AP US Government & PoliticsChapter 1: The Study of American

Government

Presentation Outline1) What is Politics?2) Political Power, Authority, and

Legitimacy3) Democracy + Historical Evolution4) Majoritarian Politics5) Elites6) 4 Theories of Elite Influence

1) What is Politics?Who gets what, why, and how?

Politics itself is a mixture of the high and the low. Politics is the realm in which we attempt to realize some of our highest aspirations: our desire for political freedom, our longing for justice, our hope for peace and security.

At the same time, politics is laced with individuals and groups seeking their selfish interests at the expense of others. 

2) Political Power, Authority, and LegitimacyPower: the ability of one person to cause

another person to act in accordance with the first person’s intentions

In a dictatorship, this power rests with the leader, his cronies, the police, and other instruments of state power

In a democracy, this power is supposed to rest with the people

Authority: this is the right to have power over others

Question: who has political authority in Canada?

Legitimacy: this is the source of the authority

This could be in the form of a constitution, religious text, elections, or tradition

Question: what are the sources of legitimacy in Canada’s political system?

3) Democracy + Historical Evolution

Direct democracy: A form of democracy in which most, or all, of the citizenry participate directly.

This originated in the city-states of classical Greece

The legacy of direct democracy is part of American political culture

Americans regularly vote directly on propositions and initiatives

Citizens in Washington and Colorado state recently voted to legalize marijuana.

Representative democracy: A government in which leaders make decisions by winning a competitive struggle for the popular vote.

This is how most democracies work today

The United States inherited democratic ideas from classical Greece, Enlightenment European thinkers, and British institutions and traditions

Of course, Americans would synthesize these concepts and eventually develop their own unique form of democracy

Timeline of Democracy 5th century B.C.E. Athenian direct democracy1215 Magna Carta (England) limits the power of

the king1642-1651 English Civil War: king restored but

Parliamentary sovereignty respected17th and 18th Centuries European

Enlightenment: Thinkers such as Locke, Voltaire, Montesquieu put forth concepts such as liberty, freedoms, rights, and checks and balances

1776 American Declaration of Independence1789 U.S. Constitution ratified

As you will discover and learn American political culture differs from British and Canadian political culture

What’s Canada’s political motto?

Peace, Order, and Good Government

4) Majoritarian PoliticsMajoritarian Politics: leaders constrained

by what people want that their actions will follow what the people want. Characteristics

Issues must be important to the peopleClear to get an informed opinionFeasible to enact.

A good example of this is Obama’s decision to withdraw US troops from Iraq

Can you think of other examples?

Circumstances may prevent clear knowledge of public opinion

In such cases leaders may not act in a majoritarian way

Interests groups, lobbyists, and the media can all influence leaders and distort public opinion

Example: when polled a majority of Americans have indicated that they favor national health care but this is not reflected in the media or in the US Congress

The Framers of the US ConstitutionGovernment would mediate, not mirror,

popular viewsPeople were viewed as lacking knowledge

and susceptible to manipulationFramers’ goal: to minimize the abuse of

power by a tyrannical majority or by officeholders by creating checks and balances

Thomas Jefferson

“A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine.”

“All, too, will bear in mind this sacred principle, that though the will of the majority is in all cases to prevail, that will, to be rightful, must be reasonable; that the minority possess their equal rights, which equal laws must protect, and to violate would be oppression.”

What comment is Jefferson making about democracy and majoritarian rule?

5) ElitesElites: those with “power”Can be elected such as CongressmanCan be corporate and business leadersCan be influential personalities in the media

US Senator Mitch McConnell

Lloyd BlankfeinCEO of Goldman-Sachs

6) Four Theories of Elite Influence

1. Marxist: Karl Marx; government is a reflection of underlying economic forces, primarily pattern of ownership of production.

Societies divided into classes. Modern Society 2 fight for power

Capitalists vs. WorkersWhichever class dominates the

other… it controls the government. Economic elite

Leads to dictatorship of the proletariat

Four Theories of Elite Influence2. Power Elite Theory: Wright Mills

argues that nongovernmental elite makes most of the major decisions but that this elite is not composed exclusively of corporate leaders.

According to this theory, these elites will be in charge regardless of what rules are set upCorporate leadersTop military officersKey political leaders.

*Some add communication media, labor leaders, and special interest groups.

Historically in the United States this “power elite” has been entrenched in the Constitution with the inclusion of a Senate, and the Electoral College

Electoral college- who are the electors?

4 Theories of Elite Influence3. Bureaucrats: appointed officials who

operate governmental agencies from day to day have the real power and the government is “really” controlled by large expert specialized bureaucracies that had become a necessity.

Rational decision making

4 Theories of Elite Influence4. Pluralist View: Political resources ($,

expertise, access to media) are everywhere, no single elite has control. Too many government organizations to

dominateAlso, too many different elites have some control

over process. Hyperpluralism: too many groups.

Confusing/conflicting policies. Can often lead to political gridlock and

polarization

Can be viewed both positively and negatively

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