American Democracy. Mrs. Waid

Transcription

1 American Democracy Mrs. Waid

2 American Democracy In writing the U.S. Constitution, the framers incorporated two basic principles of government that had evolved in England. 1. Limited government a government on which strict limits are placed, usually by a constitution; established in the Magna Carta (1215) and expanded in the Petition of Rights (1628) and the English Bill of Rights (1689). 2. Representative government government in which the people, by whatever means, elect individuals to make governmental decisions for all of the citizens.

3 Enlightenment Influences 1. Social contract theory was developed in the 17th and 18th centuries by philosophers, such as John Locke, Thomas Hobbes, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. 2. Locke s assertion that people are born with natural rights to life, liberty, and property was influential in America. Locke said that the purpose of government was to protect those rights; if it did not, it would lose its legitimacy and need not be obeyed.

4 Principles of American Democracy 1. equality in voting- 2. individual freedom- 3. equal protection of the law- 4. majority rule and minority rights- 5. voluntary consent to be governed-

5 American Political Values Political culture a patterned set of ideas, values, and ways of thinking about government and politics. 1.Liberty the freedom of individuals to believe, act, and express themselves as they choose so long as doing so does not infringe on the rights of other individuals in the society. 2.Equality all people are entitled to equal protection under the law. 3.Property Americans place a great value on land ownership, on material possessions, and on their businesses. Private ownership of wealth-producing property is at the heart of our capitalist economic system.

6 "Melting Pot" or "Salad Bowl"? People widely adopted the idea of the US being a melting pot until the mid 20th century. One of the outgrowths of the civil rights movement of the 1960s, was an emphasis on multiculturalism, the belief that the many cultures that make up American society should remain distinct and be protected and even encouraged by our laws. It is projected that non-hispanic whites will be in the minority after the year Some Americans fear that rising numbers of immigrants will threaten traditional American political values and culture.

7 American Political Ideology Ideology a system of political ideas Assumptions as to what the government s role should be in promoting basic values are important determinants of political ideology. Americans tend to fall into two broad political categories: liberals and conservatives. Most Americans, however, are not ideologues.

8 Liberalism 1. After FDR's New Deal, the word liberalism became associated with the concept of big government Today s liberals, in general, continue to believe that the government has a responsibility to undertake social welfare programs to assist the poor and disadvantaged. Today s liberals also believe that the national government should take steps to ensure that our civil rights and liberties are protected. Liberals have abandoned the term, because it has become unpopular, and have labeled their philosophy progressivism.

9 Conservatism 1. Modern conservatism can also traced back to the FDR's administration. 2. Conservatives came to oppose the New Deal and big government. 3.By the time of Ronald Reagan, conservatives placed a high value on the principles of community, law and order, states rights, family values, and individual initiative. 4. Today s conservatives tend to fall into two basic categories: fiscal conservatives and social conservatives. 5. Conservatives tend to identify politically as Republicans.

10 The Traditional Political Spectrum Liberalism & conservatism fall within a political spectrum that ranges from the far left to the far right. 1. People whose views fall in the middle of the traditional political spectrum are generally called moderates. Many moderates do not belong to either major political party and often describe themselves as independent.

11 Radical Left Radical left those who would like significant changes in the political order, usually to promote egalitarianism. Socialists generally support democracy and work within established political systems to realize their ideals. Communists, in contrast, have sought to reach their goals through revolutionary violence and totalitarian dictatorships.

12 Radical Right Radical right includes reactionaries, those who wish to turn the clock back to some previous era. Reactionaries strongly oppose liberal and progressive politics and resist political and social change. Like those on the radical left, members of the radical right may even advocate the use of violence to achieve their goals. This is especially true of fascist movements.

13 The ideology of libertarianism favors this combination. Libertarians oppose government action to regulate the economy, just as they oppose government involvement in issues of private morality. Ideology of Today's Electorate Ideologues- Those who hold strongly to political ideologies that are well thought out and internally consistent Many Americans do not adhere firmly to a particular political ideology. They may not be interested in political issues and may have a mixed set of opinions that do not neatly fit under a liberal or conservative label. Many Americans are conservative on economic issues, and at the same time are liberal on social issues.