1. Introduction to American Government
Power & Government

2. Vocabulary Terms Democracy Oligarchy Dictatorship Monarchy Communist
Social Contract Theory
Natural Rights
Sovereignty
9. Declaration of Independence
10. Articles of Confederation

3. Power
"The essence of Government is power; and power, lodged as it must be in human hands, will ever be liable to abuse." –James Madison
What did Mr. Madison mean?
James Madison, “Father of the Constitution”

4. What is Power?
Power is the ability to influence the behavior of others to get the outcomes that one wants.

5. Sources of Power Coercive Power Reward Power
Legitimate or Position Power
Expert Power
Referent or Personal Power
Coercive power - The ability to punish, to something that is feared - coercive power when they believe that he or she can punish them
Reward power - The ability to reward, to give something that is wanted (often through control over a desired resource) An individual possesses reward power when others believe that he or she can provide them with desired rewards
Legitimate power - The power than comes from a defined role (such as a manager or a policeman) belonging to an organization (also called organizational power) This may occur because the individual holds a particular social role that commands respect or authority or because others feel a certain obligation to defer to that individual. Others believe that he or she has the right to exert influence over others. Parents typically have legitimate power with respect to their children, as do priests or ministers with respect to members of their congregations
Expert power - The power of superior knowledge or skill (such as an R&D engineer) Physicians typically have expert power relative to their patients and lawyers relative to their clients.
Referent power – Personal Power: The power that comes from another person liking you or wanting to be like you (this is the power of charisma and fame) Finally, referent power refers to an individual's or group's likeableness or social attractiveness to others. Friends have referent power in relation to each other and a social group may have referent power with respect to an adolescent who would like membership in the group.

6. What is Government? The legitimate exercise of authority in a state.
Authority – Power that people recognize as legitimate.
Legitimate – Appropriate and lawful.
State – (A country or nation)
A body of people living in a defined territory, organized politically, with sovereignty.
(the power to make and enforce law without the consent of higher authority)
Our concept of a “state” is different today.
Under the articles the was a state this????

7. Many Government Exercise Three Basic Kinds of Power
Legislative Power – The power to make law and public policies.
Executive Power – The power to execute, enforce and administer the law
Judicial Power – The power to interpret the laws, determine their meaning and settle disputes.
Why do you think our Founding Fathers divided this power over three branches instead of just ONE, like under the Articles of Confederation?
As a matter of fact, we are going to start with a time when power was not distributed…King James I

8. King James I

9. King James I - Stuart Family
King of England from 1603–1625
Proclaimed the Divine Right of Kings Theory
Kings are Chosen by God
Born with Power
Kings are only accountable to God, not to any person.
Subjects who argue with the King are committing blasphemy against God.
Implications?

10. Niccolo Machiavelli
(1469 – 1527)

11. The Prince Controversial, condemned by the Pope.
Focused on how Monarchies should keep power
The quote “The end justifies the means” has been used to describe his book.
Princes should keep absolute control by any means possible.

12. Social Contract Theorists & Enlightenment Thinkers
Thomas Hobbes
John Locke
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Baron de Montesquieu

13. Social Contract Theorists
What is a social contract?
Emerged during the period of Enlightenment.
As other scientists were questioning math and science, some theorists were questioning assumptions about government.
An agreement among people
defining the rights and duties
of individuals with each
other and with the government.

14. Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) Hobbes challenged Divine Right Theory
Did not challenge Monarchy - Any government is better than no government.
Why? Must examine the State of Nature: Life without institutions, a primitive state before governments.

15. Hobbes and the State of Nature
Wrote the Leviathan
Pessimistic - Man in the state of nature is essentially equal and at “war”
Without government, life would be “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.”
A constant struggle to survive against the evil of others

16. Hobbes and the Social Contract
Out of fear, people want to be ruled.
People enter into a social contract with the government.
People give up rights and liberties in order to control society and to safeguard property.
Individual obedience is necessary in order to stop the greater evil of an endless state of war.

17. John Locke English 1632-1704 An Essay Concerning Human Understanding
Second Treatise
of Civil Government

18. Locke and the State of Nature
State of perfect freedom and equality no king has the power to void those rights
All human beings in their natural state were equal and free to pursue life, health, liberty and possessions (inalienable rights).
In this state, everyone is the judge and jury.
Creates problems – Gov’t remedies these problems.
Governments allow man to pursue his goals more efficiently.

19. Locke and the Social Contract
Men enter into a social contract with the government to preserve life, liberty and property and to assure justice.
From this state of nature people would not choose an absolute monarchy, they choose a society governed by standing laws, with power distributed among different groups.
If the government acts improperly it breaks the contract with the people. Revolution in some circumstances is not only a right, it is an obligation.

20. Review the Views on the Social Contract
Hobbes: the social contract restricts conflict in the state of nature by surrendering power and instituting justice.
Locke: the social contract carries man from the state of nature to be governed in order to preserve liberties and property rights.
Now…
Rousseau: the social contract limits the power of the state and brings citizens closer to the state of nature.

21. Jean Jacques Rousseau Swiss - French 1712-1778 On The Social Contract,
1762

22. Rousseau and the State of Nature
“Man is born free, but everywhere he is in chains.” (Thesis)
Natural State is freedom, but people in modern states are not free. Why?
The only natural society is the family.
Man in the state of nature may have been solitary, but he was healthy, happy, good, free and equal.
Problems begin when people form societies.
Original “tribal” societies were alright, but the introduction of property created inequality and jealousy.
Cannot return to the natural state so we form governments to restore some of our freedoms.

23. Rousseau and the Social Contract
The sovereign exists to safeguard the citizens, and the social contract is an agreement among the people.
People renounce their natural rights
Rights are redefined and individuals gain civil rights as citizens of the community.
People give up their personal will for the general will.
Government is only legitimate through agreement and people must periodically revisit the laws, and renew their consent.
Ideal state is small enough to allow the citizens to know one another.
The state has legitimate power only if it obeys the general will.

24. Baron de Montesquieu “On The Spirit of Laws” 1748
Admired British system
Separation of governmental powers into three divisions
the executive, who carries out (executes) the laws
the legislative, who makes the laws,
and the judicial, who interprets the laws.
Tyranny can be avoided by dividing political power among different groups. (Separation of Powers)
Tyranny can be avoided by keeping watch on the other branches of government (checks and balances)
These would prevent anyone from gaining a monopoly of power.

25. Forms of Government Geographic Distribution of Power
Authoritarian vs. Democratic (Who holds the power?)
Methods of Representative Democracy

26. Three basic forms of government
Unitary – a “centralized government”
All powers belong to a single central agency
Usually due to size of country being small
Ex: England, Japan, Spain
Unitary does not mean “dictatorship

27. Confederation – alliance of independent states.
Ex: U.S. under the Articles of Confederation, Civil War South, Switzerland, European Union

28. Federal – powers are divided between central government and regional governments.
Ex: U.S., Mexico, Canada

29. Who Holds the Power? Democracy
In a democracy, the government is elected by the people. Everyone who is eligible to vote has a chance to have their say over who runs the country. It is distinct from governments controlled by a particular social class or group (aristocracy; oligarchy) or by a single person (despotism; dictatorship; monarchy).
A democracy is determined either directly or through elected representatives.
Examples of Representative Democracies: U.S., Russia, Chile, Rwanda, Indonesia
Examples of Direct Democracies: Greece under Pericles, New England town hall meetings, California’s ballot proposition system.

30. Who Holds the Power? Autocracy
Government by a single person having unlimited power; despotism (domination through threat of punishment and violence) .
This could be a monarchy, dictator, or a totalitarian leader.

31. Who Holds the Power? Oligarchy
A government in which a few people such as a dominant clan or clique have power.
Examples of oligarchies are: South Africa before apartheid, Athens under aristocratic rule, ancient Sparta, most tribal governments.

32. Who Holds the Power? Monarchy
A monarchy has a king, queen, emperor or empress.
The ruling position can be passed on to the ruler’s heirs.
In some traditional monarchies, the monarch has absolute power.
But a constitutional monarchy, like the UK, also has a democratic government that limits the monarch's control.
Constitutional Monarchy examples: Morocco, Laos, Bahrain, Jordon, Japan, United Kingdom
Absolute Monarchy examples: Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Vatican City

33. Who Holds the Power? Dictatorship
A country ruled by a single leader. The leader has not been elected and may use force to keep control.
In a military dictatorship, the army is in control.
Examples: Fidel Castro, Saddam Hussein, Myanmar

34. Who Holds the Power? Anarchy
Anarchy is a situation where there is no government. This can happen after a civil war in a country, when a government has been destroyed and rival groups are fighting to take its place.
Anarchists are people who believe that government is a bad thing in that it stops people organizing their own lives.

35. Who Holds the Power? Republic
A republic is a country that has no monarch.
The head of the country is usually an elected president.

36. Who Holds the Power? Totalitarian
This is a country with only one political party.
People are forced to do what the government tells them and may also be prevented from leaving the country.
Examples: Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini, Castro

37. Different methods of Representative Democracy
Parliamentary Gov’t
Leg Branch (aka parliament) - Voters elect
Exec Branch - chosen by the legislature, often a member of the legislature
Jud Branch - appointed.
Presidential Gov’t
Leg Branch - Voters elect
Exec Branch – voters elect
Jud Branch - appointed.

38. Review Questions
Respond to the following questions in writing. _________________________________________________________________
How would you describe who traditionally holds power throughout history?
Why has this group been the ones to hold power for so long?
What is the source of power? In other words, where does ones power originate?
How does one obtain power if they want it?
How do you hold/maintain power once obtained?
Lord Acton stated in 1887, "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men." Do you agree or disagree with this quote? Why or why not?
Make a list of all groups or individuals that hold power over you.
Make a list of all groups or individuals that you power over.