CH 1 Political Thinking and Political Culture: Becoming a Responsible

Citizen


Learning to Think Politically
- Political Thinking reflective thinking focused on deciding what can reasonably
be believed and then using this information to make political judgments
o Gathering and sifting relevant information in the process of forming a
knowledgeable view about a political issue
o Enables citizens to act responsibly
o Defined by the process through which conclusions are made
- Barriers to political thinking
1. Unwillingness of citizens to make the effort to self-inform
2. Changes in media content and consumption
3. Spin by political leaders and government entities
o Many prefer messages that conform to what they already believe
Citizens cant know whether their ideas are sound until they have
heard alternative views and compare w/ own
o Political knowledge fosters an interest in politics (correlated)
- Obstacles to Political Thinking
- What Political Science Can Contribute to Political Thinking
o Analytical tools that help your understanding of American politics is
derived from political science
o Political Science the systematic study of government and politics
Provides reliable information about the political system
Makes generalizations about major trends & dynamics
Defines important terms and concepts

Political Culture: Americans Enduring Beliefs
- Political Culture the widely shared and deep-seated beliefs of its people about
politics
o Derived from countrys tradition
o Help define the relationship of citizens gov & to each other
- Americans beliefs = foundation of their national identity (not ancestry)
o Linked by allegiance to a common set of ideals
- Core Values
o The individual = paramount; gov = secondary (to serve the people)
o Liberty the principle that individuals should be free to act and think as
they choose, provided they do not infringe unreasonably on the freedom
and well-being of others
o Individualism commitment to personal initiative and self-sufficiency
Liberty in American is tied to a desire for economic independence
o Equality the notion that all individuals are equal in their moral worth
and thereby entitled to equal treatment under the law
o Self-Government the principle that the people are the ultimate source
of governing authority and should have a voice in their governing
o Diversity
- The Limits and Power of Americans Ideals
o American cultural beliefs are idealistic
Too idealistic: promise of equality has not been a reality
i.e. Callous treatment of some groups
Selective memory among all peoples
Idealistic determination to build a more equal society
i.e. civil rights movement, public education system
America: country striving to realize its founding principles

Politics and Power in America
- Politics the means by which society settles its conflicts and allocates the
resulting benefits and costs
o The process through which a society settles its conflicts, or makes its
governing decisions
- Sources of Political Conflict
1. Scarcity of resources
2. Competing values
- Power the ability of persons, groups, or institutions to influence political
developments (ability to control public policy outcomes or to get people to do
what they otherwise would not do)
o Authoritarian government openly repress their political opponents as a
means of staying in power
o Totalitarianism (extreme authoritarian) admits to no limits on its
power: state controls all
o U.S. has rules designed to keep politics w/in peaceful bounds:
democracy, constitutionalism, and free market
- A Democratic System
o Democracy a form of government in which the group govern, either
directly or through elected representatives
A system of majority rule through elections; empowers majorities
(majoritarianism), groups (pluralism), and officials (authority)
o Political leaders may make decisions based on diff preferences:
Majoritarianism when political leaders respond to the policy
desires of the majority
Limits: difficulty getting the majority to pay attention to
most issues
Most policies are formulated in response to groups that
have an immediate interest in those issues
Pluralism holds that, on most issues, the preference of the
special interest largely determines what government does
Authority the recognized right of officials to exercise power
May decide despite the majority
- A Constitutional System
o Constitutionalism the idea that there are lawful restrictions on
governments power
A system based on rule of law, including legal protections for
individuals; empowers individausl by enabling them to claim their
rights in court (judicial action)
To guard against oppressive minorities
Checks & Balances: dividing authority
Bill of Rights
Legal Action the use of the courts as a means of
asserting rights and interests
- A Free-Market System
o Free-Market System an economic system that centers on the
transactions bt private parties; empowers business firms (corporate
power) and the wealthy (eliticism)
Corporate Power the power that corporation exercise in their
effort to influence government and maintain control of the
workplace
Elitism the notion that wealthy and well-connected individuals
exercise power over certain areas of public policy
- Who Governs? There is a widespread sharing of power
o Majoritarianism: majority determines political outcomes
Tempered by constitutionalism and judicial review, protecting
rights and liberties
o Pluralism: most powerful interest group determines what the
government does on any given issue (and this is not a bad thing)
o Elitism: idea that power is exercised by the influential few
Especially strong influence of corporate power

The Texts Organizations
- Public Policies the decisions of government to pursue particular courses of
action
- Public Policy Process the political interactions that lead to the emergence and
resolution of public policy issues
1. Problem Recognition: conditions in the society become seen as policy
problems
2. Policy Formulation: a policy or program is formulate and adopted
3. Policy Implementation: adopted policy is put in place and evaluated