05.11: Module Five Milestone 1. Why did political parties and special interest groups’ form? What roles do they play in shaping public policy? - Interest groups manipulate the public policy by lobbying by their own special interest that think have thought about. The main way they have an effect on public policy, they supply evidence to the legislators/ the political parties.
The presence and power of pressure groups in a state depends on a number of factors. Pressure groups can be reached out by the govt or can keep themselves from it. However, there are numerous factors which make pressure groups a backbone of democracy while other factors undermine it. Pressure groups enhance pluralism, which is a characteristic of democracy, as it encourages competing centres of power, representation and choice. Especially true where pro and anti- groups coexist, depicting all shades of opinion.
People can also influence Congress by voting. Those who vote control who enters various political offices and can affect those politicians’ votes on issues and bills before Congress. 4. What are the three levels of courts in our
A voter could switch from voting for the Conservatives to vote for the Labour Party at the next election because they decide according to single issues. In general the public today is not really aligned to parties anymore. I would say that party allegiance is something which is nearly vanished in Britain’s voting behavior. There are still groups which are strongly related to one or the other party but that is not as common as was in the 50s and 60s. The important things today are which party has at the moment the right promises for the single voter and which party is better in delivering policy goals.
Proponents of the UK and US voting methods also often cite the lack of a credible alternative as a reason for the retention of the current systems. In the UK, national elections are held when the incumbent government chooses to call an election. This differs significantly from the USA where political office is held on a fixed term basis. When a general election is called each constituency holds an election to decide their Member of Parliament (MP) using the first past the post system. If a party gains a majority it will be offered the chance to form government by the Queen.
Some pay more attention than others, but they all have to consider the views of the folks back home. Congress is also organized primarily along party lines, so party membership is an important determinant of a member’s vote. Each party develops its own versions of many important bills, and party leaders actively pressure members to vote according to party views. It is not surprising that representatives and senators vote along party lines about three-fourths of the time. Finally, what if a representative or senator seriously disagrees with the views of his or her constituents on a particular issue?
Political Power My thesis is, governments, politicians, corporations, unions, advocacy groups, as well as citizens all yield forms of political power, such as hard, soft and derivative power, for many different objectives. To understand political power, you must first understand power, and politics. Power, as defined on page 3 of the text book, states that it is a way to control persons, or institutions behavior, by persuasion of coercion. Politics is a process in which a community selects a leader, empowers them, with decision making, action taking ability for common goals, and reconciles conflicts within the community. Through political participation, we empower leaders we hope will have policies for the general good, betterment of society, the public interest in mind.
Political behavior can be defined as an influence or attempt to influence the administration of recognition and disservice. A broader definition would include behavior such as; withholding essential information from key staff members, entering a coalition, whistle blowing, spread of rumors, breach of confidentiality and more. Managers and leaders impact organizations when any particular manger or leader implements the use of power tactics and or political behavior. In an organization leaders tend to use power tactics or influence tactics such as legitimacy, and or exchange tactics. Leaders also tend to make use of some political tactics such as blaming others, and or passing the buck.
For some, pressure groups are a fundamental part of democracy. To others, pressure groups undermine the whole principle of democracy. Democracy is a system of government where decisions are arrived at by majoritarian principles with representatives elected at periodic elections where political equality and political freedom allow the voter an effective choice between competing candidates in a secret ballot. How do pressure groups fit in with this concept? In the pluralist model of democracy, pressure groups play an essential role.
In what ways do pressure groups enhance democracy? For some, pressure groups are a fundamental part of democracy. To others, pressure groups undermine the whole principle of democracy. Democracy is a system of government where decisions are arrived at by majoritarian principles with representatives elected at periodic elections where political equality and political freedom allow the voter an effective choice between competing candidates in a secret ballot. Pressure groups are a product of freedom of association, which is a fundamental principle of liberal democracy.