1. Power and Citizenship in American Politics
Chapter 1

2. In This Chapter We Will Learn About:
The meaning of “politics” and “government.”
The varieties of political systems and the roles they endorse for the individuals who live in them
The historical origins of American democracy
Our roots as immigrants and the role of immigration in American politics
Demographic trends that help us see what Americans are like
American political beliefs

3. What is Politics?
Politics: who gets what, when, and how; a process of determining how power and resources are distributed in a society without recourse to violence
Politics arranges our lives into some kind of social order
Using the “who gets what, when, and how” definition above, can you come up with examples of politics on campus?

4. Power and Government
Power: the ability to get others to do what you want
The way power is managed must be legitimate or there will be violence
Government: a system or organization for exercising authority over a body of people
Authority: the power that people recognize as legitimate

5. Rules and Institutions
Rules: directives that specify how resources will be distributed or what procedures govern collective activity
The “how” of who gets what, and how
Institutions: organizations in which government power is exercised
The “where” of the political struggle
What are some examples of both rules and institutions on campus?

6. Politics and Economics
Economics: the production and distribution of a society’s material resources and services
Both politics and economics focus on the distribution of society’s resources
Economics was meant to be private, whereas politics was meant to be public. Why do you think this distinction was made?

7. Economic Systems
Capitalism: market determines production, distribution, and price decisions
Regulated capitalism has government procedural guarantees, whereas laissez-faire capitalism doesn’t
Do you believe that Americans truly understand capitalism? Do you? How would you explain it to someone else?

8. Socialism and Social Democracy
Socialist economy: the state determines production, distribution, and price decisions; property is government owned
Few nations still claim allegiance to socialism
Social democracy is a hybrid of capitalism and socialism.

9. Socialism and Social Democracy, con’t
American politicians have become increasingly likely to accuse one another of being socialist. Can you think of recent examples of this? How accurate is this portrayal?
See NPR’s podcast, “We Found a Socialist!”

10. Authoritarian Systems
In authoritarian systems, the state holds all power
Monarchy: government power vested in a king or queen (Saudi Arabia)
Theocracy: government claims to draw its power from divine or religious authority (Iran)

11. Authoritarian Systems, con’t
Fascist government: policy is made for the ultimate glory of the state (Nazi Germany)
Oligarchy: rule by a small group of elites (post-Soviet Russia)
Totalitarian government: exercises absolute control over every aspect of life (North Korea)

12. Non-Authoritarian Systems
Anarchy: the absence of government and laws
In such a system, no one has true freedom because your rights can be usurped by anyone physically stronger than you or by anyone with a weapon
Anarchy, apocalypse, and societal collapse have become popular subjects in pop culture in recent years. Can you think of examples, i.e. TV shows and movies? Why do you think we are fascinated by this topic?

13. Democracy
Democracy: government that vests power in the people; based on popular sovereignty
Popular sovereignty: the concept that the citizens are the ultimate source of political power

14. Theories of Democracy
Elite democracy: limits the citizens’ role to choosing among competing leaders
Pluralist democracy: citizen membership in groups is the key to political power
Participatory democracy: citizens should actively and directly control all aspects of their lives and participate in all aspects of lawmaking

15. The Role of the People
In authoritarian systems, individuals are subjects of their state government:
They are obliged to submit to a government authority against which they have no rights
In democratic systems, individuals are citizens:
They are members of a political community having both rights and responsibilities

16. The Role of the People, con’t
What are some examples of the rights that come with citizenship? The responsibilities?
Why do we differentiate between rights and responsibilities? How important is it that citizens both give and receive in a democracy?
See John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum’s video of his famous 1961 inaugural address

17. Origins of American Democracy
Ancient Greece ( BC): Athenian democracy
See History Channel’s video, “The Birth of Democracy”

18. Origins of American Democracy, con’t
Middle Ages ( AD): politics based largely on the divine right of kings (the principle that earthly rulers receive their authority from God)
Age of Reason/Enlightenment ( AD): divine right discredited, notion that citizenship confers both rights and responsibilities emerged

19. Social Contract Theory
Social contract theory: society is based on an agreement between government and the governed in which people agree to give up some rights in exchange for the protection of others

20. Social Contract Theory, cont’d
John Locke ( ): legitimate government requires that people consent to it and if government breaks contract, people may form a new one
Thomas Hobbes ( ): government did not exist due to divine right; instead, people agree to be governed for their own protection

21. When is Revolution Justified?
Refer to “What’s at Stake… in Taking It to the Streets” at the beginning of the chapter
Under what circumstances might the social contract be considered violated by the government?
When is revolution justified? In what forms? What about violence?
See the Chronicle of Higher Education’s article, “Why Violence Works”

22. Democracy in America
James Madison feared “pure democracy” because people may create “factions”
Factions: groups that might pursue only their self-interest
Instead, he preferred a republic
Republic: a government in which decisions are made through representatives of the people

23. Democracy in America, con’t
Madison did not trust average Americans to act beyond their own interests
His view contrasted with the idea of republican virtue: citizens can put interests of community ahead of their own
American citizenship today illustrates elements of both views

24. Citizenship in America Today: Two Views
Madison’s view
Republican virtue
Human nature is to be self-interested, individual participation in government should be limited, and “too much” democracy is a bad thing
Faith in the citizen’s ability to act virtuously, not just for his or her own good but for the common good as well

25. Discussion: Competing Views of Citizenship
Which view do you subscribe most closely to?
What are some examples of both views in politics, or in a particular stance on a political issue?
Do you think that certain areas of the country or certain demographics tend to subscribe to one over the other?

26. Who are we?
The United States is incredibly diverse and constantly changing
See NPR’s story, “Melting Pot”
What are some recent population changes?
See Pew Research’s report on two of these most important changes, “The Next America”
How do these changes affect our political culture?
How will they affect you and your generation?

27. Where do we come from? You are an American citizen if you are:
Born in the United States, whether or not parents are citizens. Jus soli: “the right of the soil”
Born to American parents abroad. Jus sanguinis: “the right by blood”

28. Immigration and Naturalization
Immigrants: citizens or subjects of other countries who move to another country to live or work
Naturalization: the legal process of acquiring citizenship for someone who has not acquired it by birth
See Pew Research’s report, “Who Naturalizes: Reasons for Naturalizing”

29. The Naturalization Process
See the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ “Becoming a U.S. Citizen: An Overview of the Naturalization Process”
Applicants must pass an English and a civics test (some exemptions are given, so it is possible to become naturalized without speaking English)
For the civics test, there is a study guide of 100 questions on U.S. history and politics. Applicants are given ten random questions from this guide, and must get six correct to pass

30. Sample Civics Test When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
The idea of self-government is in the first three words of the Constitution. What are these words?
What do we call the first 10 amendments to the Constitution?
What are the three branches of the U.S. government?
Who is in charge of the executive branch?
How many U.S. Senators are there?

31. Sample Civics Test, con’t
The House of Representatives has how many voting members?
If both the President and the Vice President can no longer serve, who becomes President?
Who is the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court now?
Why does the flag have 13 stripes?
See more questions at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ Civics Test study website

32. How do Americans do on the Civics Test?
How did you do on the civics test? Remember, you need 6/10 correct to pass
If you did not do well, you are not alone. See recent Vox report, “Awkward: Americans Can't Pass the US Citizenship Test”
Do you think it is important for all Americans to have this level of knowledge? Why or why not?

33. Non-Immigrants
Many come to the U.S. without legal permanent residency, and are called nonimmigrants. Categories of nonimmigrants include:
Those seeking asylum: protection or sanctuary, especially from political persecution
Refugees: individuals who flee an area or a country because of persecution on the basis of race, nationality, religion, group membership, or political opinion

34. Non-Immigrants, con’t Other nonimmigrants:
Nonpermanent resident students, workers, visitors.
Undocumented immigrants are those who avoid U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services regulations
Often obey laws, pay taxes, but strain some states’ resources
See Pew Research’s report, “U.S. Unauthorized Immigration Population Trends, ”

35. U.S. Immigration Policy
We control immigration for numerous reasons, including a preference for admitting only those able to help the United States
We have also historically limited the immigration of some groups
See the University of Texas at Austin’s video from its “Border Views” series, “Chinese Immigrants and the First U.S. Immigration Laws”

36. U.S. Immigration Policy, con’t
Immigration policy today is controlled by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). It has been heavily influenced by recent events and trends:
Post–September 11 security worries
Illegal immigration through Mexican border
Many states are independently adopting strict immigration laws, including an extremely controversial one in Arizona

37. State Crackdowns on Illegal Immigration
Many states are independently adopting strict immigration laws, including an extremely controversial one in Arizona that resulted in a Supreme Court case in 2012
See CBS News’ report on the case, “Special Report: Ruling on Arizona Immigration Law”
Also see PBS’s report, “Alabama: the Immigration Battle”

38. English Only?
Some Americans believe in an “English Only” or “official English” point of view
According to this view, English should be the only language sanctioned and used by the government, except in matters of public safety
This would include driver’s license applications, ballots, applications for federal aid, and tax forms (all of which are currently available in multiple languages)

39. Or English Plus? A contrasting view has been called “English plus:”
This view holds that while English is and should remain the primary language in the United States, the languages that immigrants bring with them are a valuable resource that should be preserved
Immigrants and naturalized citizens have a right to language assistance to give them equal access to American society

40. Today’s America: English Plus
What we have now in the United States is close to an English Plus model
Why does the debate about an official language elicit such vigorous responses?
Is it likely that we could ever shift to the English only approach? What would be the pros and cons?
Several states have moved to make English their official language. See the Washington Post’s report, “When and Why Do U.S. States Make English Their Official Language?”
For an example of a group that advocates English only, see

41. What we Believe: the Ideas that Unite Us
Political culture: the broad patterns of ideas, beliefs, and values about citizens and government held by the citizens of a country
Values: central ideas, principles, or standards that most people agree are important
We often take our political culture for granted or aren’t aware of it
Often, our values are shared and handed down

42. Faith in Rules
Most Americans believe we should focus on fair rules and processes rather than guaranteeing results
Procedural guarantees: government assurance that the rules will work smoothly and treat everyone fairly, with no promise of particular outcomes
Other democracies, such as those in Sweden and Norway, concentrate on substantive guarantees: assuring outcomes are fair

43. Faith in Individuals
In the United States, our politics also revolve around the belief that individuals are usually the best judges of what is good for them
Individualism: belief that what is good for society is based on what is good for individuals
Individuals, not government, are responsible for their own well-being
Contrasts with a collectivist point of view, which gives government some responsibility for individual welfare

44. Other Core American Values
Democracy: representative democracy is a fair way to make decisions
Freedom: procedural view that no unfair restrictions will be placed on you
Equality: Americans believe in equality of treatment, access, and opportunity but not in guaranteeing equality of result

45. What we Believe: the Ideas that Divide Us
Ideologies: sets of beliefs about politics and society that help people make sense of their world
In our political culture, the range of ideological debate is narrow compared to other democracies
Additionally, we have fewer political parties than in other post-industrial, democratic nations

46. What We Believe: The Ideas That Divide Us, cont’d
Conservatives: people who generally favor limited government and are cautious about change
Liberals: people who generally favor government action and view change as progress
See NPR’s story, “The Thinking Behind Red and Blue States”
How would you describe your political ideology? Take Pew Research’s “Political Typology Quiz”

47. Ideological Dimensions
The economic dimension:
Conservatives prefer little government involvement in economy
Liberals see a positive government role
The social order dimension:
Economic security has led Americans to become more concerned with quality-of-life and moral issues
Division over limited versus more active government control of individual lives

48. Relationship Between the Ideological Dimensions
The two dimensions do not dovetail neatly, and instead create different mixes of ideological groups:
Economic liberals
Social liberals
Economic conservatives
Social conservatives
Libertarians
Communitarians
Discussion idea: have the class describe what some of these terms mean. Many will probably consider themselves social liberals, so it would be interesting to see how different students define the term.

49. The Citizens and American Political Beliefs
The United States has grown more democratic since Madison’s time; more groups may vote and assert political rights
Voter participation is fairly low, however
See the Center for Voting and Democracy’s report, “Voter Turnout”
And many argue that American political culture has taken on a more divisive, less civil tone
See Pew Research’s report, “Political Polarization in the American Public”

50. Themes of Keeping the Republic, 7th Edition
Think critically about American politics: analyze and evaluate ideas and arguments based on reason and evidence.
Analysis: understanding how something works by breaking it down into its component parts; see how it works.
Evaluation: assessing how well something works or performs according to a particular standard or yardstick.

51. Themes of Keeping the Republic, 7th Edition, con’t
Citizenship and power
Analyze American politics by asking three questions:
Who are the parties involved?
What do they have at stake?
How do the rules shape the outcome?
Evaluate politics