Notes: Political Thinking and Political Culture

Course aims: teach how to think about politics, not what to think.
Political thinking = critical thinking: decide what can reasonably be believed, then use it to make political judgments.
It enables responsible citizenship in voting, forming opinions, and contributing to political causes.
Defined by the process, not by conclusions; involves gathering and sifting information to form a knowledgeable view.
Important for responsible citizenship in a self-governing nation.

Main barrier: unwillingness to self-inform.
Media changes: more bias from cable TV and internet blogs; “spin” from leaders and government entities.
Faulty perceptions are increasingly prevalent due to these dynamics.

Political science = systematic study of government and politics (descriptive and analytical).
Tools include:
- Reliable information about how the system operates.
- Systematic generalizations about major tendencies in American politics.
- Clear terms and concepts describing key aspects.

Political culture = widely shared and deep-seated beliefs about politics.
Americans’ national identity is grounded in political culture, not solely ancestry.
The U.S. is formed by ideals that bind the nation and shape its unique political culture.

Liberty: freedom to act as one chooses within not infringing on others; migration and escaping persecution contributed to freedom.
Individualism: personal initiative and self-sufficiency; opportunities in the New World; Tocqueville’s idea of Americans seeking to remain their own masters.
Equality: moral worth and equal protection under the law; early tensions (slavery); ongoing debate over its meaning (opportunity/wealth sharing, removal of artificial barriers).
Self-government: people as the ultimate source and beneficiary of governing authority; consent of the governed; Constitution begins with “We the People.”

Ideals are high and aspirational; failures include slavery and Jim Crow.
Ongoing struggle to build a more equal society (civil rights movements).
Abolition and suffrage; equal treatment for minorities; public and higher education as parts of progress.

Politics: means by which society settles conflicts and allocates benefits and costs.
Power: ability to influence political developments.
Contrast with nondemocratic regimes: authoritarian and totalitarian systems.

A Democratic System: democracy = people govern directly or through representatives; majority rule via free and open elections.
Majoritarianism: the majority’s desires shape policy and government response; not the same as authoritarian rule.
Pluralism: society’s interests are represented through groups; most policies reflect preferences of special interests (e.g., farmers, defense contractors).
Authority: recognized right of officials to exercise power by virtue of their positions (e.g., commander-in-chief decisions).
Officials at various levels routinely make authoritative decisions, not always in response to the majority or special interests.
In contrast, authoritarian regimes repress opposition through coercion.

Not a pure democracy; majority can tyrannize the minority if unchecked.
Checks and balances distribute power across legislative, executive, and judicial branches.
The Bill of Rights adds further checks on majority rule.
Constitutionalism = lawful restrictions on government power; restraints on the majority; protection of individual rights.

Bill of Rights + independent judiciary + private property protect rights.
Legal action as a channel for ordinary citizens to assert rights and interests.
The U.S. has a large legal profession; per capita, about twice as many lawyers as in several other advanced countries.

Free-market system = economic activity mainly through private transactions with minimal government interference.
Some government intervention through regulation, taxation, and spending.
Corporate power and elitism describe the influence of large firms and highly influential individuals on policy.

Power is exercised by the majority, interest groups, elites, corporations, individuals through legal actions, and those in governing authority.
A defining feature of American politics: widespread sharing of power across many actors and institutions.

Subsequent chapters cover: constitutionalism, political role of citizens, functioning of government, elective and appointive institutions.
Emphasis on public policies as government decisions to pursue certain actions.