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Chapter 1

Chapter 1. Brainstorm: create a list of words that you associate with politics Define – construct a definition of politics Find a partner, you have 4 minutes!!!!!!. Who governs? To what ends? Who will/should lead? What policies should be pushed?.

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Chapter 1

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  1. Chapter 1 Brainstorm: create a list of words that you associate with politics Define – construct a definition of politics Find a partner, you have 4 minutes!!!!!!

  2. Who governs? To what ends? • Who will/should lead? • What policies should be pushed? Politics = power struggle over who governs and to what ends…

  3. Who governs / to what ends? : These are two distinct questions, not variations of the same!!!!!!! Who governs? • Doesn’t always predict to what ends • Civil rights act 1965, 19th amendment • Power / authority: how are they different? • What is the source of authority in the U.S.? • Constitution • Under the Constitution for a local, state, or our federal gov’t to be legitimate it must be democratic Who governs? To what ends? Overview

  4. 2. To what ends? • What policy are you creating? What programs do you favor? • Several factors that will influence this • Such as? Who governs? To what ends? Overview

  5. We believe that personalities, beliefs, virtues and vices will affect how a person will govern • Candidate ads, perfect example… • http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2012/08/10/158564552/in-new-ads-focused-on-character-obama-and-romney-get-personal Does personal character matter? Does consistency of views matter? Do you have to be ‘likeable’? Who should govern?

  6. What programs should be favored? • How much influence should the gov’t have over certain issues • Trend in US politics • private becomes public • Greater involvement in everyday lives of Americans • Where should we go?: Always a central question in governing, clearly visible in this election (What Direction??????) • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjZFXaT9OeQ To what ends should they govern?

  7. There are many individuals and institutions with power, but who should have authority? • Distinguishing between power and authority is, fundamentally, reflective of one’s political beliefs. • In what kinds of institutions do you have confidence? Why do you trust them? In contrast, what kinds of institutions raise your suspicions? Why? institutions: school, church, government ( Legislative, Executive, and Judicial branches) • Due in class tomorrow • 2 paragraphs: typed or neatly handwritten • 1st: in what institutions do you have confidence? Why? • 2nd: what institutions raise your suspicion? Why? Who should govern? To what ends?

  8. Direct/ participatory Representative What is it? How do you gain power in this system? Must have competitive elections!!! Questions to ask yourself: Do we have meaningful choices? Is our system elitist? What is it? Historic example? /Current example? Advantages? / Disadvantages? Concerns of the framers? Questions for reading: • List examples of the Framers trying to protect against ‘mobocracy’ • Starting with the progressive era, Americans have had more direct access to shaping policy. How have we been given more access? Do you think this is a positive step forward, or have we given individuals too much power? • After reading this article, what is your reaction to Hamilton’s quote (the one that introduces the article)? We operate politically within a democratic system: What type of democracy is best?

  9. Majoritarian politics: officeholders follow the will of the people very closely • Occurs when issues are simple and clear, benefits many – cost shared by many : social security (historically) • When issues are more complex it is usually a smaller group of people who are more motivated to be actively involved that actually shape policy (not necessarily the will of the majority • Elitist politics: rule by an identifiable group of persons who possess a disproportionate share of political power • Marxist : Marx • Proletariat(workers) vs. Bourgeoisie (capitalists) • Now focused on power of the rich and multi-national corps. • Power Elite :C.W. Mills • Coalition of 3 groups: business leaders, top military officials, handful of key political leaders • Now includes mass media, special interest groups, and labor union leadership in addition to original 3 • Bureaucratic : Weber • warns elected officials aren’t that important (500,000 vs. 16.4 million) those with power are the bureaucrats who are in charge of instituting policy • Pluralist • Don’t worry too much about elites because they are divided, policy is the result of complex shifting patterns of alliances, and no single group has a monopoly on political resources Who really influences policy decisions in a representative democracy?

  10. Is our system based on self interest? • Elitist theories of politics may lead to the cynical view that politics is simply a self seeking enterprise in which everyone is out for political gain • Historically it is clear that economic self interest is an important factor in decisions, but so is public interest!!!!! • AFL-CIO fighting for Civil Rights Act of 1965 is a perfect example of this!!!!! Democracy and self-interest

  11. Hobbes, Locke, Montesquieu, and Rousseau • Similarities, differences, who’s theory do you buy? Who should govern? To what ends? – political theory

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