US Politics

Questão	Responda
What is Political Science?	Political Science deals with political actors (such as governments, organizations, and people), and the interactions between them, which form the basis for social decision-making. Its general purpose is to help us understand the mechanisms involved in decision-making better, mainly by reducing complexity and creating models, thus making processes more graspable.
Quantitative analysis	Concerned with actual numbers, producing statistical facts and figures
Qualitative analysis	asks for intentions, views, ideas, morals, and values.
Political ideology	a system of political ideas, developed for the purposes of political action (governing a country, launching a social movement or a political party, organizing a revolution – or a counterrevolution, etc.)
Political culture	the broad pattern of political orientations shared by a large group of people (a nation, a region, a class, an ethnic group)
1st level of Political culture	System: Pride in a nation National identity Legitimacy of government
2nd level of Political culture	Process: Principles of government Role of citizens People’s basic political beliefs
3rd level of Political culture	Policy: Role of government Government policy priorities
From what comes National pride?	a sense of history – every generation has itsown readings of it – and its own historical myths
National identity	a sense of a nation’s (ethnic group’s) uniqueness, particular qualities, place in the world, role in history
Legitimacy of Government	defines fundamental understanding between citizens and authorities
3 types of citizen	participants – informed about politics, make political demands, expect politicians to deliver public goods subjects – passively obey the government and laws parochials – are barely aware that the state exists
What shapes Political culture?	Society and experience within the political system. Political culture is a part of the socialization process within schools, family, church, and other public institutions. It is also the result of societal discussions, disputes, and conflicts (and, obviously, feeds into these; thus the dynamic of change previously referred to).
Political Socialization	Process in which the individual learns to act politically, following social norms in his or her environment. It is about the creation and maintenance of social and political authority and legitimacy and rules to regulate behavior, and thus permit operations of social units.
Conventional Political Participation	Voting Letter Writing Contact with Representatives Working on Campaigns Campaign Contributions Joining Groups (social capital) Running for Office
Unconventional Political Participation	Boycotts Sit-Ins Marches Demonstrations Violence
Verba and Nie's 6 kinds of citizens	1.) Inactives - rarely vote, participate, or even discusspolitics. 22% of pop. 2.) Voting specialists - vote, but do little else 3.) Campaigners - vote and get involved in campaigns 4.) Communalists - non-partisan community activist with a local focus 5.) Parochial participants - like inactives, but will contact politicians about specific problems 6.) Activists - participate in all forms of politics
Constitutional Amendments that expanded Suffrage	- 15 (1870): Race - 19 (1920): Sex - 23 (1961): DC citizens can vote for president - 24 (1964): Poll tax - 26 (1971): change from 21yrs to 18yrs
Voting Trends	- suffrage changes resulted in increased participation - Recently, voter turnout steadily on the decline - High of around 60% in presidential elections, 50% in midterm elections, even lower in local elections
Why Americans still don't vote. Explanations	- Voter Registration: not automatic, requires foresight, residency requirements - Voting percentage of registered voters rivals the voter turnout in other countries
Why Americans still don't vote. Explanations Nr. 2	- too many elections in the US - Election day is a Tuesday - Voter apathy - People believe they gain few personal benefits from voting - single-district "winner takes it all" system makes citizens feel their vote didn't count
Why Americans still don't vote. Explanations Nr. 3	- Political parties are weaker - Opportunity cost - Generational change: Civic duty has declined - Irrational to vote: very little chance of affecting the outcome of an election - Weather
Causes of participation	- Education: more = more - Religion: involvement develops skills associated with political participation - Gender - equal - Race: Black participation is lower, BUT controlling for socioeconomic status, they actually participate at a higher rate
Three questions about American voter turnout	- Why is turnout in national elections lower than most other democracies? (Hint: institutional factors) - Why has turnout in the U.S. declined since 1960? - What caused turnout to go up slightly in 1992? And go back down in 1996? (Education levels have been rising, registration has become much easier)
Why do so many poor people not vote?	They have difficulty finding equal access to the voting system. F.ex. they need a Photo ID
Political Party	group of political activists that organize in order to win elections, to govern, and to dictate policies diff. understanding in US than in European parliamentary system
Functions of Political Party	- recruit candidates - organizing election campaigns - providing political alternatives for voters - organizing the legislative process
Why a two-party system?	- "big tent": gathering a wide-ranged coalition of voters - voting system ("winner takes all") - no strict party ideologies
Gerrymandering	re-shaping the voting districts in order to ensure the dominance of one party
Interest groups / Lobbying	- US system provides more access points for interest groups / lobbys - Goals of interest groups: - generate benefits/advantages - defend existing benefits
Social Movement	loosely organized associations of citizens that are active outside of established political institutions in order to foster or to hamper social change - play a central role in expansion of democratic rights - political instruments - mass grassroots phenomena
Post-Constitution Parties	- Federalists (Adams) - Republicans (Jefferson) Wählerbasis: Federalists: wohlh. Händler, Wirtschaft Republicans: Farmer, Handwerker Issues: Power of federal government State rights
Birth of Democratic Party	- Andrew Jackson left Republicans after election 1824 and formed the Democratic Party - Republicans changed name to National Republicans - changes name again to Whigs (1828) Democrats: rural/south Whigs: North/urban
Formation of Republican Party	- 1856 through fragmentation of Whigs - Coalition of anti-slavery Democrats and Free Soil Party
Party dominance through time	1860-1932: Republicans controlled White House (exceptions: Cleveland and Wilson) 1932-1960: Democrats controlled White House (exception: Eisenhower) Democrats also dominated Congress from 1932-1952
Party dominance after 1968	- Republican majority (?) - 1968-today: Republicans controlled White House, escept Carter, Clinton, Obama - new phase since 2008?
Lobbyist	A striking feature of American politics is the extent to which political parties are supplemented by private associations formed to influence public policy. These organizations . . . promote their interests by attempting to influence government rather than by nominating candidates. . . . Such groups, while they may call themselves non-political, are engaged in politics; in the main theirs is a politics of policy.
Pluralism	Democracy exists of complex societies, organized groups compete with one another. Individuals can participate in those groups. Goal: Public interest dominates.
Hyperpluralism	- too many interest groups can weaken government
Elitism	Political system where power is in the hands of relatively small groups, or one group. Public policy reflects interest of the Elite more than of general population.
Different kind of politcal groups	for more specification, see PowerPoint. - Single-Issue Groups - Multiple-Issue Groups - Business groups - Unions - Agricultural groups - Racial and ethnic minority rights groups - Citizen groups - Advocacy groups - Cause groups
Important Social Movements in the US	- Abolitionist - Populist - Women's suffrage - Civil Rights - Anti-War (Vietnam) - Environmentalism - Women's rights - Religious - Abortion rights / Pro-Life
Electoral College	Indirect election • Presidents are elected by "electors" who are chosen by popular vote on a state-by-state basis Organized in the states • The number of electors in each state is equal to the number of members of Congress to which the state is entitled, while the Twenty-third Amendment grants the District of Columbia the same number of electors as the least populous state, currently three. In total, there are 538 electors, corresponding to the 435 members of the House of Representatives, 100 senators, and the three additional electors from the District of Columbia. • The president is elected by the electoral college
Problems of Electoral College	- only "officially" independent - Party organizations in the states are selecting the electors - Difficult to reform: Need to change the Constitution
Competences of US President	- Commander in Chief - Chief Negotiator - appoints ambassadors and judges (consent of Senate needed) - reports to Congress (State of the Union) - suggests legislative measures - signs bills into law, but can veto bills (can be overriden by 2/3 majority of Congress)
How a bill becomes a law	- Introduction and Referral - Committee Hearings - Committee Markups - Committee Reports - Schedule Floor Actions (Rules, UCRs) - Floor Votes - Conference Committee - Conference Report and Floor Vote - Presidential signature (or veto)
Functions of a welfare state	- prevention of poverty - protection against social risks - protection of status - creation of political stability - Legitimation of political system
American welfare state	- latecomer (compared to Europe) - hesitant - liberal type
US Welfare regime Public welfare	- Social Insurance Programs (Social security, unemployment insurance, medicare) - Welfare Programs (temporary assistance for families, supplemental income security, food stamps, housing, medicaid)
US welfare regime private welfare	- Health insurance - Private pensions
How much does US welfare state cost?	welfare spending from 1960-2001 at around 14-16% of GDP in Germany around 30%, Canada 16-21, Sweden 29-36
Federalism	Two elements: - form of government in which a group of states are under the ruling of the one central power (→ US) [but the central government does not necessarily rule over the states in all respects, as the states have their own constitutionally defined areas of responsibility – see examples below] - in federal form of government, both national government and state government receive power from the people
Federalism: Powers of National Government	- declare war - create and maintain armed forces - establish foreign policy - regulate interstate and foreign trade - make copyright and patent laws - establish postal offices - coin money
Federalism: shared powers between nation and state	- raise taxes - provide for public welfare - criminal justice - borrow money - charter banks - build roads
Federalism: state powers	- establish local governments - establish and maintain schools - regulate trade within states - conduct elections - provide for public safety (police)

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	Criado por ruben.link aproximadamente 9 anos atrás