CHAPTER 24
Government and Inequality
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Explain the difference between formal democracy and effective democracy.
Discuss how economic power leads to political power.
OUTLINE OF CHAPTER
I. How Economic Inequality Produces Political Inequality
II. How Race and Gender Affect the Government
III. Economic Power and the President
V. Legal Institutions and Inequality
VI. Criminal Law and Inequality
VII. Repression and Inequality
KEY TERMS
democracy
rule by the people
government
institutions that regulate and implement policies on behalf of the state in domestic and global
settings
ANSWERS TO END OF CHAPTER REVIEW QUESTIONS
Explain the difference between formal democracy and effective democracy.
1. What is formal democracy, and what is effective democracy?
2. Give some examples of why people may not participate in democratic processes such as
elections or running for office in the United States.
3. Give examples of how race and gender affect election participation and outcomes. What
are the links to levels of income? How do those links affect the examples you chose?
Example of 2004 presidential race conservative, George W. Bush attracted
Discuss how economic power leads to political power.
4. What is the feedback mechanism discussed in the section
5. What are the most important interest groups that influence the American government?
6. What are the mechanisms through which wealthy individuals and large corporations
influence the political system?
Through contributions to Congress and the president for political campaigns.
Explain how differences in economic power impact policy decisions.
7.
population.
8. How does lobbying work? How can economic power impact lobbying?
Describe how policy decisions that create opportunities for one group of people can lead to
lack of opportunities for other groups of people.
9. Distinguish between progressive, regressive, and proportional or flat taxes. Explain how
regressive taxes impact low-income taxpayers more heavily than do progressive taxes.
Progressive taxes: the tax rate increases as income increases. Regressive taxes: the tax
10. What are the incentives for high-income taxpayers to retain the current federal income
tax structure? Explain how high-income taxpayers (individuals and businesses) work to
retain the current structure.
High income taxpayers have a higher tax rate, but they also have the ability to take
taxes.
11. Explain the difference between relative poverty and absolute poverty. Why is relative
poverty so important?
12. What are the arguments for policies that support the income of low-wage workers in
addition to policies that support people who cannot work?
13. Why do some school districts struggle to get supplies and retain teachers while other
school districts have the latest technology, the newest books, and the best teachers?
14. How do economic differences lead to treating students differently in different school
districts? What does this inequity mean for breaking (or perpetuating) the cycle of
poverty? What does it mean for maintaining economic advantages for some groups?
Economic differences affect school performance, and school performance can affect
15. One of the roles of the government is as a referee or arbiter between businesses and
between businesses and labor. How can economic power influence the decisions of the
referee? Give examples.
16. Why must government enforce private property rights? In certain circumstances, how
can enforcing private property rights lead to ethical and moral concerns? Give examples.
Enforcing private property rights may lead to ethical and moral concerns if there is no
17. Explain how the increasing concentration of ownership of media outlets impacts political
decisions.
Increasing concentration of ownership of media outlets reduces the variety of voices
APPENDIX 24.1
A Case Study
LEARNING OBJECTIVE FOR APPENDIX 24.1
Discuss a case study of repression during the McCarthy era.
SUMMARY OF APPENDIX