ABSTRACT
Mills (1959: 135) pointed out in his book The Sociological Imagination, “In terms of power . . . the most inclusive unit of social structure is the nation-state. The nation-state is now the dominating form in world history and, as such, a major fact in the life of every man [sic human].” Mills continued by discussing how power and decision making, our institutions, and where we live our public and private lives are all organized within the nation-state. Brewer (2003: 37) suggests that Mills really saw a fourfold interaction “between the social structure, individual biography and experience, historical events and constraints, and the political process.” The major purpose of this chapter is to unravel some parts of these interactions and thus make one aware of how the state specifically and politics in general significantly influence people’s lives in ways one may not have previously considered. There are multiple institutions and topics we could analyze; however, in order to provide some detail about the complex processes involved, we focus on how politics plays a crucial role in the major institutions of education and family, and health care, civil liberties, and race and ethnic relations. We look at public opinion to help us understand what the “typical” American may be thinking on various issues.
