WHO GETS WHAT, WHEN, HOW? WHAT IN THE WORLD DOES THAT MEAN? Political Science WHO GETS WHAT, WHEN, HOW? WHAT IN THE WORLD DOES THAT MEAN?

Political Science Big Idea Essential Question Political science is more than the study of the US government. It is the study of WHY we have governments and what they do for the people. Essential Question What is the purpose of government and politics? Question 1: What do you believe the purpose of government is? Explain. Take hands.

Brain Check What do you believe the purpose of government is? Explain.

What is Political Science? The study of politics. Is the definition really that simple? In 1936, a scientist, Harold Laswell defined the term as “who gets what, when, how.” What does this mean??? It implies that politics involves competition for scarce resources and the distribution of those scarce resources. Politics is a system for dividing resources, and the country has many resources to distribute. Can you think of any resources that the government distributes?

Politics as a game Politics can be thought of as a game, and government can be thought of as the rules of the game. Every game has rules. The rules apply to everyone-so they are fair, but they are not necessarily neutral. Think about this….Let’s use basketball as an example. Can anyone give me a basketball rule? Is that rule the same for all players? Yes, the rules are the same for all players, but some may have more of an advantage. For instance, who benefits from the ten-foot rim?

So…. We will define politics as: the public resolution or management of conflict within a basic consensus of community. Conflict:We have politics because we disagree. Consensus of community:We have rules for dealing with conflict. Without rules we have violence. Public:The process of allocating scarce resources takes place in the open. Question 2: What conflicts do you think arise in society? What laws/rules exist to solve them?

Brain Check! What conflicts do you think arise in society? What laws/rules exist to solve them?

So, we’ve talked politics. What is government? Government is a set of institutions by which a society is ruled. Does everyone agree on the role government should play in society? Are we all on the same page when it comes to who should be President and which laws should pass? Absolutely not!! However, the role of government can be examined by the functions most governments perform.

Roles of an organized government Maintaining Internal Order and External Security Make sure that the country is safe from crime, war, and terrorism Some countries that do not have this are: Iraq, Somalia, Syria, Sudan What are the conditions like there compared to here in the U.S.? Ensuring Justice Administration of what is just-by law or judicial proceeding Safeguarding Individual Freedoms Citizens should have certain rights and freedoms, such as freedom of religion and due process.

Roles of an organized government Regulating Individual’s Actions Some people have selfish interests that are contrary to the welfare of society. The government must regulate their activities if this is true. Promoting the General Welfare Government regulates the economy, levies taxes and protects and provides services to benefit individuals, groups and the whole of society. Question 3: When do you think a government has stepped beyond it’s roles?

Brain Check! For each of the five roles of an organized government, state if the United States government does or does not fulfill that role. Explain each answer fully.

The Political Process-Ideology What is ideology? Have you heard this word before? Ideology-system of commonly held beliefs and values. What are beliefs? Beliefs are people’s assessment of reality and what they hold to be true. What are values? Values are people’s ideas about what’s right and wrong.

Classic Ideologies Conservatism (Republicans) Liberalism (Democrats) Change is bad, religion and government should be closely intertwined, individual social advancement encouraged, market as the moral judge of human life, government should not be responsible for the welfare of citizens. Liberalism (Democrats) Individual liberties valued above everything else, government should be responsible for the welfare of citizens. Socialism Purpose of society to advance human welfare, society should cooperate rather than compete, equality is the most important thing, organized religion should be tolerated but kept separate from gov’t. Which ideology do you think best matches our US government? Explain.

American Ideology The American Ideology is most closely related to Classic Liberalism. While there is a mix of liberalism and socialism as far as the government manipulating the economy, regulating business and some ownership of the means of production, but compared to other countries, such as Europe, the U.S. has the most pure remaining version of classic liberalism.