Government 100-75: Modern

Government in the American Context

Dr. David May

Cengage Advantage Books: American Government and Politics Today, Brief Ed. 2012-2013

Chapter One:
The Democratic Republic
Politics and Government
 Politics is the struggle over power and influence
within organizations or informal groups that can
grant benefits and privileges.

 Politics occurs in many areas of life: church, schools,

social groups even families.

 Government is an institution that performs certain

functions for society.

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Why Is Government
Necessary?
• The Need for Security
• Afghanistan
• Limiting Government Power
• Liberty
• Authority and Legitimacy

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Democracy and Other Forms
of Government
 Types of Government
 Totalitarian

 Authoritarian
 Aristocracy
 Theocracy
 Oligarchy
 Democracy

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Democracy and Other Forms
of Government
Direct Democracy
Based on consent of the people.

Examples of Direct Democracy in the U.S.

Initiative
Referendum
Recall

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Dangers of Direct Democracy
The Founders believed in government based on the
consent of the people but were highly distrustful of
anything that might look like “mob rule.”

The Founders created institutions to filter the will of the

people through elected officials.

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A Democratic Republic
A republic in which representatives elected by the
people make and enforce laws and policy
Based on popular sovereignty
United States is considered a democratic republic
Gave rise to the term representative democracy.

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A Democratic Republic
Principles of Democratic Government
Universal suffrage
Majority rule but with minority rights
Free and competitive elections

Constitutional Democracy
Limited government

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What Type of Democracy
Do We Have?
Theories of American Government
Majoritarianism
Elite Theory
Pluralism

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Fundamental Values of American
Democracy
Political culture is a patterned set of values and
way of thinking about government and politics.

Political socialization is the process by which

political beliefs and values are transmitted to
immigrants and children.

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Fundamental Values of American
Democracy
Liberty versus Order
Civil liberties and the Bill of Rights
When Americans are fearful or vulnerable,
government officials emphasize national security over
civil liberties.

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Fundamental Values of American
Democracy
Equality versus Liberty
Equal opportunity
Economic equality
Property rights and capitalism

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Fundamental Values of American
Democracy
The Proper Size of Government
Big government in times of crisis
Big government and the Great Recession
The limits of big government

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Political Ideologies
Conservatism
Places high value on the principles of order and liberty
Advocates limited governmental role in helping
individuals

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Political Ideologies
Liberalism
Advocacy of government action to improve the welfare
of individuals
Support for civil rights and tolerance for social and
political change

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The Traditional Political
Spectrum
Socialism
Favors strong support for social and economic equality
Traditionally socialists envisioned a society in which
major businesses were taken over by government or
by employee cooperatives.

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The Traditional Political
Spectrum
• Libertarianism
• Philosophy of skepticism towards most
government activities
• Strongly support property rights
• Oppose regulation of the economy and
redistribution of income

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The Traditional Political
Spectrum

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A Four Cornered Ideological Grid

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