Government – Chapter 1.3 Lecture

1. Government – Chapter 1.3 Lecture • Basic Concepts of Democracy • “No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.” • Winston Churchill

2. American concept of democracy rests on five basic notions: • Recognition of the fundamental worth and dignity of every person. • Respect for the equality of all persons. • Faith in majority rule and an insistence upon minority rights. • Acceptance of the necessity of compromise. • Insistence upon the widest possible degree of individual freedom.

3. Worth of the Individual • The importance of individuals is important in American democracy • Each individual is a separate and distinct being • Needs of the Individual are only denied with they come into conflict with the needs of the many.

4. Equality of All People • Jefferson – “All men (people) are created equal” • Not all people are born equal • Not all people have right to equal wealth or position • All people are entitled to: • Equality of Opportunity • Equality before the law • People should not be held back because of: • Race, Religion, Color, Gender • Made progress, still much work left

5. Majority Rule, Minority Rights • Majority Rule – A majority will be right more often than it will be wrong, and that the majority will also be right more often often then it will be wrong • Will of the people is important in democracy • No solution government creates will satisfy all people in society • Minority Rights – the right of any minority to become, it it can by fair and lawful means, the majority • Important to protect the rights and traditions of the minority • Majorities can destroy the minority if they go unchecked

6. Necessity of Compromise • Compromise – the process of blending and adjusting competing views and interests • Government cannon function without compromise • There are never just two sides to an issue • Compromise allows majority agreement to take place

7. Individual Freedom • Complete freedom cannot exist in a democracy • Anarchy – absence of a government • Democracy re quires that freedom exist as much as it can without allowing anarchy and maintaining a government • Libertarians • Order vs. Freedom debate

8. Responsibilities and Duties of Citizens • Citizen – One who holds certain rights and responsibilities within a state • Duties – Required of every citizen • Paying Taxes and Not Speeding • Responsibilities – Strongly encouraged every citizen do • Voting in Elections and Volunteering

9. Democracy and the Free Enterprise System • Free Enterprise System • Economic System that emphasizes • Private ownership of capital goods • Investments mad by private decisions, not government directives • Success or failure determined by competition in the market system • Four Fundamental Factors • Private Ownership • Individual Initiative • Profit • Competition

10. How does Free Enterprise Work • AKA Capitalism or Market-Based System • Little or no government regulation – influence in the system • Supply and Demand – consumer demand will set price of goods • US Government Does play a role in our system • Protect the Public • Preserve Private Enterprise • Provide Public Goods • Equality vs. Freedom • Democracy = Political System System • Capitalism = Economic System