Political Egalitarians And Neo-Tocquevillians

Collective action problems arise in politics because as individuals we are conflicted between our own interest and the interest of the group. Our choice is either to be selfish or cooperate with the group. “It involves building, combining, mixing, and amalgamating people’s individual goals” (Lowi, et al. 13). There are three main theories as to why collective action problems exist. First, according to Mancur Olson individuals are tempted to free-ride which is getting a benefit without contributing to it and that no individual is incentivized to work for the collective good. (Lowi, et al 571). Free-riding becomes a bigger issues as a group gets larger. Second, the Prisoner’s Dilemma is a theory in which there are two individuals in a situation were neither has an incentive to cooperate although both would be better off if they did cooperate. Third, the tragedy of commons occurs when individuals’ use of a resource causes its depletion however it’s supposed to be shared by everyone. Collective action problems are difficult to solve because a group is formed to achieve common goals however as individuals we have different objectives and preferences. This is most evident in politics. My goal in this paper is to provide three different solutions to collective action problems in politics specifically in political parties, electoral process and interest groups.

Though the iron triangle may have a significant influence over the frame of the legislative process through the overflow of money , the issue network model helps the public understand whats at stake, which in the end brings clarity. The issue network does not just include various government officials, but it can include interest groups, PAC’s, media outlets, advocacy groups, and other relationships. As a result the issue network is a modern type of iron triangle with a larger crowd that corresponds to the society we now live in. Indeed research organizations, and public interest groups do have a difficult time influencing policy within the issue network model. Issue networks tend to be outshine by the amount of money that other groups in the iron triangle put into conservative members in congress. Due reforms that have been made, the wealthy are continuing to control the main interest groups inside of the iron triangle, and in order for other groups to get a fair slice of the pie their needs to be reform. Otherwise the Iron Triangle may be the only process for the wealthy to sneak their money into to rule in the favor for generations to

When the resources in a society are distributed unevenly it leads to social inequality. Often inequality is understood as being socio-economic and it is now closely associated with social inequality. “Social inequalities are differences in income, resources, power and status within and between societies. Such inequalities are maintained by those in powerful positions via institutions and social processes.” (Warwick-Booth, 2013 p.2)

Although he declares that social networks have significantly progressed since the time of their emergence, he highlights that in the absence of them in revolutions, these social events are likely to be more successful. The targeted audience Gladwell appeals to is educated people eager for better understanding

Public opinion plays a huge role in the development of democracy. “A society is unlikely to maintain democratic institutions over the long term, unless democracy has solid support among the public” (Andersen 2012). Most research on the issue demonstrates a positive link between economic development and support for democracy(Andersen 2012). Some researchers also consider social trust (Putnam 1993) and social tolerance (Andersen and Fetner 2008) to be a major factor of support of democracy. Most Americans see unequal economy as a result of individuals work ethics and talent rather then a flaw in the economic system. However, most Americans accept inequality because they believe everyone has the same chances in life to make the best. A properly running government is supposed to make positive that all the citizen are equal. By believing in equal democratic rights Americans support everyone citizen having the same level of equality and the same equal voice in representative government. Since citizens don’t feel that they can trust the government to create and equal ground for all they are much less likely to be involve and participate in political field. Concerned citizens have the right to be worried about the health of our democracy. It seems that the government resounds more often and effectively to the more privileged group in society then to needs of the

One of the main topics discussed during this political science course is the political and economic inequality that has recently risen to staggering levels in the United States. Although political and economic inequality seem to be some of the most pressing issues we face today, little has been done to close the gap between the middle and upper classes. By looking at how our government and society behaves, one can see why the inequality barrier is such a difficult obstacle to overcome. Politicians may be more focused on staying in the good favor of their party than their people, but they are still elected by the majority. If more citizens took a more proactive approach to politics, social movements would be more successful and more balance would be brought to the political spectrum; however, money, powerful officials, and a general lack of interest prevent the government from maintaining a system that benefits everyone equally.

This conjoined perspective includes the idea that there is an elite hierarchy at play, but groups, such as civil rights activists and environmentalists, also have a strong influence on what gets decided in public policy. Afterall, there really are hardly any machines out there that run strictly from one source; the body has the heart, but also needs the brain, the car has the engine, but couldn’t go anywhere without

This also comes with the catch that in creating this false pretense, the people in charge are the only ones who are actually succeeding while the rest are living in a false sense of utopia. What is very interesting as well is that the idea is presented that opinions are really just that of individuals, not a collective group. When the idea of a group is presented, the article states that it is rational manipulation on part of the bourgeoisie to continue to lead people down the primrose path. In order to combat this, the article looks at a concept called structural transformation. In structural transformation, public opinion, not the single mindedness of the bourgeoisie rules the day. In essence you could look at things such as the American Revolution, French Revolution, American Civil War, and the American Civil Rights movement as structural

John Stuart Mill expresses the idea of representation in our society and that the government strives for the improvement of the moral capacities of all its’ citizens. Iris Marion Young is an inclusive democrat, who argues that not all groups in our society are represented equally by the government. Jean-Jacques Rousseau explains how man’s evolution in society has caused social inequality in our society. Dr. Martin Luther King

Interests groups are more prevalent in today’s politics than ever before, yet Putnam argues that people have become disconnected from social structures. While Putnam claims that individuals who connect to others feel as though they can influence politics, he also claims that these connections are lessening in today’s society. Thus, this primary claim that connections, and thereby, social capital, is reducing contradicts with the widespread increase of interest groups.

Egalitarianism is a philosophy that supports the idea of equality for all people regardless of race, religion, age or gender (Fox, 2013; The Australian Collaboration, na). It is a principle which can be broken down in sub categories such as ‘economic egalitarianism’ or ‘opportunity egalitarianism’. These subcategories examine parts of society which, if equality in each was achieved, would create a situation in which the pure form of the philosophy would exist (Joseph, 2014). However, the extreme outcome of this philosophy has already shown that it has the potential of not fulfilling its ideals, as demonstrated by communism in Russia (Joseph, 2014; Fox, 2013).

Equality is one of the largest foundations of democracy, and yet those who are not fabulously wealthy or who have not spent all their life attempting to establish themselves as a politician have no chance of becoming a successful one. According to Aristotle, "Justice as understood in democracy is equality, but this considers only part of what is just; the same is true of the notion of justice in oligarchy." The American system of democracy is anything but equal.

The government in the United States supposedly revolves around American ideals such as equality and diversity; however, this is simply not the case as perpetuated by class inequalities. The meaning of democracy has been skewed in the United States to represent something entirely different than it did in 1776. Today, American democracy behaves more like an aristocracy, where the upper class exercises power within the government and state, influencing discourse and therefore the laws and resources in our country, which are purportedly “for the people”. Democracy is presumed to provide everyone with equal political power, but the government in today’s America, although seemingly following this ideal model, does not. Instead, the elite upper class has a monopoly over the political influence and are the sole benefactors from public policies due to their influence over the policy making process. The upper class has an overall benefit from class inequality, as it greatly impacts American ‘democracy’ through the significant power gained through money and status, leadership roles that impact government, and the influence in the policymaking process that creates upper class advantages.

Differential social organization is defined by the extent in which a society or group is in favor of

Societies can be, by definition, small associations of like minded individuals with narrow aims or large nations with broad, diverse aims. Dewey offers two standards which can be applied to assess the value of a society: How numerous and varied are the interests which are consciously shared? How full and free is the interplay with other forms of association? By applying these two questions, the natural conclusion of the ideal society is democratic, that is to say one that offers its citizens the freedom of expression and communication. If a democracy represents an ideal society that presents the maximum number of common interests and the maximum opportunities for association with other societies, then it also represents the ideal society in its potential for growth.