Chapter 1 Synthesis
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| And God appeared as a burning bush and told his prophet 'Murica: let's go to Canaan |
Political thinking involves the careful gathering and examination of information in the process of forming a knowledgeable view about a political issue. Political thinking enables citizens to act responsibly, such as to vote, form a political opinion, or contribute to a political cause. The process through which conclusions are reached defines political thinking. Ignorance of facts can cause incomplete opinions at best. Democracy, which liberates the individual, is best with responsible citizenship.
There are many barriers to political thinking. Although democracy provides the opportunity for personal development, the individual bears the responsibility for using that opportunity. Democracy is thus double-edged. The major barrier to political thinking is the unwillingness of citizens to make the effort. There is a knowledge gap based on the amount of attention paid to the news. In addition, some of today’s leading news sources provide unreliable information. Half of Americans get information from cable TV, talk shows, or Internet blogs. Most of this information is inaccurate and/or one-sided. Politicians tend to “spin” their messages to support themselves. In 2003, George W. Bush made his infamous "Mission Accomplished Speech", providing a twisted positive outlook on the grimy reality of the war that would follow. Daily newspaper readers get a better view of things, but their number is shrinking. Liberal bloggers have liberal followers: Like-minded people who group together are more likely to intensify, rather than expand, their views.
Political Science is the systematic study of government and politics. Political science is descriptive and analytical. It takes place through various frameworks: rational choice theory, institutional analysis, historical reasoning, and cultural analysis. It offers set of analytical tools that can increase one’s ability to think politically. An example is Barack Obama’s inability in 2010 to get the healthcare overhaul he had sought. Apart from Senate filibuster rule that impeded the Democratic majority, there was an equally large factor of individualism. America was a wilderness society: produced the idea that people ought to make it on their own. Compared to America, Europe had a society largely determined by birth: people were separated into classes. This spawned the belief that the government should take responsibility for the well-being of the less fortunate. As a result, America spends less per capita on social welfare vs. European democracies. Exception to individualism: social security under FDR. Both parties now embrace social security. Americans place a greater emphasis than Europeans on social advancement through education à If Americans are entrusted with their own welfare, they must be given a reasonable chance to succeed on their own. US has led the way in education, first by pioneering the idea of universal public schooling, then by creating the world’s most elaborate system of higher education. The nation’s college system is relatively open: close to 40% of young Americans attend college.
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| Manifest Destiny: The idea that Americans have the will of God to explore the frontier |
Harold Laswell defined politics as “who gets what, when, and how”. People with similar needs, values, and attitudes will band together to form political parties. Individuals running for office must have a base of electoral support, a base of political support (the party), and a base of financial support. Issue of incumbency: people who are reelected have an advantage over new guys. Those who prevail in political conflicts are said to have power: the ability of persons, groups, or institutions to influence political developments. Power is basic to politics. Authoritarian governments openly repress their political opponents as a means to stay in power. The most extreme form of authoritarian government, totalitarianism, admits to no limits on its power.
America has a democratic system. Democracy comes from the Greek words demos, which means “people”, and kratis, meaning “rule”. Democracy is a form of the government in which the people govern, either directly or through elected representatives. A democracy is different from an oligarchy, in which control rests with a small group, and from an autocracy, in which control rests with a single individual, such as a king or dictator. In practice, democracy has come to mean majority rule through the free and open election of representatives. In the beginning, slaves and women were not given the right to vote. Majoritarianism is the situation in which the majority effectively determines what the government does. Majoritarianism has its limits, as the public as a whole only takes interest in a few of the many policy decisions officials make. As a result, most policies are formulated in response to interest groups, such as farmers. Pluralism involves different groups al vying for control of the policy agenda. It is argued that democracies are more often than not pluralistic than majoritarian. The Tea Party emerged in 2010 with a special interest in greatly reducing the role of the government. Because of pluralism, the United States government must operate on the basis of consensus and compromise. President George HW Bush faced “gridlock” as a Republican president with a Democratic Congress. The electorate is crucial in determining who becomes president. Sometimes the electorate vote differs from the popular vote. A linkage institution is the means by which individuals can express preferences regarding the development of public policy. Examples of linkage institutions include political parties, special interest groups, and the media. Linkage institutions can influence the electorate à Tea Party affected 2010 midterm elections. Policy-making institutions play a big role in American policies. The President’s choice to sign or veto legislation determines the fate of the legislation and the resulting public policy. Congress determines the fate of the president’s legislative agenda and the proposed budget. Supreme Court has direct impact on the public policy through its interpretation of the Constitution in response to cases brought to the court. Bureaucratic agencies greatly affect public policy. FDA refrained from approving the abortion pill RU486 and approved it in 2000 after a test on a private group.
America has a Constitutional System. In a democracy, the majority could easily oppress the minority. To guard against such tyranny, the writers of the Constitution devised an elaborate system of checks and balances, dividing authority among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches so that each branch could check the power of others. In addition, the Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution as a further check on majority Constitutionalism: the idea that there are lawful restrictions on the government’s power. The Constitution is the highest law of the land. Officials have to act within the limits of the law, which include protections of individual rights. Combining the elements above has made judicial action – the use of the courts as a means of asserting rights and interests – a channel through which ordinary citizens exercise power. Ex: Gideon vs. Wainright established that if the accused is too poor to hire a lawyer, then the government must provide one. America has a significantly more lawyers per capita than European countries.
America has a Free Market System. Many of society’s costs and benefits are allocated through the private sector, although economic systems differ in the degree of government intervention. In Communism (USSR, North Korea), the government owns most or all major industries and also takes responsibility for overall management of the economy, including production quotas, supply points, and pricing. In Socialism (Sweden), the government does no attempt to manage the overall economy, but owns a number of major industries and guarantees every individual a minimal standard of living. In a Free market (US), the economy mainly operates on private transactions. The US has a lower tax rate in comparison with European countries because it makes less effort to redistribute income from the rich to the poor in the form of economic assistance. Enormous concentrations of wealth and power exist in the U.S. private sector. Corporate power operates in part through the influence that firms have with policymakers. Annual income of a minimum wage worker is roughly 15,000, lower than that of a miminimum wage worker in France (18,000) or Britain (22,000). Wealth is the foundation of elitism, the power exercised by well-positioned and highly influential individuals.
