Freedom, Order, or Equality?

1. Chapter 1 Freedom, Order, or Equality?

2. Chapter 1 Scenario 1 • Do you believe more in freedom, order, or equality? Write a paragraph (at least 5 sentences) explaining your answer. • You need to do this in your portfolio (notebook). You will have at least 2 scenarios per chapter. Put the scenarios on the same page in that chapter of your portfolio.

3. Portfolio Information • Graded on: • Scenario paragraphs (minimum 5 sentences each) • Chapter Assignment • Notes – you must take at least some notes each day of lecture. Write down the most important things you need to remember/study • Other • Turn in on test day

4. Chapter 1 Scenario 2: Read Page 3-4. Should Government spend billions on bailouts when taxpayers bear the burden?

5. The Purpose of This Text • To explain the workings of government • To enable students to evaluate policy decisions and relationships • Politics at home and abroad • Individual freedoms vs. personal security • Individual freedom vs. social equality

6. Introduction • Do you like being told what to do? • Do you like being coerced into acting a certain way? • Billions of people accept power of government…what side of road to drive, what constitutes a contract, how to dispose of waste, taxes, etc. • Why???

7. Government • Organization using legitimate use of force (including firearms, imprisonment, and execution) within specified geographical boundaries to control human behavior.

8. The Globalization of American Government • Concept of government has evolved • Initially territorial in nature • Idea of national sovereignty • Is U.S. sovereignty threatened by globalization (interdependence of nations across the world)? • International Criminal Court • (soldiers/death penalty)

9. Which is better?? • To live under a government that fiercely protects individual freedom OR one protecting against physical/economic threats? • To let all citizens keep same share of income or to tax wealthier people more to fund programs for the poor? • (Discuss with your __ partner)

10. The Globalization of Nations • Citizens and nations differ in degree of globalization • KOF study places U.S. at 27 of 181 • See chart on page 8. • The U.S. closely tied to both friends and former enemies in worldwide economic, social, and political network (China, Russia, OIL)

11. The Purposes of Government • Citizens must surrender some freedoms to be provided services by a government • Governmental control vs. personal freedoms • Most willing to give up some freedoms for governmental benefits

12. Rosa Parks 1955. Is this equality? Is equality a purpose of government?

13. The Purposes of Government 1. To maintain order • Hobbes – focused on peoples’ safety/survival • Locke – wanted life, liberty, and property • Marx – ownership of land and production to the people/government (Communism) 2. To provide public goods • Usually for things not likely to be provided by individuals • Controversial as to what goods or services appropriate (Is bailout public good?) 3. More recently in the U.S., to promote equality - $$? • Controversial: policies promoting equality by redistributing income (taking from wealthy, giving to poor)

14. Promoting Equality (continued) • “From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs” – Karl Marx • Minimum Wage increase 2007 • $5.15 – $7.25 • Is this redistribution? • Social Equality – same sex marriage rights

16. This engraving is from the 1651 edition of Leviathan, by Thomas Hobbes. It shows a sovereign holding a sword and a scepter of justice. He watches over a an orderly town, made peaceful by his absolute authority. But note that the sovereign’s body is composed of tiny images of his subjects. He exists only through them. Hobbes explains that such government power can be created only if people “confer all their power and strength upon one man, or upon one assembly of men, that may reduce all their wills, by plurality of voices, unto one will.”

17. A Conceptual Framework for Analyzing Government • Most governmental decisions based on a tradeoff in values • What values a government decides to pursue grouped in three categories: • Freedom • Order • Equality

18. A Conceptual Framework for Analyzing Government • Two categories for models of democratic government: • Majoritarian democracy • Pluralist democracy More in Chapter 2

19. Freedom, order, equality….what do these words mean to you? • Do they have positive/negative connotations?

20. The Concept of Freedom • Two basic types of freedom: • Freedom of, or freedom to do things without constraints (absence of constraints) • Freedom from oppression or exploitation • These concepts also described as liberty and equality Freedom of = freedom Freedom from = equality

21. Four Freedoms Norman Rockwell paintings – became famous posters during WWII. Reminder of what they were fighting for. FDR before WWII..see page 16-17

22. The Concept of Order • Can be viewed narrowly as preservation of life and protection of property or broadly as preserving social order • Social order generally held to be the traditional or accepted way of doing things • Protections via police powers • Balance between protections and civil liberties sometimes difficult to achieve Is preserving social order a function of government?

23. Keeping Order Examples • 1980s – banning smoking in public places • 1990s – porn on the Internet • After 9/11/01 – deterring terrorism • 2009 – Christmas Day bomber – full body scanners

24. Order in a nutshell • According to your text: • Preserving life • Protecting property • Maintaining traditional social relationships

25. Compared with what? The Importance of Order and Freedom in Other Nations Compared with other nations, Americans do not value order very much, but do favor protecting freedom of speech.

26. The Concept of Equality • Used in many different senses • Basic definition of political equality is one person, one vote • Do some people have “more” than one vote? • Some expand definition to include social equality, or equality in wealth, education, and status • Equality of opportunity vs. equality of outcome

27. What’s the difference? • Equality of Opportunity: Each person is guaranteed the same chance to succeed in life • A right/Theory • Equality of Outcome: Society must ensure that people are equal, and governments must design policies to redistribute wealth and status so that economic and social equality is actually achieved. • Results

28. Equality of opportunity examples • Constitution prohibits titles of nobility • And does not make owning property a requirement for voting or holding office • Public schools and libraries open to all • Other examples?

29. Equality of Outcome examples Does this clash with the concept of freedom? Redistribution? • Comparable funding for men’s and women’s college sports. • Affirmative action programs to increase minority hiring • Federal laws requiring employers to pay men and women equally for equal work • Affirmative action in preferential treatment of minorities in college admissions

30. Equality in the Military While they still have a long way to go, women are being treated more equally in the military. Although not allowed in units engaged in direct combat, they often find themselves in battle and even killed. As of February 2009, 102 female soldiers had been killed by hostile fire in Iraq, more than 2x as many women killed in the military from the end of WWII to the start of the Iraq War.

31. In Class Activity • Date this ___ and put in your portfolio. • I will put you in 4 groups. Each group needs to come up with 3 arguments related to equality in the military. • Group 1: Why women should participate in combat • Group 2: Why women should NOT participate in combat • Group 3: Why homosexual men/women should be allowed to openly serve • Group 4: Why homosexual men/women should NOT be allowed to openly serve List your arguments in your portfolio under ___.

32. Two Dilemmas of Government • Order and equality valuable, but require limitations in individual freedoms • Original dilemma was freedom vs. order; has evolved to encompass more issues • Personal safety, whether from attack or diseases like AIDS • Other issues such as capital punishment and access to controversial videos on YouTube • Strengthening one value takes away from the other See 2009 survey results on page 20-21

33. Two Dilemmas of Government • Modern dilemma is freedom vs. equality • Values clash when government makes policies to enforce equality • Equal pay for women and men • School busing • Discrimination based on many things, including DNA • Americans more likely to choose freedom over equality

34. Ideology and the Scope of Government • Opinions about the merits of various public policies differ greatly • Some persons have values and beliefs that produce contradictory opinions (based on self - interests) • Other persons have a consistent political ideology (a consistent set of values and beliefs about the proper purpose and scope of government) • Different political ideologies form a continuum (see next slide)

35. Ideology and the Scope of Government

36. Different Ideologies • Totalitarianism – unlimited power; controls everything; “Big Brother”; Hitler; Stalin • Socialism – Government controls basic industries. Allows more room for private ownership than communism • Strong gov role in economy • Democratic socialism – gives civil liberties (Western Europe) • Communism – usually totalitarian

37. Different Ideologies • Capitalism – free enterprise • railroads, airlines, tv stations owned privately • Libertarianism – Very limited government (only protecting life/property) • Gov should not promote order or equality • Traffic laws = yes; helmets/seat belts = no • Laissez faire – let people do as they please

38. Different ideologies • Anarchism – opposes all government • Pure anarchy objects to even traffic laws • Government an unnecessary evil used by wealthy to exploit everyone else

39. Review – do these make sense?

40. Ch. 1 Scenario 3 • Which of the previous ideologies on page 23-25 do you align with? Explain why giving examples of things you agree on.

41. Liberals and Conservatives: The Narrow Middle • Practical politics in the U.S. ranges over the center of the ideological continuum • The extremes of political thought rarely argued in public debates • Most Americans either liberals or conservatives • Differences center on role of government

42. Liberals Versus Conservatives: The New Differences • Historical differences were government’s role in delivering public goods • Today, differences focus on the purpose of government • Conservatives support maintenance of social order • Liberals want government to promote equality

43. Conservatives vs. Liberals • Government spending on public goods • Conservatives – less • Liberals – more • Conservatives – swifter punishment • Also preserving traditional social patterns • Liberals – more tolerant of alternative lifestyles (homesexuals)

44. Conservatives vs. Liberals • Conservatives may not oppose equality – just don’t value it. • They don’t think it’s a government role • Liberals think government sponsodred equality is valid and necessary

45. Gives a good synopsis of what conservatives value (Democrats probably disagree with this picture)

46. A Two-Dimensional Classification of Ideologies • Accurate classifications require looking at values of freedom, order, and equality • Libertarians value freedom more than order or equality • Liberals value freedom more than order, but not more than equality • Conservatives value freedom more than equality, but are willing to restrict it to preserve social order • Communitarians favor programs that support both order and equality

47. Ideologies: A Two-Dimensional Framework How much freedom should be sacrificed in pursuit of order and equality? Libertarians and Communitarians are consistent in their attitude toward scope of government activity. Liberals & conservatives favor or oppose government activity depending on its purpose.

48. Chapter 1 Scenario 4 • Which of the values (Libertarian, Liberal, Conservative, Communitarian) do you consider yourself? Give examples to explain.