...1. Interest groups- organization of people who share political, social or other goals; and agree to try to influence public policy to achieve those goals. 2. Alexis de Tocqueville- French political writer noted for his analysis of American institutions 3. public goods - benefits that everyone gets whether or not they join the group, 4. private goods- benefits that ONLY come to those who are members 5. free rider problem- Why would anyone join a group that will provide benefits to everyone regardless of membership? 6. union shop- anyone working for the company has to join the union or at least pay a part of the dues to cover cost of negotiating contracts 7. right-to-work laws- outlaw union shop contracts 8. benefits for group membership: solidarity- make people feel good for joining a group and working with others to make the world a better place. 9. Material- include things like discounts on goods or services, or low cost life or auto insurance. 10. Information- provide members with information that they find interesting and useful. 11. “Federalist Number 10”- how the new government created by the Constitution would help deal with the problem of factions. 12. Faction- He lumps parties and interest groups togetheras including both large groups (majority factions)and small groups (minority factions) ofpassionate people who are united bysome interest. 13. democratic pluralism- checking and balancing 14. lobbying- those activities...
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...POLITICAL SCIENCE/INTERNATIONAL STUDIES 360 Western European Politics Fall, 2015 Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2:30-3:45 pm Mundelein 620 Lake Shore Campus Dr. Vincent Mahler Coffey 327 (773) 508-3067 E-mail: vmahler@luc.edu Office Hours: TTH: 10:00-11:15 am, M: 5:30-6:45 pm, and by appointment This course begins with an introduction to the comparative politics of developed democracies, focusing on political culture and attitudes; interest groups and political parties; political institutions; and public policy. We will then go on to discuss a (lively) overview of contemporary Western Europe by longtime reporter and commentator T. R. Reid. Next, we will explore political institutions, processes, behavior and policy in three major Western European countries, the United Kingdom, France and Germany. Four times, spaced throughout the semester, I will offer brief factual comparisons of Western Europe and the United States in important areas, including public policy, the economy, education, social policy, and moral issues. If time permits, the course will conclude with a brief examination of the institutions and policies of the European Union, a regional organization linking twenty-eight European countries. In an effort to enliven our discussion, at the beginning of most classes I will introduce an unusual fact, song or comedy sketch that in some way deals with Western Europe, with a particular focus on the smaller European countries. READING ...
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...1 Marks: 2 The party in government is made up of ___________ and has direct impact on governmental policy; it is largely independent of ___________________. Choose one answer. | a. the party organization/officeholders | | | b. officeholders/the party organization | | | c. voters/politicians | | | d. bureaucrats/the president | | | e. the electoral college/state legislators | | Question2 Marks: 2 A new order of demonstrated political loyalties, such as seen in Texas and the South from Reconstruction until the middle 20th century with the movement from a Democratic majority identification to a development of parity between the Democratic and then in the latter half of the 20thcentury the shift to Republican party majority identification is called Choose one answer. | a. dealignment. | | | b. alignment. | | | c. realignment. | | | d. party shift. | | | e. political epoch. | | Question3 Marks: 2 The right to vote was not extended to women in the United States until Choose one answer. | a. the adoption of the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution. | | | b. the adoption of the Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution. | | | c. the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. | | | d. the adoption of the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution. | | | e. an executive order that was issued and signed by President John F. Kennedy just weeks before his assassination in November of 1963. | | Question4 ...
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...POLITICAL SCIENCE 1 Spring 2013 The Government of the United States Syllabus El Camino College Section 2620: M/W, 9:30am – 10:55am Room: Social Science 212 Instructor: Van P. Chaney, MPA E-mail: vchaney@elcamino.edu Phone: 310-660-3593 Website: http://profspace.com/vchaney Required Texts: AM Gov 2012, Losco/Baker ISBN: 978-0073526379 Taking Sides, 18th ed, Mckenna ISBN: 978-0078050329 Course Objectives: 1. Identify the theoretical foundations and the applications of the American political system. 2. Analyze major political institutions: the presidency, bureaucracy, Congress, Judiciary, elections, political parties, and interest groups. 3. Examine and assess the implementation of democracy, including the different perspectives of elitism, pluralism, and majoritarianism. 4. Evaluate the role of the mass media in the political process. 5. Identify and discuss political culture and the function of political socialization. 6. Compare and contrast the relationship of federal and state governmental systems and processes with emphasis on California. 7. Evaluate and analyze the interdependence of economics and politics. 8. Distinguish between civil rights and civil liberties and their evolution in American society. 9. Assess the federal and state judicial systems and their impact on public policy. 10. Examine and discuss the process of public policy making in relation to international and domestic...
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...Opinion and explain why it is such a vital aspect of democratic political process. Public opinion can be defined as an aggregate attitudes or beliefs held by the adult population. It is an importance aspect of democracy because its affect the law making in a country or community. 2. List and describe at least four ways in which ‘Public Opinion’ is commonly measured. Public opinion can be measured through: 1. Sampling techniques 2. Opinion polls 3. The Medea 4. elections 3. Individual reaction to various issues and events are subject to how we perceive information. From your Learning Objectives, describe the various qualities or characteristics that impact our Private, and Public Opinion....
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...What sets them apart is their goal of encouraging people to make informed and educated decisions. The League of Women Voters is non-partisan and does not support any particular political part or candidate. When I contacted the local office I was told by Cheryl, the woman who oversaw my volunteering, that they needed a makeover for their brochure and flyer. This brochure was extremely outdated and needed a serious overhaul. In conjunction with a classmate, I redesigned the brochure to give it a more modern appearance making it more eye catching in hopes of creating more league memberships and provoking more donations. I would have to say this became my main goal of my volunteering experience. Although I was asked that the writing on the brochure went unchanged I wanted to do redesign the graphics and layout of the brochure to make is more interesting and readable. In a way I feel like the hard work I put into the brochure would strengthen and increase the growth of the league. The second piece I worked on with my classmate was the organizations flyer. The flyer was essentially of form that people could use to join the League of Women Voters or simply enclose a donation and at the same time give a little information about the group. In both the brochure and flyer color played an important role. The original designs lacked color or any visual interest and I saw this to me a major problem. Cheryl asked that the color scheme be red, white and blue so I played with these...
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...Culture and Socialization Learning to be Human Understanding Cause & Effect • Correlation - the existence of a regular relationship between two sets of occurrences or variables. • Causation - a relationship in which one event or situation brings about the other. • Correlation does not imply causation. But a causal relationship must mean that two variables are correlated. Sociological Imagination • The more we understand what is happening in the world, the more frustrated we often become, for our knowledge leads to feelings of powerlessness. We feel that we are living in a world in which the citizen has become a mere spectator or a forced actor, and that our personal experience is politically useless and our political will a minor illusion (Mills 1959) Macro argument. Chapter 3 Culture & Society The Concepts of Culture Culture - The values the members of a given group hold, the norms they follow, and the material goods they create. Values - abstract ideals. For example, monogamy is a prominent value in most Western societies. Norms - definite principles or rules people are expected to observe Society - a system of relationships that connects individuals who share the same culture. The Concepts of Culture Culture and society are closely related. Cultural variations among humans are linked to different types of society. No culture could exist without a society; equally, no society could exist without culture. The Concepts of Culture Ethnocentrism – judging...
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...is a political party? -a group of people joined together by common philosophies and common approaches with the aim of getting candidates elected in order to develop and implement public policy. It is characterized by an organization that is responsible to the electorate and has a role in government. 2. What are the characteristics of politics? -who gets what, when, how, and why. Politics deal with individuals and their needs, values, and attitudes will band together to form political parties. 3. What are linkage institutions? -the means by which individuals can express preferences regarding the development of public policy. Some examples: political parties, special interest groups, and the media. 4. Political parties looked like? -can be viewed as an organization, the relationship with the electorate, and a role in government. 5.What is party realignment? -the shift of party loyalty, occurred in 1932 after the country experienced the Great Depression. 6. What are the basic characteristics of political parties since 1990? -era of divided government. ? 7. How do most Americans participate in the political process? - discussing politics, registering to vote, voting in local/state/national elections, joining a specific political party, making contact with politicians, attending political meetings, contributing to political campaigns, working in a campaign, soliciting funds, and running for office. 8. What does someone running for office seek from a political party...
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...Donald Simmons Professor R.A Harris Tuesday / Thursday 3:30-4:45 Test #2 Chapters 7,8,11 & 12 I will be speaking as a Conservative towards Political Culture and Public Opinion. Political Culture is a set of attitudes and practices held by people that forms their political behavior. Which includes moral judgments, beliefs, political myths and ideas about what could make up a good society. It is also a reflection of a government, but it also includes elements of history and tradition that may predate the current government. Political cultures matter because it structures a population’s political views and actions. Governments can help shape political culture and public opinion through education, public events. Political cultures can vary significantly from state to state and sometimes even within a state. However, political culture remains pretty much the same over time. As a conservative I believe gun ownership should have few restrictions because The Second Amendment constitutionally protects it. America is overflowing with firearms to the point where they have become part of the structure of the social stability. Which means while they are the source of chaos, they can also be understood as something that keeps the peace. Conservatives argue that because criminals have complete access to guns then it’s only fair to even the odds for possible victims by permitting them to own them to there own gun as well. Conservatives also believe...
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...are as well as whom they are responsible for is an example of a(n): a. Issue network b. Merit system c. Hierarchy d. Spoils system e. Iron triangle 5. Bureaucracy is useful for all of the following EXCEPT tasks that: a. Require a great deal of coordination b. Require a great deal of planning c. Require a great deal of expertise d. Can be handled on an ad hoc basis e. Require a great deal of routine work 6. The practice in which successful party candidates reward political supporters with jobs or favors is known as: a. Patronage b. Pandering c. Pay-for-play d. Lobbying e. Nepotism 7. The civil service replaced the _________ as a method of choosing government workers. a. Merit system b. Hereditary inheritance 2 c. Optional service d. Spoils system e. Presidential appointment system 8. The goal of the Pendleton Act and the Hatch Act was to: a. Increase presidential control over the executive branch of government b. Reduce political influence over federal government employees c. Increase political participation by federal government employees d. Increase congressional control...
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...* SOCIAL STRATIFICATION Meaning, Nature, and Importance of Stratification * Stratification is an institutionalizes pattern of inequality in which social categories are ranked on the basis of their access to scarce resources * Social Stratification is the hierarchical arrangement and establishment of social categories that evolve into social group together with status and their corresponding roles. * Meaning, Nature, and Importance of Stratification * Social Stratification is a system whereby people rank and evaluate each other as superior and, on the basis of such evaluations, inequality rewarded one another with wealth authority, power and prestige. One result of each differentiation is the creation of a number of levels within society. Meaning, Nature, and Importance of Stratification * Different Views for Social Stratification: * Social Structure – status, social roles into ranked orders * Social Problem – discontentment and social justice * Importance of Stratification * Through S.S., men all over, dispels discrimination, stereotyping and prejudice. * Man will exert great effort in competing with others. * Knowledge of S.S. may enable man to adapt to the social environment * Improvement of man’s standard of living * Effect economic development in a society. * Attainment of a harmonious and stable society. * Types of Stratification System * Caste System * Brahmins...
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...When I look back and try to analyze my personal sociological standpoint, I see myself as a functionalist with organic solidarity throughout of my personal background. However, I also support conflict theory related to my educational experience in United States. I grew up in a very diverse city and was raised in a traditional family: mother, father, grandparents. I think my family is the major framework for me. I believe that it is essential nucleus helps me function and be successful in society. I learned that functionalism in sociology supports idea of maintaining cohesion among different parties in society. Although, we are all so unique in our own ways of living, we still create harmony for functioning with each other. My mother is one of the major mentors in my life. Her voice always plays very important part in my decision-makings. My family works like an “organism”. We all perform different roles on a daily basis, but still support overall stability in our relations. My parents taught me the ways how you function within your family relates to your functioning with other members around us. Strong family foundation gave me an opportunity to be an active participant of my large community nowadays. As we learned in our sociology class, functionalist paradigm/theory according to E. Durkheim exists in two different forms: mechanical and organic solidarities. I can say my grandmother’s generation came from mechanical solidarity. She lived in a very small urban area, didn’t go...
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...While corporations can fund political elections, political contributions from corporations or businesses should be illegal because corporations are buying politicians. This makes the politician vulnerable to pressure from the highest donor and, the persuasive power of money clouds people’s judgment. In the 2012 Presidential election, the US political system spent $1,107,114,702.00 for the Democratic presidential candidate and $1,238,097,161.00 for Republican presidential candidate for a total of $2,345,211,863.00 just to get elected to office (www.opensecrets.org / Center for Responsive Politics). All contemporary democratic societies are based on systems of representation. In a theoretical representative democracy, citizens form positions on issues and convey their views to elected representatives, whose job is to make policies consistent with those positions. (Bey, D. and Mizruchi, M. 2005). This is the theory however, if a corporation or a group of corporations donate money to a political party, they expect something in return. Like favoritism when the politician votes for certain bills or political contracts awarded in their favor. This type of structure in government is known as elite pluralism. American society was dominated politically by a small group of leaders that included both the heads of major organizations as well as top political officials. These elites, having formed a largely cohesive community, unified not only through common interests in maintaining...
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...Political Knowledge: Voter Information and the Democratic Citizen Many Americans proudly assert that the “American Experiment” has been a success. The optimistic and patriotic American will point to the “stability” and strength of the country's democratic institutions upheld by the United States Constitution as proof that the democratic notions and principles that were envisioned by the Founding Fathers continue to flourish to this day. A pessimistic individual on the other hand may easily point out that the current political climate exemplifies the decline of civic responsibility, and ultimately, the decline of democratic rule. In Washington, politicians are split along partisan lines, battling one another on decisive and controversial issues such as raising the debt limit, balancing the budget, and health care reform. While politicians carefully calculate the potential consequences of their decisions, the same battles are being waged ferociously on other fronts by the media and other self-interested groups. Ultimately, the results of these policy decisions depend on which party could convince the American public of what is in their best collective interest. This is precisely the nature of politics and democracy, and neither one is always fair. In a world where interest groups and lobbies have tremendous sway and influence over those in power, and when media reporting of the issues lacks fairness and accuracy, it should be the citizen's duty and responsibility to ensure that...
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...SSC1 - General Education Social Science Course of Study Theories and Methods What is the role of science and the scientific method in the social sciences? The purpose of the social sciences is to study systematically all aspects of the human condition and of human behavior, using a methodology borrowed from the physical sciences wherever possible. This insistence on systematic and methodical study is what distinguishes the social sciences from philosophy, art, and literature, which also comment and reflect on all facets of the human condition. In fact, insights into the nature of human behavior and the characteristics of societies have been expressed by artists, poets, and philosophers since time immemorial. How do the social sciences differ from natural and physical science? Competencies covered by this subject 113.1.1 - Social Science Theory and Methodology Scientific Method in Social Science To prepare for further study in this domain, you will want to familiarize yourself with ways in which the scientific method is applied in the social sciences. Keep in mind the crucial comparison between social and natural science. Consider the following questions: What is the scientific method? Scientific Method for Sociology An area of inquiry is a scientific discipline if its investigators use the scientific method, which is a systematic approach to researching questions and problems through objective and accurate observation, collection and analysis of data, direct experimentation...
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