Chapter 1: Freedom, Order or Equality Warm Up (Daily Dilemma): DD1 Which is better, to live under a government that protects individual freedom or under one that infringes on freedom while guarding against threats to security? -Hamdi case

DD#2 Which is better: to let all citizens keep the same share of their income or to tax the wealthy at a higher rate?

The Great Recession In 2009 the unemployment rate was at 10.2% (and 17.3% counting people who had given up looking for work). More than ½ of all unemployed workers borrowed money from friends or relatives & 60% drew down their savings accounts What should governments do to end such intense economic downturns?

The Globalization of American Government Governments are instituted to control human behavior. In the past, governments generally have recognized national sovereignty, which means governments have the right to rule its territory as it sees fit, without the intrusion of other governments and institutions. As we have become more of a global society, governments and institutions have become increasingly involved in the actions of other nations. National sovereignty is threatened under globalization because of the pressure for international law to govern behavior

Human rights are an area that has drawn such attention. “Protection of human rights must ‘take precedence over concerns of state sovereignty.’” Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the United Nations How has this shift impacted our national sovereignty? – U.S. pulling out of the International Criminal Court treaty – Concern that U.S. soldiers abroad may be arrested and tried in such a court. – U.S. is being pressured to eliminate the death penalty.

The U.S. has strong economic, political and social ties to countries throughout the world, should this be taken into consideration when making policy decisions here in the United States?

The Purpose of Government All governments require individuals to give up some level of freedom in order to receive the benefits provided by government. There are three basic purposes of government: – Maintaining Order – Providing Public Goods – Promoting Equality

The Purpose of Government Maintaining Order is the first role of governments, it can be accomplished in 3 ways: – Establishing the rule of law to preserve life Thomas Hobbes (1588 – 1679) – Believed that without government life would be “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.” – Saw a strong, single sovereign as the only way to maintain order. – Authoritarian rule – Preserving Private Property

The Purpose of Government John Locke (1632 – 1704) – Protection of “life, liberty, and property” is the main objective of government. – Where have we heard that before?? – Preserving Property for All Karl Marx ( ) – Communism – “from each, according to their ability, to each, according to their need.” – Ownership of all land and productive facilities Is given to “the people” (i.e. the government)

The Purpose of Government Once order is established, governments can begin to provide public goods. – Governments must tax citizens to provide public goods. – Public goods benefit all members of a society, but are not usually provided by private citizens. What are some examples of public goods?

The Purpose of Government Promoting Equality is a controversial role of governments – Came about in the 20th century, after industrialization and urbanization. – Idea of the Welfare State emerged in Europe – Guaranteed income, “from the cradle to the grave.” – Should the government redistribute income? Social equality can also be promoted by government by passing such laws as: – Civil Rights – Affirmative Action

A Conceptual Framework… Our text offers five concepts through which to study government. GOALS OF GOVERNMENT- what the gov’t tries to do: – Freedom – Order – Equality HOW DEMOCRACIES TRY TO DO IT: – Majoritarian Democracy – Pluralist Democracy

The Concepts of Freedom, Order and Equality Freedom can be broken down into two senses: “Freedom of,” which includes: The absence of constraints Freedom of religion, freedom of speech Liberty “Freedom from,” which includes: Immunity from something Freedom from fear and want Equality When “freedom” is used by the authors, it will generally refer to “freedom of.”

Order Order, as defined by the textbook, includes – Preserving life – Protecting property – Maintaining traditional patterns of social relationships Order is maintained through the government’s police power.

Equality Equality is also broken down into more specific senses: – Political equality One person = one vote Does a persons influence and access make them “more equal?” Social equality – Do people need to be equal in wealth, education and status in order to achieve political equality? Two routes to social equality Equality of opportunity Equality of outcome

Two Dilemmas of Government 1. Freedom vs. Order How much freedom are you willing to give up in order to ensure a safe and orderly society? How much order are you willing to give up in order to ensure your freedoms? This American Life episode

2. Freedom vs. Equality The Equal Pay Act requiring employers to pay women and men the same rate for equal work – Employers are forced to pay more than they would if their pay was based on free choice Bussing of schoolchildren to achieve a fair distribution of blacks and whites in schools – Impaired freedom of choice for educational equality When forced to choose, Americans are more likely to choose freedom over equality

Ideology and Government ECONOMIC THEORIES Socialism Capitalism Laissez Faire POLITICAL THEORIES Totalitarianism Libertarianism Anarchism Most Government Least Government AMERICAN SYSTEM LiberalsConservatives

Political Theories Totalitarianism: – Government should have unlimited power in all areas. Libertarianism – Government’s role is only to protect life and property. – Laissez faire economics – leave it be Anarchism – Government is unnecessary. Values freedom above all else.

Economic Theories Socialism: – An economic system based on Marx’s ideas. Government has significant control over the economy, usually owns or controls, at least, the basic industries. Democratic Socialism – Countries allow civil liberties, free elections and political parties Capitalism – Free Enterprise – Limited or no government interference in business

The American System Liberals and Conservatives Liberals – Purpose of government should be to protect equality, but not order Conservative – Purpose of government is to enforce order rather than equality.

Section 3: A Conceptual Framework for Analyzing Gov’t A Two-Dimensional Classification of Ideologies Conservatives Freedom over Equality Order over Freedom Libertarians Freedom over Equality Freedom over Order Communitarians Order over Freedom Equality over Freedom Liberals Freedom over Order Equality over Freedom Freedom Equality FreedomOrder

DD #3 What is more “equal,” equality of opportunity or equality of outcome? Why does equality of outcome show the dilemma of equality vs. freedom?