Jaymie Ticknor Political Science 1050 Sect 002 16 January 2014 Lecture 1 Thinking About American Politics Chapter 1 Government What is Institutions that have authority and capacity to create and enforce public policies for a specific territory or people U S citizens are subject to federal state and local governments Politics individual and collective efforts to influence the workings of government Is government necessary Yes civil rights provide order help and provide for people public goods and services military enforcement to prevent anarchy or disorder due to lack of authority Purpose of Government To secure the provision of public goods goods and services that are enjoyed by all citizens and unlikely to be provided by any organization other than government schools non excludable goods that are easier to access than in private entities Materials or services that are virtually impossible to secure through collective individual action but all citizens enjoy defense streets air environment Problems emerge due to free riding individuals solving the public problems cannot secure benefit of actions because of lack of people actually working towards solving the issue Functions of Government Protect citizens from unlawful activity most agree with Defends the country from foreign aggressors most people agree with Regulates social and economic relations controversial more debate about commerce more less involved Provides services controversial more debate about programs invest more less Government of the Few Monarchy power is vested in one individual by virtue or by birthright Autocracy absolute and unlimited power is vested in one individual not by virtue or by birthright but by other characteristics Aristocracy power is vested in a small group of people by virtue or by birthright Oligarchy power is vested in a small group of people not by virtue or birthright but by other characteristics South Africa Government of the Many Democracy system in which governmental power is widely shared among the citizens usually through free and open elections U S is technically a constitutional republic but is driven by democratic values Traditional Types of Democracy Direct Democracy directly involved in influencing and creating policies ordinary people are the government and make all laws themselves Advantages every individual have a voice more active and engaged Disadvantages bias towards groups of people who are involved more often than other groups takes time cost of getting information and participation overwhelming mob of ideas tend to be messy Representative Democracy form of indirect democracy in which the people choose representatives Advantages faster process cost of getting information more bearable on the citizens more knowledgeable efficient and narrowed down Disadvantages popularity bias discretion opinions may not exactly match up preferences principal agent problem rely upon other things to do tangible tasks without knowing what is happening in the system candidates worry about losing jobs Different Types of Democracy Constitutional vs Non Constitutional Democracy Constitutional Democracy relies upon a formal document to define role of government constrains and defines example would be the US Non Constitutional Democracy government does not have a single formal document to define role of government examples would be the UK and Israel Presidential System vs Parliamentary System Presidential System head of government is determined by an election and serves a fixed term directly selecting Parliamentary System head of government is selected by majority party in the legislature indirectly selecting typically called the Prime Minister Fundamental Principles of American Democracy evolved over time Political Equality equal opportunity to fully access the political process Plurality Rule win the most votes not so much the majority vote not really working when standards are much higher also when Senate does Supermajority by receiving vote Minority Rights minorities rights are protected in Constitution Equality before the law equal treatment to individuals under the law Textbook Social Contract an agreement among members of a society to form and recognize the authority of a centralized government that is empowered to make and enforce laws governing the members of that society Authoritarian Totalitarian System political system in which one person or group has absolute control over the apparatus of government and in which popular input in government is minimal or nonexistent Political Culture the values and beliefs of citizens toward the political system and toward themselves as actors in it Causal Question question regarding the factors responsible for a particular outcome by change in the other Correlation relationship between factors such that change in one is accompanied Causation relationship between variables such that change in the value of one is directly responsible for change in the value of the other Spurious Relationship relationship between variables that reflects correlation but not causation