American Government 3E

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Question Set 1
1. A) Using Section 1 of American Government 3E, explain the relationship between citizen engagement and healthy democracy. B) How does this relationship relate to the issues of engagement in the elitism/pluralism debate? C) Which theory is healthier for a democracy? Pick three quotes from the text and cite the specific subsection it was found to structure your response.
Undeniably, any healthy democracy requires citizen engagement to thrive since it effectively informs the government how people feel. Even though citizens may not get everything they bargain for, civic engagement paves the way for them to achieve a substantial percentage of their goals and improve their lives (Krutz 1.3). It also bestows power on ordinary people to influence government policies that directly affect their lives. The history of the United States is replete with examples of ordinary people who, at one time or the other, challenged the power of the elites to protect their interests and gain rights for themselves. For instance, “the right to vote once belonged solely to White men until the Fifteenth Amendment gave the vote to African American men. The Nineteenth Amendment extended the vote to include women” (Krutz 1.3). These accomplishments would have remained an illusion without the collective efforts of citizens. Some fundamental ways of engaging the government include awareness, which keeps individuals informed about current government affairs. In addition, citizens can write letters to politicians to express their opinions or file complaints.
Further, the relationship relates to the issues of engagement in the elitism/pluralism debate because it creates a tug of war. On one side, some contend that a few elite citizens are in charge of the American government, promoting the elitist theory. This goes contrary to the pluralist theory, which stipulates “that power should rest with competing entities who share influence in government’’ (Krutz 1.2). It also posits that “rather than resting in the hands of individuals, a variety of organized groups hold power, with some groups having more influence on certain issues than others” (Krutz 1.2). The elite theory is exclusionist since only a section of business, military, and political elites engage in influencing the government. The wealthy, for instance, use their wealth to control the nation's economy and secure critical political positions at the expense of ordinary citizens. In sum, the pluralist theory works better for a healthier democracy since it encompasses the collective voice and needs of all citizens regardless of their social status.
2. A) Using Chapters 1 & 10 of American Government 3E, explain the role of interest groups in civic engagement and solving collective action problems. B) How everyday people can use groups to get involved in politics (not corporations, for example). C)
What are some barriers to political participation? D) Connect these conversations with the theory of how external events trigger mass participation. Pick three quotes from the text and cite the specific subsection it was found to structure your response.
Interest groups are formal ass...