Jacobs 2013

1. What are the foundations of democracy? 2. What are the connections between democracy and the free enterprise system? 3. How has the Internet affected democracy?

“No government demands so much from the citizen as Democracy, and none gives so much back.” – James Bryce  What does a democratic government demand from you?  What does it give you in return?

What about this one: “No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.” –Winston Churchill

(1) A recognition of the fundamental worth and dignity of every person (2) A respect for the equality of all persons (3) A faith in majority rule and an insistence upon minority rights (4) An acceptance of the necessity of compromise (5) An insistence upon the widest possible degree of individual freedom This is the very minimum anyone who professes to believe in democracy must agree to

 Everyone is unique (duh)  Each person has dignity and worth  But…sometimes the welfare of one or a few is subordinated to the interests of a majority in a democracy People are forced to do things they may not want to do like paying taxes, or even stopping for a stop sign These may not be enjoyed by the minority but are put in place to serve the majority

 Democracy does not insist on equality of condition but it does insist on the equality of rights What does that mean?  Democratic concept of equality insists that all are entitled to: Equality of opportunity Equality before the law  What types of things should NOT hold a person back in terms of opportunities?

 The will of the people and not the dictate of the ruling few determines public policy  Majority rule: (it’s a numbers game) 1. The majority of people will be right more often than they will be wrong 2. Majority will also be right more often than will any one person or small group  But democracy does not say they will always arrive at the best decisions  Democracy is, however, the best choice because if bad decisions are made we can correct them…

 We also recognize that seldom is any solution so satisfactory that it cannot be improved upon  One of the greatest things about our democracy is that we can fix things!!!  Amendments  Elections etc.  Majority must be willing to listen to a minorities argument

 Compromise: the process of blending and adjusting competing views and interests to find the position most acceptable to the largest number  This allows for new solutions, and innovative ideas  But… Compromise helps balance majority and minority ideas Not all compromises are good, and not all are necessary

 We do have individual rights  But not ABSOLUTE freedom “The right to swing my fist ends where there other man’s nose begins.”-Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes  Therefore, we are entitled to many rights so long as we do not impede the rights of other humans

 We value individual freedom even in our economy  Free enterprise system-an economic system characterized by private or corporate ownership of capital goods  4 fundamental factors for free enterprise system: 1. Private ownership 2. Individual initiative 3. Profit 4. Competition

 Decisions on what product to make, how much product to make, and the price of the product are made by the market through the law of supply and demand  Law of supply and demand-when the supplies of goods and services become plentiful, prices tend to drop. When supplies become scarce, prices rise USA  Political system: Democracy  Economic system: Free enterprise

 We have a mixed economy because we do not have a completely free market  Mixed economy- an economy in which private enterprise exists in combination with a considerable amount of government regulation and promotion

 2 purposes of government participation in economy: 1. To protect the public 2. To preserve private enterprise  How this happens: 1. Government regulation  Anti-trust laws, pure food and drug laws, environmental regulations, building codes 2. Government promotion  Subsidies (money from gov’t) given to scientific research, transportation systems, farmers of certain crops etc.

 The great debate is HOW MUCH should the government participate, regulate and promote, police and serve  Perhaps: “The legitimate object of government is to do for a community of people, whatever they need to have done, but can not do, at all, or can not, so well do, for themselves—in their separate, and individual capacities.” -Abraham Lincoln, July 1, 1854

“Democracy is the recurrent suspicion that more than half of the people are right more than half of the time.”-E.B. White

 Create the chart below and discuss the following with a neighbor: How has the Internet changed democracy? Positive ChangeNeutral ChangeNegative Change