1. AP Government Chapter One Notes
American Government Roots
AP Government Chapter One Notes

2. Quick review Native Americans Demographic Collapse 90% wiped out*
Disease

3. Why did colonists come here?
Economic Opportunity
Wealthy people + labor
Social casts
Religious Freedom
Clashed with Church of England or Catholicism.

4. Government
-- institution through which policies are made and state affairs are conducted.

5. Types of Government
Totalitarianism / Dictatorships
– the rulers hold absolute and unchallengeable power.

6. Types of Government Oligarchy Dictatorships tend to be based on:
Dictatorship by a small group.
Dictatorships tend to be based on:
Families (monarchy)
Social status (Aristocracy)
Religion (Theocracy)
Ideology (like Communism)
Individual (Cult of Personality)

7. Types of Government Democracy -- Power is held by the people.
-- Popular Consent
Direct Democracy
-- People vote on everything
Republic, Representative Democracy,
Indirect democracy
-- We elect people to make decisions for us.

8. Functions of U.S. Government
Establish Justice
Create laws that people must follow based on common principles.
Establish legal authorities to dispense justice.
Examples:
Don’t murder, do get educated, don’t dump trash in the water supply, etc.

9. Functions of U.S. Government
Ensure Domestic Tranquility
Preserve Order & Protect populace

10. Functions of U.S. Government
3. Provide for Common Defense

11. Functions of U.S. Government
Promote the General Welfare
a) In the Constitution
b) Vague… Help the people ?

12. Functions of U.S. Government
Securing the Blessings of Liberty
Opportunity to prosper
Civil liberties
Today its basically universal, historically… not so much. (See Slavery, Women’s rights)

13. American Political Culture
Political Culture – shared values and beliefs.
Liberty and Equality
Freedoms evolution – from government to freedom to (work/vote/marry/abuse substances)

14. American Political Culture
Equality does NOT mean: we are all the same
Versus
(in a swimming contest)

15. American Political Culture
What equality in the USA does mean: 1) We all have equal opportunity.

16. American Political Culture
Equality also means:
We are all equal before the law.
14th Amendment said we MUST be equal
before the law
(several years later)
Ha,Ha!
Oh, Snap 

17. American Political Culture
Popular Consent
Also called: Popular Sovereignty
Power comes from the people.

18. American Political Culture
Popular Consent, cont.
Majority Rule, Minority Rights
laws take place ONLY if 50% + 1 votes
Majority rule logic = By making decisions that appease the Majority, the democratic process arrives at the most satisfactory solutions to problems.
Not necessarily the best or the right answer.

19. American Political Culture, cont.
A majority could destroy any democracy AND the minority, if left unchecked.
So,
The majority must allow the minority to become the majority.
The majority must listen to the minority and consider their side.

20. American Political Culture, cont.
Individualism
Founders were people who wanted to make it on their own without government interference.
The Western Frontier – You HAD to make it on your own.

21. American Political Culture, cont.
Religious Freedom
American diversity = freedom to practice your religion was necessary.
Freedom to practice and free from gov interference. Doesn’t mean people have to be tolerant.

22. How America is Changing
Racial Composition
Waves of Immigration
1- Northwestern Europe
2 – Southern Europe
3 – Hispanics and Asians

23. How America is Changing
b) U.S. ethnic makeup 2008
White 75%
African American 12%
Hispanic 15%
Projected 2050
White 52%
African American 15%
Hispanic 24%
Asian 8.2% (Fastest growing)

24. How America is Changing
Aging
Old people
Living longer (life expectancy has gone from 35 to 78)
Less children.
Money
Old versus Young
Scholarships vs
Medicine

25. How America is Changing
Social Security Trust Fund
Extra Money goes in and earns interest.
Gov started taking out the money and leave an IOU
Currently over $2.6 trillion in IOU’s.

26. How America is Changing
Church of All Worlds
How America is Changing
Religious Beliefs
Then: Settled exclusively by Christians
Now: Many (every) religions have significant practitioners.
Have different political demands which can create ‘issues’.
Church of Euthanasia

27. How America is Changing
Regional growth and expansion
Americans moving West (& South)
Americans moving to cities

28. How America is Changing
Regional Growth and Expansion cont.
Politically
Republican: Rural, South, Midwest
Democratic: Urban, West Coast, Northeast

29. How America is Changing
Family Size
1790 – Children = labor + retirement plan
2012 – Children = expensive pets
Industrialization + birth control
Poll best number of children:
1949 – 49% said 4 or more
2011 – 58% said 0 to 2
Traditional to non-traditional
Declining Marriage rate
Higher divorce rate
Single parent household = more likely to support government programs

30. Political Ideology We call ourselves: Liberal Conservative Moderate
Favor a political philosophy of “progress” and reform
Protection of civil liberties.
Government should help those in need.

31. Political Ideology Conservative –
favor tradition and opposed to rapid change.
Government should act/spend as little as possible except for Military.
Personal Responsibility.
Moderates – Centrist view on most issues.

32. Political Ideology Problems with labels
When asked to label themselves, most people say Conservative.
When asked about single issues more people are Liberal.
Left Right versus 4 point spectrum
Marxist Liberal Moderate Conservative Anarcho Capitalist

33. Political Ideology

34. Political Socialization
The process that leads to your own political beliefs.
Religion
Peers
School
Media
Family

35. Politics
Definition: Who gets what, when, and how. : The process by which policy decisions are made. As America changes, the what when and how change.

36. Changes
What we expect from Federal Government Historically Defense, Print money Today Virtually everything Why? Great Depression

37. Trust in Government
Pre 1960’s – Americans trust their government.

38. Trust
Today people do not trust their government.
Why?