)
The sad truth

3. The Political Disengagement of Young People Today

5. Presidential Election Turnout Rates by Age (Figure 1.2)

6. 2 essential ques emerge:
Government (p. 9) –
2 essential ques emerge:
How should we govern?
What should govt do?
Identify 10 specific things you did this morning.
5 functions Govts in the world have in common? (p )

7. WHO GETS WHAT, WHEN AND HOW
What is Politics (P. 11)?
WHO GETS WHAT, WHEN AND HOW
Harold Lasswell, famed political scientist ( ) devised this classic definition, lending his name to the widely studied model of politics. Lasswell taught at the University of Chicago and directed war communications research at the Library of Congress before becoming a professor at Yale Law school.

8. WHO? (Participants) Individuals Groups Organizations Candidates
Officeholders
Supporters
Voters
Groups
Affluent/Poor
Whites/Blacks/Latinos/Asians
Elderly/Young
Men/Women
Farmers/Bankers/Real estate/Sales
Catholics/Protestants/Jews
Northerners/Southerners
Liberals/Conservatives
Organizations
AFL-CIO
AARP
NAACP
ACLU
NRA

9. WHAT? (Values) WHEN? Prestige Recognition Influence Access Jobs
Contracts
Public policy
Justice
Status quo
WHEN?
Immediately or Later

10. HOW? (Method) Platforms Speeches Rallies Campaigns Media exposure
Voting
Registration
Campaign finance
Lobbying
Compromise
Logrolling
Intimidation
Rewards
Bribery
Violence
Expand the conflict

11. Wage Strikes Planned at Fast-Food Outlets
By STEVEN GREENHOUSE
Seeking to increase pressure on McDonald’s, Wendy’s and other fast-food restaurants, organizers of a movement demanding a $15-an-hour wage for fast-food workers say they will sponsor one-day strikes in 100 cities on Thursday and protest activities in 100 additional cities.
As the movement struggles to find pressure points in its quest for substantially higher wages for workers, organizers said strikes were planned for the first time in cities like Charleston, S.C.; Providence, R.I.; and Pittsburgh.
The protests have expanded greatly since November 2012, when 200 fast-food workers engaged in a one-day strike at more than 20 restaurants in New York City, the first such walkout in the history of the nation’s fast-food industry.
“There’s been pretty huge growth in one year,” said Kendall Fells, one of the movement’s main organizers. “People understand that a one-day strike is not going to get them there. They understand that this needs to continue to grow.”
The movement, which includes the groups Fast Food Forward and Fight for 15, is part of a growing union-backed effort by low-paid workers — including many Walmart workers and workers for federal contractors — that seeks to focus attention on what the groups say are inadequate wages.
The fast-food effort is backed by the Service Employees International Union and is also demanding that restaurants allow workers to unionize without the threat of retaliation.
Officials with the National Restaurant Association have said the one-day strikes are publicity stunts. They warn that increasing pay to $15 an hour when the federal minimum wage is $7.25 would cause restaurants to rely more on automation and hire fewer workers.
Industry officials say that only a small percentage of fast-food jobs pay the minimum wage and that those are largely entry-level jobs for workers under 25.
Backers of the movement for higher pay point to studies saying that the average age of fast-food workers is 29 and that more than one-fourth are parents raising children.
Simon Rojas, who earns $8.07 an hour working at a McDonald’s in South Central Los Angeles, said he would join Thursday’s one-day strike.
“It’s very difficult to live off $8.07 an hour,” said Mr. Rojas, 23, noting that he is often assigned just 20 or 25 hours of work a week. “I have to live with my parents. I would like to be able to afford a car and an apartment.”
Mr. Rojas said he had studied for a pharmacy technician’s certificate, but he had been unable to save the $100 needed to apply for a license.
On Aug. 29, fast-food strikes took place in more than 50 cities. This week’s expanded protests will be joined by numerous community, faith and student groups, including USAction and United Students against Sweatshops.

12. The Policymaking System
We often expect govt to do something about our problems
What is Public Policy?
Who makes it? The 4 policymaking institutions:
Congress (passes a law)
President (Exec. Order – internment)
Bureaucracy (add details Congress left out)
Courts (Roe v. Wade)

13. Policymaking in the U.S.
Step 1: A problem that disturbs people gives rise to demands for relief
Examples:
Healthcare, Hurricane Katrina, immigration
Segregation, unemployment

14. Step 2: Individuals/groups work to get problem noticed & on nat’l govt’s agenda How? Through
Linkage institutions:
Political parties (Ch 8)
Elections (Ch 9)
Interest groups (Ch 10)
Media/agenda setting/polling (Ch 7)

15. Step 3: Form solutions & govt approves & adopts the policy
Legislative process (Ch 11)
President signs bill into law (Ch 12)
Executive orders (Ch 12)
Supreme Court decisions (Ch 15)

16. Step 4: Budgeting provides funding for the new policy
Congress, Executive depts & bureaucrats all work on budgeting monies for the programs (Ch 13)
Budget process by the President
Data analysis by the bureaucrats
Taxing & spending committees in Congress

17. Step 5: Policy implementation, evaluation, and restructuring
Bureaucracy – add details to the legislation, works to enforce, implement, or complete the policy (Ch 14)
Management collects data about success or failure
Flow of information back up
to the policymakers (Cabinet secretaries, Pres & Congress)

18. Dahl’s 5 essential criteria for “an ideal democratic process”?
Democracy (p. 15) –
Dahl’s 5 essential criteria for “an ideal democratic process”?
Must preserve majority rule and preserve minority rights
3 contemporary theories of American democracy (p. 16):
Pluralist theory –
Elite and Class theory –
Hyperpluralism –