POSC 100 Lecture 2: Lecture 2
Document Summary
Politics and policy: defining politics, defining policy, contemporary us policy issues. Order of politics: government, public affairs, power relations, negative politics . A means to promote the general welfare and avoid what could otherwise be chaotic relations between individuals and groups. James madison: if men were angels, no government would be necessary. (1788, from. Public affairs: we live life in a given social community, but often distinguish between public and private realms. Power relations: all social life can be thought of as political. We can see power in: conflict, compromise and consensus in authority, legitimacy, struggle, negotiation. Negative politics: any level of politics can be seen in a negative light: messy, misleading, dishonest, and unjust . If you like laws and sausages, you should never watch either one being made. Ideas: essential american ideas can influence culture, institutions, and have power on their own. Institutions: organizations, norms, and rules that structure political action.
