Ch. 1 Understanding American Politics - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Ch. 1 Understanding American Politics

At first glance, American politics is complicated and complex, but upon further examination, everything that happens in the American political process has a logical and often simple explanation. Slide2

Why Do We Have a Government?

Government

is the system for implementing decisions made through the political process. The Founders of the United States believed the absence of government would result in chaos, as there would be no laws and no system of enforcement even if informal rules were established. The preamble of the Constitution defines two central roles of government: to “provide for the common defense,” and to “ensure domestic tranquility.”Slide3

Why Do We Have a Governemnt

?

Government provides order.

The Founders assumed people to be self-interested, and that in order to satisfy their interests, people tend to form

factions

.

In order to prevent any one faction from unjustly prevailing over another, America’s government incorporates three mechanisms to control their effects:Slide4

Why Do We Have Government? Cont.

Separation of powers

divides government power across the judicial, executive, and legislative branches.

Checks and balances

gives each branch of government some power over the others.

Federalism

divides power across the local, state, and national levels of government.Slide5

Why Do We Have Government? (cont.)

Government helps promote the general welfare.

The self-interested nature of people often leads to an underproduction of

public goods

in a free market, and government is typically needed to step in and provide for the sick, poor, and aged.

The underproduction of public goods can be explained by three phenomena:Slide6

Why Do We Have Government? (cont

)

Collective action problem

refers to a situation in which the members of a group would benefit by working together to produce some outcome, but each individual is better off refusing to cooperate and reaping the benefits from those who do the work.

Free rider problem

is the incentive to benefit from others’ work without contributing, which leads individuals in a collective action situation to refuse to work together.

Positive externalities

are benefits created by a public good that are shared by the primary consumer of the good and by society more generally.Slide7

What Is Politics?

Politics

is the process that determines what the government does.Slide8

Key Idea 1: Politics Is Conflictual

Conflict reflects the intense differences of opinion rooted in self-

interst

, ideology, and personal beliefs.

Conflict is inevitable in American politics; compromise and bargaining are therefore essential to getting things done, especially in instances where there is no obvious policy to satisfy a majority of citizens or elected officials.Slide9

Key Idea 1: Politics is Conflictual

(cont.)

In most instances, however, conflict is required to arrive at policies that are in the nation’s best interest.

Indeed, the political process is the mechanism for resolving conflict. Conflict may not be a good thing, but it is an inevitable aspect of politics.Slide10

Key Idea 2: Political Process Matters

The political process determines the outcomes we receive.

For example, because elections allow voters to give fellow citizens the power to enact laws, write budgets, and appoint federal judges, policy is theoretically enacted with the desires of the public in mind.Slide11

Key Idea 2: Political Process Matters (

cont

)

Furthermore, the political party in power has extensive control over the policies enacted, as the majority opinion tends to prevail in our political process.

Finally, the rules that govern who is allowed to be a part of the political process are very important in determining the policies that result; citizens can vote at age 18, the president must have been born in the United States, and so on.Slide12

Key Idea 3: Politics is Everywhere

Media coverage ensures that people are inundated with political stories.

Furthermore, the sheer size and budget of the U.S. government means that its actions touch virtually every aspect of your life, form the roads and sidewalks you use, to the financial aid package you receive to attend college, to the taxes you pay, and to your ability to use the Internet (since it was developed under contract with the Department of Defense).Slide13

SOURCES OF CONFLICT IN AMERICAN POLITICS

Economic Interests

While economic equality played an important role in defining our nation’s early history and the United States has remained relatively free from class-based politics, over time the nation has separated into socioeconomic classes that have shaped political ideology. This division of classes exists in part because of a strong commitment to the following principles:

Free market, an economic system based on competition between businesses without government interference

Economic individualism, the autonomy of individuals to manage their own financial decisions without government interference

The commitment to these economic policies is countered by redistributive tax policies, frequently favored by Democratic politicians and opposed by Republican politicians, in which taxation is used to attempt to create greater social equality.

Cultural Values

Another source of conflict is different cultural values. Culture wars is the political conflict in the United States between “red state” Americans, who tend to have strong religious beliefs, and “blue state” Americans, who tend to be more secular.

Racial, Gender and Ethnic Differences

Many political differences are correlated with racial, ethnic, and gender differences. There is a debate in American politics as to whether ethnic and racial differences should be tied to political interests. Some favor the idea of a melting pot, in which different racial and ethnic groups leave their native languages, customs, and traditions behind as they assimilate into American culture, while others favor multiculturalism and diversity.

Ideology

Ideology is a cohesive set of ideas and beliefs used to organize and evaluate the political world. The most obvious example of ideologies is the political party system. Three of the most common political ideologies include:

Conservative: One side of the ideological spectrum, defined by support for lower taxes, a free market, and a more limited government; generally associated with Republicans.

Liberal: One side of the ideological spectrum, defined by support for stronger government programs and more market regulation; generally associated with Democrats

Libertarians: Those who prefer very limited government and therefore tend to be quite conservative on issues such as welfare policy, environmental policy and public support for education, but very liberal on issues of personal liberty like free speech, abortion, and the legalization of drugsSlide14

The reason conflict is nearly always a part of politics is because

The media tries to create an artificially

conflictual

environment.

The easy issues get resolved and go away, the hard ones stay.

Members of Congress genuinely dislike each other.

The political parties disagree on everything.

See page 10, “what is politics?”Slide15

2. Which of the following substantiates the fact that the political process matters?

Government influences most aspects of daily life.

The political party in power has extensive control over the policies enacted.

People generally dislike political conflict.

Over 11 million people receive a paycheck from the federal government.

See page 10, “What

Is Politics?”Slide16

3. Giving the president power to veto Congressional legislation is an example of

Separation of powers.

Checks and balances.

Federalism.

Factionalism.

See page 6, “Why Do We Have a Government?”Slide17

4. Collective-action problems arise because each individual is

off when

to cooperate and benefit from those who do the work.

Better; refusing

Worse; refusing

Better; agreeing

Worse; agreeing

See page 6, “Why Do We Have a Government?”Slide18

5. The preamble of the U.S. Constitution

Protects basic rights of Americans.

Defines the two central duties of national government.

Establishes the limits of government power.

Acknowledges life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as fundamental human rights.

See page 6, “Why Do We Have a Government?”Slide19

6. The size of the federal government is evidence that

Politics is everywhere.

Politics is

conflictual

.

The political process matters.

The government is corrupt.

See page 10, “What is Politics?”Slide20

7. Checks and balances limits government power by

; separation of powers limits governments by

.

Dividing up power across state and national government; giving distinct duties to each branch of government

Dividing up power between state and national government; giving each branch some power over the others

Dividing the government into three branches; giving each branch some power over the others.

Giving each branch some power over the others; dividing the government into three branches.

See page 6, “Why Do We Have a Government?”Slide21

8. Most Americans have

interest in politics, and most of us

it every day.

Little; encounter

Significant; avoid

Little; avoid

Significant; encounter

See Page 10, “What is Politics?”Slide22

9. The Founders incorporated separation of powers, checks and balances, and federalism into the structure of American government in order to

Mimic the structure of English government.

Promote altruism.

Counter the effects of powerful factions.

Prevent class-based politics.

See page 6, “Why Do We Have a Government?”Slide23

10. According to Thomas Hobbes, life without government

Would be nasty, brutish, and short.

Would be free of unnecessary intrusion.

Is unnecessary, given man’s inherent qualities.

Is a utopian ideal.

See page 6, “Why Do We Have a Government?”Slide24

11. American economic interests tend to center on

and

.

Government regulation; economic individualism

The free market; economic individualism

The free market; economic mutualism

Government regulation; economic mutualism

See page 19, “Sources of Conflict in American Politics”Slide25

12. According to Madison, factions arise out of

People’s self-interest.

People’s opposition to powerful government.

A desire to improve the public good.

People’s altruistic tendencies.

See page 6, “Why Do We Have a Government?”Slide26

13. Americans tend to have

views on most issues.

Conservative

Moderate

Liberal

Apathetic

See page 19, “Sources of Conflict in American Politics”Slide27

14. Which of the following best characterizes the relationship between conflict and politics?

Conflict could be avoided without political parties.

Government would be better off without conflict.

Conflict in politics is a good thing

Conflict in politics is inevitable

See page 10, “What is Politics?”Slide28

15. Tyranny within American government is most effectively prevented by

The existence of competitive political ideologies.

Citizens’ strong commitment to the free market and economic individualism.

A system of checks and balances.

The collective-action problem.

See page 6, “Why Do We Have a Government?”Slide29

16. It is often necessary that public goods be provided by the government because

Citizens are incapable of organizing the efficient methods of distribution.

Public goods are often

underproduced

in a free market.

Only the government has the power to limit negative externalities.

According to several states’ laws, public goods must be funded by tax dollars.

See page 6, “Why Do We Have a Government?”Slide30

17. The term “culture wars,” in the context of American politics, refers to

Any conflict that occurs on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, or political ideology.

The conflicts that exist a result of the inherent differences among people living the North and the South.

The conflict among factions that form during each presidential election.

The conflict between religious and secular Americans.

See page 19, “Sources of Conflict in American Politics”Slide31

18. A libertarian would most likely support which of the following policies?

An increase in benefits for welfare recipients

Making abortion illegal

The legalization of drugs

An increase in funding for environmental research

See page 19, “Sources of Conflict in American Politics”Slide32

19. The view that newcomers to America should leave their native languages and cultures behind is called

Assimilation.

Racial separatism.

Multiculturalism.

Diversification.

See page 19, “Sources of Conflict in American Politics”Slide33

20. An important implication of conflicts in politics is that

Compromising means abandoning principles.

Agreements never exist in the midst of controversies.

Congress never gets anything done.

Compromise and bargaining are essential to getting things done.

See page 10, “What is Politics?”Slide34

21. Despite the importance of economic equality in defining our nation’s early history, socioeconomic classes have formed as a result of

Americans’ rejection of government intervention in the economy.

The Founders’ inability to predict how the American economy would develop.

Slavery and its aftermath.

The difficulty in revising laws established by the Constitution.

See page 19, “Sources of Conflict in American Politics”Slide35

22. Democrats tend to favor

tax policies and

restrictions on individual behavior.

Redistibutive

; few

Redistributive; more

Regressive; few

Regressive; more

See page 19, “Sources of Conflict in American Politics”