Basic Concepts of Democracy Chapter 1 Section 3 Pages 18-23

Worth of the Individual Balance between individual freedom and needs of all the people in society Declaration of Independence Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Equality of All Persons Equality of opportunity and equality under the law What is “equality of opportunity?” Why does the text dismiss the idea of “material equality” so quickly? Do ”worldly goods” sometimes help “opportunity?”

Majority Rule, Minority Rights Majority rule restrained by minority rights EX: public breastfeeding/civil unions are “minority rights.” Why do democracies protect the rights of the minority?

How are minority rights protected in a “majority rules” system? CIVIL RIGHTS AND THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT OF 1965 AS A CASE STUDY

How are minority rights protected in “majority rule” system?

1) Public Pressure/Civil Disobedience

Branches of government: Legislative Branch (Congress) Voting Rights Act of 1965

The Executive (President) Lyndon Johnson with MLK, after Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965

Why was the Voting Rights Act of 1965 necessary? Southern post- Reconstruction (> 1877) governments devised loopholes to keep African-Americans from voting: Literacy tests /constitutional tests Poll taxes

It all began with Freedom Summer 1964 Northern white liberals joined southern blacks to register black voters.

It was difficult and dangerous and people lost their lives to register black voters Schwerner Chaney Goodman

Edgar Ray Killen: convicted years later

An example of the failure to protect minority rights 1943: Internment camp Heart Mountain, WY

Necessity of Compromise Our representatives must compromise to get legislation passed EX: Civil Rights Act of 1964 /Voting Rights Act of 1965 Describe a recent failure at compromise in Congress President Johnson “working the phones”

Individual Freedom Not absolute but balanced with rights of the majority EX: Tinker v Des Moines (1969)

Economic Freedom: The Free Enterprise System Private ownership of land and business Success or failure determined by competition in the marketplace In reality, heavily regulated by the government and much of the market is controlled by big business