American Gov't - week 5 Essay question (SEE ATTACHED FILES TO COMPLETE)

Competing visions of who governs in the United States

Classic Pluralist Model of Community Power

Access to decision-making circles is assumed to be open to existing or potential groups. Groups can readily form

to represent their interests.

Interests are recognized and that groups can readily organize and access the decision making process. Important,

is that the groups in existence at any point time is seen as being generally representative of the universe of

interests.

The state is assumed to be impartial - mediating between competing interests.

Power is understood to be dispersed and influence is fragmented - no coherent ruling elite exists.

Low rates of participation are viewed as being the result of apathy/contentment and functional.

Slack resources (i.e., unused money, votes, and the like that could be used for political purposes) keep elected

officials in check that can be mobilized to either support or oppose political candidates or initiatives.

The Elitist Model of Community Power

Society is divided into the few who have power and the many who do not. Only a small number of people

allocate values for society: the masses do not decide public policy.

The ruling class is drawn disproportionately from the upper socioeconomic strata of society. They agree on the

basic outlines of the free enterprise system (private property, profit, unequal distribution of wealth, role of the

government in maintaining a favorable business climate, etc.).

The movement of nonelites to elite positions must be slow and continuous to maintain stability and avoid

resolution. Only nonelites who have accepted the basic elite consensus enter governing circles.

Elites share a consensus on the basic values of the social system and the preservation of the system. They

disagree only on a narrow range of issues.

Public policy does not reflect the demands of masses but the prevailing values of the elite. Changes in public

policy will be incremental rather than revolutionary.

Control over economic resources allows the elite to rule the polity. This results, in part, from the ability of

elites to thwart potential opposition by threatening various forms of economic sanctions, like the loss of jobs or

credit.

Interest Group Typology - according to goal orientation

Agriculture

 National Cattlemen’s Association, U.S. Poultry and Egg Association, National Pork Producers Council, Tobacco Institute, Allied Grape Growers, National Cotton Council, American

Sugarbeet Growers Association, National Soybean Association, National Peanut Growers

Group, etc.

Business

 Chamber of Commerce, Business Roundtable, and the National Association of Manufacturers, National Retail Federation, National Restaurant Association, National Federation of

Independent Business, National Beer Wholesalers Association, National Association of

Realtors, Motion Picture Association of America, American Petroleum Institute, etc.

Labor

 United Auto Workers, Teamsters, United Steel Workers, National Education Association, United Mine Workers, Transportation and Communication International Union, American

Federation of Teachers, AFSCME, Service Employees International, American Federation of

Government Employees, etc.

Professional

 American Medical Association, American Bar Association, American Dental Association, Association of Trial Lawyers of America, International Union of Operating Engineers, etc.

Civil Rights

 American Arab-Anti-Discrimination Committee, NOW, NAACP, Amnesty International, Human Rights Campaign Fund, National Council of La Raza, Anti-Defamation League, etc.

Governments

 National League of Cities, National Governors Association, National Association of Counties, etc.

Ideological

 ACLU, American Conservative Union, Cato Institute, People for the American Way, Conservative Victory Committee, Christian Coalition, etc.

Public Interest - speak for consumers, disenchanted voters, etc.

 Common Cause, Consumer Federation of America, League of Women Voters, Public Citizens, Public Interest Research Groups, etc.

Environmental/Animal Rights

 Greenpeace, Sierra Club, Friends of the Earth, Environmental Defense Fund, Natural Resources Defense Council, Earth Island Institute, League of Conservation Voters, The Nature

Conservancy, WWF, PETA, etc.

Single Issue

 Zero Population Growth Institute, Population Zero, Handgun Control Inc., National Abortion Rights Action League, National Right to Life Committee, Operation Rescue, Planned

Parenthood, MADD, NRA, etc.