1. American Government and Politics Today
Chapter 1
The Democratic Republic
Unit 1 Governmental Underpinnings

2. Politics and Government
Key Terms:
Politics: “who gets what when and how”
Institution: an ongoing organization that performs certain functions for society
Government: Institution through which the state maintains social order, resolves conflicts and allocate benefits and privileges
Politics is the struggle over power or influence within organizations or informal groups that can grant or withhold benefits or privileges
An institution is an ongoing organization that performs certain functions for society.
Government is the institution in which decisions are made that resolve conflicts or allocate benefits and privileges. It is unique because it has the ultimate authority within society.

3. Why Is Government Necessary?
Order:
Maintaining peace and security by protecting members of society from violence and criminal activity is the oldest purpose of government.
Watch 10:54 mark
order, that is, a state of peace and security. Maintaining order by protecting members of society from violence and criminal activity is the oldest purpose of government.

4. Why Is Government Necessary? (cont.)
Liberty
The greatest freedom of individuals that is consistent with the freedom of other individuals in the society; can be promoted by or invoked against government.
liberty, or the greatest freedom of individuals that is consistent with the freedom of other individuals in the society.

5. Why Is Government Necessary? (cont.)
Authority: the right and power of a government or other entity to enforce its decisions and compel obedience.
Legitimacy is popular acceptance of the right and power of a government or other entity to exercise authority.
Authority and Legitimacy. Two more key concepts: authority is the right and power of a government or other entity to enforce its decisions and compel obedience; legitimacy is popular acceptance of the right and power of a government or other entity to exercise authority.

6. Forms of Government Monarchy, Oligarchy, Democracy
Aristocracy—Rule by the “best”; in reality, rule by an upper class.

7. Forms of Government (cont)
Democracy— A system of government in which political authority is vested in the people. Derived from the Greek words demos (“the people”) and kratos (“authority”).
Direct Democracy - Political decisions are made by the people directly, rather than by their elected representatives
Attained most easily in small political communities. Most commonly used to raise local taxes by school districts and library districts

8. Direct Democracy Today
Initiative–a procedure by which voters can propose a law or a constitutional amendment
Referendum–an electoral device whereby legislative or constitutional measures are referred by the legislature to the voters for approval or disapproval
Recall–a procedure allowing the people to vote to dismiss an elected official from state office before his or her term has expired

9. Is Direct Democracy Dangerous? (FRQ IDEA)
While the founders believed in government based on the consent of the people, they were highly distrustful of anything that might look like “mob rule.” Therefore, they devised institutions to filter the popular will through elected elites.

10. 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.

11. A Democratic Republic (cont.)
Principles of Democratic Government
universal suffrage, or the right of all adults to vote for their representatives
majority rule, the greatest number of citizens in any political unit should select the officials and determine policies.
Constitutional Democracy
limited government, states the powers of government should be limited, usually by institutional checks. Without such limits, democracy could destroy itself.
- What’s the question you should be asking right now…???
Principles of Democratic Government. These include universal suffrage, the right of all adults to vote for their representatives, and majority rule, which means that the greatest number of citizens in any political unit should select the officials and determine policies.
Constitutional Democracy. The key concept is limited government, the principle that the powers of government should be limited, usually by institutional checks. Without such limits, democracy could destroy itself.

12. What Kind of Democracy Do We Have?
Majoritarianism - a political theory holding that in a democracy, the government ought to do what the majority of the people want. Popular as a principal, but not very good at explaining what really happens in our system.
Elite theory - assumes the population has little if any impact on the decision-making process. Ultimately, policy decisions are made by a select few within the society. These elites share a goal of governmental stability because they do not want their position within society jeopardized.
Pluralism - numerous factions (or interest groups) work to affect policy. Each faction works to promote the interests of the faction, and through a series of compromises, public policy decisions are made.
I - Majoritarianism is a political theory holding that in a democracy, the government ought to do what the majority of the people want. Popular as a principal, but not very good at explaining what really happens in our system.
II - Elite theory assumes the population has little if any impact on the decision-making process. Ultimately, policy decisions are made by a select few within the society. These elites share a goal of governmental stability because they do not want their position within society jeopardized.
III - Pluralism assumes that numerous factions (or interest groups) work to affect policy. Each faction works to promote the interests of the faction, and through a series of compromises, public policy decisions are made.

13. Fundamental Values Political Socialization Liberty versus Order
Equality versus Liberty
Economic Equality
Property Rights and Capitalism
capitalism, an economic system characterized by the private ownership of wealth-creating assets and also by free markets and freedom of contract.
Eminent Domain - allows the government to take private property for public use as long as compensation is offered
I - Political Socialization. Why is our system stable? In part because of a shared political culture passed on through political socialization, largely performed by the family and the educational system, although in recent years, by the media as well. The resulting dominant culture in America is based on values inherited from Europe in general and England in particular.
III - Equality versus Liberty. There are many kinds of equality, some of which are more controversial than others. Equality under the law regardless of race, religion, or gender is a popular value today, but was not accepted as a norm even fifty years ago. Equality of opportunity is a concept with much support.
Economic Equality. This concept is more controversial. It came into play during the 1800s, especially as promoted by the European socialist movements (which are not specifically named in this section).
Property Rights and Capitalism. Economic equality fairness as a value comes into conflict with property rights and with the capitalist system in general. Key concept: Capitalism, an economic system characterized by the private ownership of wealth-creating assets and also by free markets and freedom of contract. The U.S. Supreme Court made a significant ruling in this area in Kelo v. New London, upholding the ability of a local government to use its power of eminent domain to take private property in order to turn it over to private developers so that an office park and condominiums could be built.

14. Tensions Over Big Government
How much power should the American government have and what role should it play in the lives of citizens?
Katrina
Taxes – Paying More and getting less!!!
Fed Income Tax – Property Tax – State Income Tax – Insurance Premiums – Sales Tax – Estate Tax – Gains Tax -Tollways – License Plate Sticker – Village Sticker – Parking Sticker – School Fees – etc., etc., etc.…
National security policies

15. Ideologies: Liberalism vs. Conservatism
Conservatives tend to favor limited governmental involvement in the economic sector. Economic freedom is seen as a necessity for the good of the society. On social issues, conservatives advocate traditional values and lifestyles.

16. Fox News - Conservative

17. Ideologies: Liberalism vs. Conservatism
Liberals tend to favor governmental regulation of the economy to benefit individuals within the society. On social issues, liberals advocate a governmental role. Social freedom is seen as a necessity for the good of the society.

18. CNN – Liberal News
GOP – Stands for Grand Old Party and is an acronym for republican

19. Ideologies: The Traditional Political Spectrum
Socialism, a political ideology based on strong support for economic and social equality. Socialists traditionally envisioned a society in which major businesses were taken over by the government or by employee cooperatives.
Libertarianism, a political ideology based on skepticism or opposition toward almost all government activities.

20. The Traditional Political Spectrum

22. The Ideological Grid
We can break down the electorate into cultural and economic liberals, cultural and economic conservatives, cultural liberals/economic conservatives (libertarians), and cultural conservatives/economic liberals.
Classifying the Voters. All four viewpoints have substantial support based on polling data.
Conservative Popularity. However, the term conservative, as a self-applied label, is more popular than any other label except “moderate.”

23. Other Ideologies
Communism, revolutionary variant of socialism that favors a partisan (and often totalitarian) dictatorship, government control of all enterprises, and the replacement of free markets by central planning
Fascism, a twentieth-century ideology—often totalitarian—that exalts the national collective united behind an absolute ruler, and rejects liberal individualism, values action over rational deliberation, and glorifies war

24. Ideologies in the Islamic World
While communism and fascism are the historical ideologies that totalitarianism was coined to describe, our current international problem is with radical Islamism as exemplified by Al Qaeda. Radical Islamism tends to be fostered by theocracies, or governments based on religion.

25. Possible FRQ Topics
Do you think a direct democracy is a rational option for governing in the United States? Describe the forms of direct democracy that exist and discuss the pros and cons of these mechanisms.

26. Possible FRQ Topics
Do you think some people in American society equate security and order with protection against fellow citizens who are racially, culturally, or economically different? If so, why?
Do you think protection against discrimination should be considered a security issue as well as an issue of equality? Justify your answer.