Introducing government in america Essay

A. Defining Democracy1. Democracy is a means of selecting insurance dressrs and of organizing political sympathies so that insurance insurance policy reflects citizens preferences.B. Traditional Democratic Theory1. Equality in voting2. Effective lodge3. Enlightened under understructureing4. Citizen control of the order of business5. Inclusion6. Democracies must practice majority rule and keep up minority rights. 7. The blood between the few leading and the many followers is virtuoso of representation.C. Three present-day(a) Theories of the Statesn Democracy1. Pluralist theory states that groups with sh ared involvements curve frequent policy by pressing their concerns by organized efforts. 2. elite and class theory contends that societies are divided along class lines, and that an upper-class selected pulls the strings of government. 3. Hyperpluralism contends that many groups are so strong that government is unavailing to act.D. Challenges to Democracy1. Increased technological expertness2. Limited Participation in Government3. Escalating Campaign Costs4. Diverse Political Interests (policy gridlock)E. American Political Culture and Democracy1. Political culture consists of the overall set of value widely shared indoors a society.2. Liberty3. Egalitarianism4. Individualism5. Laissez-faire6. PopulismF. A Culture War? (Is America polarized into rival political camps with different political cultures?)G. Preview Questions about DemocracyVI. The Scope of Government in America (pp. 2326)A. How Active Is American Government?B. Preview Questions about the Scope of GovernmentVII. abstract (p. 26)LEARNING OBJECTIVESAfter studying Chapter 1, you should be able to1. tie what government is and what governments do.2. get word how politics is the effort over who gets what, when, and how. 3. detect the primal features of the policymaking system and explain how unexclusive policies are the choices that government makesand declines to makein respons e to political issues.4. Understand the reputation of parliamentary government and traditional democratic theory, and the key questions concerning res publica.5. jazz among the three contemporary theories of American nation and politics (pluralist, elite and class, and hyperpluralist) and identify some of their strengths and weaknesses.6. Understand the nature of American political culture and identify the elements of the American creed.7. Understand the nature of the chain of government in America and the key questions concerning the oscilloscope of government.The following exercises will help you meet these objectivesObjective 1Describe what government is and what governments do.1. Define the depot government.The institutions that make authoritative decisions for any given society.2. What are the two unsounded questions about governing that serve as themes throughout the textbook?1. How should we govern?2. What should government do?3. joust the louvre functions that all case governments per exploit. 1. Maintain a national defense2. Provide public function3. Preserve order4. Socialize the boylike5. Collect taxesObjective 2Understand that politics is the fight over who gets what, when, and how. 1. Define the term politics.Determines whom we select as our governmental leaders and what policies these leaderspursue.2. Give examples of the who, what, when, and how of politics. 1. Who Voters, candidates, groups, and parties2. What naked taxes, medical care for the elderly3. When When mass speak up4. How Voting, supporting, compromising, lobbyingObjective 3Identify the important features of the policy system and explain how public policies are the choices that government makes, and declines to make, in response to political issues. 1. give a diagram of how a policy system works.Political issues get on policy order of business Policymakers make policy Policies affect plurality slew gene gene linkage institutions Policy Agenda Policymaking insti tutions Policy People2. List four key linkage institutions in a democratic society. 1. Parties2. Interest groups3. Media4. Elections3. Define the term policy agenda.The issues that attract the serious attention of public officials and other tidy sum actually obscure in politics at in given point in time.4. How does a governments policy agenda change?Responds more to societal failures than successes. For example, when jobs are scarce and business harvest-tideivity is falling, economic problems claim a high position in the agenda.5. List the four major policymaking institutions in the United States. 1. sexual intercourse2. The Presidency3. The Courts4. Bureaucracies6. Define the term policy impacts.The effects a policy has on great deal and problems. Impacts are analyzed to see how well a policy has met its goal and at what cost.Objective 4Understand the nature of democratic government, traditional democratic theory, and the key questions concerning democracy.1. Define the term democracy as utilize in this text.A system of selecting policymakers and of organizing government so that policy represents and responds to the publics preferences.2. List the five cornerstones of an ideal democracy.1. Equality in voting2. Effective participation3. Enlightened understanding4. Citizen control of the agenda5. Inclusion3. Explain the principles of majority rule and minority rights. When choosing among alternatives, the will of over half the voters should be followed, exclusively restraints protecting the minoritys rights.Objective 5Distinguish among the three contemporary theories of American democracy and politics (pluralist, elite and class, and hyperpluralist) and identify some of their strengths and weaknesses.1. Complete the following table comparing pluralist, elite and class, and hyperpluralist theories harmonize to who holds the power and how policy is do.Theory Who Holds Power How Policy is MadePluralist Groups with shared interests Pressing their concerns through organized efforts Elite and Class Upper -class They can afford to finance election campaigns and control key institutions Hyperpluralist Groups Groups are so strong that government is weakened2. List the major challenges facing American democracy.1. Increased Technical Expertise2. Limited Participation in Government3. Escalating Campaign Costs4. Diverse Political InterestsObjective 6Understand the nature of American political culture and identify the elements of the American creed.1. What is political culture and wherefore is it crucial to understanding American government?An overall set of determine widely shared within a society. It is crucial to understanding American government because Americans are so diverse in basis of ancestries, religions, and heritages. A set of shared beliefs and values unites Americans.2. List and give an example of the five elements of the American creed according to Seymour Martin Lipset.1. Liberty2. Egalitarianism3. Individualism4. Laissez faire5. Populism3. List three dashs in which America capacity be experiencing a crisis of cultural values.1. A loss over time of traditional values, much(prenominal) as the importance of religion and family life 2. An unfavorable comparison with the citizens of other countries in terms of values much(prenominal) as patriotism or support for honorable principles 3. The division of society into opposed groups with irreconcilable moral differencesObjective 7Understand the nature of the scope of government in America and the key questions concerning the scope of government.1. Make a list of items that illustrate the scope of American government. Owns 1/3 of the land I the U.S., owns and operates over 400,000 nonmilitaryvehicles, employs over 2.2 million people, etc2. What is gross domestic product and how does the term illustrate the scope of American government?The sum total of the value of all the uprights and services produced in a nation. crude domestic product illustrates t he scope of American government because it not only spends large sums of money but also employs large numbers of people. About 18 million Americans work for our government.KEY TERMSIdentify and describeGovernment The institutions that make authoritative decisions for any given society public goods Services the government provides that can be shared by everyone and cannot be denied to anyone politics Determines whom we select as our governmental leaders and what policies these leaders pursue political participation The ways in which people get involved in politics single-issue groups Groups so concerned with one issue that parts cast their votes on the basis of that issue only, ignoring the politicians stand on everything else policymaking system Reveals the way our government responds to the priorities of its people linkage institutions The political channels through which peoples concerns become political issues on the policy agenda. In the US, linkage institutions include elections, political parties, interest groups, and the media. policy agenda The issues that attract the serious attention of public officials and other people actively involved in politics at any given time political issue The result of people disagreeing about a problem or about the public policy needed to fix it policymaking institutions Congress, the presidency, and the courts public policy Every decision the government makespolicy impacts The effects that a policy has on people and on societys problems democracy A means of selecting policymakers and organizing government so that policy reflects citizens preferences majority rule In choosing among alternatives, the will of over half the voters should be followed minority rights Rights the majority cannot encroach onrepresentation The descent between the few leaders and the many citizens pluralist theory States that groups with shared interests influence public policy by pressing their concerns through organized effort s elite and class theory Contends that our society, analogous all societies, is divided along class lines and that an upper-class elite pulls the strings of government hyperpluralism Groups are so strong that government is weakened, as influence of many groups cripples governments ability to make policy policy gridlock Each policy coalition finds its way blocked by others political culture The overall set of values widely shared within American society Gross domestic product The total value of all goods and services produced annually by the United StatesName that term1. Something in which any member of society can share without diminishing the supply to any other member of society.____Public Goods__________2. It consists of subjects and problems getting the attention of government officials and their associates._________________________3. This is a choice that government makes in response to an issue on its agenda. ____Policy Agenda_________4. This arises when people disagree about a problem or about public policy choices made to combat a problem._____Political Issue________5. Political parties, elections, and interest groups are the main ones in the United States._____Linkage Institutions___6. The effects a policy has on people and on societys problems. _____Policy Impacts_______7. The most fundamental aspect of democratic theory._____Majority Rule_______8. According to this theory of American government, many groups are so strong and numerous that the government is unable to act._____Hyperpluralism______9. This problem is magnified when voters choose a president from one partyand congressional majorities from the other party.____Policy Gridlock_______10. A key factor that holds American democracy together.____Political Culture________11. The total value of all goods and services produced annually by the United States. __Gross Domestic Product____MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONSCircle the correct answer1. Which of the following statements is TRUE?a. in that r espect is no relationship between political knowledge and age. b. In the mid-1960s, there was virtually no relationship between political knowledge and age now, in the earlier twenty-first century, political knowledge increases with age.c. In the mid-1960s, there was virtually no relationship between political knowledge and age now, in the early(a) twenty-first century, political knowledge decreases with age.d. Today, in the early twenty-first century, there is virtually no relationship between political knowledge and age in the mid-1960s, political knowledge increased with age.e. Today, in the early twenty-first century, there is virtually no relationship between political knowledge and age in the mid-1960s, political knowledge decreased with age.2. Political scientists argue that higher levels of political knowledge a. nurture tolerance.b. foster intolerance.c. promote partisanship.d. promote bipartisanship.e. increase wealth.3. Despite their differences, all governmentsa. prov ide public services.b. maintain a national defense.c. collect taxes.d. both of the abovee. C only4. Which of the following is an example of a public good?a. Librariesb. Parksc. College educationd. All of the abovee. Both a and b5. Single-issue groupsa. aid effective policymaking for the public interest.b. are concerned with a wide range of problems.c. have very little influence on voters or politicians.d. tend to have a narrow interest and to dislike compromise. e. view politics as a vocation, rather than as an avocation.6. Which of the following is NOT a component of the policymaking system? a. Peopleb. Linkage institutionsc. Policy agendad. Criminal justice institutionse. Policymaking institutions7. Which of the following is TRUE of the policymaking system? a. Linkage institutions transmit peoples interests to government. b. Media investigate social problems and inform people about them. c. Elections enable Americans to make their opinions heard by choosing their public officials .d. People, linkage institutions, media, and elections all help to shape the policy agenda?e. All of the above8. In a democratic society, parties, elections, interest groups, and the media are all examples of ____ between the preferences of citizens and the governments policy agenda. a. cross-pollinationb. inputs and outputsc. ideological bridgesd. obstaclese. linkage institutions9. Karl Marx and Freidrich Engels publisheda. The Communist Manifestob. A Theory of Democracyc. The Federalist Papersd. miserable Richards Almanace. War and Peace10. Which of the following is NOT a type of public policy?a. Congressional statuteb. Regulationc. Court decisiond. Budgetary choicese. Mandate11. The principle of one person, one vote, is an expression of the principle of a. equality in voting.b. effective participation.c. enlightened understanding.d. inclusion.e. citizen control of the agenda.12. The principle of traditional democracy theory guaranteeing rights to those who do not belong to majo rities and allows that they might join majorities through persuasion and reasoned argument is called the principle ofa. majority rule.b. minority rights.c. representation.d. pluralism.e. enlightened understanding.13. Pluralistsa. intrust that the public interest will prevail through bargaining and compromise. b. depend on fragmented, decentralized, and dispersed power in the policy process. c. oppose the principle of majority rule.d. compete through a system of minority rule for influence. e. All of the above14. Who referred to the U.S. as a nation of joiners?a. Thomas Jeffersonb. Alexis de Tocquevillec. Robert Putnamd. Ronald Reagane. George H. W. Bush15. Increased technical expertise poses a potential challenge to democracy because a. it is difficult to have an informed nontechnical public debate on technical issues.b. it goes against the tenets of pluralist political theory. c. it violates the imagination of one man, one vote.d. elected officials find it hard to understand tec hnical experts. e. interest groups have a difficult time securing technical expertise.16. A condition that occurs when no coalition is strong enough to form a majority and establish policy isa. PAC.b. policy gridlock.c. policy failure.d. policy impact.e. hyperpluralist policy.17. The overall set of values widely shared within a society is called the societys a. political culture.b. public opinion.c. media influence.d. linkage institutions.e. popular culture.18. Americas bountiful frontier provides a partial explanation for which element of the American creed?a. Egalitarianismb. Populismc. Individualismd. Opportunisme. Liberty19. Which of the following is NOT a possible way that Americans may be experiencing a crisis of culture values, according to Wayne Baker?a. A loss of traditional values, such as religion and family life b. An unfavorable comparison with citizens of other countries in terms of patriotism and/or support for moral principlesc. The division of society into opposed g roups with irreconcilable moral differences d. A decline in citizens commitment to equal opportunitye. None of the above20. Which of the following statements is TRUE?a. When expenditures age, tax revenues must grow to pay the additional costs. b. When taxes do not grow as fast as spending, a cipher deficit results. c. In 2009, the federal deficit was more than $400 billion.d. The national debt is more than $9 trillion.e. All of the aboveTRUE FALSE QUESTIONSCircle the correct answer1. The voter turnout rate among young Americans is consistently higher than among older Americans. T / F2. Emergent communication technologies and the proliferation of television channels make it easier to avoid information about politics. T / F3. All governments protect national sovereignty, frequently by maintaining a national defense and armed forces. T / F4. The daily recitation of the Pledge of committal in public schools is a tool of political socialization used to instill national values among th e young. T / F5. The courts are an example of a linkage institution. T / F6. The policy agenda responds more to societal failures than it responds to societal successes. T / F7. Most people around the world believe that democracy is the best form of government. T / F8. Over one-third of the nations wealth is held by just 1 percent of the population. T / F9. The tax burden on Americans is teensy-weensy compared to other democratic nations. T / F10. Lincolns famous phrase, government of the people, for the people, and by the people, is a classic expression of laissez-faire. T / F