Page 463 - Sociology and You

Section 2
Chapter 13 Political and Economic Institutions 433 Political Power
in American Society
Key Terms
• political socialization
• pluralism • elitism
• interest group • power elite
Influence of the Vote
Like all other democracies today, the United States emphasizes political participation through voting. Voting is an important source of power for citizens. It enables us to remove incompetent, corrupt, or insensitive of-
ficials from office. It also allows us to influence issues at the local, state, and national levels.
How much real choice do voters have? In practice, the amount of real choice exercised through voting is limited. The range of candidates from which to choose is restricted because of the power of political parties. Usually, only a candidate endorsed by a major political party has a chance of winning a state or national office. To get party support, a candidate must appeal to the widest possible number of voters. As a result, candidates often resemble each other more than they differ. In addition, the cost of running a political campaign today limits the choice of candidates to those who have party backing or are independently wealthy. George W. Bush, for example, announced in August of 2000 that he had spent nearly $150 million to win the Republican Party nomination.
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The two major models of political power are elitism and pluralism. Advocates of the conflict perspective be- lieve American society is con- trolled by elites. Pluralists, whose view is associated with functionalism, depict power as widely distributed among interest groups. Voting does not seem to be an effective means for nonelites to influ- ence political decisions in
the U.S.
John McCain, Alan Keyes, and George W. Bush all campaigned for the 2000 Republican Party presidential nomination. How many African Americans have you seen run for President of the United States? What does this tell you about the relationship between racial membership and political power in the United States?