politics occurs in all social organizations BUT govt has a range of tools to manage people and society incentives and punishments encourage or discourage people taxes police ect government is unique because it claims that s its use of force is legitimate politics is a neutral term TYRANNY government with absolute power one person or a few people a government of MEN not LAWS the govt is nothing more than the agenda of the men in power exercise power through fear and force people are usually treated unjustly PSCI 1040 American Government SEPTEMEBR 2 2014 GOVERNMENT UNIQUE opposite ends of the government tyranny and anarchy ANARCHY Literally having no ruler absence of government state of lawlessness of political disorder certain people feel that people would be free without the oppressions of government biggest opponents of anarchy cling to power communists in Russia Autocracy form of government where an individual rules sometimes good some bad dictator monarch power vested in a single person Authoritarian government has lots of power usually shared with other groups that support the government in return govt protects their rights power guaranteed by force government recognizes no formal limits on its power but may be restrained by other social economic groups in exchange for a good quality of life don t challenge us Totalitarian government a dictator or small family that holds all power wants to control every aspect of life recognizes no formal limits on it s power structured like a monarchy power passed through family idolizes the leader for everything cult like Aristocracy government organized along birth lines queen king princess ruled by the few Govt controls everything in a TOTALiterian often w a dictator power passes down familial lines mom son actions are supposed to be made in the good interest of the people sometimes Oligarchy Small groups of landowners military who is powerful at the moment This small group rules by and for their own interest NOT a democracy Democracy rule of the many indirect rule of the people citizens choose elected officials FORMS OF GOVERNMENT CONSTITUTIONAL GOVT AND THE RULE OF THE LAW Constitutional govt a govt founded on a constitution with formal and effective limits and placed on power Republic government where ultimate power resides in the people US definition of democracy majority rule minority rights can have tyranny of a majority everyone gets certain rights speech ROOTS OF DEMOCRACY CLASSICAL LIBERALISM Age of reason and enlightenment divine right they are ruler because God put them there that scene in newsroom god spoke to Palin US founded on classical liberalism john Lock and the social contract liberal meaning free individual liberty people have individualism of worth and dignity Thomas Hobbes the state of nature the world without government anarchy life would be poor nasty short with no government powerful ruler needed for government people need someone to protect them establish order security strong leader controlling people John Locke influenced early prominent Americans Jefferson Hamilton attacked and questioned the divine right or rulers believed government is a contract between people and government elected officials for and by the people social contract an exchange and understanding between the ruling body and the ruled people an abstract notion that government is an agreement between people and their rulers if not upheld by one party the people reserve the right to rebel Jefferson strongly protected right to rebellion DIRECT DEMOCRACY in America only at state or local level individual citizens vote REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY INDIRECT people elect representatives sometimes people DO directly vote on things propositions initiative registered voters work on policy putting forward citizen laws directly to the ballot California happens a lot referendum people create some kind of issue they want passed but it must be okay ed by a national government all state or local things decisions higher government could come and over rule decision federal law Locke s theory of the social contract ensures equal form of representation electoral college to elect president eliminates mob rule sometimes people are not held accountable recall election used to have elected officials removed from office only local very unusual voters sign petitions PSCI September 4th THINKING CRITICALLY ABOUT POLITICAL CULTURE Political culture broadly shared values beliefs and attitudes about the role of government on society American creed individualism democracy liberty property rights and religious freedom dynamic changes over time slavery segregation people ought to be the ultimate decision makers support in the abstract is stronger than the freedom in practice people want to be separate from government government insolvent is sometimes necessary they can take affirmative action trust is in a long term decline approval of government actions is real low people don t have trust in the government anymore Ronald Regan Government is not the solution it s the problem as a whole republicans are more trusting than other parties Nixon Watergate trust diminished very few absolute freedoms LIBERTY EQUALITY EQUAL OPPERTUNITY liberty freedom from government control equality no difference in the treatment among different groups of people equality of opportunity you get the same chance and your success depends on your efforts everyone has a chance equality of outcomes regardless of efforts everyone is treated the same political equality the right to participate in politics equally every person has a vote each person is important To each equal in his need from each depending on his output communism IDEOLOGIES CONSERVATIVES crave and love order and justice prefer limited government believe that when the govt gets involved things get worse distrust of government although do want govt intervention on certain hot button topics religion marriage abortion POPULISTS want govt intervention everywhere act liberals economically conservative socially never really happy always want govt intervention new laws don t have a strict rigid political agenda party wide LIBERALS want change and justice prefer govt involvement to cure wrong doings create equality want higher tax levels more funded programs don t want govt regulations on social regulation abortion liberals love government involvement in policy but not in citizens life s conservatives are pretty opposite LIBERTARIANS want NO govt