Transcript Day 2
American Political Culture Government/Politics What is Political? What is Government The organization that holds a monopoly on legitimate violence in a particular territory The authoritative allocation of resources and values A location for settling conflicts Justin’s Broad Definition- any factor that may have an impact on conflict resolution, decision making, or policy outputs Three Broad Classes Inputs Culture Information Public Opinion Institutions Branches of Government Parties/Interest Groups Outputs Policies Conditions Outcomes Why Government Social Contract Theory Human Nature not a pretty thing State of nature- Life nasty, brutish, short (but totally free) Hobbes- Preserve Life Any government better than no government Locke- Life, Liberty, Property Not only secure life but quality of life Rights Precede Government, Government ensures them In Both Cases- Protect us from each other Why Government? At a minimum- Provide some degree of security Seen in both liberal and conservative arguments Homeland Security Tough on Crime Welfare and Social Services Why Government? Also, pursue goals we could not pursue alone Collective Action Problem/Free Rider Problem Many goods are shared by whole public Why should you contribute to something if others do not? System collapses Government offers a solution. Compel Contribution to public projects Debate about what goals government ought to pursue Legitimacy Why ought A government have control? Force Diving Right of Kings Consent of the governed Democracy Rests on notion of consent of the governed Direct Democracy Representative Democracy Representative Democracy Why Representation? Direct democracy unwieldy Direct Democracy requires considerable citizen input Direct Democracy not a cure all Same biases in society at large show selves May have a bias towards the status quo Representative Democracy Citizens delegate authority Minimizes Requirements of knowledge/attention Elections provide accountability Primarily retrospective Clarity of message sent? Mandates? Representative Democracy and Elections Elections Provide accountability Popular consent- Source of legitimacy Majority Rule-Majority of citizens (50%+1 vote) determine political outcomes Often replaced by a plurality Geographic Representation Single member districts Culture Culture- Shared understandings, values More basic and stable than general attitudes Political culture- Attitudes toward the political system and its various parts, and attitudes towards the role of self in the system Ecology->Culture->Socialization->Personality>Behavior (Triandis 1994) Some history in Political Science American Political Culture Not perfect fit for every individual Not monolithic Regional differences Conflict within individuals Individualistic Personal liberty Tolerance Religion? American Political Culture Economic Values Capitalism Protestant work ethic Meritocracy American Political Culture Americans are not callous 75% Increase Spending for Elderly 65% Increase Spending for Health Care 73% Increase Spending for Education 71% Increase Spending for the POOR American Political Culture Deservingness Responsibility is a critical theme in American Politics Those who are seen as responsible for their own plight generally seen as not deserving 88%- Government Should help those who CANNOT HELP THEMSELVES Recognition of broader forces as well E.G. Effects of Recession? American Political Culture Equality- “We hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal…” Jefferson Contested definitions Equality before the law Equality of opportunity Equality of outcomes American Political Culture Value Conflict Societal level Regional differences Individual level Value Pluralism- Paul Sniderman Ideology While culture widely shared, some differences Interpretation Priority among values Liberal- generally supports active government activism in ensuring equality, ensuring rights Conservative- generally opposed to government intervention, support for more “traditional” values Ideology’s Dimensions Economic regulation Social Regulation Liberals- High Economic, Low Social Conservatives- Low Economic, High Social Ideology Paradox- Traditional conception inconsistent Libertarianism/Fascism consistent Perhaps Libertarianism future of ideology Ideology a worthwhile concept? Why Americans Hate Government ? A Quick and Dirty History of Colonial America 17th Century England- Monarchy Anglican Church official church 1620s Pilgrims land in Mass. seeking religious freedom Gradual settling by English of 13 original colonies English Continued to have official authority, but large degree of autonomy. History Development of colonies as important trading partner Colonists largely thought of themselves as English English provided military support No income tax Increased taxes on goods/services Sugar Act, Stamp Act, Quartering Act NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION! History 1776- 2nd Continental Congress adopts Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence Grievances both economic and political 1777 Articles of Confederation Loose constitution Limited power of central government Congress- Limited powers in foreign affairs, coining money States retained most sovereignty History Colonies eventually win War of Independence Continue to function under Articles of Confederation Problems Inability to collect taxes and pay war debts No ability to back currency No Judicial system to handle disputes between states For Tuesday O’Connor and Sabato Ch 2 Enduring Debate 1-34 Pg. 11 Both Questions Page 34, question 1 First news monitoring report