Chapter 1 Shortened

8/10/2019 Chapter 1 Shortened

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CHAPTER 1: THE SPIRIT OF AMERICAN POLITICS

The Spirit of

American PoliticsChapter 1


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Today we will:

Discuss the basics about four key questions.

Who governs?

How does American politics work?

What does government do?

Who are we?

But ,most of all, we need to know each other!!!


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Discussion: Who Governs?

Who do you think have the power in the United States?

Some of us would answer peopleand today more than ever.

Others are not so sure.

What if the people are not in chargethen who is?

Try to find examples to support your argument


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1. Who Governs?

A woman to Benjamin Franklin:

What kind of government have you given us?

His reply: A republic, madamif you can keep it.

Republic (Democracy)the people are in charge But how?

By political participation (vote)

Past republicslike Athens, Rome, and Florencehadcollapsed.

18th-century United Statespopular rule

Rule of law (through democratic law)


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Occupy Wall Street demonstrators charged that the very

wealthythe top 1%had stripped the people of money and

influence.

Eisenhower warn that the people are losing control, that wehave not kept the republic.


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Scholars have developed three approaches to political

power in America:

1. Plu ralism suggests that people can influence government

through the many interest groups.

2. Eli te theorycounters that power actually rests in the hands of

a small number of wealthy and powerful people.

3. Soc ial m ovement theoryanswers that mass popularuprisingsfrom the civil rights movement to the antitax revolt,

from the Tea Party(fighting government spending) to Occupy

Wall Street (fighting inequality)have the potential to

introduce great changes.


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Where Power Really Lies in

American Politics

Theories

Pluralism

Elite Theory

Social MovementTheory

Location of PoliticalPower

Interest groups

"Power elite" ingovernment,corporations, and themilitary

Popularuprisings/movements

Source of Influence

A groupsorganization,resources,connections

Status based onleading positions insociety

Strength of massdemands


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ROLE OF GOVERNMENT

Second section


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Definition of Politics

Then what is politics?

The activities associated with the governance of a country orarea.who gets what, when,and how

American government is the institutions that decide

the politics


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Pizza Distribution


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Is It Fair?

Equal slice but unequal distribution

Equal slice for equal ranks

Unequal slices but equal meals

Unequal slices but equal value to recipients

Competition

Vote!


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Equity Dilemma 1: To Whom Should it be

Distributed?

Memberships (boundary of community)

Who has a right as a recipients? (voting right)

Rank-based distribution (strata of society)

Merit system (based on capacity and performance)

Group-based distribution (cleavage of society)

Affirmative action


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Equity Dilemma 2: What Should be

Distributed?

Boundaries of items: Question of how you are

going to define a program

Student financial aid (academic merit vs. students

needs and welfare vs. student loan) Definition of healthcare (healthcare as privilege vs.

healthcare as a human right)

Tax deductible items (house, babies, marriage): Is it

simple reduction for poor people or is it a kind ofincentive?


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Equity Dilemma (3):

How Should It be Distributed?

Competition (fair

game for market

process)

Voting (opportunity forpolitical participation

as democratic

process)


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Equity and Public Policy

Social conservatism Social liberalism

Liberty is freedom of constraint

(individual choice)

Freedom what people want to do

and focus on basic of humanwelfare

Merit system Society as a whole

Rule of Game (process of equity) :

Focus on how acquisition ofproperty happened historically

Universal logic of distributive

justice (Equity of recipient; items)

Republican Party Democratic party


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Government Inst i tut ions

Government Institutionsthe organizations, norms, and rules that

structure political action. Examples:

Congress

the president

the Supreme Court Department of Homeland Security

Media (Facebook, YouTube, Twitter)


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Why do We Need Government?

Why do we need military?

Why do we need the U.S. post office?

Why do we need the Environmental ProtectionAgency?


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Role of Government (Examples)

Public goods (national security; park service; mailing to

rural area)

Is the service individuals privilege or right?

Regulation e.g., air pollution

Market Protection

Imperfect market information and difficulty in formation of

market (e.g. fisher and clean water) and moral hazard

Failure to competition and emergence of monopoly


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CHAPTER 1: THE SPIRIT OF AMERICAN POLITICS19

What Government Should Do?

Nonintervention Do nothing

Moral persuasion

(Holding information)

Provide information [inform]

Exhort [implore] e.g.) healthcare;

government shutdown; diplomacy

Incentive (adverse

incentive)

Subsidize [subsidize]-

Tax [tax] Retirement saving,homeowner incentive, family

incentive

Procure

(externality/public good)

Grant [buy] Research fund

Contract [buy] - Stronger Pre K

Produce [make]

More infrastructure

Law and regulation

(Market power)

Require [oblige, prohibit]

- Law (equal pay), executive order

(minimum wage), regulation


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We Hate Government!

Americans dislike government in the abstract.

Where Disl ike of Government Really

Matterstaxes

The US tax burden ranks 27thnear the

bottomamong the 30 wealthiest nations(Table 1.2).


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American Trust in Government

is at an All-Time Low


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Size and Growth of Government

Source: Garret and Rhine: On the Size and Growth of Government

http://research.stlouisfed.org/publications/review/06/01/GarrettRhine.pdf


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Why American Government has

been Bigger?

Historic events and wars

Racial and ethnic composition

Influx from Asia and Latin America (e.g. Texasand Bay

Area)

Change of family definition and family size/ Aging

America

Same sex marriage and role of government Needs of people will be changing and

government should respond the change of needs.

To Learning Objectives
http://www.texastribune.org/library/data/census-2010/http://www.texastribune.org/library/data/census-2010/


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Example: Same Sex Marriage and

Role of Government

Federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) became

unconstitutional

June 26, 2013 decision in U.S. v. Windsor

The federal government will recognize valid marriages

between same-sex couples that live in a state where

same-sex marriage is legal (19 states)

Federal benefits

Tax return Retirement benefit

Health insurance

Immigration
http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/12pdf/12-307_6j37.pdfhttp://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/12pdf/12-307_6j37.pdf


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What Do You Think?

Getting Engaged in Politicsor Not. (p.21)

Disagree

Do you think there is more involvement than the polls are picking up?Perhaps there are new kinds of activities and engagement that moretraditional observers have failed to appreciate? If so, describe the kinds ofactivities you have seen or engaged in.

Agree

Do you see a lack of political engagement around you? Do you agree thatthis a problem for American democracy? Or are you not convinced that morepolitical activity would be good for the community or the nation? Do you wantto argue against getting involved in politics altogether? Do you see moreactivity in private activities in civil society?

Unsure

You may be new to the study of politicsor to the United States itself. If so,no worries. I think youll have strong opinions on this and many othermatters.


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Conclusion

American politics constantly addresses the most fundamental

question about a people: Who are we?

Because the nation is so diverseand so rapidly changingthe answer to this question is constantly being rewritten.

Every feature of American politics influences this constant

debate over defining the nation and its people.


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Assignment 1

What Would be the most important American value?

Pick up one or two values that you think important (e.g. freedom,

equality, money etc.)

Define the value clearly within one paragraph

Explain why the value is important in the American society Discuss what the American government should do to protect the

value

Limitation: 1 page. Single space.

Deadline: (July 10th, 11:59pm)

Online submission: Upload it before you come to the class.

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Chapter 1 Shortened