CHAPTER ONE
Politics: Who Gets What, and How?

Explore

Government keeping tabs—stats about America

The Latest Government Statistics portion on the White House web site provides numerous sources of data about American government and society. This is an excellent source for the latest government reports on these matters.

News sources

Of the many sources for information, some of the key American media outlets provide stories on American politics. One of the largest news agency or wire services is the Associated Press, which provides stories for newspapers to carry and also has links to interesting daily photographs, video, and audio. Of the numerous well-respected newspapers that cover politics, The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Christian Science Monitor, and The Wall Street Journal, are among those most commonly read. Students interested in reading news from these papers on-line often have to register with the web sites, but the on-line subscriptions are typically free.

Get involved in civil service

If you're interested in becoming directly involved in civic affairs, National Service-Learning Clearinghouse (NSLC) supports service-learning in higher education and community and tribal initiatives. Search the NSLC's Program Directory for opportunities near you. Campus Compact is another program aiming to expand the social benefits that come from civic education classes at numerous states and universities. See if your college or university is involved.

Citizen knowledge and check on government

From its establishment, Congressional Quarterly (CQ), the publisher of this book, has sought to help citizens understand their government. CQ's mission, as established by Nelson and Henrietta Poynter, is to help inform citizens about their government in order to promote democracy.

Influences on American democracy

Along with Athenian democracy, a key influence on American democracy was the social contract theory of the Enlightenment era. Social contract theorists discredited the divine right of kings and explained the sources of government legitimacy. The two key writers discussed in your text, Thomas Hobbes and John Locke, differed on the reasons people would decide to be governed, and how much protection of people's rights government must assure. Read the description of both Hobbes's and Locke's views on the social contract from The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy's discussion of the social contract.

KEEPING THE REPUBLIC

The title of this textbook and of this feature comes from Benjamin Franklin’s charge to a woman who asked him what he had created in Independence Hall: “A Republic, Madam, if you can keep it.” It was his reminder that for all the brilliance of the founder’s creation, creation was only half the battle. The job of maintaining what they made is left to all of us.

A heartfelt Boston Globe editorial made this very point. Contemplating the passion that the founders had brought to the birth of our political system, it asks whether we can match their enthusiasm and dedication: “We’ve seen and felt the symptoms of an ailing body politic. We’ve read the list of causes: Vietnam, Watergate, the fragmentation of society, confrontational politics, legislators unwilling to change the cashocracy, and the poison of a scandal-obsessed media.

“But what can be done? Can a spark of John Adams’s fire still ignite the public wall? To the citizen who says ‘Why bother?’ to the young person who says, ‘Politics has nothing to do with my life,’ to residents of forgotten streets remembered by public officials only during elections, and to people who think of themselves as ‘mainstream’ yet can’t find the water anymore, here are ten exercises for better democratic health.”

• Register and Vote. This is the basic, raw power of the citizen, never to be trumped by a checkbook. Special interests may put the candidate on television, but only the voter can put that candidate in office.
• Speak up–they can’t hear you. The power of the letter of phone call or meeting is second only to the power of the vote. Citizens can lobby; take a page from the Association of Retired Persons. A thousand postcards, or even ten, get noticed.
• See the good. There are many smart, dedicated people in elected office. Support them. There is a growing cadre of groups working to diffuse the power of money in politics. Join them. In Washington, Common Cause and Public Campaign are working for public financing to diminish the influence of special interests.
• Demand leadership. Just because economic times are good doesn’t mean a person can tune out. The best people should be in power in case the worst happens. Mettle-testing can’t be scheduled. Voters should choose a candidate as though he or she will be given custody of their children, for in many ways that’s true.
• But don’t expect perfection. A good leader is not superhuman and will fail on occasion. Know the difference between an honest mistake and a lie. Political leaders reflect the people who elected them.
• Raise a voter. Instill an “I care” attitude in children and make sure their school has a strong emphasis on civics. Some do, some don’t. The City on a Hill Charter School in Boston has made civics its mission. The Center for Civic Education in Calabasas, California, has made teaching the subject a national campaign.
• Refuse to be manipulated. See through the attack ad and turn it off. Call the attacker and promise to vote for his or her opponent.
• Tell the press to back off. Many news organizations have an ombudsman to hear reader complaints. If reporting seems unfair or too negative, call, write, or send a letter to the editor.
• Understand the process. Democracy is not pretty. It is often rough and tumble, passionate, and downright weird. It is a clash of ideas that should, if the system is working, result in the forging of a sometimes unsettling compromise, never utopia. There’s a responsibility for the citizen, too: Get informed. Read. Listen. Think.
• Don’t give up. Eastern Europe broke with communism. South Africa ended apartheid. Northern Ireland came to the table to write a peace plan. Chances are the United States can figure out how to redirect the democratic experiment and keep it boldly alive. Every American should be eager to help.

Source: "CPR for the Electorate; Democracy’s Vital Signs," Boston Globe, 11 May 1998, A14.