Democracy Principles

7/30/2019 Democracy Principles

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Principles ofDemocracy

Ms. Nestico

Unit 1


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What is Democracy?

Form of government

Rule by the people

Representative or Direct? People have the right to vote

Democrat or Republican - political

parties Freedom or right to choose


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Purposes of Government

1. Make Laws -- Legislative2. Enforce Laws -- Executive

3. Interpret & Change Laws - Judicial


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What is governments responsibility to its citizens?

1. Ensure National Security/ProtectUs

2. Maintain Order/Resolve Conflict

3.

Provide Services

Functions of Government


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Maintaining Order

How does the government maintain order?

Police Courts

FBI/CIA

Congress and making laws


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Providing Services

Welfare - cash assistance

Food Stamps

Healthcare

--Medicaid/Medicare

--Medical Assistance (MA)

Social Security

Education Transportation

Regulatory Agencies

--EPA, FDA, FCC

Employment


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Protecting Us

Military

Homeland Security

Jails/Detention Facilities Police and Fire Departments


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I. Origins of Government

Aristotle - ancientGreek philosopher384-322 BCE

Coined the term

polis or city-state--refers to ancientGreek government

-- serves as the

basis fordemocracy

Aristotle known asFather of

Democracy


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Characteristics of a state(Based on Aristotles definition)

The term state is interchangeable with:country or city-state

1. People - population

2. Territory

3. Government

4. Sovereignty - the ability to rule oneself


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II. Division of PoliticalAuthority - Aristotle

1. Distribution of Power

a. Unitary system

b. Confederate System

c. Federal System

2. Economic 3. Who Rules

a. Capitalist a. autocracyb. Socialist b. oligarchy

c. Communist c. democracy


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Distribution of PowerHow does power flow?

A. Unitary Systemone central government with full authority overall political subdivisions or states


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B. Confederate Systemstates are sovereign and individual but

are all working toward a common goal;central government has limited power


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C. Federal System

power is shared between a centralgovernment and its political subdivisions


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Capitalism

Free enterprise system Businesses/industries are privately owned

Potential for income is unlimited

People have to provide their own meansfor basic needs and services (ex.Healthcare, education, etc.)

Extremes in social class structure

Sometimes a high poverty rate Complete freedom and choice

Social Darwinism (Charles Darwin) -Survival of the Fittest - only the strong

survive


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Socialism

Government owns and operates somebasic means of production (ex. Powerplants, some hospitals, some farms, etc.)

There are still some privately owned

businesses but they can be heavily taxed People still have some choices regarding

careers, etc. but government providesbasic services (welfare, healthcare, etc.)

Robinhood Theory - take from the rich andgive to the poor

Attempts to balance out the social classsystem


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Communism Government owns virtually all means of

production (food, electricity, housing,higher education, hospitals, etc.)

The goal of pure communism is to be aclassless society - everyone is equal,there are no rich and no poor

Communist Manifesto(1848) - Karl Marx &Frederik Engels - viewed communism as autopian society where a collectivegovernment provides everything

Government provides most basicnecessities but most people are employedby the government

Major Criticisms: no freedom of choice, no

competition or drive to excel, breedinground for corru tion


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Who/How Many Rule?

A. Autocracy - one ruler

1. Dictatorship - single ruler with absolute power.--no elections

--may use force to maintain control

2. Monarchy - single ruler who gains leadershipthrough inheritance

--some have absolute power but not commontoday

-- Saudi Arabia - example


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3. Despotism -

rule by a single authority who holds all thepower and everyone else is considered hisslave

Implies tyrannical rule

4. Authoritarian Rule by a single authority who requires strict

obedience to the state

Maintains social control through oppressivemeasures (limits resources provided to the

people).


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5. Totalitarian

The state regulates virtually everyaspect of public and private behavior

Maintain power and control by extrememeasures

Examples:secret police

propaganda

control of mass media

restriction of free discussion

widespread use of terror


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What is the differencebetween authoritarianism and

totalitarianism?


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6. Absolutism - one person with

absolute power

from the time of the nature of lawand divine right of kings


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Divine Right Theory

Identified in the 1600s

Thomas Hobbes wrote Leviathan

(1651-1690) in which divine right isinitially discussed

Divine right = a kings or rulerspower comes directly from God

Focus on the ruler, not the people

Introduces the notion of a socialcontract


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Social Contract Theory

Identifies that people do have rights

Focus is on the people, not the ruler

Government should actually be an

agreement or contract between apeople and its government

Based on Natural Rights - the nature oflaw

Social Contract Theory is extended toacknowledge that people have naturalrights:


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Natural Rights:

(derived from the study of natural law throughThomas Hobbes and John Locke)

Life, Liberty & Property


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Social Contract Theory(cont.)

John Locke - TwoTreaties ofGovernment (1690)

Social contract theoryextended further toassume that peopleagree to obey thegovernment inexchange for the

government providingservices andprotection for thepeople.


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Key to the beginningof US Government:John Lockes Social

Contract Theory saysthat if the governmentdoes not hold up itsend of the agreement,people have the right

to break the contractand revolt


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B. Oligarchy - a few/smallgroup of rulers

1. Totalitarianism - small group thatrules the government that takesover virtually every aspect of

peoples lives.2. Junta - small military group seizes

power and begins their owngovernment

3. Aristocracy - rule by an elite upperclass (our founding fathers)


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4. Meritocracy - people with thehighest IQ and effort/ability to rule.

5. Plutocracy - rule by the wealthy6. Technocracy - run by the highly

educated who believe that majorbusiness should have the most sayin government


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7. Theocracy -rulers rule onbehalf of God

and religion

Vatican City

Israel

Iran


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C. Democracy -rule by the people

1. Republic - elected officials vote on policyissues/representatives of the peopleconduct the governments business

2. Direct Democracy - every man has a sayor vote on every issue

3. Representative Democracy -synonymous with republic

4. Social Democracy - capitalist democracybegins incorporating aspects ofsocialism into its government practices &economy - controlled capitalism


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Citizenship - 14thAmendment

A. US Citizenship Rights

1. Vote

2. Serve on a jury3. Hold public office

4. Public Services/Education

5. Own property/business6. Due Process/legal protection


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B. Obligations of US Citizen

1. Pay taxes

2. Obey the law


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C. Ways to Be a US Citizen

1. Jus soli - of the soil

--anyone born on US territory

(military bases, embassies, etc.)

2. Jus sanguinis -- of blood

--when both parents are US

citizens--if at least one parent has been a

citizen for a minimum of 10 yrs.


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3. Naturalization(requirements)

a. Ability to read, write and speak

English

b. Good moral characterc. Working knowledge of Civics/US

History

d. 5 years of permanent residency

(3 years if married to a US citizen)e. Favorable disposition toward the US

& the Constitution.


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Citizenship Status

1. Legal Alien

a. Permanent resident - lives herepermanently, has a green card andis working toward citizenshipb. Non-resident - here temporarily,usually for work or education

F-1 Visa = Student visaH-1 Visa = work visa

c. Illegal Alien - obvious

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Democracy Principles