politics, power and Government

1. POLITICS, POWER, AND PARTICIPATION
• Politics, the process by which we choose government officials and make decisions about public policy, is a voluntary activity.
• American civic society is composed of voluntary associations of citizens that deal with community and social issues, build social capital, and give rise to civic and political involvement.
• American government is a representative democracy in which citizens elect public representatives to make public policy and hold those representatives accountable through periodic elections and the rule of law.
• Who exercises political power?
  -   Ruling elite theory: Wealthy and well-educated citizens exercise a disproportionate amount of influence over political decision making.
  -    Pluralism: Various groups vie for government favor and political power, but none enjoys long-term dominance.
• Citizen participation is essential to ensure preservation of constitutional freedoms.
• Expanded opportunities for political participation include: initiatives, popular referendums, legislative referendums, and recall.
2. AMERICAN POLITICAL IDEALS
• Liberal democracy is the ideology that guided the American experience.
• Liberal democracy reveres individual rights and expresses faith in popular control of government.
• Liberal democracy rests on three essential notions: natural rights, the formation of a social contract by consent of the governed, and majority rule.
3. THE CHANGING FACE OF THE AMERICAN CITIZENRY
• Growing diversity: The American population is increasingly drawn from across the world; despite progress, many minority groups are still not well integrated into American civic life.
• Growing older: The older population growing rapidly poses challenges for Social Security and Medicare programs.
• Growing apart: The outward markers of class are not as obvious today, but significant economic divisions still exist among Americans.
4. THE FUTURE OF CITIZENSHIP
• Americans are exploring new forms of civic engagement and political participation.
  -   More colleges and universities are turning to student service learning.
  -   Some states are experimenting with voting by mail.
  -   Candidates, parties, and nonpartisan groups are increasing efforts to reach out to voters, especially young people.
  -   The Internet is becoming an important tool for mobilizing civic engagement.
  -   Community groups are using the Internet to organize and publicize initiatives.
  -   Political candidates are increasingly using the Internet for fundraising and motivating voters.