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Chapter 1
The Political Landscape
Do NOW
Government: What It Is &
Why We Need It
 Governments
 The formal vehicle through which policies are
made and affairs of state are conducted
 Actions are binding on its citizens
 What Does Government DO FOR YOU!
 Citizens
 Members of the political community
 Rights and obligations attached to them
We have identified Government, What
about POLOTICS!
Politics
 Politics
 Study of who gets what, when, and how
 How policy decisions are made
Functions of Government
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Establishing Justice
Ensuring Domestic Tranquility
Providing for the Common Defense
Promoting the General Welfare
Securing the Blessings of Liberty
Types of Government
 Monarchy
 Power vested in hereditary kings and queens
 Totalitarianism
 Economic system in which government controls the
economy
 Oligarchy
 Form of government in which the right to participate
is conditioned on the possession of wealth, social
status, military position, or achievement
 Democracy
 System of government that gives power to the
people, whether directly or through elected
representatives
Roots of American Government
 The Reformation and the Enlightenment
 Enlightenment: Philosophers and scientists such as
Sir Isaac Newton questioned fate and divine right of
kings.
 Reformation: Radical Protestants split from the
Church of England.
 Protestants and Puritans believed in the ability to
speak directly to God.
 Pilgrims: established self-governing congregations
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Mayflower Compact- a social contract
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An agreement between people and their government,
signifying consent to be governed
Hobbes, Locke, and a Social
Contract Theory of Government
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Argued that individuals were free and equal by God-given
natural right
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This required that all men and women give their consent to be
governed.
Hobbes argued that man’s natural state was war and without
government life would be “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and
short”; a struggle to survive. Therefore, there is a need for a
single, strong ruler to guarantee the rights of the weak against the
strong.
Locke took the basic survival of humanity for granted.
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Government is necessary to preserve private property.
Denied divine right
Individuals born equal and with natural rights no king had the right
to void
Devising a National Government in
the American Colonies
 Colonists rejected system with strong ruler
 Supported more participatory forms
 Direct democracy
 Members of the polity meet to discuss all policy
decisions and then agree to abide by majority
rule.
 Indirect democracy (representative)
 Gives citizens the opportunity to vote for
representations who will work on their behalf
 Republic
 Rooted in the consent of the governed;
representative or indirect democracy
American Political Culture & the
Characteristics of American Democracy
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Political Culture
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Commonly shared attitudes, beliefs, and core values about
how government should operate
American political culture emphasizes:
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Personal Liberty
Equality
Popular Consent
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Majority Rule
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The idea that governments must draw their powers from the
consent of the governed
Central premise of direct democracy in which only policies that
collectively garner the support of a majority of voters will be made
into law
Popular Sovereignty
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Right of the majority to govern themselves based on natural law
(ethical principles that are part of nature and understood by
reason)
Do Now
American Political Culture
 Civil Society
 A society created when citizens are allowed to
organize and express their views publicly as they
engage in open debate about public policy.
 Individualism
 Important political value
 Concept changed over time
 Religious Faith
 Lens through which many Americans perceive policy
and political issues
 Most Americans have strong religious beliefs.
 Overwhelmingly Christian
 Major role in shaping current political agenda
Changing Characteristics of the
American People
 Size and Population
 Growth both in size and population
 Changing Demographics
 Racial and Ethic Composition
 Immigration has changed the nation.
 Racial balance is changing dramatically
today.
 Proportion of Hispanics growing at the quickest
rate
 40% of Americans under the age of 25 are
members of a minority group.
 What effect does the changing
demographics have on government and
politics?
Changing Characteristics of the
American People
 Changes in Age Cohort Composition
 No longer nation of young
 Average life expectancy: women: 80, men: 75
 Types of services and policies demanded
from government change
 Baby Boomers (born in late 1940s-early 60s)
 76.8 million people
 Will reach age 62 and qualify for Social Security in
2011 and at age 65 qualify for Medicare
 Potential political impact? Will pit young against old.
Changing Characteristics of the
American People
 Changes in Family and Family Size
 Large families were the norm and
gender roles were clearly defined.
 Industrialization and knowledge of
birth control methods began to shrink
family size.
 1949-49% said 4 or more children
was an ideal family size
 2004-only 12% favored large
families
 By 2004, 67.8 percent of children
under 18 lived with both parents.
Implications of These Changes
 Debate over illegal
immigration
 History of debate
on immigration
 Demographic
changes led to us
vs. them mentality
for some
DO NOW look for BIAS,
Interesting Facts. Agree/
disagree
 FOR
 Against
Ideology of the American Public
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Political Ideology
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A set or system of beliefs that shapes the thinking of
individual and how they view the world
Perform four key functions:
 Explanation, Evaluation, Orientation, Political Program
 Libertarian
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Favors a free market economy and no governmental
interference in personal liberties
Conservative
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A government is best that governs least; a big government
can only infringe on individual, personal, and economic
rights.
 Social conservative
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Believes that traditional moral teachings should be
supported and furthered by the government
Ideology of the American Public
 Liberal
 Favors extensive governmental involvement in the
economy and the provision of social services; takes
an activist role in protecting rights of women, elderly,
minorities, and the environment
 Problems with Political Labels
 May not predict political opinions
 Often opinions are mixed; conservative on some
issues, liberal on others
 Cut across ideological boundaries
 Most people prefer to be categorized as
moderates.
Current Attitudes Toward American
Government
 Americans’ views about and
expectations of government affect the
political system.
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High expectations
Do not appreciate the good
Mistrust politicians
Voter apathy
 Redefining our Expectations