American Democracy

Philosophical Underpinnings Hobbes (1651 Leviathan) State of Nature leads to chaos and violence for the weak. Humans need a ruler with absolute power (monarch) so they could have rights. Locke (1689 Two Treaties of Government) State of Nature is unlimited freedom therefore all people are born free, equal, and independent = “natural rights” of life, health liberty, and property. No one can be governed without their own consent. Primary purpose of government is to protect our “natural rights.” Rousseau (1762 The Social Contract) Main duty of government is to provide as much freedom as possible in a civilized society. People must submit to the will of the majority

American Methodology (compliments of a French guy) Montesquieu (1748 The Spirit of the Laws) Checks and Balances Separation of powers Only way to prevent the abuse of power and protect the liberties of the people

Declaration of Independence (3 parts) The Philosophical Basis for Revolution The List of Grievances The Statement of Separation

Articles of Confederation Read pages 48-52 Outline the Powers and Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation

Who governs? Those who govern will affect us. Two Key Questions Who governs? Those who govern will affect us. To what ends? How will government affect our lives? Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

What is Political Power? Power: the ability of one person to cause another person to act in accordance with the first person’s intentions Authority: the right to use power Legitimacy: what makes a law or constitution a source of right Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

“So we’ve agreed on a theory and a method…what about structure?” Hamiltonian Jeffersonian

Kinds of Democracy Direct democracy: A form of democracy in which most, or all, of the citizenry participate directly. Aristotle and New England meetings Representative democracy: A government in which leaders make decisions by winning a competitive struggle for the popular vote. Current and projected population: Does our government adequately represent our growing population? Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Schumpeter’s Definition of Democracy The democratic method is that institutional arrangement for arriving at political decisions in which individuals acquire power to decide by means of a competitive struggle for the people’s votes. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

The Framers’ View Government would mediate, not mirror, popular views People were viewed as lacking knowledge and susceptible to manipulation Framers’ goal: to minimize the abuse of power by a tyrannical majority or by officeholders Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Theories of Government -explaining the behavior of political elites- Elite theories argue that a single minority dominates politics in all policy areas Elitism: A few top leaders, drawn from the major sectors of the United States polity, will make all important decisions Pluralist theories argue that many minorities compete for power in different policy areas. James Madison Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Theories of Government -explaining the behavior of political elites- Marxism: Those who own the means of production, controlling the economic system, will control the government Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Theories of Government -explaining the behavior of political elites- Bureaucratic: Appointed civil servants control the government, without consulting the public. Pluralist: Competition among affected interests shapes public policy decision-making No single elite has a monopoly on political resources. Policies are the result of a complex patterns of shifting alliances. Political resources are not distributed equally. Political elites are divided. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

What needs to happen for representative democracy to work What needs to happen for representative democracy to work? The press needs to serve the public Press Serving the public? Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.