Chapter 3: Introduction to the American Way of Politics Flashcards
What is “politics”? According to this account, is politics more or less likely to be found in a stable democratic government or in an unstable and/or authoritarian government?
Set of nonviolent, open, and free activities through which people – who are bound by the same democratic government and who often have different opinions, interests, and/or identities – struggle to exert power over what government does.
What does the term “ideology” mean?
View about the proper role of government
And what are the areas of ideological conflict in American politics?
o Americans disagree over how limited government should be in different areas of public policy
o Over what rights we have that government should secure
o Over what politics will be effective at promoting happiness and/or resolving collective action problems
o Over what policies to address collective action problems are appropriate
What is political culture?
A set of shared views and normative judgments held by a population regarding its political system.
What are the core values of American political culture?
Not all Americans share the same views, of course, but the vast majority subscribes to these general ideals, including liberty, equality, democracy, individualism, unity, and diversity.
Be able to identify someone as liberal or conservative based on how they stand on regulating the market capitalist economy.
o Liberals are more likely than conservatives to support government regulations of the market capitalist economy
o Conservatives tend to be more optimistic than liberals that the market economy will be productive, fair, and safe without government regulation.
What does the term “welfare state” mean? And which ideology more strongly supports it?
o Welfare State: More expansive role of government in promoting the economic security, health, and well-being of its citizens, especially those in financial or social need
o More generally, liberals are more supportive than conservatives of the modern welfare state.
Be sure to know and understand how each political ideology views the idea that government should secure socioeconomic rights.
o Liberals think that socioeconomic rights such as food, housing, and healthcare actually are rights that government should provide
o Conversative tend to deny such things as rights and that they should be provided voluntarily through private acts – not the government
Be able to identify someone as liberal or conservative based on how they stand on the government promotion of social equality of historically oppressed or underprivileged groups.
o Liberals tend to support laws and policies to bring historically oppressed or underprivileged groups to a condition of social equality with historically privileged groups
o Conservatives tend to be more concerned with maintaining the traditional statutes and roles of those who have been historically privileged in American government
Be sure to understand what is normally meant by “traditional moral values” and be able to identify someone as liberal or conservative based on how they stand on the government promotion of traditional moral values.
Conversation more than liberals support programs intending to uphold and promote traditional moral values such as prohibitions on premarital sex, abortion, out-of-wedlock birth, gambling, drug use, and more…
Be able to identify how liberals and conservative ideologies tend to differ in their stances on law enforcement and the criminal justice system. The textbook claims that both liberals and conservatives favor a limited role of government. Be sure to know and understand which group favors a more limited government role in each of the following areas: (1) Regulating the Market Capitalist Economy; (2) Programs Promoting Economic Security, Welfare and Equality; (3) Promoting Social Equality of Historically Oppressed or Underprivileged Groups; (4) Upholding and Promoting Traditional Moral Values; (5) Law Enforcement and the Criminal Justice System.
o 1) Regulating the Market Capital Economy – Liberals
o 2) Programs promoting the economic security, welfare, and equality – Liberals
o 3) Promoting Social Equality of historically
oppressed or underprivileged groups – Liberals
o 4) Upholding and Promoting Traditional Moral Values – Conversation
o 5) Law enforcement and the criminal justice system – Conversation
