1. Constitutional Underpinnings of
American Government
Unit I

2. Who won this election? Red – Republican Blue - Democrat

5. Defining Politics What is Politics?
Classic definition: “Who gets what, when, and how” or “the authoritative allocation of value.”
limited resources in society, so there are always questions about how they should be distributed
Key Point: Government Power is coercive, and politics is about how this power will be exercised (and who gets to use it).

6. Who gets to decide?
Thomas Jefferson on the importance of an educated citizenry
“I know of no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves, and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion by education.”
Alternative views:
“We want one class of persons, and a very much larger class of necessity in every society, to forgo the privilege of a liberal education and fit themselves to perform specific difficult manual tasks,” W. Wilson
Great Books approach: “quiet the destructive elements in our society.”
Jefferson: “bread and circuses.”
Cynicism about politics is inevitable.

7. Purposes of Government
Government exists to control or to govern.
The three major purposes of government are:
1. Maintaining Order, or establishing rule of law to preserve life and liberty
2. Providing freedom for its citizens
3. Promoting Equality

8. Order/Freedom/Equality
Three concepts of determining the fundamental issues or values of what government tries to do or how it decides to do it are order, freedom, and equality .

9. Order
Order is viewed in the narrow sense of preserving life and protecting property.
Social Order refers to the established patterns of authority in society and to traditional modes of behavior.
How can we see order in a school?

10. Freedom Freedom is used in two major senses:
Freedom of: the absence of constraints on behavior
Freedom from: immunity from fear and want, the fight against exploitation and oppression

11. Equality
Equality is used in two separate senses, to support different causes:
Equality of opportunity: Each person has the same chance to succeed in life.
Equality of outcome: Government must design policies that redistribute wealth and status so that economic and social equality are actually achieved.

12. Two Dilemmas of Government
The original dilemma of government involves freedom vs. order
The modern dilemma of government involved freedom v. equality.

13. Who can participate in the government
Who can participate in the government? How are individual rights observed by the state?
Dictatorship (one person in charge…makes all decisions)
Authoritarian
Totalitarian
Monarchy (King or Queen as ruler, they were born into it)
Absolute
Constitutional
Oligarchy (those that think they are smarter, richer and should rule us)
Aristocracy/Privileged Elite

14. Democracy Direct Representative Parliamentary Pros/Cons
It’ll survive as long as we believe in it
Everyone’s worth and dignity must be recognized
“all men are created equal”
Majority rules but minority still counts
Flexibility is the name of the game
It’s all a balancing act

15. How Democratic is America?
Depends on the definition of democracy
Not an absolute
To what extent does a democracy keep you from going to war? (C.Wright Mills, reading)
Defining Democracy (closer to anarchy, majority abuses minority rights)
Anarchy Democracy Oligarchy Aristocracy Dictatorship
(Elite democracy) (monarchy)
Pure representational/republic
Is there broad/mass electorate participation?
Are there competing powers?
Is there a peaceful rotation of power? This is a key component of a democracy
Having a weak or corrupt judicial branch won’t make a strong democracy
We have direct democracy (pure) at the local level, New England Town Hall meeting
There is a practical vs. theoretical distinction of democracy
Direct democratic philosophy = majority rule/consensus rule.

16. Theories of Democracy Protective Developmental
Most closely linked to the theory of our founders – John Locke’s influence of limited government. Protect people from tyranny.
strong tie to the free market, Individual and property rights protection
protection from majority tyranny
Developmental
Small d democracy
J. Stuart Mills – a society who’s members are equally free to realize their capacities
This is a challenge to capitalism
This type of democracy is seen as a means to being a better citizen. Class inequities are dealt with. Brings mass into process.
Universal suffrage – early 19th c. property requirements to vote are dropped, after Civil War extended to black men.
Andrew Jackson campaigned to the people to win in Electoral College

17. Who Gets What?
The “Whats” can be many things, but typically fall into two main categories:
VALUES, or ideas and philosophies of public policy.
Disputes over ideology and principles.
Free Speech
Abortion
Role of government in reducing income inequality and poverty
affirmative action
gun control
INTERESTS, or issues in which players have an identifiable economic stake in the outcome
tax policy
government regulation
distribution of government benefits
Many issues fall into both categories, and the boundaries are often blurry, but you can usually identify the stakes.