1. Political Thinking and Political Culture: Becoming a Responsible Citizen
Chapter 1

2. Learning to Think Politically
Political thinking:
Involves the careful gathering and sifting of information to form a knowledgeable view about a political issue
Important for responsible citizenship

3. Learning to Think Politically
Barriers to political thinking
Main barrier: unwillingness of citizens to make the effort to self-inform
Changes in media consumption: more people consume biased cable television and Internet blogs
“Spin” by political leaders and government entities
Research shows faulty perceptions becoming more prevalent

4. Learning to Think Politically
What political science can contribute to political thinking
Political science: the systematic study of government and politics
A descriptive and analytical discipline; can increase ability to think politically

5. Political Culture: Americans’ Enduring Beliefs
Derived from a country’s traditions
Defines the relationship between citizens and government
America’s core ideals are rooted in the European heritage of the first white settlers

6. Political Culture: Americans’ Enduring Beliefs
Core political values:
Liberty
Individualism
Equality
Self-government

7. Political Culture: Americans’ Enduring Beliefs
Core political values
Liberty
Individuals should be free to act as they choose
Unsettled land fostered freedom through migration
Many fled Europe to escape religious persecution

8. Political Culture: Americans’ Enduring Beliefs
Core political values
Individualism
The individual is paramount; government is secondary
Government’s role is to serve the people
Tocqueville: Americans’ chief aim is to “remain their own masters”

9. Political Culture: Americans’ Enduring Beliefs
Core political values
Equality
European aristocratic privilege versus American equal treatment under the law
Perplexing ideal in the early years of the nation: Some were free while others were enslaved
Differing opinions on the meaning of equality persist

10. Political Culture: Americans’ Enduring Beliefs
Core political values
Self-government
American colonials had substantial self-determination
Vision of a self governing nation with powers “…from the consent of the governed”

11. Political Culture: Americans’ Enduring Beliefs
The limits and power of America’s ideals
America’s cultural beliefs are idealistic
Failures to meet the high ideals:
Slavery
Post-slavery “Jim Crow” era
Racial immigration and property restrictions

12. Political Culture: Americans’ Enduring Beliefs
The limits and power of America’s ideals
Reaching to meet the high ideals:
Abolition and suffrage movements
Emancipation
Civil rights movement
Public education
Higher education

13. Politics and Power in America
Politics: the means by which society settles its conflicts and allocates the resulting benefits and costs
Power: the ability of persons, groups, or institutions to influence political developments
Authoritarian and totalitarian governments: nondemocratic, repressive regime types

14. 11 Taxes as Percentage of GDP

15. 15 percent college degree

16. 17 table 1.1

17. Politics and Power in America
A democratic system
System in which the people govern, by direct or representative means
In practice, majority rule through the free and open election of representatives
Majoritarianism: the majority effectively determines what government does

18. Politics and Power in America
A democratic system
Pluralism: the preferences of special interests largely determine what government does
Authority: the recognized right of officials to exercise power
Contrast with authoritarian government that represses opposition through intimidation, restriction of rights, and even imprisonment and physical abuse

19. Politics and Power in America
A constitutional system
The Constitution: elaborate checks and balances, Bill of Rights
Constitutionalism: idea that there are lawful restrictions on government’s power
Restraints on majority power
Judicial action channel through which ordinary citizens can exercise power

20. Legal Action and Lawyers
23 fig 1-1

21. Politics and Power in America
A free-market system
Operates mainly on private transactions
Some government intervention through regulatory, taxing, and spending policies
Tax rate much lower in U.S. than in European countries
Corporate power: influence firms have over policymakers
Elitism: power exercised by the influential few

22. Politics and Power in America
Who does govern?
Defining characteristic of American politics: widespread sharing of power
Women and minorities initially excluded; their power will steadily grow over time

23. The Text’s Organization
The constitutional system
The political role of citizens and intermediaries
Governing officials, the elective institutions, and their appointive bodies
Focus on public policies throughout book
Focus on difficulty of governing effectively, and how important it is to try