Government Basics!

Politics! * Why do politicians kiss babies when campaigning for office? * Why does Congress try to fix some issues while putting others on hold? * Why would the president of PEPCO go on different TV and radio stations telling viewers how hard their company is working to restore power outages?

Cartoon Analysis 1. Describe the symbolism of the cartoon? 2. What is the viewpoint of the cartoonist? 3. What are the potential politics of this cartoon?

Politics and Government Key Terms: – ________________ : the process by which groups of people make decisions “who gets what, when, and how” when to say/not say something when to do/not do something Examples…Examples – ________________ : an org. that performs certain functions for society Examples… – __________________ : an institution where decisions are made that resolve conflicts; allocate benefits and privileges

Public Policy * Public Policy: - exercising government power in order to alleviate problems facing all of society * What are the most important public policy issues today? Who should fix these issues?

Why Is Government Necessary? __________ : maintaining peace and security by protecting members of society from violence and criminal activity – the oldest purpose of government ___________ : the condition in which an individual has the right to act according to his or her own will – can be promoted by or invoked against government Is one more important than the other? – Can we have a government that promotes both equally?

Why Is Government Necessary? (continued) Power : the ability to influence somebody to do something that he/she would not have otherwise done – Authority : the right and power of a government to enforce its decisions and compel obedience “to persuade people to follow a command” – Legitimacy : the popular acceptance of a government to exercise authority

PurposePurpose of Government?Government _____________________: “Every man is against every man…and the life of man is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.” *Govt. should: - enforce laws - defend citizens - punish criminals * Exchange some citizen rights to have law and order __________________: “Life, liberty, and the enjoyment of personal property” *Govt. should: - guarantee peoples’ natural rights - not place restrictions on people without THEIR consent * Power to the People!

FormsForms of Government

________________ : a government whereby the ruler(s) have absolute control - people have no choice to choose their leader(s) - usually ______________  a government that controls all aspects of a nation’s political and social life Examples of either?

Forms of Government (cont. ) __________________ : “rule of the best”  the most prominent citizens rule __________________ : political authority is vested in the people - From the Greek words demos (“the people”) & kratos (“authority”) PROS & CONS of each form?

What Kind of Democracy do WE Have?Democracy

_______________________ Definition: Public Policy decisions are made by the people directly, rather than by representatives ________________________ is attained most easily in small political communities Examples: – Ancient Athens – New England town meetings or

Direct Democracy Today Direct Democracy at the State/Local Level: – ________________ : allows voters to propose a law or a constitutional amendment – ________________ : allows the legislature to refer legislative or constitutional measures to the voters for approval or disapproval – ____________ : allows the people to vote to dismiss an elected official from state office before his or her term has expired

The Dangers of Direct Democracy The founders believed in government based on the consent of the people However, they were highly distrustful of anything that might look like “mob rule” – Can you think of an example? Therefore, they devised institutions to filter the popular will through elected elites

James Madison, _____________________ “A common passion or interest will, in almost every case, be felt by a majority of the whole… and there is nothing to check the inducements to sacrifice the weaker party or an obnoxious individual. Hence it is that such democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention, and have ever been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property; and have in general been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths.”

A __________________________ _________________________& ___________________________ – government based on elected representatives – ELECTED representatives make policy BUT… People have the ultimate power Example: The United States

A _____________________(continued) Principles of democratic government – __________________________: the right of all adults to vote for their representatives – _______________________: the greatest number of citizens in any political unit should select officials and determine policies Minority groups still have rights & liberties – __________________________: powers of government should be restricted, usually by institutional checks Ex’s Checks & Balances, Bill of Rights, Federalism

Theories: Distribution of Power in Society 1. Who actually holds power & makes public policy? 2. Who should hold power and make policy?

Who really holds power in the USA? * the PEOPLE? * a FEW? * certain GROUPS?

Who has the Power? * Various theories exist about how power is distributed in society: 1.What types of people have the most power in our society? 2.Can we change who has power in society?

What type of Democracy do we Have? Distribution of Power Theories: A. _______________________ : society is ruled by a small number of privileged people who exercise power to further their self-interests 1. _____________ : influence of economic elites 2. ___________________ : influence of power elite: corporate, military, political (Eisenhower’s “military industrial complex”) 3. ____________________ : influence of bureaucracy B. _______________________ : government should do what the majority of people want - Pluralism & Hyperpluralism

What type of Democracy do we Have? (cont.) Pluralism : views politics as a conflict among interest groups - b/c so many groups exist, no single elite could possibly control all of them - many groups compete with each other for control over policy - Policy is the outcome of political haggling, compromises, and ever-shifting alliances among groups Hyperpluralism: a state in which many groups or factions are so strong that a government is unable to function -"Pluralism gone sour" - Government becomes gridlocked and is unable to act

Factions Vs.

“Why can’t we just get along?” Factions in your lives: * Where do you see factions competing on a daily basis?