US PoliticsOverviewI. PowerSlide 4I. PowerSlide 6Slide 7Slide 8Slide 9Slide 10Slide 11II. Exercising PowerII. Exercising PowerSlide 14Slide 15Slide 16III. PoliticsSlide 18Slide 19Slide 20Slide 21Slide 22IV. Political CultureIV. Political CultureSlide 25IV. Political SocializationSlide 27V. GovernmentSlide 29Slide 30Slide 31Slide 32VI. GovernmentSlide 34Slide 35Slide 36VI. GovernmentsSlide 38The FoundingSlide 40US PoliticsIntroductionOverview1. Power–Definition–Types2. Exercising Power–Authority–Legitimacy3. Politics4. Political Culture and Socialization5. GovernmentI. PowerPower–How do we define power?–How can we tell when someone has power?–Is power connected to individuals or institutions?I. PowerPower: Definition–The ability to get others to take actions they would not otherwise takeI. PowerWe find many different types of power in play in the world in various institutional contexts•How is it acquired?•How is it exercised?•Let’s look at power in the familyI. PowerTypes of Power–Physical Coercion–Parents use greater strength to coerce complianceI. Power•Governments rely on the same•Governments routinely maintain a monopoly on the legitimate use of forceI. PowerTypes of Power–Physical Coercion–Economic Threats/Rewards–Use the promise of financial gain or thethreat of financial loss to coerce complianceI. Power•Economic threats and rewards are also key parts of the government’s power arsenalI. Power•Types of Power–Physical Coercion–Economic–Psychological–Instill proper emotionsso that people act theway you want because they believe that is what they wantto doI. PowerPsychological Power–This type of power is essential to governments–It is vital that the vast majority of the population obeys laws because they believe it is the right thing to doII. Exercising PowerHow do people and institutions come to acquire power?How do we determine the limits, if any on the exercise of power?II. Exercising Power•The legitimate exercise of power rests on the idea of authority–The right to exercise power and compel obedience•Does everyone have authority? •How does a person or institution gain authority?II. Exercising Power•Authority relies on the idea of “legitimacy”•Legitimacy–Right to exercise authority–Rests on popular support for authorityII. Exercising PowerIs this permissible?Police dogs attack civil rights protesterBirmingham, Alabama, 1963II. Exercising Power•Legitimacy places limits on how power may be exercised•It helps us to determine what is and what is not a legitimate use of powerUS military interrogation in Abu Ghraib prisonBaghdad, Iraq, 2004III. Politics•Politics–Definition–ImportanceWhy Politics?Let’s look at the way of the world…III. PoliticsScarcity Competition Conflict ViolencePolitics intervenes herePolitics is what we practiceto help prevent conflict frombecoming violentIII. Politics•Politics: Definition•Peaceful resolution of conflict•Allocation of scarce resources in a peaceful manner•The process of deciding who receives the benefits in society and who is excluded from those benefitsIII. Politics•To practice politics at a societal level most societies of any scale have adopted a specific institution -- government -- to handle the broad-based allocation difficulties encountered.•It rules (exercises power) through laws and by maintaining a monopoly on coercive force Which of course raises the questions…III. Politics•How do governments gain that legitimacy and authority?•Why would a people agree to allow an institution to have so much control over their lives?IV. Political Culture•The complex interaction between a people and its government can be explained by the idea of a political culture•Political CultureWays of life that bind and unite a people politicallyIV. Political Culture•Basic Components of Political Culture–Symbols•Shared ways of communicating political ideasExamplesFlagMusicMonumentsBuildingsClothingIconsIV. Political Culture•Components–Symbols•Shared ways of communicating political ideas–Beliefs•Shared understanding of the basics of political life–Values•Shared understanding of what is good or desirable–Mores•Shared understanding of acceptable behaviorAll of this is learned behavior, which gets us to …IV. Political Socialization•Definition–The process by which the elements of the political culture are transmitted from one generation to the next–Political Culture is a learned processIV. Political Socialization•Factors in socialization:–Family Peers/Public Opinion–Media Religious Groups–Government Current EventsLet’s take a closer look at “government”V. Government•Governments are sovereign institutions within a politically defined area•That means they are the final arbiter of disputes, the final decision maker•Governments are the most powerful institutions we createV. Government•If governments are going to wield such power over us, then we need to examine questions like:–How should this institution be organized?–How much power should it have?–Who should rule? In whose interests?V. GovernmentV. Government•Given the power of this institution, we need to determine the best possible arrangement •The problem is that governments have two somewhat contradictory challenges:–Security/Order –Personal LibertyV. GovernmentWe need to settle several related questions:–Who decides who the leaders should be?–How are the leaders chosen?–How much power/authority do they possess?Broadly speaking we have three types of government:VI. GovernmentMonarchy–Single Ruler–Hereditary Title–Absolute authority–Most common form of government in world historyVI. GovernmentDictator –Single ruler–Power usually acquired through violent means –Line of succession not clearly establishedVI. GovernmentOligarchy–Rule by small group of people–Usually military leaders or economic elitePluralism: multiple such groups compete for political powerVI. GovernmentDemocracy–Rule by “the people”Republic–People elect leaders who represent themDerives from the Greek:demos = peoplekratos = rule byVI. GovernmentsHow are decisions made?–Totalitarian system•no “real” checks or limits on power of political establishment–Authoritarian•no “formal” checks or limits on power of political establishment; any checks are “political” (that is, come from other groups competing