American Government and Politics Today

1
American Government and Politics Today

• Chapter 1
• Government and the People

2
What Do These Events Have in Common?

• American Revolution 1776 Democratic Republic
• Belgian Revolution 1830 - Independence
• Russian Revolution - 1917 - Communism
• Spanish Civil War 1936 - Fascism
• Vietnam War 1945 - Communism
• Cuban Revolution 1959 Communism
• Iranian Revolution 1979 Theocracy
• Orange Revolution 2004 Democratic Republic

3
Why Is Government Necessary?

• Power
• Order
• Liberty
• Authority
• Legitimacy

4
Politics and Government

• Key terms
• Politics who gets what when and how
• Institution an ongoing organization that
  performs certain functions for society
• Government institution in which decisions are
  made that resolve conflicts or allocate benefits
  and privileges

5
What Is Necessary for Governments to Work?

• Authority
• Legitimacy

6
Forms of Government

• Totalitarianism
• Communism
• Fascism
• Theocracy
• Authoritarianism
• Aristocracy
• Democracy
• Republic or Democratic Republic

7
Direct Democracy

• Political decisions are made by the people
• Examples in the United States
• Initiative
• Referendum
• Recall
• Town Hall Meetings
• Dangerous Concept?

8
A Democratic Republic

• Principles of Democratic Government
• Universal suffrage
• Majority rule
• Limited government
• Consent of the governed
• Equality
• Constitutional

9

• This country, with all its institutions, belongs
• to the people who inhabit it. Whenever they
• shall grow weary of the existing government,
• they can exercise their Constitutional right of
• amending it, or the revolutionary right to
• Dismember it or overthrow it.

10
Dynamic Governing

• People
• Politics
• Government

11
Dynamic Government

• Inputs
• Outputs
• Feedback

12
The Impact of Government on People

• Taxes
• Social programs
• Laws
• Public health and safety
• Public Policy

13
The Impact of People on Government

• Power Controlled by the People
• Reciprocal relationship

14
Examples of this Dynamic

• Voting
• Political Activity
• Interest Group Activity
• Direct Action

15
Figure 1-1 A Four-Cornered Ideological Grid
16
The Changing Face of America

• Aging
• Population Growth
• Ethnic Change
• Changes in Hispanic Community
• Women in the Workforce

17
Questions?