Introducing Government in
America
Government
Definition:
The institutions and processes through
which public policies are made for society.
This definition leads to two basic
questions:
How should we govern?
Politics
Definition:
The process by which we select our
governmental leaders and what policies these leaders produce. Politics produces authoritative decisions about public issues.
Also consider Lasswell’s definition:
Figure 1.3
The Policymaking System
The process
by which policy
People
Linkage Institutions
Political Parties Elections
Policy Agenda
Political Issues
These are the “whats” that the various
people want taken care of.
Items at the top of the policy agenda are
taken care of first.
It may take years to get an item on the
Policymaking Institutions
Legislature (Congress) Executive (President)
Courts (Federal and State)
Policy
People
Impacts of policies:
Does it solve the problem?
Democracy
Definition:
A system of selecting policymakers and of
organizing government so that policy represents and responds to the public’s preferences.
Cornerstones
Equality in voting
Effective participation
Enlightened understanding
Theories of U.S. Democracy…
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.
Theories of U.S. Democracy…
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, regardless of the formal niceties of
governmental organization.
Not all groups are equal
Theories of U.S. Democracy…
Hyperpluralism
A theory of government and politics
contending that groups are so strong that government is weakened.
Exaggerated / perverted form of
pluralism
Challenges to Democracy
Increased Technical Expertise
Limited Participation in Government Escalating Campaign Costs
Questions About Democracy
Are the people knowledgeable- and do
they apply what they know?
Do interest groups help the process, or
do they get in the way?
Do political parties offer clear consistent
choices for voters?
Does the President & Congress work in
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
Questions about the Scope of
Government, continued…
Do competing political parties make for
better policies?
Do more interest groups create a bigger
government?
Does the media help control the size and
Questions about the Scope of
Government, continued…
Can the president control the
government, or has it gotten too big?
Can Congress respond to the needs of
the people, or just to the interest groups?
Do members of Congress expand
Questions about the Scope of
Government, continued…
Do the federal courts overstep their
bounds and intrude on the powers of other branches of government?
Are the federal agencies too large and
