1. Sociological Perspectives on Politics and Government

2. Functionalism
According to functionalism, the government has four main purposes:
planning and directing society
meeting social needs
maintaining law and order
managing international relations
Durkheim believed that the purpose of government is to socialize people to be good citizens, to regulate the economy, and to provide necessary services for citizens.

3. Social change= Dysfunction?
Functionalists view government and politics as a way to enforce norms and regulate conflict.
Functionalists see active social change, such as the sit- ins, boycotts and protests, as undesirable because it forces change and, as a result, undesirable things that might have to be compensated for.
Functionalists seek consensus and order in society.

4. Functionalist perspective: the pluralist model
The pluralist model is rooted in a functionalist perspective which assumes people share a consensus on central concerns, such as freedom and protection from harm, and the government serves important functions that no other institution can fill.
According to the pluralist model, power in political systems is widely dispersed throughout many competing interest groups.
Key elements of pluralist political systems include:
Leaders make decisions on behalf of the people and engage in a process of bargaining, accommodation, and compromise.
Competition among leadership groups (such as leaders in business, labor, education, law, medicine, consumer groups, and government) protects people by making the abuse of power by any one group more difficult.
People can influence public policy by voting in elections, participating in existing special interest groups, or forming new ones to gain access to the political system.
Power is widely dispersed in society; leadership groups that wield influence on some decisions are not the same groups that may be influential in other decisions.

5. Conflict Perspective
Conflict theory focuses on the social inequalities and power difference within a group,
Karl Marx was a seminal force in developing the conflict theory perspective; he viewed social structure, rather than individual personality characteristics, as the cause of many social problems
C. Wright Mills (1956) elaborated on some of Marx’s concepts, coining the phrase “power elite” to describe what he saw as the small group of powerful people who control much of a society.
Mills believed the power elite use government to develop social policies that allow them to keep their wealth.
Contemporary theorist G. William Domhoff (2011) elaborates on ways in which the power elite may be seen as a subculture whose members follow similar social patterns such as joining elite clubs, attending select schools, and vacationing at a handful of exclusive destinations.

6. The Elite Model: Power Elite
Power in political systems is concentrated in the hands of a small group of elites. Decisions are made by elites, who often don’t take the needs and concerns of the masses into account.
According to Mills, the power elite is comprised of leaders at the top of business, the executive branch of the federal government, and the military (especially the "top brass" at the Pentagon). The elites have similar class backgrounds and interests.
b) The corporate rich are the most powerful because of their unique ability to convert the vast economic resources at their disposal into political power.
c) At the middle level of the pyramid, Mills placed the legislative branch of government, interest groups, and local opinion leaders.
d) The bottom (and widest layer) of the pyramid is occupied by the unorganized masses of people, who are relatively powerless and vulnerable to economic and political exploitation.

7. The Ruling Class
Domhoff asserts that this nation has a ruling class―a relatively fixed group of privileged people who wield sufficient power to constrain political processes and serve underlying capitalist interests.
Domhoff suggests that who governs is less important than who rules.
The corporate rich and their families influence the political process in three ways:
They influence the candidate selection process by helping to finance campaigns and providing favors to political candidates.
They participate in the special interest process; they are able to gain favors, tax breaks, regulatory rulings, and other governmental supports.
They gain access to the policy-making process by holding prestigious positions on governmental advisory committees, presidential commissions, and other governmental appointments.

8. Symbolic Interactionism
SI focuses its attention on figures, emblems, or individuals that represent power and authority.
Images that represent the power and authority of the United States include the White House, the eagle, and the American flag. The Seal of the President of the United States, along with the office in general, incites respect and reverence in many Americans.
As micro-sociologists, they are more interested in the face-to-face aspects of politics. In reality, much of politics consists of face-to-face backroom meetings and lobbyist efforts. What the public often sees is the front porch of politics that is sanitized by the media through gatekeeping.
Symbolic interactionists are most interested in the interaction between these small groups who make decisions
The heart of politics is the result of interaction between individuals and small groups over periods of time. These meetings produce new meanings and perspectives that individuals use to make sure there are future interactions.