I teach a course on American government that features the politics we live by and the policies that politics sustains. In the Political Science Division lexicon, that is PS 102.
This way of dividing the subject matter of American government requires that we imagine there are no national institutions which actually make policy. It's a hard stretch, but we studies all the instituions--you know, the Congress, the Presidency, the bureaucracy, and the court system--in 101.
There are two kinds of emphasis in 102. The first is the "problem." Everyone formulates a view of "what the problem is" to benefit his own view; most often, his own position.[Footnote 1] We recognize that in focusing on different “problem perspectives,” so that the immigration position taken by a conservative Republican from Arizona ceases to puzzle us.
The second is the politics. We track two kinds. There is the “virtual politics” of ideological warfare. Liberals tossing spitballs at conservatives; conservatives lobbing them back. Then there is the practical politics of Democrats and Republicans. Real votes, real districts, real constituents—often angry constituents. Both kinds of politics are important to the welfare of the nation, but they dance to different bands. Sometimes, then don’t dance at all.
Footnote 1 I will be using “his” where gender either can’t be determined or where it doesn’t make a difference. I was taught in my third grade class that “his” used in this way is a neuter form of the pronoun (not a masculine one) and Mrs. Harter would be dumbstruck if I bailed on her at this late date. I do use “his” and “her” about particular positions. I would say that the Speaker of the House will call the caucus whenever he or she decides it is time,” for instance. If you treat “one” or “everyone” like that, you wind up saying “Everyone formulates their own position…” which is both ugly and wrong. A failure of agreement in number, don’t you know.
