American American Government and Government and

Politics TodayPolitics Today

Chapter 1Chapter 1

The Democratic The Democratic RepublicRepublic

Politics and Government Politics and Government

Key Terms:Key Terms:– PoliticsPolitics: “who gets what, when, : “who gets what, when,

and how” and how” – InstitutionInstitution: an ongoing organization that : an ongoing organization that

performs certain functions for society performs certain functions for society – GovernmentGovernment: institution in which : institution in which

decisions are made that resolve conflicts decisions are made that resolve conflicts or allocate benefits and privilegesor allocate benefits and privileges

Why Is Government Why Is Government Necessary?Necessary?

OrderOrder: t: the process of maintaining peace he process of maintaining peace and security by protecting members of and security by protecting members of society from violence and criminal society from violence and criminal activity; the oldest purpose of governmentactivity; the oldest purpose of government

LibertyLiberty: t: the greatest freedom of he greatest freedom of individuals that is consistent with the individuals that is consistent with the freedom of other individuals in the freedom of other individuals in the society; can be promoted by or invoked society; can be promoted by or invoked against government against government

Why Is Government Why Is Government Necessary? (continued)Necessary? (continued)

AuthorityAuthority: t: the right and power of a he right and power of a government or other entity to enforce government or other entity to enforce its decisions and compel obedienceits decisions and compel obedience

LegitimacyLegitimacy: t: the popular acceptance of he popular acceptance of the right and power of a government or the right and power of a government or other entity to exercise authorityother entity to exercise authority

Forms of GovernmentForms of Government

Totalitarian regimeTotalitarian regime: a government that : a government that controls all aspects of a nation’s political controls all aspects of a nation’s political and social life and social life

AuthoritarianismAuthoritarianism: a system in which only : a system in which only the government itself is fully controlled the government itself is fully controlled by the ruler, therefore social and by the ruler, therefore social and economic institutions exist that are not economic institutions exist that are not under the government’s control under the government’s control

Forms of Government Forms of Government (continued(continued))

AristocracyAristocracy: rule is by the “best,” though : rule is by the “best,” though in reality rule is by the upper classin reality rule is by the upper class

DemocracyDemocracy: political authority is vested : political authority is vested in the people; derived from the Greek in the people; derived from the Greek words words demosdemos (“the people”) and (“the people”) and kratoskratos (“authority”)(“authority”)

Direct DemocracyDirect Democracy

Political decisions are made by the Political decisions are made by the people directly, rather than by their people directly, rather than by their elected representativeselected representatives

Direct democracy is attained most Direct democracy is attained most easily in small political communitieseasily in small political communities

Direct Democracy TodayDirect Democracy Today

– InitiativeInitiative: allows voters to propose a law : allows voters to propose a law or a constitutional amendmentor a constitutional amendment

– ReferendumReferendum: allows the legislature to refer : allows the legislature to refer legislative or constitutional measures to legislative or constitutional measures to the voters for approval or disapprovalthe voters for approval or disapproval

– RecallRecall: allows the people to vote to dismiss : allows the people to vote to dismiss an elected official from state office before an elected official from state office before his or her term has expiredhis or her term has expired

The Dangers of The Dangers of Direct DemocracyDirect Democracy

The founders believed in government The founders believed in government based on the consent of the peoplebased on the consent of the people

However, they were highly distrustful of However, they were highly distrustful of anything that might look like “mob rule” anything that might look like “mob rule”

Therefore, they devised institutions to Therefore, they devised institutions to filter the popular will through elected filter the popular will through elected elites elites

A Democratic RepublicA Democratic Republic

““Democratic republic”Democratic republic” and “ and “representative representative democracy”democracy” mean nearly the same thing— mean nearly the same thing—government based on elected government based on elected representatives—except that a republic representatives—except that a republic cannot have a vestigial king cannot have a vestigial king

Britain, with its largely ceremonial Britain, with its largely ceremonial monarchy, is therefore a representative monarchy, is therefore a representative democracydemocracy

The United States, as created by the U.S. The United States, as created by the U.S. Constitution, is a democratic republicConstitution, is a democratic republic

A Democratic Republic A Democratic Republic (continued)(continued)

Principles of democratic governmentPrinciples of democratic government– Universal suffrageUniversal suffrage: the right of all adults to vote : the right of all adults to vote

for their representativesfor their representatives– Majority ruleMajority rule: the greatest number of citizens in : the greatest number of citizens in

any political unit should select officials and any political unit should select officials and determine policiesdetermine policies

Constitutional democracyConstitutional democracy– Principle of limited governmentPrinciple of limited government: powers of : powers of

government should be limited, usually by government should be limited, usually by institutional checks; without such limits, institutional checks; without such limits, democracy could destroy itselfdemocracy could destroy itself

What Kind of Democracy What Kind of Democracy Do We Have?Do We Have?

– MajoritarianismMajoritarianism: government ought to do : government ought to do what the majority of people wantwhat the majority of people want

– Elite theoryElite theory: society is ruled by a small : society is ruled by a small number of privileged people who exercise number of privileged people who exercise power to further their self-interestspower to further their self-interests

– PluralismPluralism: politics is made of conflict and : politics is made of conflict and compromise among interest groupscompromise among interest groups

Fundamental ValuesFundamental Values

Political socializationPolitical socialization Liberty versus orderLiberty versus order Equality versus libertyEquality versus liberty

– Economic equalityEconomic equality– Property rights and capitalismProperty rights and capitalism

CapitalismCapitalism: an economic system : an economic system characterized by the private ownership characterized by the private ownership of wealth-creating assets and by free of wealth-creating assets and by free markets and freedom of contractmarkets and freedom of contract

Tensions Over Big Tensions Over Big GovernmentGovernment

How much power should the American How much power should the American government have and what role should it government have and what role should it play in the lives of its citizens? play in the lives of its citizens?

Example: Katrina—in this scenario, “big Example: Katrina—in this scenario, “big government” was considered desirablegovernment” was considered desirable

Example: National security Example: National security policies—concerning issues such policies—concerning issues such as domestic surveillance, most as domestic surveillance, most Americans value limited powers Americans value limited powers

Political Ideologies:Political Ideologies:Liberalism versus Liberalism versus

ConservatismConservatism ConservativesConservatives: tend to favor limited : tend to favor limited

governmental involvement in the economic governmental involvement in the economic sector, and see economic freedom as a necessity sector, and see economic freedom as a necessity for the good of the society; regarding social for the good of the society; regarding social issues they support traditional values and issues they support traditional values and lifestyles lifestyles

LiberalsLiberals: tend to favor governmental regulation : tend to favor governmental regulation of the economy to benefit the society’s of the economy to benefit the society’s individuals; regarding social issues they individuals; regarding social issues they advocate for social freedom, civil rights, and advocate for social freedom, civil rights, and social changesocial change

Political Ideologies:Political Ideologies:The Traditional Political The Traditional Political

SpectrumSpectrum

SocialismSocialism: a political ideology based on : a political ideology based on strong support for economic and social strong support for economic and social equality; socialists traditionally envisioned equality; socialists traditionally envisioned a society in which major businesses were a society in which major businesses were taken over by the government or by taken over by the government or by employee cooperativesemployee cooperatives

LibertarianismLibertarianism: a political ideology based : a political ideology based on skepticism or opposition toward almost on skepticism or opposition toward almost all government activitiesall government activities

““Classical” LiberalismClassical” Liberalism

““Liberalism”Liberalism” once meant limited once meant limited government and no religion in politicsgovernment and no religion in politics

The term evolved into its modern The term evolved into its modern American meaning along with the American meaning along with the political evolution of the Democratic political evolution of the Democratic Party, which was once the party of Party, which was once the party of limited government but has become the limited government but has become the party of (relative) economic equalityparty of (relative) economic equality

The Traditional The Traditional Political Spectrum Political Spectrum

A Four-Cornered A Four-Cornered Ideological GridIdeological Grid

We can break down the electorate into: We can break down the electorate into: – Cultural and economic liberalsCultural and economic liberals– Cultural and economic conservativesCultural and economic conservatives– Cultural liberals/economic conservatives (libertarians)Cultural liberals/economic conservatives (libertarians)– Cultural conservatives/economic liberalsCultural conservatives/economic liberals

Classifying the votersClassifying the voters——aall four viewpoints have ll four viewpoints have substantial support based on polling datasubstantial support based on polling data

Conservative popularity—however, the term Conservative popularity—however, the term ““conservativeconservative,” as a self-applied label, is ,” as a self-applied label, is more popular than any other label except more popular than any other label except ““moderate”moderate”

Other IdeologiesOther Ideologies

CommunismCommunism: revolutionary variant of : revolutionary variant of socialism that favors a partisan (often socialism that favors a partisan (often totalitarian) dictatorship, government totalitarian) dictatorship, government control of all enterprises, and replacement control of all enterprises, and replacement of free markets by central planning of free markets by central planning

FascismFascism: a 20th-Century ideology (often : a 20th-Century ideology (often totalitarian) that exalts the national totalitarian) that exalts the national collective united behind an absolute ruler, collective united behind an absolute ruler, rejects liberal individualism, values action rejects liberal individualism, values action over rational deliberation, and glorifies warover rational deliberation, and glorifies war

Ideology in the Islamic Ideology in the Islamic WorldWorld

While communism and fascism are the While communism and fascism are the historical ideologies that historical ideologies that totalitarianism was coined to describe, totalitarianism was coined to describe, our current international problem is our current international problem is with radical Islamism, as exemplified with radical Islamism, as exemplified by al-Qaedaby al-Qaeda

The Changing Face of The Changing Face of AmericaAmerica

AgingAging Population growthPopulation growth Ethnic changeEthnic change

– Changes in Hispanic communityChanges in Hispanic community Women in the workforceWomen in the workforce Increasing levels of educationIncreasing levels of education

U.S. PopulationU.S. Population

Questions for Critical Questions for Critical Thinking Thinking

Do you think a direct democracy is a Do you think a direct democracy is a rational option for governing in the rational option for governing in the United States? Describe the forms of United States? Describe the forms of direct democracy that exist and direct democracy that exist and discuss the pros and cons of these discuss the pros and cons of these mechanisms. mechanisms.

Questions for Critical Questions for Critical Thinking Thinking

Do you think some people in American Do you think some people in American society equate security and order with society equate security and order with protection against fellow citizens who are protection against fellow citizens who are racially, culturally, or economically racially, culturally, or economically different? Why or why not?different? Why or why not?

Do you think protection against Do you think protection against discrimination should be considered an discrimination should be considered an issue of security as well as an issue of issue of security as well as an issue of equality? Justify your answer.equality? Justify your answer.