Chapter 1 Notes

Chapter 1 NotesWhat is Civics?A branch of political science which focuses on the study of the rights and duties of citizens.Rights and duties presupposes a reciprocal give (obligation) and take (receive) relationship.Between whom?Citizen: a persons membership into a political communityPolitical (politic): the social relationship involving government power (the ability of one to get another to act in accordance with the firsts intentions) and/or authority (the right to use power).The process in which government makes and carries out decisions. (How does it use its power?)Question: What is the difference between power and authority?LegitimacyIn all human relationships, power is found.Doctor/patient, car-mechanic/car owner, bully/bullied, police officer/citizenBut some have the right to power through legitimacy (conferred or agreed upon power).

Why do we confer power on any one person or group?Why do we give power to another? What is gained? Instead of answering the above question, lets consider a different question:What if there was no government?Assignment: One Page Essay (Paragraphs)Introduction: Introduce the topicwhat is the topic (a time without government)?Insert your Thesis Statement (Answer the questionthe purpose of your essay.)Body: Evidence to support your thesis (Explains why your thesis is a factual statement)Conclusion: What is to be understood or learned from this essay?What if government just stopped in your country?!?Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679)English Political WriterPro-Monarchy. Why?English Civil War (1641-1651)Early Enlightenment writer/thinker.Wrote The Leviathan (1651)

The Leviathan (1651)

The LeviathanWhen was it written?What is a civil war?What would life be like during a civil war? Why?Thomas Hobbes was one of the earliest Enlightenment thinkers.The Enlightenment: A period of intellectual thought that used reason and logic (scientific method) to be applied to politics and society to challenge traditional belief systems (to improve society).Period from 1650 to 1800.Primary source vs. Secondary SourcePrimary Source: a physical source (documents, creative work, artifact) from the time period under study.Secondary Source: interprets and analyzes (explains) primary sources.In-Class AssignmentRead the segment of The Leviathan given to you in small groups of 3 to 5.Answer the questions using the reading.The questions are written in order with the reading.I will help you in class, but you are on your own at home. Use time wisely.Answers to questions are due at the beginning of next class.The State of NatureA hypothetical condition of humanity before the creation of state, government, legitimate authority, and law. (Hypothetical: Define?)The State of Nature => Need for a legitimate authorityHobbes political philosophy (attempt to acquire knowledge by a logical means about topics that are not based in scientific fact) or belief was that the Leviathan (great power) should be a Monarch (king).Government serves to protect us from the natural state.Natural rights- individuals are born with natural rights that their mind and body are capable of doing. Hobbes would argue that every man has the right to every thing in the state of nature. Self-preservation is at the center of those powers.Law creates an obligation and duty to another (to society) because it forbids an action that we would otherwise naturally choose.We must give (duty) our natural rights (freedoms and liberties) to the government (authority) in order to be removed from the state of nature (right) and continues to promote our self-preservation.The State of Nature is why individuals submit to a government power.Example of State of Nature

Functions of GovernmentMaintain Order: Secure the people and their property within the state. Creation of and enforcement of laws (Resolve Conflicts among citizens through different systems put in place).Provide Services: Public services (education), projects (highway system), and policies (Medicare).Ensure National Security: Guard its territory by providing foreign diplomacy and defense.Provide for the Public Good (General Welfare): Balance the Public Good of all the select populations within the nation. Regulate (regulation: constrains rights and defines responsibility), research, use of resources. An abstract process for determining what is the public good.Public Policy: government action to achieve a community goalBudget: plan for collecting and spending money to achieve public policy.

Theories of RuleWhy do we grant some members of society the power to rule us over other members? Where does the right to rule stem?Divine Right: the ruler is chosen by God. A ruler receives their authority and rules on behalf of a divine being.Natural Law (Rights): the belief that the natural world has a natural order (possibly derived from God). That order provides for Natural Rights (mans power). In order to have self-preservation, we allow a government to exist to protect us from ourselves.Social Contract: legitimate authority is a result of the peoples agreement or contract with the government.

Types of Government1. Authoritarian: power is held by an individual or group who are not accountable to the people they govern.Totalitarian: control of all aspects of peoples lives.

A. AutocracyRule belongs to a single individual.Absolute Monarchy: government with hereditary rulerUnlimited authority Example: King Louis XIVb) Dictatorship: removal by opposition- no means for new leader- example: Adolf Hitler

B. OligarchyRuled by a few or small group.Example: Military of North Korea

2) DemocracyGovernment by which the people ruleEtymology: Greek- Demos = people, mob, or manyKratos= rule or powerDirect Democracy (Pure Democracy): power is placed in the assembly of all citizens who participate.Ancient Athens: citizens (free males) would meet on a hill to discuss and vote on policy.Problems?

Athenian Democracy

B) Representative DemocracyCitizens choose a smaller group of citizens to represent and govern on their behalf.Majority Rule: the doctrine that the numerical majority of an organized group can make decisions that bind the whole group.Plurality: system in which the winner is the person with the most votes, even if s/he does not receive a majority.Problems?A RepublicAnd to the Republic for which it standsParliamentary Form: A system of government in which the ministers of the executive branch get their legitimacy from the legislature, and are accountable to that body such that the executive and legislative branches are run by the same political party.Executive is the Prime MinisterElected by the legislature which is elected by the peoplePresidential Form: A system of government in which the president of the executive branch is chosen by the people and is independent of the legislature.Governments in b/t the SpectrumTheocracy: Political power is controlled by religious leaders.Constitutional Monarchy: Monarch limited by a constitution and laws.

Example: Iran

Who are Citizens?

14th AmendmentAll persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State they reside.Who are citizens?Losing citizenship:Improperly obtained citizenshipVoluntarily give it up (cant get it back)Aliens: non-citizens within the bordersImmigrant: person who moves to a new country.Emigrant: person who moves from a country.Legal immigrants get most services that citizens get except: no jury duty, no vote, no federal government jobs, and have to carry an I.D. card.

Nativism: political movement against immigration.What makes the United States a Nation?

- Post it!A NationA nation can refer to a country.A nation can refer to a community or people who share a common territory or government.A nation can refer to an ethnic group with a common language, race, religion, or history.Sweden is 81% SwedesDenmark is 90% DanesBosnia, Israel, Croatia, AlbaniaNationalismthe positive attitude members have towards their national identity.The actions that members of a nation take when seeking to achieve self-determination (the right of a nation to govern itself).

What makes the United States a nation?United States- What is a State?State: a political unit with the power to make and enforce laws over a group of people living within a clearly defined territory.Defined by population, territory, and sovereigntySometimes called: country or nation-stateStates are politically organized => Have a government with sovereign powerSovereignty: supreme or ultimate political authority; a sovereign government is one that is legally and politically independent of any other government.What does all of this mean for us?Politically, the United is pulled in many directions.How big is our government?What powers should the government have?What rights should the people have?We need to understand:Our foundations and traditionsThe system weve createdAlternatives to our system/How to make changesOur role in the system