Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a

Copyright © 2018 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

CHAPTER 1

One Republic—Two Americas?Learning Objectives

After reading this chapter, students will be able to:

LO 1.1 Define the institution of government and the process of politics.LO 1.2 Identify the political philosophers associated with the “social contract” and explain how this theory shapes our understanding of the purpose of government and the role for individuals and communities in the United States.LO 1.3 Describe the U.S. political culture and identify the set of ideas, values, and ways of thinking about government and politics shared by all.LO 1.4 Compare and contrast types of government systems and identify the source of power in each.LO 1.5 Define political ideology and locate socialism, liberalism, conservatism, and libertarianism along the ideological spectrum.LO 1.6 Apply understanding of the purpose of government and the U.S. political culture to evaluate government’s ability to meet new challenges over time.Overview Chapter 1 “One Republic—Two Americas?” draws upon the theme that widening gaps developing between Americans may split our nation and create instability. Can our democratic republic maintain its integrity and face new challenges despite pressures that may be creating “two Americas,” such as the widening wealth gap, changing ethnic composition, and changing age composition? What does the “American Dream” hold for today’s college students? Have the rules changed or does it just feel that way to people? This chapter looks more deeply at the role of political values and ideology in shaping attitudes about the role of government and challenges students to think critically about why they need to know about and understand how government works.Governments are necessary at a minimum to provide public goods and services that all citizens need but cannot reasonably be expected to provide for themselves. National security and defense are obvious examples. Our founding documents such as the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are predicated upon and convey through their language a set of shared political values. Government reinforces those values regularly.Politics is the process of resolving conflicts and deciding “who gets what, when, and how.” Government is the institution within which decisions are made that resolve conflicts or allocate benefits and privileges.It is unique because it has the ultimate authority within society.American Government and Politics Today, 2017-2018 Edition, 18e Lynne Ford Barbara Bardes Steffen Schmidt Mack Shelley (Instructor Manual All Chapters, 100% Original Verified, A+ Grade) (Lecture Notes Only) 1 / 4

2 Chapter 1: One Republic—Two Americas?

Copyright © 2018 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.Political philosophers Thomas Hobbes and John Locke believed governments were formed based on consent. Individuals, all equal and endowed with reason, give up a portion of their individual liberty in order to gain the protection of government through the social contract. Government is formed to provide security and protect life, liberty, and property. Consent to be governed can be withdrawn if government becomes too powerful or abuses fundamental political values such as liberty, equality, individualism, the rule of law, and property rights.American political culture and fundamental values are essential to maintaining “one republic.” While the widening wealth gap may threaten to undermine our shared political values as well as our confidence in government, political socialization helps to maintain a unified America. Despite pressures, Americans continue to value security, order and the rule of law, positive and negative liberties, political equality and equality of opportunity, individualism, and property rights with a strong respect for capitalism. Families and the educational system are two of the most important forces in the political socialization process.Governments can vary in form depending on who controls the government. In a democracy, authority is held by the people. In totalitarian and authoritarian regimes, control is exercised by a single individual or a small group. Greek terms are often used to indicate how widely power is distributed. An aristocracy is “rule by the best,” while an oligarchy is “rule by a few,” and democracy is understood as “rule by the people.” The United States is a representative democracy, where the people elect representatives to make the decisions.Theories of American democracy include majoritarianism, in which the government does what the majority wants; elite theory, in which the real power lies with one or more elites; and pluralist theory, in which organized interest groups contest for power.Popular political ideologies can be arrayed from left (liberal) to right (conservative). We can also analyze economic liberalism and conservatism separately from cultural liberalism and conservatism. However, other ideologies on the left (communism) and the right (fascism) also exist in the world.The United States faces significant change and challenges ahead. Among these are demographic changes in the nation, the impact of economic globalization and the spread of global conflict, technology innovations, and the threats posed by environmental change. This is set against a backdrop of rising economic inequality that may undermine the opportunity for social mobility and progress in ways we have not experienced as a people before.Chapter Outline I.Politics and Government A.Why Is Government Necessary?B.Fundamental Values 1.Liberty 2 / 4

Chapter 1: One Republic—Two Americas? 3

Copyright © 2018 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

• Order and the Rule of Law
• Individualism
• Equality
• Property

II. Why Choose Democracy?

• Direct Democracy as a Model
• The Limits of Direct Democracy
• A Democratic Republic
• Principles of Democratic Government

III. Who Really Rules in America?

• Majoritarianism
• Elitism
• Pluralism
• Political Ideologies
• The Traditional Political Spectrum

F. In the Middle: Liberalism and Conservatism

• The Difficulty of Defining Liberalism and Conservatism
• Liberalism
• Conservatism
• Libertarianism

IV. The Challenge of Change

• Demographic Change in a Democratic Republic
• Ethnic Change
• Globalization
• The Technology Revolution
• Environmental Change

Teaching Tools

Learning Objective 1.1

Define the institution of government and the process of politics.

Critical Thinking Question:

• Government is the term used to describe the formal institutions through which decisions about the

“allocation of resources are made and conflicts are resolved.” Our government also has the authority to force us to comply with these decisions. Do you think there are some areas of decision- making that should be off limits? Should there be limits to the types of power that government has to force compliance with decisions? For instance, should the government be able to tax without limits? Use the death penalty? Is there a way to limit government?

Lecture Launchers: 3 / 4

4 Chapter 1: One Republic—Two Americas?

Copyright © 2018 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

• This lecture launcher will help to focus on understanding implications of politics and government.

Popular culture is full of post-apocalypse hypotheticals, in which government is nonexistent, weak, or has limited reach. Ask students to think about popular shows they may have seen which imagine the demise of government as we know it. These examples can be drawn from T.V. shows such as Lost (ABC 2004–2010), Jericho (CBS 2006–2008), Revolution (NBC 2012–2014), or Falling Skies (TNT 2011–2015), or from current shows such as The Walking Dead (AMC 2010-current), or The 100 (CW 2013–current). Ask students about common ways for decisions to be made by the communities featured in these shows. How do these groups get people to comply with decisions in these shows? To what extent is an identifiable government part of this process? Does this have an effect on the quality of life for the group?

• Chapter 1 is largely dedicated to explaining why governments are necessary. Ask students to

identify examples of positive government action within the last six months or a year and make a list on the board. Next, ask students to identify examples of government actions they perceive as negative or wrong. Compare the two lists and initiate a discussion about the evolution in the expectation for governments. The chapter notes that governments exist primarily to maintain security and order. Ask students to consider whether or not this reason for government characterizes many of the examples on their lists. Together, initiate a discussion of how expectations for government have changed over time and explore the many reasons why individuals and groups expect more from government today.

In-Class Activity:

• The book defines politics as, “who gets what, when, and how.” With any major policy changes, a

public conversation will happen about the “winners” and “losers.” Have students listen, watch, or read news coverage on a policy that displays the winners and losers. Break students into small groups and have each group list the winners and the losers, according to the story. Follow up by asking whether these are acceptable winners and losers. Have students think about who assigned the winners and losers and whether the process was legitimate. Finally, ask students if there are additional winners and losers to this policy not found in the news coverage. Below are examples of topics and news stories to discuss.• Healthcare policy-Horsley, Scott. (2014, April 5). “With Enrollee Goal Met, Obamacare Still Faces Political Trials.” Weekend Edition Saturday. NPR. 3 minutes, 53 seconds.http://www.npr.org/2014/04/05/299240252/with-enrollee-goal-met-obamacare-faces-its-real- road-test

• Minimum wage and anti-poverty policy-Cornish, Audie. (2013, July 16.) “‘Living Wage’ Laws Create Both Winners and Losers.” All Things Considered. NPR. 4 minutes, 4 seconds.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=202729376

• Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013— National Immigration Law Center. https://www.nilc.org/issues/immigration-reform-and- executive-actions/s744summary1/

• Frequently Asked Questions about Administrative Immigration Relief 2014–15—National

• / 4