CHAPTER 01

Americans & Their Political

Values

© 2023 W. W. Norton & Co., Inc.

The Citizen and Government
• High school student Hayat Muse worked 15 to 20 hours per
week at a coffee shop near her home in Minnesota.

• When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, it shut down both her

high school and her job, forcing Hayat to file for
unemployment benefits.

• Benefits were initially sent to Hyatt, but later the state of

Minnesota demanded the money back because of a state
law that barred high school students from receiving
benefits.

• Hyatt repaid the money, but later worked with other

affected high school students and several organizations to
change the law, ultimately suing the Minnesota Department
of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).

• Minnesota was ordered to pay Hayat and other high school

students the federal unemployment benefits.
Government
Definitions

Government

• Refers to institutions and procedures through which a territory and its

people are ruled

Politics

• Refers to conflict over the leadership, structure, and policies of

governments
3
Is Government Needed?
A government is needed to provide services, sometimes called “public goods.”

Public goods: goods that citizens all need but probably cannot provide adequately for
themselves.

• Examples include:

• defense against foreign aggression

• maintenance of public order
• a stable currency
• enforcement of contractual obligations
• property rights and some measure of economic security
Forms of Government: Structure, Size, and Operation
Governments vary by size, structure, and operation based on who governs.

Autocracy: a form of government in which a single individual, such as a king,

queen, or dictator, rules.
Oligarchy: a form of government in which a small group, such as landowners,
military officers, or wealthy merchants, controls most of the governing
decisions.
Democracy: a system of rule that permits citizens to play a significant part in
the governmental process.*

• Usually accomplished through the election of key public officials

The Presence of Government in the Daily Life of a Student at “State University”

Time Schedule
7:00 A M Wake up. Standard time set by the national
government
7:10 A M Shower. Water courtesy of local government, either a
public entity or a regulated private company. Brush
your teeth with toothpaste whose cavity-fighting
claims have been verified by a federal agency. Dry
your hair with an electric dryer manufactured
according to federal government agency guidelines.

7:30 A M Have a bowl of cereal with milk for breakfast.

“Nutrition Facts” on food labels are a federal
requirement, pasteurization of milk required by state
law, freshness dating on milk based on state and
federal standards, recycling the empty cereal box and
milk carton enabled by state or local laws.

8:30 A M Drive or take public transportation to campus. Airbags

and seat belts required by federal and state laws.
Roads and bridges paid for by state and local
governments, speed and traffic laws set by state and
local governments, public transportation subsidized by
all levels of government.

8:45 A M Arrive on campus of large public university. Buildings

are 70 percent financed by state taxpayers.

9:00 A M First class: Chemistry 101. Tuition partially paid by a

federal loan (more than half the cost of university
instruction is paid for by taxpayers), chemistry lab
paid for with grants from the National Science
Foundation (a federal agency) and smaller grants from
business corporations made possible by federal
income tax deductions for charitable contributions.

Noon Eat lunch. College cafeteria financed by state

dormitory authority on land grant from federal
Department of Agriculture.

12:47 P M Felt an earthquake! Check the U.S. Geological Survey

at w w w dot u s g s dot gov to see that it was a 3.9 on
the Richter scale.

2:00 P M Second class: American Government 101 (your

favorite class!). You may be taking this class because it
is required by the state legislature or because it fulfills
a university requirement.

4:00 P M Third class: Computer Science 101. Free computers,

software, and internet access courtesy of state
subsidies plus grants and discounts from Apple and
Microsoft, the costs of which are deducted from their
corporate income taxes; internet built in part by
federal government. Duplication of software
prohibited by federal copyright laws.

6:00 P M Eat dinner: hamburger and french fries. Meat

inspected for bacteria by federal agencies.
7:00 P M Work at part-time job at the campus library. Minimum
wage set by federal, state, or local government; books
and journals in library paid for by state taxpayers.

8:15 P M Go online to check the status of your application for a

federal student loan (F A F S A) on the Department of
Education’s website at student aid dot gov.

10:00 P M Go home. Street lighting paid for by county and city

governments, police patrols by city government.

10:15 P M Watch T V. Networks regulated by federal government,

cable public-access channels required by city law.
Weather forecast provided to broadcasters by a federal
agency.

10:45 P M To complete your economics homework, visit the

Bureau of Labor Statistics at www.bls.gov to look up
unemployment levels since 1972.

Midnight Put out the trash before going to bed. Trash collected
by city sanitation department, financed by user
charges.

6
Forms of Government: Limiting Government
Governments also vary in how they govern.

Constitutional government: a system of rule in which formal and effective

limits are placed on the powers of the government.
Authoritarian government: a system of rule in which the government
recognizes no formal limits but may be restrained by the power of other social
institutions.
Totalitarian government: a system of rule in which the government
recognizes no formal limits on its power and seeks to absorb or eliminate other
social institutions that might challenge it.
John Locke

8
Forms of Government

Who Governs Type of Government

One person Autocracy
Small group (e.g., landowners, military Oligarchy
officers, or wealthy merchants)
Many people Democracy

Limits on Government Type of Government

Codified, legal substantive and Constitutional
procedural limits on what government
can or cannot do
Few legal limits; some limits imposed Authoritarian
by social groups
No limits Totalitarian

9
Limiting Government
The emergence in the 18th century of a commercial class interested in changing
government institutions played a role in limiting government.

• The commercial class was motivated to defend its economic interests

The founders did not favor democracy as we know it today.

• Many of the delegates to the Constitutional Convention enslaved Black

people and supported property requirements and other restrictions for
voting and for holding office.

Through mass movements that also found political allies in Congress and the
courts, voting rights have significantly expanded since the Founding era.
10
John Stuart Mill

11
Democracy in the United States, 1 of 2
What type of government exists in the United States?

• Most people respond with one word: democracy. Yet this is not the complete
answer.

Direct democracy: a system of rule that permits citizens to vote directly on laws and
policies.

• Examples: ballot initiatives, popular referenda

Representative democracy (republic): a system of government in which the

populace selects representatives, who play a significant role in governmental
decision-making.
Democracy in the United States, 2 of 2
Some states and cities, however, do provide for direct legislation through
initiatives and referenda.

• These procedures enable citizens to collect petitions, or legislators to pass bills,

requiring a direct popular vote on an issue.

• In 2022, 125 referenda appeared on state ballots addressing such issues as:

• the legalization of medical or recreational marijuana, taxes (6 states)

• abortion access and funding (2 states)
• election policies such as redistricting, voting requirements, and campaign
finance (14 states)

13
Influencing the Government through Participation: Politics, 1 of 3
According to political scientist, Harold Lasswell, politics is the struggle over
“who gets what, when, and how.”

Politics refers to conflicts over who the government's leadership is, how the
government is organized, or what its policies are

Politics also involves power.

• Political power is influence over a government’s leadership, organization,

or policies.
Influencing the Government through Participation: Politics, 2 of 3

An individual’s participation in politics can take many forms.

• Political participation can include:

• Voting
• Donating money
• Signing petitions
• Attending political meetings
• Tweeting and commenting online
• Sending emails to officials
• Lobbying legislators
• Working on a campaign
• Participating in protest marches and even violent demonstrations.

15
Influencing the Government through Participation: Politics, 3 of 3

Groups and organized interests also participate in politics.

• Their activities can include:

• 2

• providing funds for candidates

• lobbying
• trying to influence public opinion

The pattern of struggles among interests is called group politics, or pluralism.

16
Politics and Direct Action
Politics can take place beyond formal channels.

• Direct action is another form of political participation that includes:

• violent action

• nonviolent civil disobedience (e.g., marches, demonstrations, and

boycotts)

• Direct action can be an attempt to shock or force rulers to change behavior.

• Groups ranging from animal rights activists to labor union advocates to

antivaccine protesters have used direct action to underline their demands. 17
Political Knowledge
In a democracy, citizenship can be defined as membership in a political
community that provides legal rights and carries participation responsibilities.

Political knowledge is a key ingredient for political participation.

• Political knowledge encompasses possessing information about the formal

institutions of government, political actors, and political issues.

• Democracy functions best when citizens are informed.

18
 Disinformation
Despite the internet making it easier than ever to learn about politics, actual political
knowledge in the United States remains spotty.

Disinformation is false information shared intentionally to reach a political goal.

• Disinformation is problematic in a democracy because it complicates the process of acquiring

valid political information.

• Even with greater access to information, most Americans know little about current issues or
debates, or even the basics of how government works.

• In 2021, only 56 percent of those surveyed could identify all three branches of the federal
government, and only 35 percent knew the term of office for a senator is six years.
Political Efficacy
Political efficacy is the belief that ordinary citizens can affect what government does.

Americans’ sense of political efficacy is declining:

• 1960 poll
• One-quarter (25 percent) of respondents said elected officials did not care what citizens like
themselves thought.

• 2019 poll
• Nearly three-quarters (71 percent) felt the same way.

The feeling that you can’t affect government decisions can lead to apathy, declining
political participation, and withdrawal from political life.
What Americans Know about Government

Respondents Who Percentage

Could identify all three branches of 56
government
Knew that the First Amendment’s protection 39
of freedom of speech does not mean that
Facebook must permit all Americans to
freely express themselves on Facebook
pages
Knew the size of the majority needed in 53
Congress to override a presidential veto
(two-thirds)
Knew the Supreme Court ruled that citizens 83
have a constitutional right to own a handgun
Knew that a 5–4 Supreme Court ruling 61
means the decision is law and needs to be
followed
Knew that those in the country without 55
authorization have some rights under the
U.S. Constitution

21
Who Are Americans? Today’s Population and Immigration
The United States has grown in population from 3.9 million in 1790 to 333 million in 2022.

With this growth has come increasing diversity.

• In 1790, 81 percent of Americans could trace their roots to England and northern
Europe.

• By 1900, an increasing number of Americans were from southern and eastern Europe;
the Black population stood at 12 percent.

• While the first European immigrants were overwhelmingly Protestant, by the early
twentieth century , more Catholics from southern Europe and Jews from eastern
Europe and Russia arrived.

• This new religious diversity challenged the Protestantism previously assumed in many
aspects of American life.
22
Native Americans

23
Who Are Americans? Immigration and Race
U.S. citizenship

Most people of African descent were not officially made citizens until 1868.

• The Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution conferred citizenship on

freed slaves.

The first census did not count Native Americans.

• In fact, it was not until 1924 that Native Americans could become citizens.

24
Immigration and American Diversity, 1 of 3
After World War I, Congress passed new laws that limited immigration.

• It passed the Immigration Act of 1924.

• The new law utilized a national origins quota system, based on the nation’s
population in 1890, before the wave of eastern and southern European
immigrants arrived.

• It established a hierarchy of admissions: northern and western European

countries received the more generous quotas.

• By 1970, these guidelines had reduced the foreign-born population in the United
States to an all-time low of 5 percent.
An Increasingly Diverse Nation: Race

26
An Increasingly Diverse Nation: Geography

27
An Increasingly Diverse Nation: Age

28
For Critical Analysis: An Increasingly Diverse Nation

29
Immigration and American Diversity, 2 of 3
The use of racial and ethnic criteria to restrict the U.S. population is not
new.

• 1790: The federal government passed the Naturalization Act

stipulating that only free Whites could be naturalized citizens.

• It was not until 1870 that Congress lifted the ban on the
naturalization of nonwhites.

• 1882: The Chinese Exclusion Act outlawed the entry of Chinese

laborers to the United States.

• These restrictions were not lifted until 1943.

Immigration and American Diversity, 3 of 3
Japanese Americans have been denied basic rights of citizenship.

• After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, virtually all Japanese
Americans were incarcerated for the duration of World War II.

With laws about citizenship linked to “Whiteness,” questions arose about how
to classify people of Latino origin.

• In 1930, the census counted people of Mexican origin as non-White, but a decade
later it reversed this decision.

• In 1960, the census classified immigrants from Latin America as White.

• The census adopted a “Hispanic” classification category in 1970, noting that

Immigrants Being Processed

32
Twenty-First-Century Americans: Race and Ethnicity, 1 of 2
By 1965, Congress had lifted many of the strict immigration limits of the 1920s.

This resulted in new waves of immigration from Asia and Latin America.

• Current population (2020 U.S. Census)

• White: 61.6 percent

• Asian: 6 percent
• Black/African American: 12.4 percent
• Latino/Hispanic: 18.7 percent

• More than 33 million Americans, about 1 in 10, now identify as being of “two
or more races.”
Twenty-First-Century Americans: Continent of Origin

34
Twenty-First-Century Americans: Race and Ethnicity, 2 of 2
Large-scale immigration means many more residents now are foreign-born.

• In 2020, 13.2 percent of the population were born outside the United
States, a figure comparable to that in 1900.

• However, unlike a century earlier, many more immigrants today come from
Latin America, the Caribbean, Central America (including Mexico), South
America, and Asia.

• Estimates are that 12 million immigrants live in the country without legal
authorization—the majority from Mexico and Central America.

• Today, undocumented immigrants remain ineligible for most federal public

benefits, but some states allow them to obtain driver’s licenses or in-state
tuition at public colleges and universities.
Twenty-First-Century Americans: Religion
Immigration patterns have led to a more religiously diverse nation.

• The U.S. adult population was 35 percent Protestant in 2021.

• Other religions:

• Catholic: 22 percent
• Christian (nonspecific denomination): 10 percent
• Jewish: 2 percent
• Mormon: 1 percent
• Other (includes Muslim identifiers): 6 percent
• A growing percentage of Americans report no church affiliation (21 percent)
Twenty-First-Century Americans: Age
As life expectancy has increased, so has the number of older Americans.

• In 1900, only 4 percent of people were over the age of 65; today that number
is 16 percent.

• America is aging slower than many other advanced industrialized countries.

• This is largely due to immigration into the United States.

• As the elderly population in the United States grows relative to those of

working age, the funding of “safety-net” programs such as Social Security
becomes more difficult.
Twenty-First-Century Americans: Geography
Over the nation’s history, Americans have mostly moved from rural areas and
small towns to large cities and suburbs.

Increasing numbers of Americans (today, 80 percent) live in urban areas.

• The U.S. Senate overrepresents sparsely populated rural states and

underrepresents those with large urban populations.

The population has also shifted regionally.

• During the past 50 years especially, many Americans have left the
Northeast and Midwest and moved to the South and Southwest.
Twenty-First-Century Americans: Socioeconomic Status, 1 of 2
For much of U.S. history, most Americans were relatively poor working people,
many of them farmers.

• An extremely wealthy elite emerged in the late 1800s during a period known as
“the Gilded Age.”

• By 1928 nearly one-quarter of total annual national income went to the top 1
percent of earners.

• The distribution of income and wealth shifted away from the top after New
Deal programs of the 1930s.

• The middle class grew larger with the postwar economic boom of the 1950s and
’60s.
Twenty-First-Century Americans: Socioeconomic Status, 2 of 2
In the 1960s, civil rights legislation and new social programs helped shrink the
nation’s income disparity between rich and poor.

• Since then, however, economic inequality has again widened in what some
call a “new Gilded Age.”

• Deindustrialization, globalization, slow growth in wages, technological

change, and the Great Recession have accelerated this trend.

• There are also racial differences among levels of income and wealth (the
difference between a household’s assets and debt).
Twenty-First-Century Americans: Population and Politics
Population growth and shifts have led to debates about
congressional apportionment.

• Americans are increasingly divided geographically by education,

income, marriage rates, and party voting.

Immigration has resulted in cultural and religious changes.

41
Wealth in the United States
American Political Values
The essential documents of the American Founding—the Declaration of
Independence and the Constitution—proclaimed a set of principles.

These principles are:

• Liberty
• Equality
• Justice

Most citizens still affirm these values, which form our political culture.
American Political Values: Liberty
Defining liberty is key to the idea of limited government

Liberty: freedom from governmental control

• Personal freedom: Bill of Rights
• Economic freedom: capitalism, free markets, and protection of private
property

Economic freedom is linked to concepts of laissez-faire capitalism

• A free-market economic system with minimal or no government
interference
• Also part of the idea of economic freedom is the ability to control one’s
own labor, especially given the country’s history with slavery
American Political Values: Equality, 1 of 3
The Declaration of Independence declares that “all men are created equal.”
Principles of equality include:

• Equality of opportunity: the ideal that all people should have the freedom
to use their talents and wealth to reach their fullest potential

• Political equality: the right for all people to participate in politics equally,
based on the principle of “one person, one vote”

Equality implies an obligation of the government to the people, and the degree
to which government should promote equality (particularly social/economic)
is controversial.
The Politics of Class
American Political Values: Equality, 2 of 3
There is also debate concerning the government’s role in ensuring equality of
opportunity in areas such as college admissions and corporate employment.

• Supporters of affirmative action programs, for example, claim they are a

necessary part of a larger effort to address past discrimination in order to
establish true equality of opportunity today.

• Opponents maintain that they amount to reverse discrimination and that a

truly equal society should not acknowledge gender or racial differences.
American Political Values: Equality, 3 of 3
Income inequality rose on the political agenda during the coronavirus pandemic.

• The economic slowdown most affected lower income workers without

employee benefits, including those in the restaurant, retail, and gig economy
(short-term contracts or freelance) sectors.

• As Congress deliberated economic stimulus measures and policy changes,

debates about the role of government reemerged.
• Should greater resources be directed at helping workers or employers?
• Would increased unemployment benefits lead to better jobs for workers or
disincentivize returning to work?
Equality and Public Opinion

Statement Perfec
t Who
Agree
It is very important that women have 97
the same rights as men in our
country.
It is very important that everyone has 82
an equal opportunity to succeed.
It should be illegal for employers to 90
fire people or refuse to hire people
for being gay, lesbian, or bisexual.
It should be legal for gay and lesbian 61
couples to get married.
There is too much economic 61
inequality in the country these days.
Some amount of inequality is 70
acceptable (among those who said
there is too much economic
inequality).
Our country has not gone far enough 37
when it comes to giving Black people
equal rights with Whites (according
to Whites).
Our country has not gone far enough 78
when it comes to giving Black people
equal rights with Whites (according
to Blacks).
The country hasn’t gone far enough 64
when it comes to gender equality
(according to women).
The country hasn’t gone far enough 49
when it comes to gender equality
(according to men).

49
American Political Values: Justice, 1 of 2
The Founders valued the concept of justice (the quality of being just and fair);
however, the practice of justice has been more complicated.

• In the Founders’ view, the judicial branch would have the

responsibility of ensuring that justice is carried out.

• Justice is linked to the principle of fairness (impartial decision-

making; the quality of treating people equally, free from
discrimination).

• Ensuring a fair process is key to how we get to a just outcome.

American Political Values: Justice, 2 of 2
But justice is not exclusively determined by judges; conceptions of justice arise
from the people.

• Organized groups of Americans have used the language of justice—

especially social justice (the just allocation of wealth, opportunities, and
privileges within a society) —to advocate for change.

• Examples include the disability justice movement, the environmental

justice movement, and the criminal justice reform movement.

• The movement for racial justice inspired over 20 million people to take
to the streets during spring 2020.
Americans’ Attitudes Toward Government
Americans have long been reluctant to grant the government too much power.

• However, in 1933, the power of the government began to expand in response to

the Great Depression.

• Congress passed legislation that brought government into the businesses of

home mortgages, farm mortgages, credit, and relief of personal financial
distress.

• When the economy suffered a deep recession in 2008 and 2009, the federal
government oversaw the restructuring of failing auto manufacturers and
provided billions of dollars in economic stimulus.
Partisan Differences Over the Size of Government
Americans are evenly divided in their opinions about the size of government.

• 47 percent would prefer smaller government with fewer services

• 47 percent would prefer bigger government with increased services

Despite these differing opinions, a clear majority support:

• increased federal spending in education (72 percent)

• veterans benefits (72 percent)
• rebuilding highway infrastructure (62 percent).

Democrats have often advocated for enlarging the size of government, while
Republicans have argued for restraining it.
Trust in Government, 1 of 2
Public trust of government has declined.

• In the early 1960s, three-quarters of Americans said they trusted

government most of time.

• By 2021, only 24 percent of Americans expressed the same sentiment.

• Trust in government has been found to increase among members of the

party that controls the presidency.
Trust in Government, 2 of 2
Trust in local and state governments has stayed relatively high.

• Even during the pandemic, with people objecting to policies from their state
and local governments, confidence continued to be higher than in the federal
government.

• One poll found that clear majorities of respondents expressed trust in their
state governments (57 percent) and in their local governments (66 percent).

• In contrast, only 39 percent of Americans expressed trust in the federal

government.
What Americans Think about Government: Level of Trust

56
Importance of Trust to Government
In the absence of trust, government cannot function effectively.

• The public may refuse to pay taxes for needed programs.

• Government may be unable to attract workers.

It becomes more difficult to defend national interests.

• The economy and national security may be jeopardized.

57
Public Opinion Poll: Q1
How much would you say the work and decisions of the federal government
affect what happens in your life?

a) not at all
b) a little
c) a moderate amount
d) a lot
e) a great deal

58
Public Opinion Poll: Q2
Do you believe our government should do more, the same, or less for the
citizens of our country?

a) more
b) the same
c) less
d) no opinion

59
Public Opinion Poll: Q3
How much of the time do you think you can trust the federal government to do
what is right and fair?

a) just about always

b) most of the time
c) only some of the time
d) never

60
Public Opinion Poll: Q4
How much do you believe public officials care about what people like you
think?

a) a great deal
b) a lot
c) a moderate amount
d) a little
e) not at all

61
Public Opinion Poll: Q5
How much do you believe people like you can affect what the government does?

a) a great deal
b) a lot
c) a moderate amount
d) a little
e) not at all

62
Public Opinion Poll: Q6
How interested are you in information about what is going on in government
and politics?

a) extremely interested
b) very interested
c) moderately interested
d) slightly interested
e) not interested at all

63
Public Opinion Poll: Q7
How often do you pay attention to what is going on in government and politics?

a) never
b) once in a while
c) about half the time
d) most of the time
e) all of the time

64
Additional Information
Following this slide, you will find additional images, figures, and tables from the
textbook.

65
Americans and Their Political Values

66
America Side by Side: Forms of Government

67
Native nations

68
Influencing the Government through Participation: Direct Action, 1 of 2

69
Influencing the Government through Participation: Direct Action, 2 of 2

70
American Political Culture: Patrick Henry

71
How To: Debate Respectfully

72
Equality of Opportunity

73
Justice

74
Who Participates? Can Young People Make a Difference in Politics?

75
Federal Student Aid Website

76