Final Essay Flashcards
What is the hidden welfare state? What are the sort of tools they rely upon? Who
disproportionately benefits from it? What are the positives and negatives of such a
situation?
System whereby the government undertakes to protect the health and well-being of its citizens, especially those in financial or social need, by means of grants, pensions, and other benefits. The hidden part is when programs offer benefits to the wealthy individuals and companies. Key tool used is tax expenditures. They also rely on indirect tools like loans. The US relies heavily on indirect spending. People who benefit are the wealthy, people who don’t need the programs, and those who take advantage of it. The positives is that these programs are helping people. The negative is that people take advantage of those programs. They take resources away from people who need them more.
Describe the five parts of the policy making process outlined in the book and tell me at least two things you think might be missing?
Policy making process: agenda setting, public attention focuses on a public problem or issue. Policy formulation, policymakers take up the issue. They devise strategies to address the problem, usually in the form of a bill. Policy adoption, policymakers formally adopt a policy solution, usually in the form of a law or laws. Policy formulation, staffs in government agencies are given the responsibility to make the policy work. They establish procedures for running the programs, usually in the form of regulations, guidance documents, or grants-in-aid to other governments. Policy evaluation, policy analysts inside and outside the government determine whether the policy is addressing the problem and implementation is proceeding well, and they recommend changes. Their evaluation may prompt changes in agenda setting, policy formulation, or implementation.
I think they are missing efficiency. Policy making is very slow and the agenda space is scarce. I think they are having the wrong people implement the policy. Instead of having people who were involved in the policy making, they have other people implement the policy.
American welfare policy is made up of social insurance and social welfare. What is the difference between these two things? Who gets each? Which actors administer each? Which is more popular? Why do you think the United States has developed these two tiers of social programs?
Social welfare policies are disproportionately administered by the states while social insurance is disproportionately administered by the federal government. Social insurance, the beneficiary’s contributions to the program are taken into account. A welfare program pays recipients based on need, not contributions.
Social Insurance: program that offers benefits in exchange for contributions
Social Welfare: public policies that seek to to meet the basic needs of people who are unable to provide for themselves.
Thinking of the overall class, describe to me a model for how American politics works.
What are the goals? Who are the main actors? Who pressures who? You can feel free to draw a diagram to illustrate, but be sure to describe what you think is going on in words. The best essays will have specific examples from the readings.
Checks and balances, media, and American values are what structure it. Main actors: Lobbyists – influence government based on what people and organizations and companies want
o Old people/people with more money
• More resources
o Media – influence the way people view candidates and politics, also agenda setting
o Bureaucracy
o District Drawers
o Interest groups – organizes people, consolidates like people
o Activists
o American People
During the first week of classes I made the argument to you that politics is about conflict. Conflict over resources, who gets what, etcetera. Having endured a semester long class where that was the driving argument, do you think that is right? Why or why not? The best answers will draw specifics from multiple chapters.
• Goals of American Politics? o Awareness • Education o Public policy o Getting more people involved
• Do You Think Politics is Conflict Driven?
o Building relationships to engage in conflict
o Conflict/democratic conflict is better than violent conflict
o Federalist papers, factions are bad, should be seeking the common good so there should be no need for conflict
o Conflict present everywhere
What do you think the greatest challenges facing the future of American democracy
are? Why do you think that? Identify and describe at least three challenges. The best
answers will tie real world current events with information from the readings.
- Declining Participation
- Now we have a unified government
- Increased inequality, economic
