Studying Texas Politics and Government
A Framework
Pulls together facts and places them in context
Explains the history of Texas politics and government
Results An appreciation for Texas’s political past A comprehension of contemporary politics and
government An understanding of change
Components of the Framework Conceptions of Politics and Government Central Role of Ideas: The American Creed Analyzing Politics
Individualism Liberty Equality
Analyzing Government Constitutionalism democracy
Analyzing Political Change
Politics and Government
Politics involves “the authoritative allocation of values for a society.”
Government consists of those institutions and process for making public policy Public policy is any government decision Institutions include the structures of government
that make the decisions Processes include the way decisions are made
American Creed
America was built on a set of ideas These ideas have been strongly supported
since the late 18th century The ideas perform two functions:
Provide a national identity Limit government
Five ideas: Individualism
Most important and source for other ideas Confirms the worth of each individual Grants a person the right to pursue life,
liberty and property free from social constraints
Allows person to act in accordance with his/her own conscience
Five Ideas: Liberty
Different from individualism Freedom from government Disagreement over how much liberty a
person should have Conflict between liberty and social order
Five Ideas: Equality
Greatest problem for Americans Three meanings
Political equality Economic equality Social equality
Five Ideas: Constitutionalism
Places limits on government Contract among members of the political
community Provides the structure of government Distributes the powers of government
Five Ideas: Democracy
Rule by the people Procedures for making decisions
How government decisions are made Who participates in government decisions How much weight is assigned to each
participant’s preferences
Conditions of Democracy: Fiskin Political equality
Each person’s preferences given equal consideration, and each person has an equal opportunity to formulate his or her preferences
Nontyranny Public policy must not infringe on the fundamental
rights of any member of society.
Conditions of Democracy
Participation A significant percentage of the population is
engaged in politics and government. Deliberation
There is a meaningful discussion of political issues so that each person can make an informed choice on issues and candidate.
Forms of Democracy & Conditions Majoritarian democracy
Majority rules Values majority rule; formal political equality Direct or indirect Protection of minority may present a problem
Forms of Democracy & Conditions Pluralist democracy
Interest-group democracy Values protection of minority rights; representative
government in diverse society; deliberation
Institutions & Forms of Democracy Majoritarian Democracy
Unification of authority; centralized politics Institutions: executive and political parties Separation of powers: undesirable Judicial review: undesirable
Institutions & Forms of Democracy Pluralist Democracy
Separation of authority; decentralized politics Institutions: legislature and interest groups Separation of powers: desirable Judicial review: necessary
Non-democratic Alternative
Elitism Power is concentrated and held by those who
control the economy. The conditions of democracy are not met. Decisions made by the elite flow down to the
masses, who do not influence those decisions. Most politicians are merely intermediaries
between the elites and the masses.
Political Change
IvI Gap Attempt to create institutions that reflect all
five ideas Impossible since the ideas are often in
conflict Creates a cognitive dissonance: discrepancy
between what we believe (five ideas) and what we do (institutions)
Factors Influencing Responses
Strength in belief in the ideal Strong Weak
Clarity of perception of the gap Clear Unclear
Responses to the IvI Gap
Moralism
(eliminate gap)
Hypocrisy
(deny gap)
Cynicism
(tolerate gap)
Complacency
(ignore gap)
Perception of the Gap
Clear Unclear
Strong
Strength of Belief in Ideal
Weak
Historical Responses to the IvI Gap Moralism: 1965 – 1975, reaction to U.S. involvement
in Vietnam, Civil Rights Movement, Voting Rights, Women’s Movement
Cynicism: 1975 – 1980, removal of a president, war continued, improvement in many areas, gap was not eliminated.
Complacency: 1980s + Hypocrisy: 1961- 1965, Kennedy’s inaugural
address, Peace Corps,
Factors Associated with Periods of Moralism (Creedal Passion)
Economic growth followed by downturn Disparities in wealth in society Large number of young people in society Leadership—people who point out that
America has not achieved the ideal