American Government - Chapter 1

The Challenge of Democracy Text Book

globalization

the increasing interdependence of citizens and nations across the world

government

the legitimate use of force to control human behavior; also, the organization to exercise that force.

national sovereignty

a political entity's externally recognized right to exercise final authority over its affairs

order

established ways of social behavior. maintaining order is the oldest purpose of government

liberalism *note that this differs from the definition of liberal later in this chapter

the belief that states should leave individuals free to follow their individual pursuits

communism

a political system in which, in theory, ownership of all land and productive facilities is in the hands of the people, and all goods are equally shared. the production and distribution of goods are controlled by an authoritarian government

public goods

benefits and services, such as parks and sanitation, that benefit all citizens but are not likely to be produced voluntarily by individuals

freedom of

an absence of constraints on behavior, as in freedom of speech or freedom of religion

freedom from

immunity, as in freedom from want

police power

the authority of a government to maintain order and safeguard citizens' health, morals, safety, and welfare

political equality

equality in political decision making: one vote per person, with all votes counted equally

social equality

equality in wealth, education, and status

equality of opportunity

the idea that each person is guaranteed the same chance to succeed in life

equality of outcome

the concept that society must ensure that people are equal, and governments must design policies to redistribute wealth and stature so that economic and social equality is actually achieved

rights

the benefits of government to which every citizen is entitled

political ideology

a consistent set of values and beliefs about the proper purpose and scope of government

totalitarianism

a political philosophy that advocates unlimited power for the government to enable it to control all sectors of society

Anarchism, Libertarianism, Liberalism, Totalitarianism

Political Theories

Laissez Faire, Capitalism, Socialism

Economic Theories

Conservative, Liberal

Popular US Political Labels

Anarchism, Libertarianism, Liberalism, Laissez Faire, Conservative

Least Government Leaning

Totalitarianism, Socialism, Liberal

Most Government Leaning

socialism

a form of rule in which the central government plays a strong role in regulating existing private industry and directing the economy, although it does allow some private ownership of productive capacity

democratic socialism

a socialist form of government that guarantees civil liberties such as freedom of speech and religion. citizens determine the extent of government activity through free elections and competitive political parties

capitalism

the system of government that favors free enterprise (privately owned businesses operating without government regulation)

libertarianism

a political ideology that is opposed to all government action except as necessary to protect life and property

libertarians

those who are opposed to using government to promote either order or equality

laissez faire

an economic doctrine that opposes any form of government intervention in business

anarchism

a political philosophy that opposes government in any form

conservatives

those who are willing to use government to promote order but not equality

liberals

those who are willing to use government to promote equality but not order

communitarians

those who are willing to use government to promote both order and equality

Freedom, Equality

Favor: Government activities that promote equality such as affirmative action programs to employ minorities and increased spending on public housing.

Oppose: Government actions that restrict individual liberties, such as banning sexually explicit movies or mandatory testing for AIDS.

Liberals

Order, Equality

Favor: Government activities that promote equality, such as affirmative action programs to employ minorities and increased spending on public housing.

Favor: Government actions that impose social order, such as banning sexually explicit movies or mandatory testing for AIDS.

Communitarians

Freedom, Freedom

Oppose: Government activities that interfere with the market, such as affirmative action programs to employ minorities and increased spending on public housing.

Oppose: Government actions that restrict individual liberties, such as banning sexually explicit movies or mandatory testing for AIDS.

Libertarians

Order, Freedom

Oppose: Government activities that interfere with the market, such as affirmative action programs to employ minorities and increased spending on public housing

Favor: Government actions that impose social order, such as banning sexually explicit movies or mandatory testing for AIDS.

Conservatives

The increasing interdependence of citizens and nations across the world. Globalization infringes on national sovereignty, the right of governments to govern their people as they wish. Global forces generate pressures for economic trade, observance of human rights, and governance by international law. More than ever before, foreign affairs affect American government, and American politics affects government in other nations.

Globalization and it's affects on American politics and government.

Government requires citizens to surrender some freedom as part of being governed. People do so to obtain the benefits of government: maintaining order, providing public goods, and - more controversially - promoting equality.

The purposes that government serves and trace their historical roots.

Political concepts are generalized ideas about government and politics. They provide broader views than those offered by examining specific political events. Our conceptual framework consists of five concepts organized into two groups: concepts that identify values pursued by government: freedom, order, and equality; and concepts that describe models of democratic government: majoritarian and pluralist democracy.

How political scientists use concepts to structure events and promote understanding.

The terms freedom, order, and equality have varied connotations in American politics. Freedom and equality are positive terms that mean different things to different people at different times. Order has negative connotations for many because it symbolizes government intrusion into private lives. Freedom can be used in two major senses: freedom of and freedom from. We use it in the "freedom of" sense. Freedom of speech means freedom to speak. Order in politics means more than preserving life and property; it also means established patterns of authority in society and traditional modes of behavior. Equality in politics can be viewed narrowly as political equality (each person having one vote) or as social equality (equality in wealth, education, and status). It can also be viewed as equality of opportunity or of outcome.

Define freedom, order, and equality and discuss the various interpretations of each value.

The conflict between the values of freedom and order represents the original dilemma of government. The modern dilemma of politics is the conflict between the values of freedom and equality.

The inherent conflicts between freedom versus order and freedom versus equality.

Political ideology is defined as a consistent set of values and beliefs about the proper purpose and scope of government. Ideologies differ about the proper range of permissible activities. Totalitarianism is the belief that government should have unlimited power. Socialism extends the scope of government to ownership or control of the basic industries that produce goods and services. Capitalism is committed to free enterprise private businesses operating without government regulation. Libertarianism opposes all government action except what is necessary to protect life and property. Anarchists oppose all government in any form. In the United States, most political debate is limited to a narrow range of political thought. On one side are liberals; on the other are conservatives.

totalitarianism, socialism, capitalism, libertarianism, and anarchism

In popular usage, liberals favor more government, and conservatives less. That is, liberals support a broader role for government than do conservatives. Liberals and conservatives mainly quarrel over the purpose of government action. Conservatives may want less government, but they are willing to use the government's coercive power to impose social order. Liberals too are willing to use the coercive power of government, but for the purpose of promoting equality. Liberals value freedom more than order and equality more than freedom. Conservatives value order more than freedom and freedom more than equality. Libertarians choose freedom over both order and equality. Communitarians are willing to sacrifice freedom for both order and equality.

How liberals, conservatives, libertarians, and communitarians view the role of government.