Your Agenda First Review Political system Political culture

1. Agenda • Your Agenda First • Review • Political system • Political culture • Discuss Implications of Political Culture for Public Policy • Apply Political Culture to Republicans and Democrats • Explore Patterson’s “Rules of American Politics” • Explore Political Culture in the Founding Documents • Declaration of Independence • Constitution of 1789 • Examine Constitutional Principles (Intent of the Framers) • Consider Constitutional Evolution (Subsequent Changes)

2. American Political System Where’s the American Political Culture in this model?

3. Political Culture & Related Terms • Culture – The totality of socially transmitted behavior patterns, beliefs & institutions associated with a group. • Politics – Behaviors associated with making binding decisions for a group. • Related concepts: power, authority, public policy & government. • Note: Distinct from economics, where decisions arise from voluntary exchanges of value. • Political Culture – The totality of socially transmitted behavior patterns, beliefs & institutions associated with the politics of a group. • American Political Culture . . .

4. Political Culture & Related Terms • American Political Culture – • Whatever else it may be, it is extremely (perhaps uniquely) individualistic. • Top rated values seem to be • Freedom/Liberty • Equality • Democracy/Self-government • It provides the environment for American Politics. • Remember environments shape behavior.

5. How Is American Political Culture Expressed in Our Public Policy? • Taxes? • Welfare? • Education? • Government Structure? • Other? Think about how each of the core values applies. • Freedom/Liberty • Equality • Democracy/Self-government

6. How Is American Political Culture Expressed by Our Two Major Political Parties? • Economic Policy? • Social Policy? Think about how each of the core values applies. • Freedom/Liberty • Equality • Democracy/Self-government

7. Rules of American Politics: Patterson says American Government is . . . • democratic • constitutional • free market Each constitutes a standing decision about how power is distributed and exercised. How is each related to political culture? • Freedom/Liberty • Equality • Democracy/Self-government

8. America’s Governing System ala Patterson • democracy (people govern either directly or through representatives) responds to numbers--majoritarian • constitutionalism is a set of rules that restricts the lawful use of power (limits on the power of governments over citizens) responds to rights--minoritarian • capitalism (free enterprise and self-reliance) responds to wealth–plutocratic Are these three characteristics at war with each other?

9. Rules of American Politics ala Patterson • democracy (people govern either directly or through representatives) responds to numbers—majoritarian—the group rules the individual • constitutionalism is a set of rules that restricts the lawful use of power (limits on the power of governments over citizens) responds to rights—minoritarian—the individual rules the group • capitalism (free enterprise and self-reliance) responds to wealth—plutocratic—rich people rule poor people How can they be at war and still all compatible with our political culture?

10. Rules of American Politics ala Patterson • democracy (people govern either directly or through representatives) responds to numbers--majoritarian • constitutionalism is a set of rules that restricts the lawful use of power (limits on the power of governments over citizens) responds to rights--minoritarian • capitalism (free enterprise and self-reliance) responds to wealth–plutocratic All three rules of the game are based on the free choice of free individuals & thus consistent with our core belief in individualism.

11. American Political Cultureand the Founding Documents

12. Founding Documents from thePerspective of Political Culture • Declaration of Independence • Liberty: “unalienable rights [to] life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” • Equality: “all men are created equal” • Self-government: “deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed” • Constitution? • Liberty: • Equality: • Self-government:

13. Constitutional Principles: 1787 • CONSTITUTIONALISM • REPUBLICANISM • FEDERALISM • SEPARATION OF POWERS • BICAMERALISM • CHECKS AND BALANCES

14. A GOVERNMENT DESIGNED TO RESPOND TO BROAD CONSENSUS -- BUT NOT TO MERE MAJORITY PREFERENCE. • This government will frequently be unable to respond at all. Such a structure is an excellent mechanism for preventing tyranny so long as the only threat of tyranny comes from the government itself. A government isn't likely to hurt you if it's not doing anything. • Such a structure may be less effective in a world where we are subject to the tyranny of a multitude of institutions other than our own government. And we have probably lived in such a world since the industrial revolution and the close of the American frontier.

15. A GOVERNMENT DESIGNED TO RESPOND TO BROAD CONSENSUS -- BUT NOT TO MERE MAJORITY PREFERENCE. • Since emergency or crisis tends to produce a kind of mob consensus, these institutions may continue to work pretty efficiently when we need them the most, even if they hardly work at all the rest of the time. • In times of crisis, the mob consensus that allows government to function efficiently might form around bad policies as well as good ones.

16. Constitutional Change1787-2011 • CONSTITUTIONALISM • REPUBLICANISM • FEDERALISM • SEPARATION OF POWERS • BICAMERALISM • CHECKS AND BALANCES What’s new?