Unit 1: Constitutional Underpinnings

Ch. 1: pp. 1-24How should we govern?

What should government do?

15-25 Radical 26-38 Liberal 39-51 Moderate 52-64 Conservative 65-75 Reactionary

Political Philosophy Index

Highlight key points Thesis Statement (1-2 sentences)

Alexis de Tocquevillefrom Democracy in America

Reading Check Quiz: Ch. 1 pp. 1-14 Read: The Children’s Story by James Clavell (1963) Imagine school with no rules. What would it be like?

Use all 5 senses when you describe it. Why do we have rules? What do rules do for us and

our school? Are rules necessary? Why? What about society in general without rules/laws.

Think about public safety, roads and highways, securing private property, and your ability to make a living.

What makes laws effective? Have there ever been laws that have been ineffective? Give examples. Why were these laws ineffective?

Natural Rights

When there are no rules it is called “State of Nature.” This term was penned by political philosopher John Locke.

Locke believed that because of human nature there was a need for rules and laws to protect people’s natural rights of life, liberty, and property.

He believed that people formed governments to protect natural rights.

People formed social contracts where people agree to obey rules of the government and the government agrees to protect the natural rights of the people. If the government violates people’s natural rights or does not protect the natural rights of the people, the people have an obligation to get rid of the government and forma new one.

John Lock’s writings had a huge influence on the founders of our government. Washington, Adams, Franklin, Jefferson all read Locke’s writings and much of our government reflects his ideas. Jefferson applied many of Locke’s ideas in the Declaration of Independence.

Introduction

Does government really matter in your lives?List 20 ways government affects your lifeIn 1970 58% of college freshmen kept up with politics

and in 2003 only 26% kept up…what changed?(Under 25, least likely to vote was at 32% as of 1996).Proliferation of cable TV channelsYoung not in the habit because no longer on all the channels

The numbers are going up currently: 4 points from 2003-2005

2012 Election Results/Voter Turn-Out Hand-Out!*Thesis Statement of Election Results

*Introduction

Why should we stay informed?Fosters civic virtuesHelps citizens identify what policies would benefit them and vote accordinglyPromotes active participation in politicsthose who participate are the most likely to benefit

What is the solution?Voting at 16, so they can practice voting in high school?

Jefferson: “There never have been, nor ever will be a people who are politically ignorant and free.”

Introduction

Definition: The institutions and processes through which public policies are made for a society.

Fundamental Questions:How should we govern? (Who should hold the power?)What should the government do?

Universal Government functions (What are they?)National DefenseProvide Public Goods: Goods that we all share and that business is not likely to provide. Examples: Education, libraries, parks, schools, highways, weather forecasting, clean water, and clean airPreserve orderSocialize the youngCollect Taxes

Government

Politics: The process by which we select our government leaders and the policies they pursue.

Creates conflict/Whether one wishes to reach a consensus or not…

Bag Demo! Veil of IgnorancePolitical Participation

Voting most commonU.S. is one of the lowest voter turn outs in the

worldGives a distorted sample of public opinion

Single Issue GroupNarrow interest (abortion)Dislike compromiseAttracts people new to politics

Politics/Single Issue Group

Policymaking Hand-Out (see chart p. 12)The process by which policy evolves and comes into being

Linkage Institutions: channel through which people’s political concerns get on the agenda. Elections, political parties, interest groups, mediaPolicy agenda: Issues that attract serious attention of public officialsPolitical Issues: An issue that people disagree how to fixPolicymaking institutions: Branches of Government that take action on political issues: President, S.C., Congress, (bureaucracy is being added)Public Policy: The choice the government makes in response to a political issue. (They can be established through action and inaction-not responding to an issue-AIDS,???) p. 13

Policymaking System

Reading Check Quiz pp. 14-24!Democracy

What do you think of when you hear the word democracy?Freedom, justice, apple pie…

Government Continuum: Anarchism, Representative Government, Totalitarianism, LibertarianismEconomic Continuum: Socialism, Capitalism, Communism193 countries in the world:

How many democracies are there?How many dictatorships are there?

Communists: Loas, N.K., Vietnam, China, CubaMilitaryPresidential DictatorshipAbsolute MonarchyTransitional?One Party dominates?

Ch. 1 pp. 14-24/Democracy

How did the framers feel about it?Government by the People probably coined by LincolnWhat was the struggle of the Cold War?

Traditional Democratic Theory Include:Inclusion: Majority Rule, Minority Rights (Issue of Power) Assume Majority will make the right decision. Is this fair?Equality of voting: one person, one voteEffective participation: must have opportunities to participate to express preferences.Enlightened understanding: free speech and free press; free expression of ideas essentialCitizens should control the agendaRepresentation: Democracy v. Representative Government

Democracy

Majority Rule and Minority Rights

The essence of democracy is majority rule, the making of binding decisions by a vote of more than one-half of all persons who participate in an election. However, constitutional democracy in our time requires majority rule with minority rights. Thomas Jefferson, third President of the United States, expressed this concept of democracy in 1801 in his First Inaugural Address. He said,

All . . . will bear in mind this sacred principle, that though the will of the majority is in all cases to prevail, that will to be rightful must be reasonable; that the minority possess their equal rights, which equal law must protect and to violate would be oppression.

In every genuine democracy today, majority rule is both endorsed and limited by the supreme law of the constitution, which protects the rights of individuals. Tyranny by minority over the majority is barred, but so is tyranny of the majority against minorities.

This fundamental principle of constitutional democracy, majority rule coupled with the protection of minority rights, is embedded in the constitutions of all genuine democracies today. The 1992 constitution of the Czech Republic, for example, recognizes the concepts of majority rule and minority rights. Article VI says, "Political decisions shall stem from the will of the majority, expressed by means of a free vote. The majority’s decisions must heed the protection of the minorities." The Czech constitution is filled with statements of guaranteed civil liberties, which the constitutional government must not violate and which it is empowered to protect.

Majority rule is limited in order to protect minority rights, because if it were unchecked it probably would be used to oppress persons holding unpopular views. Unlimited majority rule in a democracy is potentially just as despotic as the unchecked rule of an autocrat or an elitist minority political party.

In every constitutional democracy, there is ongoing tension between the contradictory factors of majority rule and minority rights. Therefore, public officials in the institutions of representative government must make authoritative decisions about two questions. When, and under what conditions, should the rule of the majority be curtailed in order to protect the rights of the minority? And, conversely, when, and under what conditions, must the rights of the minority be restrained in order to prevent the subversion of majority rule?

These questions are answered on a case-by-case basis in every constitutional democracy in such a way that neither majority rule nor minority rights suffer permanent or irreparable damage. Both majority rule and minority rights must be safeguarded to sustain justice in a constitutional democracy.

By John Patrick, Understanding Democracy, A Hip Pocket Guide (Oxford University Press)

Article IV Section 4, of the Constitution "guarantees to every state in this union a Republican form of government".... Conversely, the word Democracy is not mentioned even once in the Constitution.   Madison warned us of the dangers of democracies with these words,

"Democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention; have ever been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property; and have in general been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths...",

"We may define a republic to be ... a government which derives all its powers directly or indirectly from the great body of the people, and is administered by persons holding their offices during pleasure for a limited period, or during good behavior.   It is essential to such a government that it be derived from the great body of the society, not from an inconsiderable proportion or a favored class of it; otherwise a handful of tyrannical nobles, exercising their oppressions by a delegation of their powers, might aspire to the rank of republicans and claim for their government the honorable title of republic." James Madison, Federalist No. 10, (1787)

"A wise man will not leave the right to the mercy of chance, nor wish it to prevail through the power of the majority.   There is but little virtue in the action of masses of men." Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)

Democracy v. Republic (Representative Democracy)

Majoritarianism- Direct Democracy; majority of population entitled to certain degree of primacy (“mob rule”); leaders are heavily influenced by the will of the people.

Pluralist Theory (positive)Citizens participate through joining interest groupsNeed to have multiple center of influence (Federal System)Recently there has been a proliferation of interest groupsBecome more effective: Lobbyists, technologyPoor always under-represented

Three Contemporary Theories of American Government

Elite and Class Theory (negative) (Hobbes and Locke)Upper class elite control government decisions1/3 of nations’ wealth held by 1% of citizensThese are the groups that can afford to finance campaignsReagan and Bush Jr. big business supporters. Clinton and Wall StreetDoesn’t really matter who is elected to government; it’s really about the corporate giant that holds the power.Against: Studies show that this group doesn’t agree and isn’t necessarily getting what they want

Theories Cont.

Hyperpluralism (negative)Pluralism gone amuck: interest groups

actually in controlGovernment has overlapping sphere of

influenceTries to please everyone: result is conflicting

policiesEx: tobacco-subsidize it and pay for health consequences

By trying to please everyone, public policy does not equal public interest-no clear directions.

Theories Cont.

1. Hume - 1734-1750’s - Human nature that man was evil. . Government by the many with negotiation and compromise promoting a union and eventually establishing a republic.

2. Hobbes - one needs an inherited monarchy to promote the legitimacy of government. Absolutism rules. . .Self interest is national interest/Laws = order.

3. Locke - 1689 - social contract theory - Life, liberty and property - Consent of the gov’t by Parliament( few) who had a stake in society because it represented people of property. . .poor people don’t lose much when life deteriorates. Natural rights dominate gov’t rule!

4. Rousseau – Man was corrupted by an evil society. Rule by all - a complete democracy; a community of the whole-- Mobacracy - or maybe Direct Democracy.

Hand-Out!

Political Theorists Represent Theories

Compare and contrast two of the four political philosophers’ ideas (Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Hume) in establishing who governs in a democracy.

Thesis: Take a Stance on one of them throughout the essay. Your thesis should reflect this.

Please Cite Additional Outside Information

Essay

FRQ

The framers of the Constitution established a representative democracy. Political scientists have developed at least three theories of American democracy: pluralism, elitism, and hyperpluralism.

A. Describe each of these three theories B. Describe how the average citizen is to play

a role in politics according to each theory C. Choose one of the above theories. For that

theory, explain one way in which it would support representative democracy and one way in which it would retard representative democracy.

FRQ Ch. 1

Limited ParticipationIncreased Technical Expertise: Do citizens know enough

to make well informed decisions-knowledge is power!Escalating Campaign Cost

House: ½ millionSenate: closer to 1 millionPresident: over 100 millionPAC: $5,000How does this effect democracy?

Diverse Political InterestsPolicy gridlock: People want (or not) so many things, decisions can’t be made; no agreement (again conflict…)Divided governments: Last 50 years…

Other Challenges to Democracy

How much should our government be involved in our lives?More: Protect minorities and disadvantaged, positive changesLess: People make own decisions

Comparative PerspectiveHow does the U.S. compare in taxes: LessHow does the government compare in services: Less

American IndividualismHow did we become this way?Feudal system oppressed so doesn’t want government interferenceFrontier developed independence

p. 21

Scope of Government

Ch. 1 Vocabulary Quiz