14 CHAPTER 1|UNDERSTANDING AMERICAN POLITICS
individuals whom they meet in other areas of life. Also, consider that convincing
like-minded individuals to contribute to a group’s lobbying eff orts is not easy. Each
would-be contributor of time or money has the opportunity to be a free rider who
doesn’t participate yet reaps the benefi ts of others’ participation. Because of these
diffi culties, some groups of people with common goals remain unorganized. Col-
lege students are a good example: many want more student aid and lower interest
rates on government-subsidized student loans, but they do not organize politically
toward those ends. Similar collective action problems occur when you live with
roommates and need to keep common areas neat and clean: despite having the
same goal, each roommate is inclined to let someone else do the work. In each case
individual free riders acting in their own self-interest may undermine the out-
come that most people prefer.
This similarity between behavior in political situations and in other contexts is
no surprise; everything that happens in politics is the result of individuals’ choices.
And the connections between politics and daily life mean you already know more
about politics than you realize.Sources of Confl ict in American Politics
Confl ict must be addressed in order to fi nd compromise and enact policy. Some-
times, however, disagreements resist resolution because of inherent diff erences
among people and their opinions about government and politics.IDENTIFY MAJOR
SOURCES OF CONFLICT
IN AMERICAN POLITICSGOVERNMENT IN A STUDENT’S DAILY LIFE
FIGURE » 1.1
Read weather reports that
use data from National
Weather ServiceRide home from school
on federally subsidized
mass transit
Eat cereal regulated
by Food and Drug
AdministrationWake up in dorm
funded by federal
program
Get dressed in clothing
subject to import tariffs
and regulationsDrive to school in car
whose design is shaped
by federal regulationsPay bursar bill using
federally funded
student loanCheck e-mail using
Internet developed
with federal fundingAttend lecture by professor
whose research receives
federal fundingWatch TV program on
station that has federal
licenseDrive past Post Office,
military recruitment office, and
environmental cleanup siteCall friend on cell phone whose
operation is regulated by Federal
Communications CommissionWake Up Morning Afternoon Evening Sleep