1. Joseph A. Losco Ralph E. Baker
AM GOV 2010
Joseph A. Losco
Ralph E. Baker

2. CITIZENSHIP IN OUR CHANGING DEMOCRACY
Chapter 1

3. As You Read What kinds of civic involvement fuel democracies?
What ideals fuel American democracy?
What are some of the changes and challenges facing America today?
© 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

4. POLITICS, POWER, AND PARTICIPATION
Politics, the process by which we choose government officials and make decisions about public policy, is a voluntary activity.
American government is a representative democracy, meaning that its citizens hold public officials accountable through periodic elections and the rule of law.
America’s representative democracy is characterized by:
Majority rule
Protections for minority rights
© 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

5. POLITICS, POWER, AND PARTICIPATION
Who exercises political power?
Ruling elite theory: Wealthy and well-educated citizens exercise a disproportionate amount of influence over political decision making.
Pluralism: Various groups vie for government favor and political power, but none enjoys long-term dominance.
Citizen participation is essential to ensure the preservation of constitutional freedoms.
© 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

6. AMERICAN POLITICAL IDEALS
Liberal democracy is the ideology that guided the American experience.
Liberal democracy reveres individual rights and expresses faith in popular control of government.
Liberal democracy rests on three essential notions: natural rights, the formation of a social contract by consent of the governed, and majority rule.
© 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

7. THE CHANGING FACE OF THE AMERICAN CITIZENRY
Growing diversity: The American population is increasingly drawn from across the world; ethnic minorities now make up some 30 percent of the population.
Growing older: An older population growing rapidly poses challenges for Social Security and Medicare programs.
Growing apart: Outward markers of class are not as obvious today, but significant economic divisions still exist among Americans.
© 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

8. THE FUTURE OF CITIZENSHIP
Americans are exploring new forms of civic engagement and political participation.
More colleges and universities turning to student service learning
Some states experimenting with voting by mail
Candidates, parties, and nonpartisan groups increasing efforts to reach out to voters, especially young people
© 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

9. THE FUTURE OF CITIZENSHIP
The Internet is becoming an important tool for mobilizing civic engagement.
Community groups using Internet to organize and publicize initiatives
Political candidates increasingly using Internet for fundraising and for motivating voters
© 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

10. Citizen Activities in a Democratic Society
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11. Trust in National Governments
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12. Composition of Neighborhoods by Racial and Ethnic Groups
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13. The Graying of America
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14. Projected Growth in Employment by Education or Training Category
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15. Reasons for Not Voting, 18–24-Year Olds
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16. Hot or Not?
Should the government be in the business of promoting civic engagement and political participation?
© 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

17. Get Involved
Find out how your civic engagement level measures against that of students from around the country. Take the Civic Engagement Quiz from the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement. It is available on their website at You can score yourself and compare your level of activity to a national sample of students from around the country.
© 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

18. Summary What kinds of civic involvement fuel democracies?
Citizens can contribute to the civic life of democracy by participating in voluntary associations that build social capital, or bonds of trust among citizens, and by participating in the political process that fuels our form of government.
© 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

19. Summary What ideals fuel American democracy?
American democracy gets its inspiration from the liberal democratic views of John Locke and rests on three essential notions: natural rights, the formulation of a social contract by the consent of the governed, and majority rule.
© 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

20. Summary
What are some of the changes and challenges facing America today?
We are growing more diverse, older, and subject to continuing class divisions.
© 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.