1. POLITICAL SCIENCE 201-003: AMERICAN GOVERNMENT Fall 2017 Wednesday 6:30-9:15 Owens 203

2. Textbook Susan Welch, John Gruhl, Sue Thomas and Maryanne Borrelli
Understanding American Government
Fourteenth Edition, Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2014.

3. Alternative sources for the textbook

4. Class Webpage

5. So…who are you? Name What do you like to be called?
Where are you from?
Do you have any experience in politics or government?
Why are you taking this class? (Constitution requirement, prospective political science major, general interest, etc.)

6. Social Science
The use of scientific methods to study some aspect of society (human beings and their interactions).
Anthropology
Economics
History
Political Science
Psychology
Sociology
Etc.

7. Political Science Study of power and the organization of power
Harold Lasswell: “Who gets what, when and how.”
Power: Creation and enforcement of laws and rules deciding
What you have the right to do (MAY)
What you have the obligation to do (MUST)
What you’re prohibited from doing (MAY NOT)

8. Political Science Use of the scientific method to:
Observe: “What’s happening?”
Explain: “Why is it happening? Why is it happening that way?”
Predict: “What’s going to happen?”

9. Complete Freedom Do whatever you want
No rules, no laws, no restrictions
Unlimited right to acquire property
What’s the problem?

10. Complete Freedom
No way to protect your own property or otherwise prevent your rights from being violated
What’s the answer?

11. Basis of Government
Government in a free society exists to make and enforce laws in a way that protects the rights of the people
Power to make rules and laws gives you a great deal of power over others’ lives
Imprisonment
Taxation
Etc.

12. Who Gets to Govern? Divine Right Democracy Republic/Indirect Democracy
Monarch endowed by God with power
Democracy
People govern directly
Republic/Indirect Democracy
People choose leaders who make decisions
Dictatorship
I make the rules because I have the biggest gun.