Chapter 1: Freedom, Order, or Equality

Copyright © 2011 Cengage Learning Why Is Government Necessary? Order Liberty Authority and Legitimacy 2

Copyright © 2011 Cengage Learning Forms of Government Totalitarian Authoritarianism Aristocracy Democracy Derived from the Greek words demos (“the people”) and kratos (“authority”) Political authority comes from citizens 3

Copyright © 2011 Cengage Learning Direct Democracy Political decisions are made by the people directly, rather than by elected representatives Attained most easily in small communities 4 Voter registration in Chicago AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh

Copyright © 2011 Cengage Learning Representative Democracy Constitution established a representative democracy Framers called this a Republic Experimental Power (votes) resides with citizens Representatives make policy and law 5

Copyright © 2011 Cengage Learning Direct Democracy Today Initiative: voters can propose a law or a constitutional amendment Referendum: referred by the legislature to the voters for approval/ disapproval Recall: allows voters to dismiss an elected official from office before term expires 6

Copyright © 2011 Cengage Learning Is Direct Democracy Dangerous? Founders believed in government based on the consent of the people, but were highly distrustful of anything that might look like “mob rule.” Feared tyranny of majority over rights of the minority. Believed “masses” were too uneducated to make informed decisions. Devised institutions to filter the popular will through elected elites. 7

Copyright © 2011 Cengage Learning A Democratic Republic Democratic republic and representative democracy really mean the same thing—government based on elected representatives— except for the historical quirk that a republic cannot have a vestigial king. 8 National Portrait Gallery

Copyright © 2011 Cengage Learning A Democratic Republic (cont.) Principles of Democratic Government Universal suffrage Majority rule Constitutional Democracy Limited government Usually includes constitutional checks Multiple points of access to power 9

Copyright © 2011 Cengage Learning What Kind of Democracy Do We Have? Majoritarianism Government ought to do what majority of people desire Elite theory Society is ruled by small group who wish to further their own self-interests Pluralism Views politics as a conflict among interest groups, with decision-making characterized by bargaining and compromise 10

Copyright © 2011 Cengage Learning Fundamental Values Political Socialization Liberty versus Order Equality versus Liberty Economic Equality Property Rights Capitalism 11

Copyright © 2011 Cengage Learning Tensions Over Big Government How much power should the American government have and what role should it play in the lives of citizens? Gulf oil spill and cleanup Mining safety regulations Recalls (auto, food, pharmaceutical) Taxes National security policies 12

Copyright © 2011 Cengage Learning Ideologies: Liberalism versus Conservatism Conservatives Favor limited government involvement in economy Often favor government involvement in social issues to preserve traditional values Liberals Favor government regulation of economy to benefit society On social issues, prefer limited government role 13

Copyright © 2011 Cengage Learning A Four-Cornered Ideological Grid In this grid, the colored squares represent four different political ideologies. The vertical choices range from cultural order to cultural liberty. The horizontal choices range from economic equality to economic liberty. 14

Copyright © 2011 Cengage Learning Ideologies: The Traditional Political Spectrum Socialism: strong support for economic and social equality Libertarianism: skepticism toward government 15

Copyright © 2011 Cengage Learning Classical Liberalism Liberal once meant limited government and no religion in politics. Liberal evolved into its modern American meaning along with the political evolution of the Democratic Party, once the party of limited government, but now the party of (relative) economic equality. 16

Copyright © 2011 Cengage Learning The Traditional Political Spectrum 17

Copyright © 2011 Cengage Learning Other Ideologies Communism: a revolutionary variant of socialism Government control of all enterprises Partisan dictatorship No free markets Fascism: often totalitarian Absolute ruler Rejection of individualism 18

Copyright © 2011 Cengage Learning Ideologies in the Islamic World While communism and fascism are the historical ideologies that totalitarianism was coined to describe, our current international concern is with the radical and fundamentalist interpretation of Islam known as Islamism. Islamism rejects Western democratic values Desires worldwide Islamic political order 19

Copyright © 2011 Cengage Learning A Demographic Profile of America “Here is not merely a nation but a teeming Nation of nations” Walt Whitman 20

Copyright © 2011 Cengage Learning Obama Election Night A news story showing brief clips of Obama speaking in Chicago’s Grant Park after his election win was confirmed. Air Date: 11/5/ Click the icon to open the movie Video Supplied by Motion Gallery

Copyright © 2011 Cengage Learning Video Questions 1.Was Obama’s election a direct result of the changing demographic breakdown in the U.S.? 2.After this election, did ethnic background become more or less important for future candidates? 3.Where does Obama fall on the ideological grid? Has this changed since his election? 22

Copyright © 2011 Cengage Learning Religious Diversity Although a large majority (83%) of Americans still identify as Christians, Americans now claim affiliation with 1600 different religious affiliations and denominations. About 16% are not religiously affiliated. 23

Copyright © 2011 Cengage Learning The Changing Face of America Aging Population Growth Ethnic Change Changes in Hispanic community Women In the workforce In Congress and state government 24

Copyright © 2011 Cengage Learning Illegal Immigrants 25 SOURCE: Washington Post, National Weekly Edition, May 29–June 4, 2006, 8.

Copyright © 2011 Cengage Learning The U.S. Population 26 Click here to go to the U.S. POPClock Projection © The New Yorker Collection J.B. Handelsman from cartoonbank.com. All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2011 Cengage Learning The Aging of America 27 *Data for 2025 and 2050 are projections. Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census.

Copyright © 2011 Cengage Learning Changing U.S. Population 28

Copyright © 2011 Cengage Learning Questions for Critical Thinking 1.Do you think a direct democracy is a rational option for governing in the United States? 2.Describe the forms of direct democracy that exist. Discuss the pros and cons of these mechanisms. 29

Copyright © 2011 Cengage Learning Questions for Critical Thinking 3.Do some Americans equate security and order with protection against fellow citizens who are racially, culturally, or economically different? 4.Is protection against discrimination an important issue today? Which groups in American society most need protection? 30

Copyright © 2011 Cengage Learning Web Links U.S. Census Bureau U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services 31