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At least 90% of political conflict has historically revolved around

the questions of:

• Who has the power/responsibility and who doesn’t?

• How much government is necessary?

• Today that conflict continues . . . . . .

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Political Philosophies

Background:

• Greek thought

• Middle Ages

• Renaissance, Age of Enlightenment, Humanism

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The Roots of American Government

• Aristotle and the Greeks articulated the idea of natural law.

• Society should be governed by ethical principles that are part of nature and can be understood through reason.

• Government before had been by “divine right,” but these philosophical changes put humans on the road toward self government.

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Sovereign State -

a body of people, occupying a defined territory, organized politically and having power to make and enforce law without consent of a higher authority.

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Origins

• Force theory

• Evolutionary

• Divine Right

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Social Contract Theory

An agreement to create a state.The surrender of power to the state to promote safety.

• People are source of power

• People give consent to government to rule

• Government provides protection of natural rights

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No government = “state of nature” or anarchy

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Thomas Hobbes - English - (1588-1679) Leviathan 1651

A. Man in a state of nature

state of war (fear)

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B. Man in a political state

• power surrendered to sovereign

• man has no right to resist

• the sovereign answers to no one

• if your sovereign is overthrown, you give loyalty to the new sovereign

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Conclusion

• A brutal, oppressive government is better than a “state of nature”

• Government is not a contract between subjects and their ruler

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John Locke - English - (1632-1704) Two Treatises on

Civil Government 1690

A. Man in a state of nature

•man is bound by natural law

•can be discovered through reason

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John Locke cont.

• no man may harm another in his life, liberty or possessions

• every man has the duty to enforce the natural law

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B. Man in a political state (the social contract)

• contract between man and their government

• government created to serve its subjects

• legislatures may not delegate power

• executive cannot make law

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John Locke cont.

• government cannot violate natural law or contract broken. Subjects no longer bound.

• Right of Revolution !!

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Jean Jacques Rousseau - French - (1712-1778) The Social Contract 1762

• A. Man in a state of nature

• man good, society corrupts

• men have two instincts: self preservation and compassion

• there are two types of inequality: natural and moral or political

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B. man in a political state

• social contract - agree to be bound by the will of all

• the individual must submit to the will of the majority

• society is a living organism ruled by the general will

• the individual is capable of morality only in this body

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Rousseau cont.

• his welfare is bound up with the group

• all political power rests with this body

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Rousseau cont.

• Majority rules - no minority rights - no limited government

• The general will is always best. Individuality would destroy society.

• Direct or pure democracy only.

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Summary

• Rousseau stressed the concepts of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity (majority rule).

• Locke stressed the concepts of limited government and sovereignty of the people.

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Summary cont.

• Hobbes stressed the concepts of a strong and unlimited ruler or sovereign. Absolute power of the state.

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What is the Purpose of Government?

• Where can we find the answer for the United States Government?

– In the Preamble

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What is the Purpose of Government?

• “to form a more perfect union”

-the writers believed that there was strength in partnership

-they did not want to give up the individual state rights

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What is the Purpose of Government?

• “to establish justice”

-Thomas Jefferson said that “the most sacred duty of the government is to provide Justice”

-he believed that this should be the overriding principle for the government

-What is your definition of justice?

-Justice has come to mean that the law should, in both its content and its administration, must be reasonable, fair, and impartial.

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What is the Purpose of Government?

• “to insure domestic tranquility”

-order is essential to the well being of society

-the absence of order is anarchy, absence of government

-an example of this can be seen in Somalia

-warlords have been fighting over parts of the country for years

-there is no central government

-the people live with no peace

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What is the Purpose of Government?

• “to provide for the common defense”

-protecting the nation from foreign enemies is essential

-this idea is mentioned more often in the constitution than any other

-What life experiences would have made this a priority?

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What is the Purpose of Government?

• “to promote the general welfare”

-this is the idea that the government is a servant to the people

-What types of services does the government provide?

-ex. school, fire, police, transportation, health agencies, etc.

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What is the Purpose of Government?

• “to secure the blessings of liberty”

-in all things the government should allow the people to enjoy liberty

-Do we have total liberty?

-Is it possible for a person to have total liberty?

-“You can only be free if I am free

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“We hold these truths to be self evident; that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it.”

Declaration of Independence

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Characteristics of American Democracy

1.Necessity of Compromise

2.popular sovereignty

3.majority rule/minority rights

4.Individual Freedom

5.Equality of individuals

6.Fundamental worth of the individual

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Styles of Government

• Unitary • Federal • Confederate• Presidential• Parliamentary

• Dictatorship• Democracy

–Direct– Indirect

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What determines the style of government?

•The needs of the people

•Their previous experiences

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What criteria do political scientist use to classify

governments?• The distribution of

governmental power

• The relationship between the legislative and executive branches

• Who takes part in the governing process

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Unitary Government• A centralized government • All the powers held by the

government are held by a single central agency

• Local units are created for convenience of the central unit– They have no real power

• Most governments are unitary

• Ex. Great Britain

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Federal Government• Power is divided

between a central unit and local units– National, state,

and local• Both have powers

exclusive to them• Ex. United States

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Confederate Government• An alliance of

independent states• Power is given to a

central unit by the alliance– The real power

stays with the states

• The alliance only acts on matters of common concern– This is considered a

weak form of government

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Presidential Government

• Separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches

• They are independent and equal

• Ex. United States

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Parliamentary Government

• The members of the executive branch are also members of the legislative branch– They make the

laws and carry (execute) them out

• Ex. British Parliament

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Dictatorship• The power is held with

one person• The individual can not

be held responsible by the people– No true elections– The authority is

absolute – The authority is not

challengeable• Ex. Hitler

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Democracy• The people

hold the power and consent to the government to be ruled

• Democracy is split into direct and indirect

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Direct Democracy• Pure democracy• Every person

votes on every single issue– Limited to

small communities

– Very time consuming

– And inefficient

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Indirect Democracy• Representative

democracy• People vote for

representatives • The representatives

handle the day to day business– This is what we

have in the U. S.

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Republic

A government rooted in the consent of the governed.

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The Economic System

Capitalism•private ownership of property

•free market economy (laissez-faire)

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• Conservatism – thought to believe that a government is best that governs least and that big government can only infringe on individual, personal, and economic rights.

Ideology of Americans

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• Liberalism – thought to favor government involvement in the economy and the provision of social services and to take an activist role in protecting women, the elderly, minorities, and the environment.

Ideology of Americans

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• Libertarianism – thought to favor a free market economy and no governmental interference in personal liberties.

Ideology of Americans

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At least 90% of political conflict has historically revolved around

the questions of:

• Who has the power/responsibility and who doesn’t?

• How much government is necessary?

• Today that conflict continues . . . . . .