U.S. Government
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Introductory Lecture
Keys to Course Success
Being prepared (having done the reading)
Answering discussion questions thoughtfully
Emailing me if you have concerns or questions
Coming to office hours if you need concept clarification
What is government?
What would life be like without government?
Why do we need government?
What do you think government should be like?
Ways of Resolving Major Questions
Politics
Process of influencing actions and policies of a government.
Nation, state, locality, or community
Describes processes
Government
System of rules and institutions that defines and shapes the contours of public action.
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Politics
Includes civil society and institutions of rule
Confers mutual advantages
We give up something in exchange for something
Distribution of power
Who gets what and how?
What about why they get things?
People Matter, But So Do Ideas
Inalienable Rights
Rights that exist before and above any government powers
“Self-Evident” truths included in Declaration of Independence
Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness
Liberty
Commitment to social, political, and economic freedoms.
Freedom from interference by government
Freedom to pursue one’s dreams
Equality
Equality of opportunity vs. Equality of outcome
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Privileges vs. inalienable rights
Privileges can be granted and taken away by government
Rights cannot be taken away
Desire to safeguard individual’s rights led to complex structure of American political institutions in the Constitution of the United States (Chapter 2).
Liberty
Commitment to social, political and economic freedoms.
Freedom from interference by government
Freedom to pursue one’s dreams
Degree to which American government should focus on freedom from or freedom to remains hotly debated topic in American Politics.
Equality – social, political and economic
Difference between Equality of Opportunity and Equality of Outcome
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Democracy
Democracy (from Greek “demos”, meaning “people” and “kratos”, or power)
Power is held by the people
Had been instituted in the city-states of ancient Greece, particularly Athens.
Athenian democracy was far from universal
Full citizenship was restricted to free males who owned property
Direct democracy vs representative democracy
Direct Democracy: Citizens vote directly on public policies
Representative Democracy: voters select representatives who then vote on matters of public policies.
Modern definition of democracy
A system of government where power is held by people in that society
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On Natural Rights
Natural Rights
Rights that people have inherently (born with)
Not granted by any government
Social Contract
Agreement by which people give to their governments the ability to rule over them to have an orderly and functioning society.
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David Hume
Explored idea that there could be a science of politics
Modern study of political science
Given historical tendency of leaders to abuse power, a just government should be carefully designed
Applying lessons of science and history to keep greedy and ambitious from using political power to their own advantage.
Major contributor to the discipline of Political Science
Systematic study of the ways in which individuals and institutions shape political outcomes
Really a science?
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Natural Rights and the Social Contract
American Revolution was based heavily on ideas of modern political thought and the European Enlightenment
Reason and science were applied to better understand the physical and social worlds
John Locke
argued against divine or God-given right of kings to rule with absolute power
argued people are born with natural rights which kings cannot give or take away
legitimate government was one that involves a social contract in which people give government the ability to rule over them in order to have an orderly and functioning society
if government breaks social contract by violating natural rights then people have the right to replace the unjust government
Charles-Louis de Secondat, baron de Montesquieu
affirmed ideas of natural rights and social contract in institutional form
Separation of Powers (branches of government)
Checks and Balances
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Natural Law and the Declaration of Independence: The Case Against Bad Government
Opening paragraphs of Declaration of Independence lay out philosophy of natural rights forming basis for justification of pursuing independence
Middle section lists grievances and complaints against the King
Last section apples ideals of natural rights to the justification of independence for the entire world
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Deletion of charges against the King on the issue of slavery.
First section of deleted charges accused King of violating natural rights by allowing the slave trade to continue.
Jefferson was, himself, a slave owner and wrestled with the contradiction of asserting natural rights while operating a plantation with slaves.
Second deleted section charged the King with trying to incite slave rebellions in the colonies.
Spoke directly to the fears of many Southern plantation owners.
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American Revolution
Militarily and politically, the American Revolution wasn’t technically a revolution.
King George III not overthrown
British Empire remained intact
Was a revolution of ideas
Idea of a government based upon natural rights and individual liberty
Influenced later revolutions around the world
Building, rebuilding and reshaping political institutions that structure the protection and expression of American natural rights in a representative democracy.
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INSTITUTIONS MATTER, TOO
Political institutions structure how citizens may be involved in government and politics.
Rules, laws, and structures that channel and shape political action
Types of government vary by who has power and how power is used/administered
Differing forms of government distribute power in differing ways
Totalitarian regimes
Monarchies
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Differing forms of government distribute power in differing ways
Totalitarian – admit no limitations on their own power, no competing centers of political power.
Authoritarian – suppress the voices of citizens to maintain grip on power but may have some economic or social institutions not under government control that serve to moderate government’s power
Monarchies – ruled by royal figures and admit no external challenge to claims of ruler
Oligarchies – ruled by small group of powerful elites with no challenge to claims of power
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INSTITUTIONS MATTER, TOO
Constitution
Most important institution in American political life is the United States Constitution.
Forms the basis of the nation’s government and creates a host of political institutions through which conflict over political power is resolved.
Places textual and institutional limits on power and actions of government.
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America is a Constitutional Republic
The United States is institutionally and fundamentally a Constitutional Republic.
Americans elect representatives to make most of the laws and policies in the nations instead of voting on them directly.
Limits are placed upon the power of government to infringe upon people’s rights.
Constitution is recognized as the highest and most supreme law of the land.
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