The Study of American Government

1. The Study of American Government Wilson, Chapter 1 District 127

2. Understanding Power: What is power? • The ability of one person to get another person to act in accordance with the first’s intentions What is authority? • The right to use power What is legitimacy? • Political authority conferred by law or by state/national constitution What makes the US Government and Constitution legitimate?

3. Understanding Democracy: What is meant by democracy as the Framers used it? • Representative Democracy What is direct democracy? (Participatory Democracy) • Government in which all or most citizens participate directly Representative democracy? • a government in which leaders make decisions by winning a competitive struggle for the popular vote Why was direct democracy feared by the Framers?

4. How is Political Power distributed? Majoritarian Politics • Elected officials become delegates of the people, acting as the people would act were the matter put to a popular vote. Marxist view – Karl Marx • View that the government is dominated by capitalists Power elite view – C. Wright Mills • View that the government is dominated by a few top leaders, most whom are outside of government Bureaucratic view – Max Weber • view that the government is dominated by appointed officials Pluralist view • The belief that competition among all affected interests shapes public policy

5. Is Democracy Driven by Self-Interest? • John Locke – Natural Rights (Life, Liberty, Property) – 2nd Treatise of Government – Motivated by Self-Interest – Freedom leads to inequity and eventually chaos - Give up Freedom to govern through Social Contract – Gov’t validity is based on ‘consent of governed’ • Alexis d Tocqueville – challenges our assumption that people always act in self-interest, points out the great emotion and conviction in equality within the American system

6. Questions?