Politics and Democracy

Transcription

1 Politics and Democracy What is political socialization? Political socialization is the process by which people develop thoughts and ideas about the politics and acquire political values (Mott, 2005). A person's values directly impact his or her political thoughts. One's culture provides the foundations for each individual's political beliefs. Political socialization and education is critical to a healthy political system (Mott, 2005). People develop their political attitudes from their parents, family, race, religion, gender, education, the media, and events. The goal of political socialization is to encourage participation in the political process and to instill a sense of civic duty as citizens (Mott, 2005). How are minority rights protected in a democratic society? The foundation of a democracy is the freedom to make political decisions by majority rules; however, if the rule is always by the majority, then the minority voice may be silenced. In a truly democratic society, majority rule is tempered with the guarantees of individual human rights. These guarantees protect the rights of the minority (Defining Democracy, n.d.). The most fundamental protections that the Founding Fathers were concerned about were religious, political, and economic freedoms. Today, protections include ethnic minorities and sexual orientation. The advantage of a democracy is that the rights of minorities "cannot be eliminated by majority vote" (Defining Democracy, n.d.). Minorities do not have to "depend on the goodwill of the majority vote" (Defining Democracy, n.d.). Diane Ravitch, scholar, author, and a former assistant U.S. secretary of education, wrote : 'When a representative democracy operates in accordance with a constitution that limits the powers of the government and guarantees fundamental rights to all citizens, this form of government is a constitutional democracy. In such a society, the majority rules, and the rights of minorities are protected by law and through the institutionalization of law.' Are elections important to a democratic government? Elections serve as the cornerstone of democracy because it is the foundation to a government that is representative of the people. For an election to be truly democratic, however, it must be competitive, periodic, and inclusive (Elections, n.d). Elections are competitive if those parties or individuals running for election have the freedom to express their views and platforms. They also have the freedom to challenge the opposition, criticize the government, actively solicit support, and assemble in public places (Elections, n.d.). Elections are periodic if they are held every couple of years.

2 Elections are inclusive if the majority of the adult population qualify and have the opportunity to vote. The United States has historically struggled with inclusiveness of minorities and women. In fact, the Voting Section at the Department of Justice is dedicated to monitoring state elections and voting redistricting to ensure that no segment of the population is excluded from the process. What role does a governor play in politics? The governor's office plays a very important part in state and national politics. Governors are the foundation to any strong political party. Governors have the power and demonstrated ability to lead. In many respects, governors can be more powerful than members of Congress. No other authority in a state has the power to command media attention, influence the parties and national lawmakers, and electrify the public like the governor (Ragone, 2004, p. 237). Like the president of the United States, the governor is part of the executive branch of government of the state. Each state also has judicial and legislative branches that essentially mirror the makeup of the national government. The governor sets the political and policy agenda for his or her state, which is why the governor has such a great influence on national politics. Governors also have the power to veto bills passed by their legislative bodies, grant executive clemency, declare a state of emergency during a natural disaster, and appoint heads of state agencies. What is the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995? States have struggled with the mandates of federal initiatives. At times, the Federal Government has passed legislation directing the state or local government to implement certain programs or fund certain initiatives to reach a federal goal. "Unfunded mandates can take several forms, such as enforceable duties, changes in entitlement programs or a reduction in federal funding for an existing mandate" (Federalism, Intergovernmental Affairs & Unfunded Mandates, n.d.). The Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (UFMR) requires committees of Congress to consider the additional costs to the states when they consider imposing new duties on states, local governments, or private companies (Unfunded Mandates Reform Actof 1995, 1995). Strangely enough, several members of Congress did not want to give this consideration to the states; however, the states fought for the legislation and were successful. This is a good example of the principle of federalism that ensures that the states do not simply work for the national agenda and their budgetary requirements are considered. How do states get seats in the House of Representatives? A state's representation in the House is based on the population of a particular district.

3 Today, the number of representatives in the House is limited to 435. To qualify for a representative, a voting district must have a population of at least 600,000 citizens (Ragone, 2004, p. 15). What are reapportionment and redistricting? One of the most important functions of state governments is the redistricting of House congressional seats. Article 1, Section 2 of the Constitution mandates that the Federal Government must conduct a census of the population every 10 years (U.S. CONST. art. I, 2). One of the functions of taking a census is not only to determine how much federal funding states get for programs but to "reapportion Congressional seats based on population growth and movement" (Ragone, 2004, p. 243). Reapportionment occurs when a district gains or loses seats in the legislative body. The number and boundaries of the district do not change but the size of the membership does (Wattson, 2000). States that gain new citizens also gain new seats, and states that lose too many citizens lose House seats. This determination is made by the Census Bureau (Ragone, 2004, p. 243). Once the decision is announced, it is up to the state legislatures to redraw the congressional districts. Redistricting changes the district boundaries. The number of members per district does not change, but the boundaries do change (Wattson, 2002). Redistricting presents a key opportunity for the party that controls the state legislature to redraw the political map to its advantage (Ragone, 2004, p. 243). Obviously, this leads to intense battles as political leaders fight to maintain or gain seats in Congress. What are the types of city government? In the United States, there are three major forms of city government. Under a mayorcouncil system of government, the mayor runs the city with one legislative body. This single legislative body is known as a unicameral form of government (Custom and Precedent, n.d.). A two-body legislature is known as bicameral. The members of the city council represent both parties and are elected to the positions. This system is the most popular form of city government and is found in cities like New York City and Atlanta, Georgia. Under the council-manager system of government, a city manager runs the town and serves as a nonpolitical administrator. He or she is responsible for the daily operation of the jurisdiction. This system of government was first created in Staunton, Virginia in 1908 (A General Manager for a City, n.d.). This position is normally appointed by the city council and has no leadership power or true authority. Today, about 3,700 U.S. cities and more than 525 counties use this form of government (A General Manager for a City, n.d.). The third system is known as the commission system. Under the commission system, a board of commissioners performs the operations of the city. The commission is elected

4 and can consist of three to seven members (Commission, 2007). If a mayor is chosen, he or she has no real authority. This is the least well-known form of city government, and very few cities use it. What is the New England town form of government? The New England town form of government is a direct form of democracy. All citizens participate in the decision-making function of government (Ragone, 2004, p. 252). Five states use this system of government: Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont (Ragone, 2004, p. 252). Towns hold an annual meeting to decide on numerous issues from taxes to the annual budget (Ragone, 2004, p. 252). They elect advisors who serve on boards with responsibility for daily operations. If the town is too big, delegates are elected for the annual meeting (Ragone, 2004, p. 252). What is regional government? Regional government is not a new concept. With regional governments, several cities or towns combine to provide better and more cost-effective services for their constituents (Ragone, 2004, p. 254). Nashville, Indianapolis, and Miami are all cities that operate under regional governments (Ragone, 2004, p. 254). The most popular form of regional government is the regional council. A regional council is a multiservice entity that retains its state or local boundaries. The regional councils normally operate as planning organizations to provide forward-thinking strategies to local governments. At the same time, they are able to deliver various federal, state, or local programs (What is a Regional Council, n.d.). The National Association of Regional Councils affects national politics and policies by providing position papers on various issues (Policy Statements and Testimony,n.d.). There are several situations in which smaller cities or towns will contract with their larger counterparts for governmental services. These services can include fire protection, police, garbage collection, and transportation infrastructure (Ragone, 2004, p ). References A general manager for a city: Staunton's idea - Now a standard wordwide. (n.d.). Retrieved September 4, 2007, from Staunton, Virginia Web site: 494FA7501FE9 Commission. (2007). In Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved September 2, 2007, from Encyclopedia Britannica Online Web site: /commission-system Custom and precedent. (1999, August). Retrieved August 31, 2007, from Minnesota

5 House of Representatives, House Research Web site: Defining democracy. (n.d.). Retrieved August 31, 2007, from the U.S. Department of State International Information Programs Web site: Elections. (n.d.). Retrieved August 31, 2007, from the U.S. Department of State International Information Programs Web site: Federalism, intergovernmental affairs & unfunded mandates. Retrieved August 31, 2007, from Counsel of State Governments Web site: Mott, J. (2005). Political socialization. Retrieved August 20, 2007, from ThisNation.com's Online American Government & Politics Textbook Web site: Policy statements and testimony. Retrieved September 4, 2007, from The National Association of Regional Councils Web site: Ragone, N. (2004). The Everything American government book. Cincinnati, OH: Adams Media. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of (1995). Retrieved August 31, 2007, from the United States Government Printing Office Web site: U.S. CONST. art. I, 2. Wattson, P. S. (2002). How to draw redistricting plans that will stand up in court. Retrieved August 31, 2007, Web site: m#_1_2 What is a Regional Council? (2006). Retrieved September 2, 2007, from The National Association of Regional Councils Web site: