AP Government and PoliticsAP Government and Politics

……the beginning…the beginning…

AP Government & PoliticsAP Government & Politics

1.1. Why study government and Why study government and politics?politics?

2.2. Why do government and politics Why do government and politics matter?matter?

3.3. What has government done?What has government done?

1. Why study government and 1. Why study government and politics?politics?

Learn what government is allowed to doLearn what government is allowed to doLearn what government is not supposed to Learn what government is not supposed to dodoLearn what has been done by government Learn what has been done by government beforebeforeLearn possibilities of what government can Learn possibilities of what government can achieveachieveLearn who leaders are and what they doLearn who leaders are and what they doLearn the process for gaining powerLearn the process for gaining powerConsider different theories of how it should Consider different theories of how it should workwork

2. Why do government and politics 2. Why do government and politics matter?matter?

Impacts our daily livesImpacts our daily livesOur daily deathsOur daily deathsOur moneyOur moneyOur civil libertiesOur civil libertiesOur civil rightsOur civil rightsOur happinessOur happinessOur religionsOur religionsOur opinions of ourselvesOur opinions of ourselvesOur status in the worldOur status in the world

3. What has government done?3. What has government done?

-- What has government -- What has government achieved?achieved?

Why Government Matters: A Top Ten ListWhy Government Matters: A Top Ten List

10.Promoted financial security in retirement10.Promoted financial security in retirement

9.Reduced the federal budget deficit9.Reduced the federal budget deficit

8.Increased access to health care for older 8.Increased access to health care for older AmericansAmericans

7.Strengthened the nation’s highway system7.Strengthened the nation’s highway system

6.Ensured safe food and drinking water6.Ensured safe food and drinking water

5.Reduced workplace discrimination5.Reduced workplace discrimination

4.Reduced disease4.Reduced disease

3.Promoted equal access to public 3.Promoted equal access to public accommodationsaccommodations

2.Expanded the right to vote2.Expanded the right to vote

1.Rebuilt Europe after World War II1.Rebuilt Europe after World War II

In order to achieve anything in In order to achieve anything in government:government:

People must have political power People must have political power

People must use their political powerPeople must use their political power

Write a one page essay:Write a one page essay:Who has political power in America?Who has political power in America?

Give at least 2 examples that illustrate Give at least 2 examples that illustrate that the person you cite has political that the person you cite has political power. power.

Hints: Explain what this person has done Hints: Explain what this person has done that shows he or she has power. Use the that shows he or she has power. Use the individual name of the person and give the individual name of the person and give the most specific examples possible.most specific examples possible.

Discuss:Discuss:

Who has political power?Who has political power?

How do you know they have political How do you know they have political power? power?

What examples can you give that What examples can you give that illustrate that they have power?illustrate that they have power?

What is political power?What is political power?

What is political power?What is political power?Power: the ability of one person to Power: the ability of one person to cause another person to act in cause another person to act in accordance with the first person’s accordance with the first person’s intentionsintentionsMay be obvious: president sends May be obvious: president sends soldiers into combatsoldiers into combatMay be subtle: president’s junior May be subtle: president’s junior speechwriters take a new tone when speechwriters take a new tone when writing about a controversial issuewriting about a controversial issue

Textbook Treats Two ThingsTextbook Treats Two Things

Power as it is used to impact who will Power as it is used to impact who will hold governmental office hold governmental office (ELECTIONS) and(ELECTIONS) and

Power as it is used to impact how Power as it is used to impact how government will behave (PUBLIC government will behave (PUBLIC POLICY DECISIONS)POLICY DECISIONS)

Americans Agree:Americans Agree:One thing American seem to agree One thing American seem to agree on is that it is necessary for on is that it is necessary for government to be in some sense government to be in some sense “democratic” in the United States “democratic” in the United States today in order to be perceived as today in order to be perceived as legitimate.legitimate.

Was the power you are writing about Was the power you are writing about based in democratic ideals?based in democratic ideals?

democracydemocracy

What is it?What is it?

What are the different What are the different theories of democracy?theories of democracy?

How could this information be How could this information be organized graphically?organized graphically?

Direct Democracy Representative Democracy

Participatory Democracy Republicanism

Aristotelian “rule of the many” Elitist theory

Greek city-state

Schumpeter’s definition: acquisition of power by leaders via competitive

elections

New England town meeting where each individual votes

Generally used as the American system of representative

government

Impractical because of time, expertise of citizens, etc.

Hedges against the people making unwise, emotional

decisions

Democracy is the worst form of Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the government, except for all the others.others.– Winston ChurchillWinston Churchill

Direct DemocracyDirect Democracy

Aristotelian “rule of the Aristotelian “rule of the many”many”

Fourth Century B.C.E.Fourth Century B.C.E.

Greek city-stateGreek city-state

Practiced by free adult Practiced by free adult male property ownersmale property owners

Currently, we look at the Currently, we look at the New England town meetingNew England town meeting

An egalitarian theory of An egalitarian theory of democracydemocracy

Representative DemocracyRepresentative Democracy

An elitist theory of democracyAn elitist theory of democracy

Defined by Schumpeter: acquisition of Defined by Schumpeter: acquisition of power by leaders via competitive power by leaders via competitive electionselections

DemocracyDemocracy

““A system of governing in which people A system of governing in which people acquire the power to make decisions by acquire the power to make decisions by means of a free and competitive struggle means of a free and competitive struggle for citizens’ votes.”for citizens’ votes.”– Joseph SchumpeterJoseph Schumpeter

The Framers’ justifications for The Framers’ justifications for representative democracy from a representative democracy from a

pluralist perspective:pluralist perspective:

Government should mediate, not Government should mediate, not mirror, popular viewsmirror, popular views

Elected officials should represent, not Elected officials should represent, not register, majority sentimentsregister, majority sentiments

Citizens do not have the time, Citizens do not have the time, information, interest, or expertise to information, interest, or expertise to make reasonable choices among make reasonable choices among competing policy decisionscompeting policy decisions

……justifications continued:justifications continued:

Even highly educated people could Even highly educated people could be manipulated by demagogic be manipulated by demagogic leaders (play on fears and leaders (play on fears and prejudices)prejudices)

Pluralist representative democracy Pluralist representative democracy minimized chances that power would minimized chances that power would be abused (tyrannical popular be abused (tyrannical popular majority or self-serving office majority or self-serving office holders)holders)

Distribution of PowerDistribution of PowerHow is political power distributed in our How is political power distributed in our current democracy?current democracy?

How are decisions made?How are decisions made?

Wilson says,Wilson says,““In some cases, the leaders will be so In some cases, the leaders will be so sharply constrained by what most people sharply constrained by what most people want that the actions of officeholders will want that the actions of officeholders will follow the preferences of citizens very follow the preferences of citizens very closely.”closely.”

Majoritarian PoliticsMajoritarian Politics

DEFINITION: elected officials are the DEFINITION: elected officials are the delegates of the people, acting as the delegates of the people, acting as the people would actpeople would act

If this is to work, tIf this is to work, the issues must be he issues must be those that are sufficientlythose that are sufficiently::

important (to command the attention important (to command the attention of most citizens)of most citizens)

clear (to elicit an informed opinion clear (to elicit an informed opinion from citizens)from citizens)

feasible to address (so that what feasible to address (so that what citizens want done can, in fact, be citizens want done can, in fact, be done)done)

What if those situations don’t exist?What if those situations don’t exist?

Someobody will actSomeobody will actPolicymakers will learn about the issues Policymakers will learn about the issues and get actively involvedand get actively involved

A small, and maybe unrepresentative, A small, and maybe unrepresentative, minority will decideminority will decide

Decisions will be made by ELITES Decisions will be made by ELITES

They may not know what the people wantThey may not know what the people want

They may not care what the people wantThey may not care what the people want

Elites:Elites:

DEFINITION: an identifiable group of DEFINITION: an identifiable group of persons who possess a persons who possess a disproportionate share of some disproportionate share of some valued resources like political powervalued resources like political power

Four schools of thought about elitesFour schools of thought about elites

MarxistMarxist

Power elitePower elite

BureaucraticBureaucratic

Pluralist ViewPluralist View

Marxist:Marxist:DEFINITION:Democracy is a reflection DEFINITION:Democracy is a reflection of economic forcesof economic forces

capitalists, business owners, capitalists, business owners, bourgeoise VERSUSbourgeoise VERSUSworkers, laborers, proletariatworkers, laborers, proletariat

Whichever class dominates the Whichever class dominates the economy, dominates the governmenteconomy, dominates the government

Power Elite ViewPower Elite View

DEFINITION: American democracy is DEFINITION: American democracy is actually dominated by a few top actually dominated by a few top leaders, most of whom are outside of leaders, most of whom are outside of government and enjoy great government and enjoy great advantages in wealth, status, or advantages in wealth, status, or organizational position.organizational position.

C. Wright MillsC. Wright Mills(August 28, 1916 – March 20, 1962)(August 28, 1916 – March 20, 1962)

Power Elite ViewPower Elite View

Corporate leadersCorporate leaders

Top military officialsTop military officials

Handful of elected officialsHandful of elected officials

Modern day, we would add:Modern day, we would add:– media chiefsmedia chiefs– labor union officialslabor union officials– special interest leadersspecial interest leaders

Bureaucratic ViewBureaucratic View

DEFINITION: Power is mainly in the DEFINITION: Power is mainly in the hands, not of American democracy’s hands, not of American democracy’s elected representatives, but in those elected representatives, but in those of its appointed officials, or career of its appointed officials, or career government workersgovernment workers

Max WeberMax Weber(April 21, 1864 – June 14, 1920) (April 21, 1864 – June 14, 1920)

Bureaucratic ViewBureaucratic ViewMarxist view or Political Elite view may Marxist view or Political Elite view may happen, but either way politcs is happen, but either way politcs is dominated by bureaucrats who staff and dominated by bureaucrats who staff and operate government on a daily basis.operate government on a daily basis.

Appointed officials and career government Appointed officials and career government workers dominate because of their workers dominate because of their expertise and longevityexpertise and longevity

These people decide how to translate These people decide how to translate public laws into administrative actionspublic laws into administrative actions

Pluralist ViewPluralist View

No single intellectual parentNo single intellectual parent

DEFINITION: No single elite or group has DEFINITION: No single elite or group has monopoly on powermonopoly on power

Groups must bargain and compromiseGroups must bargain and compromise

Groups must be responsive to followersGroups must be responsive to followers

Political resources are not distributed Political resources are not distributed equally (i.e. not majoritarian distribution)equally (i.e. not majoritarian distribution)

There must be a competition and There must be a competition and coalitions must be builtcoalitions must be built

PluralismPluralismInequalities in democracy exist, but Inequalities in democracy exist, but everything is so divided among different everything is so divided among different elites and levels of government control elites and levels of government control that no one elite group is in controlthat no one elite group is in control

““Not only are the elites divided, they are Not only are the elites divided, they are responsive to their followers’ interests, responsive to their followers’ interests, and thus they provide representation to and thus they provide representation to almost all citizens affected by a policy.”almost all citizens affected by a policy.”

PluralismPluralism

The most reasonable and The most reasonable and accurate description of accurate description of how decisions are madehow decisions are made

So what?So what?Politicians and governmental leaders don’t Politicians and governmental leaders don’t just “do what the people want”just “do what the people want”Sometimes government Sometimes government can’tcan’t do what the do what the people want because of the structure and people want because of the structure and processprocessSometimes politicians do what the people Sometimes politicians do what the people want and it turns out to be bad public want and it turns out to be bad public policypolicyPluralism = What Madison was writing Pluralism = What Madison was writing about when he wrote about factions? A about when he wrote about factions? A healthy competition among different ideas healthy competition among different ideas with the best ideas or the largest with the best ideas or the largest coalitions winning?coalitions winning?

Sounds like ideas that could Sounds like ideas that could show up in a United States show up in a United States Constitution…Constitution…

Chapter Two

The Constitution