Chapter 1 Introduction: The Citizen and Government

What Government Does and Why It Matters The role of the government differs for each individual – some complain that it does too much, others complain that it needs to do more Will people ever be happy with the government???? The government has to make sure that it always stays true to American values

Group Work In your groups explain the following: - What do the terms liberty, equality, and democracy have to do with the United States? - Define liberty. - Define equality. - Define democracy.

Liberty, Equality, and Democracy Liberty – personal freedom and a government whose powers are limited by law Equality – the idea that all individuals should have the right to participate in political life and society on equivalent terms Democracy – placing considerable political power into the hands of ordinary people (a government by the people, for the people, of the people)

Government Affects Our Lives Every Day Everything we do is somehow related back to our government – list examples (look at page 7) To understand the American government is to understand the relationship between the citizen and the government Citizenship – the membership in one’s community Voting is considered the building block of citizenship The main point of being a citizen is to influence the government Citizens need political knowledge in order to act in their own interest What could happen if citizens did not have political knowledge???

Government Government – describes the formal institutions and procedures through which a territory and its people are ruled To govern is to rule

Different Forms of Government Authoritarian – the government recognizes no formal limit; like a dictatorship Totalitarian – government exercises great power and seeks to suppress anything/anyone that opposes its power – examples?? Democracy – the people shape who controls the government and what government does Constitutional Government - a governing constitution exists

The Enlightenment What role did the Enlightenment play in the shaping of the US government?

“No taxation without representation” Showed that early on Americans wanted to place limits on the government – what does this mean?

Limits on Governments Encouraged Freedom The key force behind the imposition of limits on government power was a new social class, the bourgeoisie Bourgeoisie = Europe’s middle class – influenced by the Enlightenment Strongly believed in a constitution that placed limits on governmental power Influenced many of our Bill of Rights freedoms

Expansion of Participation in America Changed the Political Balance A pattern exists throughout US history of voting expansion by groups hoping to derive some political advantage (citizens without property, women, African Americans) Then the idea of the government giving people certain rights in exchange for political support started (Jacksonian democracy, Lincoln in the Civil War)

The Goal in Politics is Having a Say in What Happens Politics refers to conflicts over the leadership, structure, and policies of governments The goal of politics is to have a share or say in the composition of the government’s leadership

Key Terms Politics – conflict over leadership, structure, and policies of governments Representative democracy/republic – government that gives citizens regular opportunity to elect government officials Direct democracy – citizens vote directly on laws and policies America is a representative democracy/republic

Journal #1 August 15, 2014 Which core American value do you think is most important to our political system and why?

Liberty Means Freedom No ideal is more central to American values than liberty – Declaration of Independence – “Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” – Preamble to Constitution – “blessings of liberty” – Definition of liberty: freedom from government control, and economic freedom Limited government – powers are defined and limited by a constitution

Bill of Rights First 10 Amendments preserve individual personal liberties and rights – Freedom of speech, freedom of religion, right to assemble freely… When can this freedom or liberty become an issue? – Conflict over how personal liberties can be extended – Conflict over when personal liberties violate community norms – Abortion – personal freedom for women or murder?

Economic Freedom Economic freedom has been linked to capitalism, free markets, and the protection of private property Laissez-faire economics – “to leave alone”; economic system in which the government stays out of the affairs of businesses – When in US history – What’s the good and bad with laissez-faire? Most Americans endorse restrictions and regulations to protect the public – Health and safety laws, environmental rules, workplace regulations

Equality of Opportunity Definition: All people should have the freedom to use whatever talents and wealth they have to reach their fullest potential – What constitutes equality of opportunity? – Should past inequalities be remedied in order to ensure equality of opportunity in the present? – Affirmative action Equality implies an obligation of the government to the people

Political Equality Definition: The right to participate in politics equally, based on the principle of “one person, one vote” Early on, voting restrictions were placed on everyone other than white landowning men There is still conflict over whether or not the current political system makes it harder for some people to participate and easier for others; also the role money plays in politics

Social and Economic Inequality Americans are generally less concerned about social or economic inequality…yet “class warfare” has been a recent hot topic in politics During harsh economic times…the Great Depression…Americans tend to support more aggressive role of the government to help promote more economic equality

Democracy The essence of democracy is the participation of the people in choosing their rulers and the people’s ability to influence those rulers Popular sovereignty – a principle of democracy in which political authority rests ultimately in the hands of the people The US is a representative democracy – elected representatives make the political decisions

Majority Rule with Minority Rights The democratic principle that a government follows the preferences of the majority of voters but protects the interests of the minority Majority rule means the wishes of the majority determine what the government does Why can this be dangerous? – Founders feared that rule by the majority would end up in a “tyranny of the majority” that would suppress individual rights