American%20Politics%20and%20Government

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American Politicsand Government

• Structure Functionalism

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Structure Functionalism

• Provides a framework with which to examine and
  describe political systems
• Necessary conditions for a healthy political
  system
• Researchers
• Sidney Verba
• Gabriel Almond

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Overview

• Input functions (5)
• Things the system takes from the people
• Things the people use in the system
• Output functions (3)
• Things the system gives to the people
• Results of the system

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Structure Functionalism

• Input Functions
• Interest Aggregation
• Interest Articulation
• Political Socialization
• Political Recruitment
• Political Communication
• Output Functions
• Rule Making
• Rule Application
• Rule Adjudicating

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Activity

• Now, looking at the needs of a healthy political
  system, think about the US political system, not
  just the government, but the entire political
  system
• In groups, find something in the US system that
  addresses each of the five input functions and
  three output functions

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Structure Functionalism (Outputs)

• Rule Making
• Rule Executing
• Rule Adjudicating

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Structure Functionalism (Inputs)

• Interest Aggregation
• Interest Articulation
• Political Socialization
• Political Recruitment
• Political Communication