1. Chapter 1
Government in America

2. “There has never been, nor ever will be, a people who are politically ignorant and free.” -- T. Jefferson

4. Political Knowledge Fosters civic virtues (e.g. tolerance)
Helps ID beneficial policies and affects voting
Promotes participation
> Young people score less than ½ on political knowledge test as those 65+

5. Why are young people so deficient?
Perception/reality of little policy impact
Changes in media > multiplicity and narrowcasting
Diminished cultural interest contributes to lack of political culture
Busier

6. “Government” “HOW should we govern?” “WHAT should government do?”
Institutions that make decisions
“HOW should we govern?”
“WHAT should government do?”

8. Functions of Government
Maintain defense
Provide services
PUBLIC GOODS: services that cannot be denied to anyone and must be provided by gov’t rather than private sector
Preserve order
Socialize the young
Collect taxes

9. “Politics” Process whereby we select leaders & policies
Political Participation: activities to influence leaders and policies
Voting is most common method
Single-Issue Groups: groups so concerned with one issue that members often cast their votes on the basis of that issue only, ignoring everything else

10. Policymaking System How policy is made
How does gov’t. know the interests and priorities of people?
Linkage Institutions
(parties, elections, Interest Groups, media, activities/demonstrations, etc.)
POLICY AGENDA: issues that attract the attention of public officials and people actively involved in politics

13. POLITICAL ISSUE: when one group’s positions and interests on an issue conflict with those of another group. POLICYMAKING INSTITUTIONS: the branches of gov’t (Congress, President, Courts) empowered with taking action on issues (also: bureaucracy). PUBLIC POLICY: a course of action taken with regard to some problem.

14. “Democracy”
Government that represents & responds to public’s preferences
Traditional Democratic Process (Robert Dahl):
Equality in voting
Effective participation
Free Speech & Press
Collective control of agenda
Inclusion

15. Minority Rights Majority Rule
(policies should reflect will of majority)
vs.
Minority Rights
(restraints on the majority via rights of minorities)

17. Who Really Governs? Three Contemporary Theories of American Democracy
Pluralism: competing interest groups set agenda and policy
NRA, BLM, NOW, etc.
Elitism: small upper-class holds power and makes policy
1%, ‘Big Business’
Hyperpluralism: strong competing groups cripple efficient governmental policy
Gridlock and/or contradictory policy

19. Challenges to Democracy
Complex Issues
Limited participation
Escalating costs of campaigns
Quality of information
Diverse interests
“Policy Gridlock”

20. Shared beliefs and values
Political Culture
How is the U.S. a ‘Nation’?
Shared beliefs and values
Liberty, Equality, Individualism, Laissez-Faire, & Populism

21. Scope of American Government
U.S. governments spend ~1/3 of GDP (nearly $4 trillion) Employ ~24 million people (~8% of population) Differing opinions on the scope of government is a source of continuing controversy