Democracy American Government

What is a Government? A government is the institution through which a society makes and enforces its public policies Government is made up of people who exercise governmental power and individuals who have authority and control over people Within a democracy, everyone is held to the rule of law This means that all individuals within the society are required to follow the law at all times. Public policy is a choice that government makes in response to a political issue

Democracy Democracy- Direct Democracy- Representative Democracy- Democracy is a means of selecting policy makers and organizing the government so that policy reflects citizens’ preferences Direct Democracy- Direct democracy relies on procedures such as initiatives, referendums, and the recalls, by which voters can have a direct impact on policymaking and the political process by means of the voting booth Representative Democracy- A representative democracy is a form of government that relies on the consent of the people and is often called a republican government In this form of democracy, citizens vote for individuals that will help make policy decisions on the behalf of citizens

Criteria It is argued that an ideal democratic process should possess the 5 criteria below Equality of voting- “one person, one vote” Effective participation- Citizens must have adequate and equal opportunities to express their preferences Enlightened understanding- Free speech and free press is essential for a free flow of ideas Citizens control the agenda- Citizens should have the right to control the agenda regardless of wealth or influence Inclusion- The government must include, and extend rights, to all subjects it’s laws

Purpose of American government There are six basic purposes of our American Government stated in the preamble To establish a more perfect union Establish justice Insure domestic tranquility Provide for the common defense Promote the general welfare Secure the blessings of liberty

Terms to Know Majority Rule- Minority Rights- The practice of following the will of over half the voters. Minority Rights- This is the right of the minority to speak out against majority practices

Major political ideas The Force Theory- The Evolutionary Theory- The force theory is the idea that a person, or group, forced themselves into control and then created the ideas of population, territory, sovereignty, and government The Evolutionary Theory- The evolutionary theory is centered on the belief that the head of the family eventually became the head of state after years of interweaving family connections

Major Political ideas Divine Right Theory- Social Contract Theory- The divine right theory is the belief that God put the ruler on earth to rule This theory was present through much of the 15th-18th centuries Social Contract Theory- The social contract theory is the idea that the people of a state and its rulers enter into a contract. This contract argues that the state is a voluntary act and that they should only serve the people. If the people aren’t served, then the people have the right and the responsibility to cast it aside