John Paul Tabakian, Ed.D.Political Science 1 – US Government

Spring 2017 / Fall 2017 – Power Point 3

Course Lecture Topics1. America’s Elite Membership2. Policy Changes and Innovations in America3. Political Conflict4. Stability & Instability5. Power Of Exporting Corporate Elites 6. Corporate and Economic Power7. Globalization8. How Elites Exercise Power9. John Locke’s “Second Treatise Of Government”10.Capitalism & Democracy Are Similar

American Elite EvolutionAmerica’s Elite Membership & New Elite Membership1. Early disputes were between propertied classes.2. Political parties emerged in the 1796 election.3. New Western elites were assimilated

• The new electorate included all White men.4. Industrial elites use Social Darwinism to justify wealth.Policy Changes & Innovations in American Government1. Hamilton pays the national debt

• Establishes a national bank.2. Supreme Court expands necessary and proper clause.3. President Abraham Lincoln & Emancipation Proclamation.4. President Franklin Roosevelt & New Deal legislation.

North Versus SouthPolitical Conflict1. Southern and Northern elite conflict over western land

led to Civil War.2. Missouri Compromise was an attempt at compromise.3. Southern elites seceded from the Union.4. America lost its first war in Vietnam.5. America regained its prestige in Persian Gulf War I.

• President George Bush had a 90 % approval.• The military was the most trusted institution.

StabilizationSudden instability is the greatest threat to humanity for itthreatens to cause irreparable harm to the individual. Onemay never consider harming another person in a state ofnature. Elimination of one’s sustenance throws the individualinto a state of war, because their survival is now threatened.Nation-states consist of multiple spheres of interest in turnconsisting of individual units consisting of people. As survivalis the primary goal of man, so it is the ultimate pursuit ofnation-states. The primary concern is that of stability. Thisphilosophy has prevented a major war from taking place overthe last sixty years. Instability is the primary cause of allconflict both within and between nation-states.

Nightmare ScenarioSudden instability results in thepotential destruction of arelationship. Everyone hasexperienced the negative effects ofinstability. Relationships betweenloved ones is just one of manyexamples. One major cause oframpant instability is the breakdownof communication between spheres.This is a video documentary titled“First Strike”. It presents anightmare scenario resulting fromsouring relations between theUnited States and the Soviet Union.

First Strike

Global ElitesCorporate and Economic Power is globalized and free fromnational government restraints.1. Financial and industrial elites control America’s economic life.2. Exporting Corporate elites control America’s trade policy.

• WTO and IMF/WB facilitate international trade.• NAFTA and FTA are institutionalizing global trade.• Corporate Elites have earned a reputation for greed.

America’s Elites exercise power in many sectors of society.1. Elites move from government positions to corporate positions

through a revolving door.2. Elites are public-regarding and establishment-trained.3. An increasing number of neoconservatives and neoliberals are

in America’s elite.

Globalization (1)Globalization is a process that seems to create a more unifiedworld united in a single economic system. Globalizationcontinues to be cited as a cause for the withering away of thestate. Technology has allowed mankind to realizeglobalization. Liberalism and its market-based order continueto be the primary motivator for technological innovation that inturn has rendered previous norms obsolete. One can arguethat this constant drive may in time render international strife,conflict and other assorted calamities obsolete. Liberalswould argue that globalization is a trend toward thetransformation of world politics with states no longerremaining sealed units.

Globalization (2)Globalization may be seen as a homogenization process thatequalizes prices, products, wages, wealth, rates of interestand profit margins. It is a movement that can spark resistanceboth within the United States as well as around the world. Thiscan come from religious fundamentalists, labor unions andother types of special interest groups. Globalization has so faronly encompassed western countries, Israel and certain Asiancountries like Japan, South Korea and China. Most of theworld has been left out, including Africa, Latin America,Russia, Middle East and swaths of Asia.

Globalization (3)This political piece explores theeffects of globalization. One canargue that globalization hasextended people’s buying power.Dollars can be stretched mustfurther thanks to lower laborcosts found in distant lands. “BigBox-Mart” argues that cheapgoods does present a seriousside effect. Does the messagerelate to your personal beliefabout our present globaleconomy?

Big Box Mart

John Locke (1)1. Recognized as the first to anticipate the rise of liberal

thought in his time.2. Addressed the merits of exchanging certain natural rights or

liberties for civil rights as afforded by a social contract thatprovides a foundation of laws assuring freedom and equalityfor all citizens.

3. One cannot have liberalism without capitalism.4. Embodies tolerance, freedom of speech and religion with

capitalism. Social contract is man’s way of establishing agovernment to guarantee those identified fundamentalrights.

5. Argues that the law of God serves as the fundamentalexample of what constitutes natural rights.

John Locke (2)6. John Lock is very secular as his natural law argument

demonstrates. Adopted to make Christianity moreprogressive, Locke argues that the law of reason is inactuality the law of nature with natural law governed by God.

7. No man has sovereignty by birth or any other greaterfreedom, for all of man are seen in the same light underGod’s eyes. (Chap.1)

8. Locke argues that man’s natural duty is to insure his self-preservation, which he bases on two qualifications. First,men do what is necessary for their pursuit of life, liberty andprosperity. Second, man can only take from another if it isdependent on preserving his own life, liberty and prosperity.(Chap.1)

John Locke (3)9. Self-preservation is absolute only in a state of war, for when

force without rights exists, it presents a theater throughwhich violence exists outside the reach of law. (Sec.17)

10.Stresses that rights or duties accorded in a state of natureare based on natural law, or reason. His whole theory isbased on the tenets of liberalism with a focus onrelationships and conflict. (Preface)

11.Examines how one can and cannot morally possess materialgoods. States that the law of nature demands that no oneshall waste or spoil anything that others could use. Arguingthat one’s claims to the products of the earth is in truthowned in common by all, the right of subsistence cannotjustify waste, for one does not own the Earth. (Sec.36)

John Locke (4) 12.Self-regulating capitalism is the overriding purpose of the

establishment of this contract in order to insure that equalityand freedom continue to exist outside of the state of nature.

13.Addressing the needy deficiencies of the state of nature,Locke examines the need for common consent with thepeople following the basic tenets of natural law. Man therebyagrees to give up their natural rights in exchange for civilrights in return for order in a civil society.

14.Argues that the rule of law must apply to all in the samefashion, fairly affecting all aspects of society. The state ofnature dictates that the law must treat all people equally forno one has the right to control another absolutely.

John Locke (5)15.From the beginning: Adam & Eve. Neither had total control

over their children or the Earth. (Chap.1)16.People must freely surrender some of their inalienable rights

in order for the construction of government. (Chap.1)17.All are charged with the responsibility of ensuring their

prosperity. None may willfully retreat from life to death.(Sec.6)

18.A state of war results when one’s survival is jeopardized.Slavery produces a state of war. (Sec.8)

19.No man shall do harm. Transgressors shall be punishedeither by the state or individual. (Sec.11)

John Locke (6)20.State of nature is a state of peace, good will, mutual

assistance and preservation. A state of enmity, malice,violence and mutual destruction is in fact a state of war.(Sec.16)

21.When actual force ends then so does the state of war. Bothsides are then subjected to the faire determination of thelaw. (Sec.20)

22.Men willingly join a society to prevent a state of war.(Sec.21)

23.Man shall not be under any other legislative power, but thatestablished, by consent, in the commonwealth. Only thoserestraints placed by the legislature may apply. (Sec.22)

John Locke (7)24.Only those powers willfully forfeited may be applied to man.

No one can give more away more power than he hashimself. He that cannot take away his own life, cannotgive another power over it. (Sec.23)

25.Every man has a property in his own person. No power hasany right to this property except the respectiveindividual.(Sec.27)

26.Adding labor or value makes the end product man’s.(Sec.28)

27.Ethics of converting or trading tangible products intocurrency. This brings money, gold and silver, into the foray.(Sec.50)

John Locke (8)The freedom then of man, and liberty of acting according to hisown will, is grounded on his having reason, which is able to instructhim in that law he is to govern himself by, and make him know howfar he is left to the freedom of his own will. To turn him loose to anunrestrained liberty, before he has reason to guide him, is not theallowing him the privilege of his nature to be free; but to thrust himout amongst brutes, and abandon him to a state as wretched, andas much beneath that of a man, as their's. This is that which putsthe authority into the parents hands to govern the minority of theirchildren. God hath made it their business to employ this care ontheir offspring, and hath placed in them suitable inclinations oftenderness and concern to temper this power, to apply it, as hiswisdom designed it, to the children's good, as long as they shouldneed to be under it. (Sec.63)

John Locke (9)MEN being, as has been said, by nature, all free, equal, andindependent, no one can be put out of this estate, andsubjected to the political power of another, without his ownconsent. The only way whereby any one divests himself of hisnatural liberty, and puts on the bonds of civil society, is byagreeing with other men to join and unite into a community fortheir comfortable, safe, and peaceable living one amongstanother, in a secure enjoyment of their properties, and agreater security against any, that are not of it. (Sec.95)

John Locke (10)For when any number of men have, by the consent of everyindividual, made a community, they have thereby made thatcommunity one body, with a power to act as one body, which isonly by the will and determination of the majority: for that whichacts any community, being only the consent of the individuals ofit, and it being necessary to that which is one body to move oneway; it is necessary the body should move that way whither thegreater force carries it, which is the consent of the majority: orelse it is impossible it should act or continue one body, onecommunity, which the consent of every individual that unitedinto it, agreed that it should; and so every one is bound by thatconsent to be concluded by the majority. (Sec.96)

John Locke (11)IF man in the state of nature be so free, as has been said; if hebe absolute lord of his own person and possessions, equal tothe greatest, and subject to no body, why will he part with hisfreedom? why will he give up this empire, and subject himself tothe dominion and control of any other power? To which it isobvious to answer, that though in the state of nature he hathsuch a right, yet the enjoyment of it is very uncertain, andconstantly exposed to the invasion of others: for all being kingsas much as he, every man his equal, and the greater part nostrict observers of equity and justice, the enjoyment of theproperty he has in this state is very unsafe, very insecure.Protection of property is the primary motivator to join civilsociety. (Sec.123)

John Locke (12) THE majority having, as has been shewed, upon men's firstuniting into society, the whole power of the community naturallyin them, may employ all that power in making laws for thecommunity from time to time, and executing those laws byofficers of their own appointing; and then the form of thegovernment is a perfect democracy: or else may put the powerof making laws into the hands of a few select men, and theirheirs or successors; and then it is an oligarchy: or else into thehands of one man, and then it is a monarchy: if to him and hisheirs, it is an hereditary monarchy: if to him only for life, butupon his death the power only of nominating a successor toreturn to them; an elective monarchy. And so accordingly ofthese the community may make compounded and mixed formsof government, as they think good. (Sec.132)

John Locke (13)Though the legislative, whether placed in one or more, whetherit be always in being, or only by intervals, though it be thesupreme power in every common-wealth; yet,

First: It is not, nor can possibly be absolutely arbitrary over thelives and fortunes of the people: for it being but the joint powerof every member of the society given up to that person, orassembly, which is legislator; it can be no more than thosepersons had in a state of nature before they entered intosociety, and gave up to the community: for no body can transferto another more power than he has in himself; and no body hasan absolute arbitrary power over himself, or over any other, todestroy his own life, or take away the life or property of another.(Sec.135)

John Locke (14)Second: The legislative, or supreme authority, cannot assume toits self a power to rule by extemporary arbitrary decrees, but isbound to dispense justice, and decide the rights of the subject bypromulgated standing laws, and known authorized judges: forthe law of nature being unwritten, and so no where to be foundbut in the minds of men, they who through passion or interestshall miscite, or misapply it, cannot so easily be convinced oftheir mistake where there is no established judge: and so itserves not, as it ought, to determine the rights, and fence theproperties of those that live under it, especially where every oneis judge, interpreter, and executioner of it too, and that in his owncase: and he that has right on his side, having ordinarily but hisown single strength, hath not force enough to defend himselffrom injuries, or to punish delinquents. (Sec.136)

John Locke (15)Absolute arbitrary power, or governing without settled standinglaws, can neither of them consist with the ends of society andgovernment, which men would not quit the freedom of the stateof nature for, and tie themselves up under, were it not topreserve their lives, liberties and fortunes, and by stated rulesof right and property to secure their peace and quiet. This wereto put themselves into a worse condition than the state ofnature, wherein they had a liberty to defend their right againstthe injuries of others, and were upon equal terms of force tomaintain it, whether invaded by a single man, or many incombination. (Sec.137)

John Locke (16)Thirdly, The supreme power cannot take from any man any partof his property without his own consent: for the preservation ofproperty being the end of government, and that for which menenter into society, it necessarily supposes and requires, that thepeople should have property, without which they must besupposed to lose that, by entering into society, which was theend for which they entered into it; too gross an absurdity for anyman to own. (Sec.138)

John Locke (17)Legislative Powers Of The Commonwealth1. Govern by promulgated established laws, not to be varied in

particular cases, but to have one rule for rich and poor, forthe favorite at court, and the country man at plough.

2. Laws also ought to be designed for no other end ultimately,but the good of the people.

3. They must not raise taxes on the property of the people,without the consent of the people, given by themselves, ortheir deputies.

4. The legislative neither must nor can transfer the power ofmaking laws to any body else, or place it any where, butwhere the people have. (Sec.142)

John Locke (18)5. But because the laws, that are at once, and in a short time

made, have a constant and lasting force, and need aperpetual execution, or an attendance thereunto; therefore itis necessary there should be a power always in being, whichshould see to the execution of the laws that are made, andremain in force. And thus the legislative and executive powercome often to be separated. (Sec.144)

John Locke (18)6. Executive and federative, though they be really distinct in

themselves, yet one comprehending the execution of themunicipal laws of the society within its self, upon all that areparts of it; the other the management of the security andinterest of the public without, with all those that it mayreceive benefit or damage from, yet they are always almostunited. (Sec.147)

John Locke (19)7. In a constituted common-wealth, standing upon its own

basis, and acting according to its own nature, that is, actingfor the preservation of the community, there can be but onesupreme power, which is the legislative, to which all the restare and must be subordinate, yet the legislative being only afiduciary power to act for certain ends, there remains still inthe people a supreme power to remove or alter thelegislative, when they find the legislative act contrary to thetrust reposed in them: for all power given with trust for theattaining an end, being limited by that end, whenever thatend is manifestly neglected, or opposed, the trust mustnecessarily be forfeited, and the power devolve into thehands of those that gave it. (sec.149)

John Locke (20) 8. WHERE the legislative and executive power are in distinct

hands, (as they are in all moderated monarchies, and well-framed governments) there the good of the society requires,that several things should be left to the discretion of him thathas the executive power: for the legislators not being able toforesee, and provide by laws, for all that may be useful tothe community, the executor of the laws having the power inhis hands, has by the common law of nature a right to makeuse of it for the good of the society, in many cases, wherethe municipal law has given no direction, till the legislativecan conveniently be assembled to provide for it. (Sec.159)

John Locke (21)9. Because the miscarriages of the father are no faults of the

children, and they may be rational and peaceable,notwithstanding the brutishness and injustice of the father;the father, by his miscarriages and violence, can forfeit buthis own life, but involves not his children in his guilt ordestruction. His goods, which nature, that willeth thepreservation of all mankind as much as is possible, hathmade to belong to the children to keep them from perishing,do still continue to belong to his children: for supposingthem not to have joined in the war, either through infancy,absence, or choice, they have done nothing to forfeit them:nor has the conqueror any right to take them away.(Sec.182)

John Locke (22)10.AS usurpation is the exercise of power, which another hath

a right to; so tyranny is the exercise of power beyond right,which no body can have a right to. And this is making useof the power any one has in his hands, not for the good ofthose who are under it, but for his own private separateadvantage. When the governor, however entitled, makesnot the law, but his will, the rule; and his commands andactions are not directed to the preservation of theproperties of his people, but the satisfaction of his ownambition, revenge, covetousness, or any other irregularpassion. (Sec.199)

John Locke (23)11.Where-ever law ends, tyranny begins, if the law be

transgressed to another's harm; and whosoever inauthority exceeds the power given him by the law, andmakes use of the force he has under his command, tocompass that upon the subject, which the law allows not,ceases in that to be a magistrate; and, acting withoutauthority, may be opposed, as any other man, who byforce invades the right of another. This is acknowledgedin subordinate magistrates. He that hath authority toseize my person in the street, may be opposed as a thiefand a robber, if he endeavors to break into my house toexecute a writ, notwithstanding that I know he has such awarrant, and such a legal authority, as will empower himto arrest me abroad. (Sec. 202)

John Locke (24)12. HE that will with any clearness speak of the dissolution of

government, ought in the first place to distinguish between thedissolution of the society and the dissolution of the government.That which makes the community, and brings men out of theloose state of nature, into one politic society, is the agreementwhich every one has with the rest to incorporate, and act as onebody, and so be one distinct commonwealth. The usual, andalmost only way whereby this union is dissolved, is the inroad offoreign force. Thus conquerors swords often cut upgovernments by the roots, and mangle societies to pieces,separating the subdued or scattered multitude from theprotection of, and dependence on, that society which ought tohave preserved them from violence.. Besides this over-turningfrom without, governments are dissolved from within. (Sec. 211)

John Locke (25)13.First, When the legislative is altered. Civil society being a

state of peace, amongst those who are of it, from whom thestate of war is excluded by the umpirage, which they haveprovided in their legislative, for the ending all differencesthat may arise amongst any of them, it is in their legislative,that the members of a commonwealth are united, andcombined together into one coherent living body. (Sec.212)

Capitalism & Democracy Are Similar (1)

1. For freedom to rein it is required for the market place todetermine the fate of all products, services and ideas. Nointerference can burden this process. Oversight is notnecessarily detrimental as is the policy of the United States toregulate various industries. The death kneel comes whenpowerful spheres of influence serve to squash competition. JohnLocke argues it best when he suggests that liberalism can neverexist without capitalism. This is the philosophy of Adam Smith’s“invisible hand” where he explains how markets determine thefate of all competing interests seeking society’s acceptance. Weare today living in a time of unprecedented technologicalinnovation that is helping to propel humanity further the ladder ofevolution. This would not be possible if vested interests wereprevented from pursuing market acceptance.

Capitalism & Democracy Are Similar (2)

2. John Locke and Adam Smith would agree that there is no fundamentaldifference between a marketed product, service or even political idea.All interest groups competing in the marketplace are engaged in thesame pursuit: acceptance. Companies competing for market dollarsstrive to offer the most cost efficient product or service that is also themost innovative. This in turn encourages competing peers to furthermaximize efficiency while also stretching the bounds of innovation inorder to offer the best value. Marketing ideas is in essence the same wehave witnessed with political campaigns striving for societal acceptance.Political organizations seeking for example the election of a particularindividual to office must secure a majority of the market within a certainregion. Competing campaigns offer different ideas to the market thatseek to offer a better value. This constant battle allows all individuals todecide for themselves what “product” “service” or even “idea” is best.We all benefit from conflict.

Capitalism & Democracy Are Similar (3)

3. Let us look at the example of telecommunications tounderstand the benefits of conflict. Prior to 1996, thereexisted in Southern California like most other regions inthe United States, two cellular telephone companies.These were the days of analog communications, or AMPS(Advanced Mobile Phone System). Southern Californiawas home to Airtouch and LA Cellular prior to 1996. Bothcompanies maintained prices that prevented the averageconsumer from fully utilizing their services, or evenpurchasing them at all. Everything changed with thesignage of the 1996 Telecommunications Act by PresidentBill Clinton. The bill allowed for more efficient use ofspectrum, thereby allowing easier access for companiesto compete in wireless communications.

Capitalism & Democracy Are Similar (4)

4. Various competitors entered to compete for marketacceptance, requiring all companies to strive for greaterefficiency, while also providing even greater services.Consumers today face a wide selection of companies whoindividually offer greater communication services that gobeyond voice services to encompass video calling andbroadband internet. The invisible hand eliminates thosecompanies that do not provide the greatest benefit forconsumers.

Capitalism & Democracy Are Similar (5)

5. The ultimate nightmare may be the elimination of debate.Many have unwittingly called for this in the halls ofgovernment. It is not debate that threatens society, butthe lack of contesting ideas. Policies enacted to preventoverly powerful monopolies help to maintain opencompetition. To have one overly powerful sphere ofinterest prevent debate is destructive to the system itself.Pluralism emphasizes both conflict and compromise withinterest groups engaged in a constant pursuit of powerthat naturally results in established alliances to competewith peer spheres that are doing the same, resulting inthe formation of two major spheres.

Capitalism & Democracy Are Similar (6)

6. Public policy would thereby stall until reaching acompromise between these two majority powers. This inturn helps to protect the majority of those residing insociety. Every policy requires constant improvement forhumanity to arrive closer to perfection. Those that call forthe elimination of special interest groups or even therestriction of political debate are ignorant for this processbenefits society immensely.