Politics = Who Gets What, When, and How
Who = the parties involved: individuals or groups---you always need to consider what the parties have at stake and their agendas
What = resources: public goods and services
When = the time frame
How = the rules of the game: directives that govern how resources will be distributed or what procedures govern collective activity
Some things to consider:
Hardball Politics: Chris Matthews' book provided us with some examples of the rules of the game that are not laid out in the Constitution
- It's not who you know, its who you get to know
- All politics is local
- Its better to receive than to give
- Dance with the one that brung ya'
- Keep your enemies in front of you
- Don't get mad, get ahead
- Leave no shot unanswered
- Always concede on principle
- Hang a lantern on your problems
- Spin!
- The press is the enemy
- Positioning
Pathways of Action: These terms provide you with some tools to analyze the relationship between citizens and the government.
- Elections pathway
- Lobbying pathway
- Court pathway
- Grassroots pathway
- Cultural change pathway
Principles of the Constitution: These terms provide you with some tools to analyze how our government works.
- separation of powers
- checks and balances
- limited government
- popular sovereignty
- federalism
American Tensions: There are some unique tensions within American politics. These tensions provide you with some tools to analyze political debates in our nation.
- The tension between freedom and order
- The tension between freedom and equality
- The tension between majority rules and minority rights
