POL 10 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Pareto Efficiency, Good Shoes, The Power Elite
25 Oct 2016
School
Department
Course
Professor
History- American Government
Why Government?
• Defense
• Education (K-12)
• Roads
• Money system
• Rights of individual
• Parks
• Protection- police (Law and order)
o Without this there is chaos
- Government wants to give minimal public goods
Public Goods- decision making mechanism is a representative democracy
Pareto Optimal- no one is worse off, at least one person is better off
Pareto Optimal- everyone is better off
Public Goods- 2 characteristics
1. Nonrival
o If you consume it, it does’t ipede soeoe else fro cosuig it
2. Non excludable
o If produced for 1 individual, ca’t prevent enjoyment of others
▪ Roads
• Toll roads are not public goods
Rival good = private good = market good shoes, cheese, clothes
Non rival good = park, clean air
Instrumental values/ goals of American Politics
1. Individualism- you define your highest potential
2. Liberty/Freedom- you re free to pursue your highest potential
3. Equality- under the law
a. Want everyone to be treated the same
b. Equal opportunity
i. Same chance
c. Equality outcome: equal results
4. Tolerance- lie + let lie
Models of American Politics (Ideals)
1. Representative Democracy Model (Traditional)
a. Each criteria has a right to vote + participates effectively
b. Each citizen understands the issues + how government works
Public Goods
Belongs to
everyone
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
c. Citizens, through the electoral process, have final control over the government
agenda
d. Rights and laws apply to everyone
2. Bureaucratic Model: bureaucracy makes the decisions
3. Pluralism
a. Power is an attribute of the individual. Like economic power $. Some individuals
at to pursue political poer. Most people do’t at to pursue it
b. No ruling class. Elites are pitted against eachother; sometimes you win,
sometimes you lose.
c. Patterns of power do NOT persist over time. People step down
d. Distinction between rulers and ruled is fluid
e. Elite must listen to average people- because thats where their power comes
from
f. Political power is manifested in interest groups; potential groups
g. $ is a source of power, but not the only source of power
i. regular elections
1. system works well
4. Elite theory
a. The wealthy, especially corporations control American political decision-making.
Wealth is the primary source of power
b. Leadership patters persist overtime
c. Relationship between rulers and the ruled is not fluid
d. There is an American ruling class. They control the big things- finance/
economics + foreign policy. Also can prevent decisions
e. Public opinion is controlled by the elite
The Power Elite
- Wright Mills
Findings
1. Common background- ivy school, same social clubs, WASPs
2. Elite circulation- go from one segment to another
3. Elite Co-Optations- to break into the Elite: you behave like the Elite- go to the right
schools elite selects
Day to day
decisions
Second
level
Elite
Military,
Political
corporate
First level
US
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Why government: defense, education (k-12, roads, money system, rights of individual, parks, protection- police (law and order, without this there is chaos. Government wants to give minimal public goods. Public goods- decision making mechanism is a representative democracy. Pareto optimal- no one is worse off, at least one person is better off. If you consume it, it does(cid:374)"t i(cid:373)pede so(cid:373)eo(cid:374)e else fro(cid:373) co(cid:374)su(cid:373)i(cid:374)g it: non excludable. If produced for 1 individual, ca(cid:374)"t prevent enjoyment of others: roads, toll roads are not public goods. Rival good = private good = market good shoes, cheese, clothes. Most people do(cid:374)"t (cid:449)a(cid:374)t to pursue it: no ruling class. Elites are pitted against eachother; sometimes you win, sometimes you lose: patterns of power do not persist over time. Wealth is the primary source of power: leadership patters persist overtime, relationship between rulers and the ruled is not fluid, there is an american ruling class. They control the big things- finance/ economics + foreign policy.
