POL 106 1nd Edition Lecture 1 Outline of Last Lecture I. N/AOutline of Current Lecture I. What is Government?II. Politics and GovernmentIII. Rules and InstitutionsIV. Politics and Economics (Systems)V. The Role of PeopleVI. Dangers of DemocracyCurrent Lecture What is Government?Politics- A way of determining, without recourse to violence, who gets the power and resources in society, and how they get them. The making of promises, deals, and laws.- “Who gets what, when, and how”- Power- The ability to get other people to do what you want them to do.^how power is managed must be legitimate or violence occurs- Social Order- The way we organize and live our collective lives.^politics arrange our lives into some social order**there’s always winners and losers**politics exists because we can’t all get our way all the time (people disagree)Without politics:- No resolution/compromise between conflicting interests- No agreements/bargains made- No alliances formedThese notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.- There would be constant conflict and violence Politics and Government Gov’t vs. Politics = people vs. actionsGovernment- A system or organization for exercising authority over a body of people.Authority- Power that citizens view as legitimate, or “right” (power to which we have implicitly consented).**when governments cease to be regarded as legitimate, the result may be revolution or civil war, unless the state is powerful enough to suppress all opposition**politics shapes gov’t, but gov’t provides rules and institutions that shape the way politics should continue to operate**gov’ts establish rules that cause life to be lived in different ways Rules and InstitutionsRules- Directives that determine how resources are allocated and how collective action takes place (they determine how we try to get the things we want).- The how in who gets what, when, and how- Point of Rules: Provide us with a framework for solving the problems generated by our collective lives**understanding the rules is crucial to understanding politicsInstitutions- Organizations where governmental power is exercised.- The where of political strugglePolitics and Economics (Systems) [see page 10 for comparison of economic systems] [see page 13 for comparison of political systems] [see page 14 for comparison of political AND economic systems]Economics- The production and distribution of society’s wealthEX) bread, toothpaste, housing, medical care, education, entertainment, etc. Capitalism- Market determines production, distribution, and price decisionsCapitalist Economy- All means used to produce material resources are privately owned, and decisions regarding production/distribution are left to individuals operating through free-marketprocess.^rely on the market (process of supply and demand) to decide how much of an item to produce or how much to charge**capitalist countries do NOT believe gov’t is capable of making such judgments  want to keep gov’t out of itRegulated Capitalism- maintains a capitalist economy, and individual freedom from gov’t interference remains the norm, but it allows gov’t to regulate the economy.- Has governmental procedural guarantees- If market breaks down, gov’t steps in to try and fix it- Gov’t may also ensure the safety of consumer public and working people, encourage fairbusiness practices, or provide goods and services that people have no incentive to produce themselves.Markets have cycles: periods of growth and periods of slowdown or recession.SocialismSocialist Economy- Economic decisions are made by politicians, based on their judgment of what society needs.- Few states still participate in socialism- socialist = communist**politicians decide what distributions should be and then create economic policy to bring about that outcome (Substantive guarantees- what they believe to be fair outcome)**unjust for people to own more property than others and to have power over them for that reason**usually only works after a revolution where previous gov’t is completely overthrown Social DemocracySocial Democracy- Hybrid system combining a capitalist economy and a gov’t that supports equality. Authoritarian SystemsAuthoritarian Gov’t- Gives ultimate power to the state rather than to the people to decide how they live their lives.**people cannot effectively claim rights against the state^if the state chooses to exert its power, people have no choice but to followSubcategories include:- Dictatorship (one person)- Monarchy (king/queen)- Theocracy (a God)- Fascism (the state itself)- Oligarchy (a ruling class)Totalitarian- A system that combines authoritarian gov’t with a socialist economy.EX) North KoreaAuthoritarian Capitalism- A system in which the state allows people economic freedom, but maintains stringent social regulations to limit noneconomic behavior. Democracy and Non-Authoritarian SystemsAnarchy- No laws or government altogether. A “free for all”. Freedom to do whatever they want to.Democracy- Less extreme form of nonauthoritarian gov’t. Gov’t is the people. Based on popular sovereignty.Try to maximize freedoms for individualsMake decisions through majority rule (voting)Provide procedural guarantees to preserve individual rights (protections of due process)**if people in democracy feel rights have been violated, they have right to ask gov’t to solve/remedy the situationPopular Sovereignty- Citizens are the ultimate source of political power.**only power higher than citizens/the people is the Constitution (in US)**no gov’t is considered legitimate unless governed consent to itTheories of Democracy:- Elite Democracy- Limits citizens’ role to choosing among competing leaders that have already been predetermined.o Democracy is merely a system of choosing among competing leaderso Input ends after leader is chosen. o Feel that actual political decisions are made by the elite in businesses, the military, the media, and education- NOT elected officials.- Pluralist Democracy- Membership in groups that participate in gov’t decision making on their members’ behalf is key.o Feel that individual citizens have little to no effective power and that only organized groups of citizens can affect the gov’t.(EX.