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Role of interest groups
Explain pluralist theory of democracy
Explain pluralist theory of democracy
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Comparing the Democratic and Republican Parties Ralph Nader campaigned for the 2001 Presidency by arguing that there are no real differences between the two major parties. In a broad sense, that statement might seem true. Major political parties play a majoritarian role in an otherwise pluralistic democracy in the United States. They are both majoritarian institutions trying to win control of the government. The differences between the parties lie in each party’s beliefs about the purpose and scope of government. The United States is a government run by the people and for the people. The whole population may participate in governing through the device of having a much smaller number of people act on their behalf. In a pluralistic democracy, every citizen does not need to be knowledgeable about all politics in general. But a specialized group of citizens need to be especially knowledgeable, in particular, leaders. “The government operates through competing interest groups rather than public opinion. The competing interest groups represent the people’s interest to government decision makers. Democracy exists when many (plural) organizations operate separately from the government, press their interests on the government, and even challenge the government.” The public is best served if the government structure provides access for different groups to press their claims in competition with one another. A pluralistic model of democracy allows minority interests to organize and press their claims on government freely also. Purposes of Government Why do we have government? Government may be defined as a set of institutions that regulate behavior within territorial boundaries thru the legitimate use of force. Go... ... middle of paper ... ...260. Martinex, Gebe. “Clinton Budget Sets $9.5 Surplus, Offers New Programs” Washingtonpost.com. Accessed 28 March 2001; available from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/budget/stories/ls99/overview.htm Rich, Spencer. “Clinton Seeks Major Social Security, Medicare Changes” Washingtonpost.com. Accessed 28 March 2001; available from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/budget/stories/ls99/entitle.htm Kessler, Glenn and Juliet Eilperin 2001. “The Path of Less Resistance” The Washington Post National Weekly Edition 18:16 (February 12-February 18): 13 Kessler, Glenn 2001. “Gentlemen, Prepare Your Calculators” The Washington Post National Weekly Edition 18:17 (February 19-February 25): 29 Kessler, Glenn 2001. “About That Growing Surplus…” The Washington Post National Weekly Edition 18:15 (February 5-February 11): 12
Reich, Robert B. Nice Work If You Can Get It. The Wall Street Journal. 26 December 2003
The first two parties were created in the later 1700’s, and these parties were made for two different purposes. The Federalist & Democratic-Republicans had some similar and opposing aspects, but mostly opposing.
A party’s platform is its official statement of beliefs and values. These platforms established from the view of a party such as Republic Party and Democrat Party. They have their own platforms to create their views on an issue. However, if the Democrat Party has their notions, Republican Party is not inherently related based on their true definitions. There are some similarities and differences between Republican Party and Democrat Party.
There have been many different parties surface since the beginning of the American political system. They all have had different thoughts, policies, and motivations. Each party has their own agenda some have made significant contributions and others have not. The first split, and beginning of the party system, came with the variation between the Federalists and the Democratic Republicans. These two parties were extremely different in thought, strategies, and status of people involved such as their leaders and believes on how to run the government. The Federalists worked to create a stronger national government, supported British in foreign affairs, and favored a national bank. The Democratic-Republican Party operated to advocate states’ rights, supported the French in foreign affairs and opposed a national bank. These are some of the differences that set apart these two major government Parties.
Norton, E. H., Jacobus, C., & Clifton. (2013, December 30). Capitol Strategies - Presdent Interview. Fox News. (C. Payne, Interviewer)
The United States, comprised of much political diversity, has only two major political parties, the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. The Republican Party was founded by anti-slavery activists on March 20th, 1854, and is represented by its mascot, the elephant. Often referred to as the “Grand Old Party”, or GOP, Republicans favor customs that exude traditional Christian values with a platform based on American Conservatism. As a Christian myself, the values I share with Republican ideals are a main reason I side with the Republican Party.
Democracy is rule by the people; the people elect governing officials based off of their personal values and beliefs. Different political parties rule the political scene and are serving to represent the people’s opinions in the best ways possible. Previously, I had a belief that my political view was essentially the only one possible and therefore it was the best. These views changed quickly once I learned the different political parties, their views, how they represent the people’s views, and how public opinion shapes politics. The government is formed around differentiating opinions on which policies should be in place and which social aspects need to be considered first. Not only is the government guided by opinion, but the people’s lives are guided by opinion as well. Each individual holds a different view, and each view can have an influence on society. Fortunately, after roughly eight weeks of studying American Government, I now have a better sense of complexity and the value of
In the United States there are only two main political parties to choose from. The two main parties are the Democrats and the Republicans. There are also many other political parties to choose from which are called third parties. Third parties may include political parties such as the Socialist Equality Party and the Peace and Equality party. People can choose to be a part of any party they want but most go with the common two main parties the Democrats and Republicans. Democrats and Republicans have many similarities and differences. These mainly occur in international, social, economic, and domestic issues.
The United States is governed by a democracy. According to Dictoinary.com, democracy is “government by the people; a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system” (Dictoinary.com). This means that instead of having a supreme ruler, the citizens of a country have the right to vote for and choose their elected officials who will ultimately make the decisions for them. The benefit of a democracy is that depending on the public’s opinion, they can influence the government to run the way they want. This form of government provided the public with a great amount of freedom, yet is can potentially slow down the efficiency of governmental decisions. In order for a democracy to function well, public opinions must be somewhat similar to avoid gridlock. A democracy is good for public freedom, but must possess certain characteristics to provide effective results.
The battle between the Democrats and the Republicans is a battle that has gone on ever since the 1900s. The only way that a political party can take over the house is if they are able to address the issues that relevant to the people. Now that elections are around the corner, many candidates are bringing up issues that have been affecting America for a while and how they are going to change it for the better. The issue of immigration has been brought up by both the Democrats and the Republicans, but both don’t seem to come to an agreement on the issue. The Republicans believe that illegal immigrants should not be given the same benefits as a legal citizen, but America should welcome those that come in legally. On the other hand, Democrats believe
Edsall, Thomas B. “Funds for veterans healthcare is $1 billion short.” Washingtonpost.com. WEB. 24 June 2005.
Whitehouse, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), 1 Jan. 2009. Web. 13 Apr. 2014. .
McClatchy-Tribune News Service. "Editorials on the federal budget". McClatchy - Tribune News Service. 03 Feb 2010 eLibrary. Web. 18 Feb 2010.
But if lawmaking is dominated by powerful business organizations and a small number of influential Americans, then America's claims to being a democratic society isn’t justifiable. Without the collaboration of American citizens in daily political tasks, and their lack of knowledge on how the politics functions hinders progression as a society. Although, no political interest is shown by majority since most vote and help make decisions off personal interest and benefit which divides us as a
The US has a two party system in which two parties dominate in the US