POLITICS: WHO GETS WHAT AND HOWBy Michael MiguelAcademy of Our Lady of Guam

AP American Government and Politics

WHAT IS AT STAKE? Is young people’s political involvement really

such a big deal, or is concern about keeping the republic just an idiosyncrasy of long deceased founders and hyperactive political science professors? What is really at stake for American democracy in the issue of youthful engagement in the political system?

WHAT IS POLITICS? Election 2012: Obama

vs. Romney Politics: Determining

without recourse to violence, who gets power and resources in society and how they got them

Power vs. Authority

“We are political animals and we are destined to remain” – Aristotle

WHY GOVERNMENT?

Provides order: Rules and Institutions

Provides Public Goods

Promotes Equality

Politics is a process in which resources are gained a/o lost

Government is a system or organization for exercising authority over a body of people

FunctionsPolitics in Government

“Life is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short” - Thomas Hobbes, 17th Century English Philosopher

DIMENSIONS OF POLITICS AND ECONOMICS

Pure Capitalist Economy

Regulated Capitalism

Social Democracy Socialism

Capitalism Socialism

THE TENSION BETWEEN ORDER AND FREEDOM

1984 – Brave New World

Soviet Union North Korea Martial Law

Anarchy Garden of Eden Lord of the Flies Post Saddam Iraq Post Katrina “State of Nature”

How can government provide complete order?

How can government provide complete freedom?

CHART More

Government Control of

the economy(substantive guarantees

)

Less Government Control of

the economy

(procedural guarantees

)Socialism

Complete government ownership and control Ex. China,

North Korea, Cuba,

Former Soviet Union

Social Democracy

Mostly private ownership but extensive government control Ex. Sweden Norway

Regulated Capitalism

Private ownership and some government controlEx. Britain,

U.S.

Laissez-Faire

Capitalism

Private ownership and no government control

Ex. None

POLITICAL SYSTEMS AND THE CONCEPT OF CITIZENSHIP

Monarchy Theocracy Fascist Oligarchy Totalitarian Authoritarian

capitalism

Anarchy Democracy

Authoritarian Systems Non-Authoritarian Systems

DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT…WHAT DOES IT REALLY MEAN? True Democracy – All people have a say in

elections “The problem with a government of the

people, for the people, and people is….have you seen some of these people?” – Maine

THEORIES OF DEMOCRACYElite Democracy

Pluralist Democracy

Participatory Democracy

Advanced Industrial Democracy

Communist Democracy

Elections merely symbolic

Not as much about individual participation as it is about membership in groups that participate in governmentIndividuals have the right to control all circumstances of their lives

Personal freedom w/i a free market economy

Embracing personal freedom and a collectively owned economy

CHART: POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC SYSTEMS

More government control of the economy

More government control over individual lives and the social order

Less government control of the economy

Less government control over individual lives and the social orderCommunist Democracy

Totalitarian System

Advanced Industrial Democracy

Authoritarian Capitalism

Government allows market economy but highly regulates individual behavior

Personal freedom within a free-market economy (although usually with some government regulations)

Marx’s hope for a system embracing personal freedom and a collectively owned economy

Government controls all economy and individual behavior (Former SU, North Korea, China)

ORIGINS OF DEMOCRACY IN AMERICA

500-600 BCE 1/10th of population

defined as citizens Parallels to

American Democracy

Restricted participation to political affairs

600-1500 AD Participation very

limited Dominated by

Monarchies, Divine Right of the Kong

The Ancient Greek Experience

Politics in the Middle Ages

ORIGINS OF DEMOCRACY IN AMERICA

1500-1700 More participation

than in Middle Ages Individual spirituality

and connection to God

Calvinist ideals Martin Luther

Church seen as unnecessary – paves way for new ideas

Focus on human reason

Thomas Hobbes John Locke

The Protestant Reformation Enlightenment

SOCIAL CONTRACT THEORY Freedom and rights existed before

Government Thomas Jefferson (based on John Locke’s

principles) We, as citizens, enter into an agreement with

the government allowing it to create rules that set boundaries for our behavior and protect our life, liberty, and property.

If the gov’t goes too far w/ that power, we as citizens can dissolve that government.

DEMOCRACY AND CITIZENSHIP IN AMERICA

Founders rejected idea of a pure democracy

Opted instead for a Republic

Safe than direct representation

Very low expectation for the average American citizen

Republican Virtue no longer common after independence

Hoped representatives would be wiser than the average American

Dangers in Democracy Madison’s vision of citizenship

WHO RULES WHEN THE PEOPLE DISAGREE?

Rule of the majority Elections How can we protect

minority rights? Tyranny of the

majority

There isn’t “the public” Many minority groups of

people – melting pot “The Public” as groups

Racial Religious Ethnic Gender Professional Regional Urban Rural

Majoritarian Model Pluralist Model

WHO SHOULD MAKE DECISIONS? Apathetic majority? Passionate minority? Why let the majority decide?

It does not care It does not have expertise

Pluralism – no one group in control

A CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE Orderly Freedom Land was plentiful; not scarce Fall of Mankind State of Nature By God’s Grace, still some order Romans 13: 1, 4

RECAP 2 Tensions in American government

Order vs. Freedom Majority Rule vs. Minority Rights Majortitarian Model vs. Pluralist Democracy