1. The Nature of Power, Politics, and Government

2.  Authority  Government  Power  Legitimacy  Public good  Nation-state  Sovereignty  Politics  Institution  Democracy  Monarchy  Dictatorship  Market economy  Traditional economy  Republic  Parliament  Command economy

3.  “Society in every state [condition] is a blessing, but Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one.” (Thomas Paine, Common Sense, 1776)  Even in colonial days, there was a general mistrust of government

4.  History of USA (unlike other countries) reveals fairly peaceful transfers of power  All rulers have one thing in common – the power to rule

5.  Power – “the possibility of imposing one’s will upon the behavior of other persons.” (Max Weber) or “our capacity to get other people to do things that contribute to what we want.” (Kenneth E. Boulding)

6. SOURCES OF POWER Power Formal Authority ExpertiseCoercionRewardsPersuasion

7.  Governments use a combination of these sources to rule  Regardless of source, power to rule can be used for negative or positive purposes  “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” (Lord Acton, British historian)

8.  People with the right to use power have authority  Formal authority – power that has been defined in some legal or other official way  People with formal authority have legal right to use power; source of authority might be constitution, contract, other legal document, etc.

9.  Leaders whose power & authority are accepted by people they govern as valid have legitimacy  Legitimacy rises & falls depending on willingness of those being led to follow

10.  Historical Ways to Gain Legitimacy:  Mandate of Heaven (China – ruler was “son of heaven” & therefore had authority over “all under heaven”)

11.  Historical Ways to Gain Legitimacy:  Divine Right of Kings (Europe, 1500s – monarchs represented God on Earth)

12.  Historical Ways to Gain Legitimacy: ▪ Social-contract theory (Thomas Hobbes & John Locke – legitimacy comes from unwritten contract between ruler & ruled: people agree to obey ruler in exchange for ruler’s promise to protect their rights)

13.  1620 – English colonists arrives off shore of Plymouth, Mass. Before disembarking, all adult males signed Mayflower Compact (promised to obey all rules & laws)

14.  Hobbes & Locke stressed need for government to preserve order & protect people’s lives & property – without protection, Hobbes said, people would be condemned to live in “continual fear and danger of violent death.”

15.  Today’s governments also concerned with providing public goods, such as schools, roads, fire & police protection

16.  Characteristics of public goods:  More than 1 person can consume them without reducing amount available to others  Once it is made available, all people have right to use it

17.  Coercion – various ways in which government can use its power to force citizens to behave in certain ways  Obvious forms = police, courts, prisons  Involuntary services = conscription, jury duty

18.  Revenue collection – collecting money to provide security & pay for public goods  Tribute (ancient empires collected payments from smaller states)

19.  Aristotle (Greek philosopher & father of political science) – believed ideal form of government was monarchy led by single, virtuous ruler  However, in real world, believed rule by well- intentioned many (polity) would be best

20. Who Holds Power Rule Motivated by Common Good Rule Motivated by Self-Interest One Kingship (gov’t by 1 virtuous ruler) Tyranny (rule by 1 lawless ruler) A Few Aristocracy (gov’t by virtuous few for good of all) Oligarchy (rule by wealthy few in own interest) The Many Polity (constitutional gov’t in which everyone has share in political power) Democracy (rule by poor in own interest)

21.  Nation-states common characteristics:  Territorial integrity – specific geographic territory, with internationally recognized boundaries  Stable population – people living permanently within borders  Code of laws – common legal system  National sovereignty – independent & self- governing

23.  Modern concept – merging of nation & state  Nation – group of people who share common ethnic origin, culture, & language  State – geographical area controlled by single gov’t

24.  Politics is process of determining “who gets what, when, how.” (Harold Lasswell)  People who participate in political process engage in many forms of political activity.

25.  Political activity is intentional, not random – people think through what they are trying to achieve & weigh costs & benefits of actions needed to achieve goals

26.  Political activity can range from looking at a political cartoon to running for public office

27.  “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” (Margaret Mead)  For collective action to work, people must be prepared to seek & accept compromise

28.  Institutions – organizations or sets of rules that shape behavior of groups, have a social purpose & permanence in human affairs  Examples – family, schools, governments  Establish routines for dealing with recurring problems, establish rules (written & unwritten) that shape political activity

29.  Politics is a form of competition – politicians & citizens who engage in political activity are players in “game of politics”

30.  Horse trading – hard bargaining that goes on in politics; objective is to achieve win-win situation – giving up something one’s opponent wants in exchange for something of equal or greater value  Example – Missouri Compromise which helped postpone Civil War

31.  Similar to horse trading – players walk out of game & refuse to return until opposition agrees to give them something they want  Commonly used by labor unions to back up demands for better pay & working conditions  César Chávez successfully used this in struggle to improve lives of CA farmworkers

32.  Strategies needed to win power struggle:  Niccolo Machiavelli (16 th century) described these in The Prince: “In the actions of men, and especially of Princes, the end justifies the means.” Prince must not hesitate to “destroy those who can and will injure him” and instill fear in those who can and will injure him.” Cunning tricks & amoral tactics are often described as Machiavellian.

33.  President JFK played the game with Soviet Union during Cuban Missile Crisis  Soviet Union agreed to remove missiles  U.S. agreed to not invade Cuba AND remove missiles from Turkey

34.  Complete destruction of one’s opponents  Key players are those who command means of force  Often ends in bloodbath  Examples – Rome and Carthage – “Carthage must be destroyed!”

35.  Those who forsake violence for moral high road  Civil – having to do with citizens  Peaceful confrontation  Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr.

36. Comparing Forms of Government

37.  Democracy  Monarchy  Dictatorship  Market economy  Traditional economy  Republic  Parliament  Command economy  Representative democracy  Direct democracy  Communism  Fascism  Nazism  Coup d’etat

39.  Farming villages evolved into city-states  Power became concentrated into hands of a single ruler for each  Some rulers claimed to be gods themselves!

40.  Athens developed a direct democracy: public decisions are made directly by citizens meeting to vote

41.  “Our constitution is called a democracy because power is in the hands not of a minority but of the whole people. When it is a question of settling private disputes, everyone is equal before the law; when it is a question of putting one person before another in positions of public responsibility, what counts is not membership of a particular class, but the actual ability which the man possesses.” -- Pericles, Funeral Oration, 431 BCE

42.  Rome – 509 BCE – developed a republic  Evolved into representative democracy (public decisions are made by leaders who are elected by citizens)  Eventually becomes an empire

43.  Fall of Rome in 476 CE leads to development of feudalism (exchanging use of land for military and other services)  Vassals (tenants who pledged loyalty and helped lords make decisions)  Vassals advising lords eventually leads to parliaments in Europe

44.  1300s saw rise of absolute monarchies – governments headed by hereditary rulers who claimed unlimited powers

45.  Glorious Revolution – England in 1688 – led to establishment of constitutional monarchy  American Revolution – 1776 – led to first modern constitutional democracy

46.  French Revolution – 1789 – led to Napoleon Bonaparte and authoritarian regime  Russian Revolution – 1917 – led to communism

47.  Fascism – Italy – 1920s – similar to communism, but allows private ownership of business  Nazism – Germany – 1930s and 1940s – variety of fascism built on myth of racial superiority

49. 1. Monarchy: Rule by one hereditary ruler 2. Dictatorships: Rule by one powerful leader 3. Theocracy: Rule by few religious leaders 4. Single-Party State: Rule by political elite 5. Direct Democracy: Rule by all citizens 6. Parliamentary Democracy: Rule by a legislative majority 7. Presidential Democracy: Rule by representatives of the people

50. 1. Unitary Systems Centralize Power A. Japan 2. Federal Systems Divide Power A. US today B. India 3. Confederal Systems Decentralize Power A. Articles of Confederation – US B. European Union

51. 1. What to produce, How, and For Whom? 2. Traditional Economies – making decisions by custom 3. Market Economies – decision making by individuals 4. Command Economies – decision making by government planners 5. Mixed Economies – shared decision making