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POLITICS, POWER, AND PARTICIPATION
  Politics, the process by which we choose government officials and make decisions about public policy, is a voluntary activity.
  American civic society is composed of voluntary associations of citizens that deal with community and social issues, build social capital, and give rise to civic and political involvement.
  American government is a representative democracy in which citizens elect public representatives to make public policy and hold those representatives accountable through periodic elections and the rule of law.
  Who exercises political power?
      Ruling elite theory: Wealthy and well-educated citizens exercise a disproportionate amount of influence over political decision making.
      Pluralism: Various groups vie for government favor and political power, but none enjoys long-term dominance.
  Citizen participation is essential to ensure the preservation of constitutional freedoms.
  Expanded opportunities for political participation include: initiatives, popular referendums, legislative referendums, and recall.
  AMERICAN POLITICAL IDEALS
  Liberal democracy is the ideology that guided the American experience.
  Liberal democracy reveres individual rights and expresses faith in popular control of government.
  Liberal democracy rests on three essential notions: natural rights, the formation of a social contract by consent of the governed, and majority rule.
  THE CHANGING FACE OF THE AMERICAN CITIZENRY
  Growing diversity: The American population is increasingly drawn from across the world; despite progress, many minority groups are still not well integrated into American civic life.
  Growing older: The older population growing rapidly poses challenges for Social Security and Medicare programs.
  Growing apart: The outward markers of class are not as obvious today, but significant economic divisions still exist among Americans.
  THE FUTURE OF CITIZENSHIP...