1. Basic Concepts of Democracy
A “give and take” proposition
“No government demands so much from the citizen as Democracy, and none gives so much back.”
James Bryce

2. SWBAT: Understand the foundations of democracy
Analyze the connections between
democracy and the free enterprise
system
Identify the role of the Internet in a

3. Does a democracy just happen?
If it doesn’t, then why does it exist in America?
What would happen if we ever got to the place in time in which the majority of Americans believed that some other form of government was better than democracy?
“No one pretends that democracy is the perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.”
Winston Churchill

4. Democracy’s “Big Five”
1.) A recognition of the fundamental worth and dignity of every person
2.) A respect for the equality of all persons
3.) A faith in majority rule and an insistence upon minority rights
4.) An acceptance of the necessity of compromise
5.) An insistence upon the widest possible degree
of individual freedom

5. Free Enterprise System
Democracy
and the
Free Enterprise System

6. Law of Supply and Demand
When supplies of goods and services become plentiful, prices tend to drop.
When supplies of goods and services become scarce, prices tend to rise.

7. Mixed Economy
The basis of the American economic system is the free market, but government plays a role in the American economy and always has.
Government involvement serves two purposes: 1.) to protect the public, and
2.) to preserve private enterprise.

8. Democracy and the Internet
At least 180 million Americans with “log on” capabilities
Major marketplace and communication tool
Knowledge made readily accessible
Quality not quantity is the issue
Online voting – what do you think?

9. SWBAT: Understand the foundations of democracy
Analyze the connections between
democracy and the free enterprise
system
Identify the role of the Internet in a