In this chapter we move from the study of political and governmental institutions (president, Congress, courts, etc.) to the study of the policies
that all those institutions have produced. The purpose of this chapter is
to provide you with a set of categories (majoritarian, interest group, client,
and entrepreneurial politics) to help you better understand politics in general and the remainder of
the book in particular. After reading and reviewing the material in this
chapter, you should be able to do each of the following:
- Explain how certain issues at certain times get placed on the public agenda
for action.
- Identify the terms costs, benefits, and perceived as used in this chapter.
- Use these terms to define the four types of politics presented in the text--majoritarian, interest group, client, and entrepreneurial--giving examples of each.
- Review the history of business regulation in this country, using it to exemplify
these four types of politics.
- Discuss the roles played in the process of public policy formation by people's perceptions, beliefs, interests, and values.
