Quiz 26th august US GOV Chapter 1 and scripture

Majoritarian politics

Distributed benefits

Distributed costs

Everybody benefits + everybody pays

Example:
Social Security

Lots of people receive benefits, and lots of people pay taxes toward it.

Interest group politics

Concentrated benefits

Concentrated costs

Small group benefits small group pays

Usually involves competing organized groups.

Client politics

Concentrated benefits

Distributed costs

Small group benefits everybody pays a little

Example:
Agricultural subsidies

Farmers may receive substantial benefits while millions of consumers/taxpayers each bear relatively small costs.

Interest Groups

Distributed benefits

Concentrated costs

Everybody benefits but a small group pays

Example:
Environmental regulations

Society benefits from cleaner air, while certain industries may bear significant costs.

Everyone gets and Small group pays

Politics and democracy

The activity by which an issue is agitated or settled. Politics deals with peoples disagreements about government and public issues

Why do politics exist?

Because people disagree about what the government should do, how much they do, who pays them, who benefits and what values government should do to protect.

What is an issue?

An issue is a conflict, real or apparent between the interests ideas or beliefs of different citizens for example taxes, health care, gun control etc

What is power, authority and legitimacy?

Power is the ability of one person to get another person to act according to the first persons intentions.

Authority is the right to use power.

Formal authority is authority given to a governmental office.

What makes democracy democratic?

A political system becomes less democratic when it, denies people equal voting rights, restricts freedom of speech, press, assembly, restricts peoples ability to organize.

5 views of political power

Class view, power elite view, bureaucratic view, pluralist view, creedal passion view

Class view

Government is dominated by wealthy capitalists and economic elites. associated with Karl Maxx and other rich business owners

Powerful elite view

Government is dominated by a small group of powerful leaders many of whom are outside government associated with Wright mills, business leaders, military leaders, media executives, labor leaders, other powerful elites.

Bureaucratic view

Government is dominated by appointed bureaucrats associated with Max Weber, government employees and experts.The idea is that bureaucrats have expertise, knowledge of government procedures, control over details. Eg FDA, FBI, IRS, Medicare employees

Pluralist view

Political power is distributed among many competing groups. Lots of groups competing. No single group controls everything because power and resources are spread across interest groups, government institutions. Pluralism is many groups competing for political power, everyone gets a chance.

Creedal passion view

Major political change can be driven by morally passionate elites who are motivated by strong beliefs about what the government should be doing. Examples are progressive reformers, civil rights leaders, anti war movement leaders.