Notes on Government and Politics — Comprehensive Summary

What is Government?

  • Government: An institution through which public policies are made
  • Based on how people think they should be ruled
  • Used to create and conduct public policy (anything the government decides to do based on the general welfare of the governed)
  • Power: Influence over a government’s leadership, organization
  • Correlation between economy and government: Class and economic divides
  • 6 Purposes for the US government laid out in the Preamble:
    • form a more perfect union
    • establish justice
    • ensure domestic tranquility
    • provide for the common defense
    • promote the general welfare
    • secure the blessings of liberty
  • Goals:
    • Provide order
    • Promote the general welfare
  • What should governments do:
    • Maintain a national defense
    • Provide pubic goods and services
    • Preserve order
    • Socialize (educate) the young
    • Collect taxes

The Basics of Politics

  • Politics is the process that determines what the government does
  • When and how should public and private goods be offered?
  • 3 key concepts about politics:
    • It is conflictual
    • Conflict and compromise are necessary
    • Process matters
  • It is everywhere
  • Sometimes, politics causes culture wars
  • Examples of culture-war topics: evolution, religion in schools, drugs, abortion, voting rights, taxes, LGBTQ+ rights
  • Sales tax: Greater percentage of a lower income

The Policy-Making System

  • Starts and ends with the people (in the democracy)
  • System:
    • Starts with a person with an issue that impacts several people
    • Issue brought to linkage institution
  • Linkage institutions: Anything that connects people to the government
    • Examples: Media, political parties, voting, interest groups
  • Interest groups: People who advocate for policy change with a common idea
  • Issues get moved to the policy agenda
  • Policy agenda issue moves to legislative, executive, courts, or bureaucracy
  • Policy is created by a bureaucracy and precedent is set by a court
  • Examples of outputs: Expenditures, taxes, laws, regulations
  • Thesis Statements:
    • Must have a defensible claim, respond to the prompt, and include a line of reasoning
  • Practice: Which linkage institution best connects people to their government
  • Despite effectiveness across all institutions, the media provides the most substantial method to connect people to their government, as it allows people to voice their opinions, provides a basis for popular growth, and serves as an indicator of public interest.

Forms Of Government

  • Three forms: Rule by one, the few, or the many
  • Anarchy: Lack of government
  • Autocracy: Ruled by one
  • Absolute monarchies: No restrictions on power, inherited position
  • Constitutional monarchy: Some restrictions on power, inherited position
  • Dictatorship: Typically seized power, restrict and opposition
  • Oligarchy: Rule by the few
  • Aristocracy: Ruled by the elite (wealthy people)
  • Theocracy: Ruled by religious leaders
  • Democracy: Ruled by the people
  • Indirect/Representative/Republic: Vote on representatives to vote for laws
  • Direct democracy: Citizens meet and vote about issues directly
  • Direct primaries: People directly vote on the candidate
  • As opposed to a caucus
  • Initiative:
    • Law proposed and voted on by the people, no need for a representative
  • Referendum:
    • Initiative moved to referendum on ballot
    • People vote on the law
  • Recall:
    • Election to remove a public official from office
    • Only happens on the state and local level
  • Initiative to get on ballot -> Referendum to vote -> Recall

Theories Of Democratic Government

  • Traditional (Majoritarian) Democratic Theory: Government depends on the consent of the governed
    • Related to the Declaration of Independence
  • Bureaucratic Theory: Hierarchical structure and standardized procedures of modern governments allow bureaucrats, who carry out the day-to-day workings of government, hold real power over public policy
  • Hyperpluralism: Democracy is a system of many groups having so much strength that government is often “pulled” in numerous directions at the same time, sometimes causes gridlock
  • Representative democracies can take several forms:

Theories Of Democratic Government (continued)

  • Pluralist: Interest groups compete in political arena but balance themselves by representing both the minority and majority
    • Example: Existence of interest groups
  • Elitist Theory: Small number of powerful elites run the government from the upper class
    • Example: Corporate leaders, top military officers, government leaders, electoral college
  • Participatory democracy: Emphasizes broad participation in politics and civil society. Not necessary for people to participate, so it's DIFFERENT FROM DIRECT DEMOCRACY