PEOPLE
PEOPLE
Interests, problems, concerns, impacts of policies
Democracy is at the heart of American politics, but what does it truly mean? In short, democracy is a system of government in which the desires of the people are emphasized. Many people consider democracy to be a “government of the people, by the people, and for the people,” as stated by Abraham Lincoln; this government would ideally place the public at the center of its decisions and processes.
Robert Dahl, an American theorist, suggests that an ideal democracy should meet five criteria:
Equality in Voting
“One Person, One Vote”
Effective Participation
adequate and equal opportunity for expression
Enlightened Understanding
Free Press and Free Speech
Citizen Control of the Agenda
Collective right to control government agenda
Inclusion
open citizenship for all within the nation
Democracies must also practice majority rule as well as protecting minority rights. Majority rule means that decisions must be made in consideration of the will of the people, but these rights cannot infringe on the rights of the minority.
Elected leaders must also be adequate representation of the general public, so that political leaders should ideally replicate the public interest.
Democracy can be threatened through tactics such as gerrymandering. Gerrymandering is when boundaries are drawn in such a way to give an advantage to a specific group. The Voting Rights act meant that all levels of government had to draw district lines to avoid not just discriminatory intent but also discriminatory results.
Public opinion has become an integral part of American politics. Often, public opinion is shared through polling; polls can be done on a variety of topics such as climate, healthcare, and public policy. These polls help create a clearer image of what Americans are interested in and what their current concerns are.
Every ten years, the Census Bureau conducts a census that attempts to gather as much information as possible about the American public. This information is used to determine the desires of the public and how federal funding should be allocated.
Patronage is the act of hiring for political positions based on political reasons rather than for merit or competence.
Public opinion has become an integral part of American politics. Often, public opinion is shared through polling; polls can be done on a variety of topics such as climate, healthcare, and public policy. These polls help create a clearer image of what Americans are interested in and what their current concerns are.
Every ten years, the Census Bureau conducts a census that attempts to gather as much information as possible about the American public. This information is used to determine the desires of the public and how federal funding should be allocated.
The United States has always been a nation of immigrants and citizens from a variety of different backgrounds. The ways in which politicians interact and speak to different groups of people can definitely affect public opinion on the politician and their policies as a whole. The political ideologies of America have been constantly shifting and evolving over time alongside the demographics of the United States.
