Democracy Politics and Government in Modern United States Development of Public Control the growth of big government Late 19th early 20th century decline in laissez faire as public philosophy o It made sense when it was just small farms but now with Big Business and corporations it is being called into question ICC 1887 created federal governments assumption of regulatory role in political economy o Was very straight forward didn t look like a big deal but it was o Other countries took over when there were issues leading to socialization o o o Ultimate result regulation in the extreme To regulate a specific industry in a concrete behavior Subsequent broadened application to industries in general and to abstract behaviors good Lack of expertise reliance on industry input o Makes bureaucratic regulatory capture possible The Administrative State Fundamental shift in political economic philosophy from automatic regulation via economics to conscious regulation via politics o o Conscious effort active government Political mechanism pluralist approach New public philosophy Interest Group Liberals an activist government utilizing a pluralist philosophy in pursuit of a capitalist economy o More government but to promote capitalism Interest Group Liberals a technocratic movement cratos power techno skilled knowledgeable New deal desire to guarantee access removal of delivery from partisan politics expanded federal bureaucracy civil service Programmatic goals became legal rights o Wanted to be general open but had to be more specific because the SC thought it would be giving too much power to Congress o Growth of entitlement programs 1960 s IGL blossomed fully during Great Society o New Deal government identification of new groups to be part of IGL system o o Great Society government sponsorship of new groups get organized and we will help you Fundamental problem of IGL o Government lost role as ultimate source of authority o Government itself became a collection of interests The Pathology of IGL Breaks down the very ethics of government o Government isn t overall source of authority but another interest group o Problem arises from assuming that the public interest is simply the aggregation of private special interest As more and more interest groups are brought formally into process decline in legitimacy of traditional institutions of public control o Farmer sheep grazing in town square example o Proper ends of government frequently ignored in favor of guaranteeing means democracy replaces unitary democracy Adversary Paradox legitimacy of government declines in proportion as size reach of government expands in response to popular demands The Reaction against Big Government Seeking solutions in revived states power o o Federalism political system in which national state and local governmental units exercise power simultaneously Since New Deal balance decidedly in favor of federal government o Several recent SC decisions move back toward state supremacy relative to federal government Advantages of increased state authority o May respond better faster to local needs o o Policy experimentation innovation due to multiple sites Fewer layer of government involved more efficient operation Disadvantages of increased state authority o Need for arbitrator federal government when actions of one state affect another o Differences in service benefit provision o race to the bottom in competition for private sector business decreased tax revenue decreased environmental worker consumer protection Seeking Solutions Continued o Citizen initiative movement Created as part of the progressive era of reform Get enough signatures and the people will be able to vote on a law Used to put power in the hands of the people Revived by passage of prop 13 in CA in 1978 Often dominated by the same special interests it was designed to circumvent Money can influence it Extremely blunt policy instrument o Doesn t allow for nuances Voters mandate revenues taxes decreased services increased Shift from communitarian ethic to individualistic ethic o You pay for a service if you want it firefighters o Often exhibit tyranny of majority Rabid zealots vote for things most people wouldn t want kind of like bystander effect Electronic voting poses even more threat Letting the uneducated people who don t pay attention vote is a bad idea o Just say No to government Defunding government activities deregulating business Reviving democratic ideals Anti politics anti government sentiment based on belief in failed government activism Contrary to rhetoric government regulations have been cost effective o Government can work if you let it But Americans anti government attitudes persist o No we all benefit mentality o We don t make collective efforts very individualistic Many advances would not have occurred without collective action Reversion to individualism at core of APC Public civic engagement has occurred less and less in traditional politics and more and more in therapeutic outlets Individual goals rather than collective goals Therapy often sought via consumerism o o Consumer choice increasingly confused with exercise of freedom individualism Choose Wisely