|
Chapter 12: National Politics: Governmental Actors Chapter Summary | Chapter Objectives | Suggested Readings | Links
Legislatures in developed democratic countries have four main, but interrelated, functions: representative, deliberative, legislative, and supervisory. By being representative, legislatures give voice to the political, economic, social, and geographic interests of the political community. Of course, legislators feel pressure from their party leadership and from the people they represent, and they must consider their own beliefs and conscience in deciding how to act politically. Legislatures also have a deliberative function, which means that they provide a forum for debate and formal decision making. Thus, they facilitate the examination of the views of contending parties. Furthermore, legislatures have a legislative function--the formal responsibility for making law. Finally, they serve a valuable role in supervising the work of the executive and the bureaucracy. Congressional committees, in the United States for instance, have extensive investigatory power that they often use to evaluate, and thus control, the functioning of the other branches of government. Modern executives in developed countries frequently dominate the political process. They typically plan, initiate, and implement overall governmental policy. They are indispensable in the process of articulating vital national needs and fundamental interests. Without executive leadership, developed nations would lack both a national vision and the ability to pull the country together on behalf of national priorities. The resourcefulness and vigor of executives enable modern governments to do their jobs. Executives also act to control the very bureaucracy they head. In performing their tasks they must obtain widespread cooperation from legislators, key interests, and citizens in general. Of course, there are a number of significant differences in the way executives function in different countries. In the United States, for instance, the president is often challenged by a powerful Congress, while executives in communist and developing countries face less of a challenge from legislatures. Despite frequent and often disturbing complaints about how bureaucrats interfere with security, liberty, justice, and welfare, it would be a mistake to ignore their important role in enabling legislatures, and even more so executives, to carry out governmental responsibilities. Clearly, government would come to a standstill without a responsible and capable bureaucracy. Rational, efficient, and impartial treatment of citizens--based on sensible procedures, good record keeping and follow-up, and evenhanded behavior--contributes to successful accommodation in the political community. Yet, government bureaucrats can also be impersonal, inflexible, tangled in red tape, overbearing, inconsiderate, and unhelpful. This type of behavior gives bureaucracy a bad name. But we must not let this image cloud our understanding of the very vital role bureaucracies play in contemporary society. The role of the courts in the political process varies greatly from nation to nation. Courts are more powerful in developing nations than in communist countries. They are weaker in developing nations than in developed nations. Most fundamentally, courts uphold valid law when it is challenged and provide a peaceful forum in which citizens can settle their innumerable disputes. One of the most powerful judiciaries in the world is found in the United States. This is because the United States has a written constitution which the independent courts have final say in interpreting. The role of the courts in the political process varies greatly from nation to nation. Courts are more powerful in developing nations than in communist countries. They are weaker in developing nations than in developed nations. Most fundamentally, courts uphold valid law when it is challenged and provide a peaceful forum in which citizens can settle their innumerable disputes. One of the most powerful judiciaries in the world is found in the United States. This is because the United States has a written constitution which the independent courts have final say in interpreting. Chapters 11 and 12 provide students with an understanding of the fundamental factors that explain how political systems work to accommodate conflict and the struggle for power. We invite readers to think critically about what works best and what needs improving in any nation.
The following readings supplement those suggested in chapter 12 of the text. Baker, Ross. House and Senate. New York: Norton, 2000. Haynes, Jeffrey. Democracy in the Developing World: Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. New York: Polity, 2001. Hoffman, David E. Oligarchs: Wealth and Power in the New Russia. New York: Public Affairs, 2002. Irons, Peter. A People’s History of the Supreme Court. New York: Penguin, 1999. Jones, Charles O. The Presidency in a Separated System. Washington, D.C.: Brookings, 1994. Kernell, Samuel. Going Public: New Strategies of Presidential Leadership. 3d ed. Washington, D.C.: CQ Press, 1997. Landy, Marc, and Sidney Milkis. Presidential Greatness. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2000. O’Brien, David. Storm Center: The Supreme Court in American Politics. New York: Norton, 1993. Skowronek, Stephen. The Politics Presidents Make: Leadership from John Adams to George Bush. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1993. Varshney, Ashutosh. Ethnic Conflict and Civic Life: Hindus and Muslims in India. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2002.
The U.S. House of Representatives The home page of the U.S. House of Representatives provides up-to-date information on all issues before Congress. Visitors to this site can read about current legislation and write their congresspeople. There is also a link to “Thomas,” a searchable database of legislative information supported by the Library of Congress. Whitehouse.gov is an excellent site devoted to the U.S. executive branch. In addition to frequently updated news releases and speech transcripts, this informative resource outlines the president’s policy platforms on a variety of different issues. Sections devoted to the vice president and the first lady provide their scheduled appearances and points of view. In addition, photo essays, games, and quizzes make this a fun site to visit. This Web site of the federal judiciary offers brief descriptions of and links to the U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. courts of appeals, U.S. district courts, and U.S. bankruptcy courts. A newsroom, publications, and statistical reports make this site an excellent resource about the judicial branch. Additional Links: Beyond America’s Borders This is a link page covering most countries in the world. It will direct you to official government sites as well as to specialized country sites focused on issues such as budgets, civil participation, government officials, intelligence, law, military, politics, and news and media. Additional Links: Specific Country Sites Selecting valuable and interesting sites in other countries is a daunting task given that there are nearly two hundred countries in the world. What follows are just a few sites that might be of interest. Keep in mind that they represent merely a sample of what is available online. China Internet Information Center Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
|
