Transcript A Changing America in a Changing World Chapter One

Chapter 1
A Changing America in a
Changing World
American Government:
Policy & Politics,
Eighth Edition
TANNAHILL
Pearson Education, Inc.; Longman © 2006
In This Chapter We Will Cover:
•
•
•
•
American political culture
The international environment
The demographic environment
The economic environment
Pearson Education, Inc.; Longman © 2006
Political Culture
• Refers to the widely held, deeply-rooted
political values of a society
• Defines the terms of political debate as
well as the range of acceptable policy
options
Pearson Education, Inc.; Longman © 2006
American Political Culture
• Democracy
– Ultimate political authority is vested
with the people
• Capitalism
– Corporate and individual ownership of
the means of production and markets
based on supply and demand
Pearson Education, Inc.; Longman © 2006
Two Competing Policy
Perspectives
• Conservatism
• Liberalism
– Favors the use of
governmental
power to foster
the individual and
promote social
welfare
– Maintains that
government
power
undermines
individuals as well
as society and
should be used to
defend traditional
values
Pearson Education, Inc.; Longman © 2006
The International Environment
• Since the fall of the Soviet Union in
1991, the United States has been the
preeminent nation in the world—
militarily, economically, and culturally.
Pearson Education, Inc.; Longman © 2006
The International Environment
–U.S. Military Power
• The United States spends five
times as much on defense as
China, Iran, Iraq, North Korea,
Cuba, and Libya combined .
Pearson Education, Inc.; Longman © 2006
The International Environment
–U.S. Economic Power
• The United States has the
largest and most productive
economy in the world.
Pearson Education, Inc.; Longman © 2006
The International Environment
–American culture is felt
worldwide:
• Fashion
• Music
• Entertainment
Pearson Education, Inc.; Longman © 2006
The International Environment
• Globalization
– Despite U.S. preeminence,
increasingly the American economy is
tied to economies elsewhere.
– Global terrorism, like September 11,
2001, demonstrated the U.S. is
vulnerable to attack despite a strong
military.
Pearson Education, Inc.; Longman © 2006
The Demographic Environment
• Population
–More than 280 million people live
in the U.S.
–The baby-boom generation are
those born between the late
1940s and the early 1960s.
Pearson Education, Inc.; Longman © 2006
Average Annual Population
Growth
Pearson Education, Inc.; Longman © 2006
The Demographic Environment
• Recent Immigrants
– Earlier waves of immigrants came from
Europe, but recent arrivals come from Latin
America or Asia.
– An estimated five million illegal immigrants
reside in the U.S.
– The illegal immigrant population is
concentrated in the states of California,
Texas, New York, and Florida.
Pearson Education, Inc.; Longman © 2006
The Demographic Environment
• Population
Distribution
– The population is
shifting from the
Frostbelt to the
Sunbelt.
– 80 percent of
Americans live in
urban areas.
• Population Ethnicity
–
–
–
–
–
75 % White
*13 % Latino
12 % African American
4 % Asian American
1% Native American
* Numbers exceed 100%
because Latinos may be
of any race.
Pearson Education, Inc.; Longman © 2006
The Economic Environment
• The United States has a gross domestic
product (GDP) of $9.5 trillion—larger
than any other nation.
• The per capita (per person) GDP of the
U.S. is $33,836, higher than any other
nation.
Pearson Education, Inc.; Longman © 2006
Average Annual Per Capita
Purchasing Power, Selected
Countries, 2000
Pearson Education, Inc.; Longman © 2006
The Economic Environment
• Global Economy
– Increasingly, the U.S. economy is impacted
by free trade agreements like NAFTA and
the emergence of high-technology
industries.
Pearson Education, Inc.; Longman © 2006
Share of National Income
Received by Each Fifth of
Families: 1980-2000
Pearson Education, Inc.; Longman © 2006
The Economic Environment
• Income distribution
– The gap has grown between the rich and
the poor.
– Higher percentages of minorities live in
poverty.
Pearson Education, Inc.; Longman © 2006
Concluding Questions
• What are the major elements of American
political culture?
• What makes a country a democracy?
• What’s different about recent trends in
immigration?
• How would you describe the population of the
United States?
• How would you describe the U.S. economy?
Pearson Education, Inc.; Longman © 2006