Transcript Chapter 1

Chapter 1
Political Forces of
Change in Today’s
World
What is Politics?
•
A process that regulates conflict within
a society
Three major conflicts:
1. People differ over their beliefs, either
religious or personal.
2. People differ over the goals of society.
3. People differ over how the gov’t. spends
its limited resources.
•
Harold Lasswell – “who gets what,
What is government and
why is it needed?
• An institution, or permanent structures,
of decision makers
• who possess the power to enforce rules
that impose order and stability on a
society
• Authority, Legitimacy, Power
Who Governs?
• Sources of Political Power:
Totalitarian Regimes
Direct Democracies
Representative Democracies
Characteristics of
American Democracy
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Consent of the governed
Republican form of government
Limited government
Universal suffrage
Majority rule, but with the protections
for minorities (Bill of Rights).
Theories of Democracy
• Elite theory – the idea that society is ruled by
a small group who exercise power in their
self-interest
• Pluralism – a theory that views politics as
conflict among interest groups, where
decisions are made through bargaining and
compromise
• Hyperpluralism – when interest groups are so
powerful that they dominate decision-making,
making individual input impossible
What is political culture?
• The collection of a beliefs and attitudes
toward government and the political
process held by a community or nation
• Individuals learn political culture
through political socialization
• Political socialization occurs in many
settings, including the (#1) family and
schools
Characteristics of
American political culture
• Liberty –the greatest freedom of
individuals that is consistent with the
freedom of other individuals in society
• Equality – all people are of equal worth
• Property – anything that can be subject
to ownership
The Changing Face of
America
Ethnic Change in America
What is ideology?
• A comprehensive set of beliefs about
the nature of people, institutions and
the role of government
• American ideology tends to be
moderate
• Liberals advocate government action to
improve the welfare of individuals
• Conservatives advocate a limited role
for the national government.
Political trends in ideology today:
• Neo-conservatives
• The Christian Right and Christian Coalition
• American Family Association (1977)
Founder: Rev. Donald Wildom
• Moral Majority (1979)
Founders: Rev. Jerry Falwell
Rev. Pat Robertson