US Government Chapter 1 review questions
Describe the characteristics of the pluralist theory of government.
A set of elite citizens is really in charge of government in the United States and that others have no influence. Govt is controlled by a combination of business, military, and political elites. Most are highly educated, often graduating from prestigious universities. The wealthy use their power to control the nation's economy to control economic advancement of lower classes. Wealth allows the elite to secure important positions in politics. They use this power to make decisions and allocate resources in ways that benefit them. Politicians do the bidding of the wealthy instead of attending to the needs of ordinary people, and order is maintained by force. Elitist Theorists believe the elite are better fit to govern and that average citizens are content to allow them to do so.
Is citizen engagement necessary for a democracy to function? Explain.
Citizen engagement is crucial in a democracy. If citizens do not become engaged in government through actions such as becoming acquainted with the issues, signing petitions, and voting, then laws will not change at local, state, or national levels. Politicians are interested in what potential voters have to say, and unless they know what is of concern to the majority of ordinary people, they will not know how to act in order to please the voters once elected. Although many people fear that the wealthy exercise great power in government, those who feel this way should realize that without citizen engagement, there will be even fewer restrictions on the power of elites.
Explain the two types of political "preference" or beliefs and how each often impacts engagement.
Latent preferences are not deeply held and do not remain the same over time. They may not even represent a person's true feelings, since they may be formed on the spot when someone is asked a question about which he or she has no real opinion. Indeed, voting itself may reflect merely a latent preference because even people who do not feel strongly about a particular political candidate or issue vote. On the other hand, intense preferences are based on strong feelings regarding an issue that someone adheres to over time. People with intense preferences tend to become more engaged in politics; they are more likely to donate time and money to campaigns or to attend political rallies. The more money that one has and the more highly educated one is, the more likely that he or she will form intense preferences and take political action.
Describe partisanship AND why young people today often turn away from it.
Partisanship is the tendency to identify with and to support (often blindly) a particular political party. This alienates some Americans who feel that elected representatives should vote in support of the nation's best interests instead of voting in the way their party wishes them to. Instead of identifying with a particular political party, young Americans are increasingly concerned about specific issues, such as same-sex marriage.
Are all Americans equally able to become engaged in government? What factors make it more possible for some people to become engaged than others? What could be done to change this?
Political engagement is easier for some citizens than others. Those with higher levels of income and education and more free time can contribute money to fundraising efforts and volunteer for campaigns or become active in interest groups. However, there are forms of engagement in which all can participate: listening to the news, answering surveys, and voting. To make it easier to participate, voter registration could be made easier and laws making it difficult for students to vote outside their states of residence could be changed.