Principles of democracy and the Constitution, all the way to civil liberties and equal protection
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PowerpointChapter1_Democacy.pptxDefining Politics
Politics is the people, processes, and institutions (government) that make public policy
Definition of Politics cont…
“authoritative allocation of societal values”
Authority, power, and legitimacy
Difference between mere power and true authority. Authority includes legitimate power, not just force
Allocation= collection and distribution
Scarcity of resources
Competing VALUES in American Society
1) Freedom: ability to think and act how we want, make choices, own property
2) Order: rule of law, justice, safety and security
3) Equality: being treated the same under the law and government actions, regardless of race, sex, class, etc.
Ranking Values=Political Ideology
Conservative: order, freedom, equality
Liberal: equality, freedom, order
Libertarian: freedom, freedom, order
Totalitarian: order, order, order
Anarchist: freedom, freedom, freedom
Democracy
Demos = “the people” and kratein = “to rule”
“Rule by the people”: the idea that ordinary people want to rule themselves and are capable of doing so.
Based on the belief human beings are intrinsically worth something and inherently equal
May include emphasis on economic growth and material well-being
Direct Democracy
All citizens meet regularly and participate in the making of government decisions.
Ex. propositions in CA
Representative Democracy
Citizens elect representatives to make government decisions on their behalf.
Fundamental Principles of Representative Democracy
Popular sovereignty
Government policies reflect the wishes of the people
Government leaders are elected in competitive elections
The majority rules; what most people want should become policy
Assumptions of Popular Sovereignty
Elections are free and fair
People participate in the political process
High-quality information about leaders and policy options is available
Measurements of popular Sovereignty
Does government do what citizens want it to do?
Do citizens participate in politics?
Can citizens be involved when they choose to be, and are political leaders responsive?
Do political linkage institutions, such as political parties, elections, interest groups, and social movements, effectively transmit what citizens want to political leaders?
What is the quality of the public deliberation on the major public policy issues of the day?
Do the news media and political leaders provide accurate and complete information?
Principles cont…
Political equality
– Each person carries the same weight in voting and other political decisions.
Political liberty
Basic freedoms essential to a democracy.
Aimed at preventing the tyranny of the majority
Examples?
Are citizens’ rights and liberties universally available, protected, and used?
Are people free to vote?
Can they speak openly and form groups freely to petition their government?
Do public authorities, private groups, or the majority threaten liberty or the rights of minorities?
Measurements of political liberty
Do some individuals and groups have persistent and substantial advantages over other individuals and groups in the political process? Or is the political game open to all equally?
Do government decisions and policies benefit some individuals and groups more than others?
Measurements of political equality
Questions About Democracy
Are the people knowledgeable- and do they apply what they know?
Do interest groups help the process, or do they get in the way?
Do political parties offer clear consistent choices for voters?
Does the President & Congress work in the best interests of ALL the people?
Objections to Majoritarian Representative Democracy
“Majority tyranny” threatens liberty
Can you think of examples?
Assumes there will be wide-scale participation but there is low voter turnout
Problems with low voter turnout?
Majoritarian democracy threatens minorities
Can you think of examples?
Objections P. 2
Assumes one person=one vote but
Economic inequality makes political equality almost impossible
Procedurally, some votes weigh more than others
Assume people are rational, informed, know choices, costs, and consequences but people are uninformed, irrational, apathetic
Objections P. 3
Objections cont…
Assumes Representatives will be accountable, which isn’t always the case (money, reelection concerns, etc.)
There are bad decisions made
Challenges to Democracy
Increased Technical Expertise
Limited Participation in Government
Escalating Campaign Costs
Diverse Political Interests (policy gridlock)
What is Political Science?
The systematic, scientific study of political systems
NORMATIVE questions, values, ought/should,
no objective empirical answer
EMPIRICAL: measure the consequences of promoting certain values, potentially capable of being proven false or true
Levels of analysis in Social science research
Description: object facts—what IS
Explanation: causes and effects
Evaluation: good or bad? Right or wrong?
Prescription: what should be done? What ought to be done?
Use a policy as an example
HOW DEMOCRACTIC IS THE UNITED STATES?
Key question within this course:
