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The Nature of Power, Politics, and Government

Why should you care about power, politics, and government?

Chapter 1

Follow these steps to complete a “personal power assessment.”

Once you have completed the Preview, share your responses with a partner or with the class.

Preview

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1. Make a list of all the individuals, institutions, and circumstances that have power over you. For each item, briefly describe how it has power over you.

2. Now make a list of all the individuals, institutions, and circumstances in which you have power. For each item, briefly describe how you have power.

3. Create a simple illustration that represents you and how you feel about power in your life.

4. Below your illustration, summarize how you feel about power in your life.

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The assessments you created in the Preview reveal some of your personal assumptions about power.

In the chapter, you will learn why you should care about power and how it connects with the study of politics and government.

Throughout this course, you will learn about power in the American system of politics and government as well as the power you have to influence and participate in that system.

Preview

Be sure you understand the Speaking of Politics terms for this chapter. Use them in your answers as you complete the Reading Notes.

Reading

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• authority

• government

• power

• legitimacy

• public good

• nation-state

• sovereignty

• politics

• institution

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Consider possible answers to the Essential Question:

Why should you care about power, politics, and government?

Reading

Reading

Read Section 1.1.

Then, respond to these questions:

• What viewpoint did many colonial Americans hold about government?

• Does this attitude continue to be held by contemporary Americans?

• Why do you think there is a mistrust of government?

• Is government a “necessary evil” or even necessary at all?

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The Chip Game

You will be playing a game in which you trade colored chips. Follow these rules to play:

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1. For each round, you will have two minutes to trade your chips. All trades—including those in progress—must stop when the time is up.

2. After trading, the student with the most points will be asked to make a rule for the next round. That rule will apply only to the next round.

Your teacher will randomly give you some chips of differing colors to play the chip game.

The Chip Game: Round 1

You may begin trading.

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The Chip Game: Round 1

All trades must stop now!

Use these points to calculate the point value of your chips:

White = 10 points

Blue = 25 points

Yellow = 50 points

Pink = 100 points

Who has the most points?

Now the student with the most points will make a rule for the next round. The new rule cannot end all trading and will apply only to the next round of trading.

The teacher will write this new rule on the board so everyone can see it. Remember, this new rule only applies to the next round.

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50Points

100Points

25Points

10Points

The Chip Game: Round 2

Let’s play another round of trading.

You may begin trading.

All trades must stop now!

Calculate your points.

Who has the most points?

Now the student with the most points will make a rule for the next round. The new rule cannot end all trading and will apply only to the next round of trading.

The teacher will write this new rule on the board so everyone can see it. Remember, this new rule only applies to the next round.

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The Chip Game: Round 3

Let’s play another round of trading.

You may begin trading.

All trades must stop now!

Calculate your points.

Who has the most points?

Now the student with the most points will make a rule for the next round. The new rule cannot end all trading and will apply only to the next round of trading.

The teacher will write this new rule on the board so everyone can see it. Remember, this new rule only applies to the next round.

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Experiential Exercise

When called on by the teacher, share your response to these questions:

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• What happened to you during the game?

• What happened in the class during the game?

• What do you think this game was about?

• Based on this experience, how would you define power?

• Why might power be related to a course on American politics and government?

Read Sections 1.2 to 1.4 and follow the directions in Notebook Guide 1 to complete the Reading Notes.

Reading

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Read Section 1.5, and follow the directions in Notebook Guide 1 to complete the Reading Notes.

Reading

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Horse Trading

Horse Trading is when you…

An historic example of Horse Trading is…

Power, Politics, and You

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Read the “Power, Politics and You” section of the chapter. Then, be prepared to respond to the following questions:

• According to Alvin Toffler, what are the three kinds of power? Give an example of each.

• Which of these three kinds is the highest quality of power?

• Why should you care about knowledge as a kind of power?

Processing

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Read the quotations about power on Notebook Handout 1.

Assign each quotation a “truth ranking” from 1 to 5 (1 = never true, 5 = always true)

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Processing

Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power.We have guided missiles and misguided men.

Martin Luther King Jr.Strength to Love, 1963

1 2 3 4 5

The quote above is…

Never True Seldom True Sometimes True Often True Always True 21

”“

Processing

Power tends to corrupt, andabsolute power corrupts absolutely.

Lord ActonLetter to Bishop Mandell Creighton, 1887

1 2 3 4 5

The quote above is…

Never True Seldom True Sometimes True Often True Always True 22

”“

Processing

It is not power that corrupts but fear. Fear of losingpower corrupts those who wield it and fear of the

scourge of power corrupts those who are subject to it.

Aung San Suu Kyi“Freedom from fear” speech, 1990

1 2 3 4 5

The quote above is…

Never True Seldom True Sometimes True Often True Always True 23

”“

Processing

Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.

Mao Zedong

1 2 3 4 5

The quote above is…

Never True Seldom True Sometimes True Often True Always True 24

”“

Processing

Above all, we must realize that no arsenal, or noweapon in the arsenals of the world, is so formidable

as the will and moral courage of free men and women.

Ronald ReaganFirst Inaugural Address, 1981

1 2 3 4 5

The quote above is…

Never True Seldom True Sometimes True Often True Always True 25

”“

Processing

When I despair, I remember that all through historythe ways of truth and love have always won. There

have been tyrants, and murderers, and for a time theycan seem invincible, but in the end they always fail.

Mohandas Gandhi

1 2 3 4 5

The quote above is…

Never True Seldom True Sometimes True Often True Always True 26

”“

Processing

When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.

Jimi Hendrix

1 2 3 4 5

The quote above is…

Never True Seldom True Sometimes True Often True Always True 27

”“

Processing

This country has been strip-mined byrich and powerful interests. If you don’t

like what they’re doing, don’t just sit there.

Ralph Nader1992

1 2 3 4 5

The quote above is…

Never True Seldom True Sometimes True Often True Always True 28

”“

Processing

1 2 3 4 5

The quote above is…

Never True Seldom True Sometimes True Often True Always True

The men who create power make anindispensable contribution to the Nation’s

greatness, but the men who question powermake a contribution just as indispensable.

John F. KennedySpeech at Amherst College, 1963

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Processing

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Write a brief response to each of the following questions in your notebook. Support your answers with evidence from your own experiences and your knowledge of historic and current events.

1. Which of the quotations do you think is the most true about power?

2. Which of the quotations do you think is the most true about politics?

3. Which of the quotations do you think is the most true about your own life?