1. "The purpose of education, finally, is to create in a person the ability to look at the world for him or herself, to make his or her own decisions, to say that this is black or this is white, to decide whether there is a God in heaven or not. To ask questions of the universe, and then to learn to live with those questions, is the way a person achieves identity. But no society is really anxious to have that kind of person around. What societies really, ideally want is a citizenry which will simply obey the rules of society."
--James Baldwin, in "A Talk to Teachers," Oct. 16, 1963

2. Unit 1: Constitutional Underpinnings
Chapter 1: Introducing Government

3. Political Efficacy
The belief that political participation matters and can make a difference.
Do young people have a low sense of political efficacy?
Why or why not?

4. Government
Institutions (Executive, Legislative, Judicial, Bureaucracy) and processes that make public policy

5. Politics
The process by which we select our government leaders and what policies these leaders produce. Politics produces authoritative decisions about public issues and can be conflicting in nature.

6. The Policy Making Process
Process by which policy comes into being and evolves over time.

7. Linkage Institutions
Political channels through which people’s concerns become political issues on the policy agenda. These include:
Political Parties
Elections
Media
Interest Groups (including single issue groups)

8. Policy Agenda
The issues that government is addressing at a point in time
Items at the top of the policy agenda are taken care of first.
It may take years to get an item on the policy agenda and then several more years to enact policy.

9. Policymaking Institutions
Legislature (Congress)
Executive (President)
Courts (Federal and State)
Bureaucracies (Federal and State)

10. Implementation Once policy is implemented, feedback occurs:
Effective or ineffective?
Are the resources available?
Does the policy
need to be revised/clarified?

11. Democracy Difficult Definition:
A system of selecting policymakers and of organizing government so that policy represents and responds to the public’s preferences
Easier Definition :
A system with free and fair elections and civil rights and liberties.
Rule by the people
Two types
Direct: rule by the people themselves
Town hall meetings along the eastern seaboard
Ancient Greece
Indirect (Representative)
United States
England

12. Founders' distrust of direct democracy
Impracticalities
Fleeting passions of the people --- > concern that they would be swayed by demagogues (God like attributes).

13. Traditional Democratic Theory
Theory encompasses:
equality in voting “one person, one vote”
effective participation –equal opportunities
Enlightened understanding - plethora of ideas. . .
citizen control of the agenda.
inclusion of all who are willing to participate.
Majority rule w/ minority rights. An issue of “power” .
Majority = An accumulation of minorities

14. Republic Same as indirect democracy
Solves problems of direct democracy
Secures the advantages of direct democracy while curing its weaknesses

15. Theories of American Democracy: Distribution of power in our system
Elite and Class Theory:
A theory of government and politics contending that societies are divided along class lines and that an upper- class elite will rule.
Policies benefit those with money / power
Marxist: inf1luence of economic elites.
C. Wright Mills: influence of power elite: corporate, military, political
Max Weber: influence of bureaucracy.

16. Theories Con’t 2. Pluralist Theory
A theory of government and policies emphasizing that politics is mainly a competition among groups, each one pressing for its own preferred policies.
Groups with shared interests influence public policy by focusing on organized efforts----they will prevail

17. Pluralist Theory Con’t
Political resources are so scattered that no single elite has a monopoly on them.
There are so many institutions in which power is exercised that no single elite could possibly control all of them.
Policy is therefore the outcome of political haggling, innumerable compromises, and ever-shifting alliances among groups.

18. Theories Con’t 3. Hyperpluralism “Pluralism gone sour.”
There are so many groups, and they are so strong, that government has become gridlocked and is unable to act.
Governments give in to interest groups and single- issue groups.

19. Political Culture
Political culture is the set of shared values within American society.
Americans share a commitment to democratic government

20. American Political Culture
Liberties (freedoms)
Egalitarianism (equality)
Individualism
Laissez-faire economic policies
Populism---the people
Justice

21. Challenges to Democracy
Increased technical expertise: Power is based on technical knowledge
Limited participation in government: Low voter turnout especially among young voters
Escalating campaign costs: Tremendous costs of even a House seat today greater than $500,000
Diverse political interests: Difficulty in achieving a majority---POLICY GRIDLOCK

22. Questions About Democracy
Are the people knowledgeable enough about government?
Is low voter turnout a threat to democracy?
Do political parties meet the needs of most American voters?

23. Questions about the Scope of Government
How big a role does the Constitution say should be played by the federal government?
Does a bigger, more involved (active) government limit the people’s freedoms?
Do we need a bigger, more involved government to protect our freedoms?

24. Questions about the Scope of Government, Con’t…
Does the media adequately inform citizens of what is happening in government?

25. Questions about the Scope of Government, Con’t…
Do the federal courts overstep their bounds and intrude on the powers of other branches of government?

26. Questions about the Scope of Government, Con’t…
Are the federal agencies too large and unresponsive to the public they are supposed to serve?