Government I Chapter One American Government Democracy in Action.docx

1、Government I Chapter One American Government Democracy in ActionGOVERNMENT I LECTURES FOR EXAM ONECHAPTER 1: PEOPLE, POLITICS, AND PARTICIPATIONProf. Michael Nojeim, PVAMU (mjnojeimpvamu.edu)I. Why should you study American democracy now?a. Because Americas youth cares nowb. Youth activism (voluntee

2、ring) today nearly twice what it was 30 years ago.c. Young voters (18-21) had the biggest increase in turnout in 2004d. The assigned text is geared toward reaching out to youII. Basic Definitions and What Government Doesa. Politics: The process of deciding who gets benefits in society and who is exc

3、luded from benefiting (or “who gets what, when and how”)b. Government: A set of institutions that create and implement the policies and laws that guide the conduct of a nation and its citizens.i. Types of Govt: 1. Monarchy: King or queen rule w/dynastic, family-inheritance 2. Oligarchy: Only a small

4、 group of elite hold power, such as the military3. Democracy: govt of the people, by the people & for the peoplea. Direct democracy vs. indirect democracy4. Totalitarianism tyrannical structure, controls ALL of societya. Examples include Hitlers Germany, North Korea today5. Authoritariansim very str

5、ong, but slightly limited by social organs.a. Usually just one political party is allowed6. Constitutionalism govt of laws (not men or women) and is structured and limited by formal documents that all must obeyc. Functions of governmenti. To protect sovereign territory and citizenry and to provide n

6、ational defenseii. To preserve order and stability: local police, FBI iii. To establish and maintain a legal system: criminal justiceiv. To provide services: Social Security, Medicarev. To raise and spend money: taxing and spending for schools, roads. vi. To socialize new generations: pledge of alle

7、giance, national anthem.III. The Origins of American Democracya. Democracys modern origins: The Reformation and the Enlightenmenti. First “American” document of self-government was the Mayflower Compactii. Objection to the Divine Right of Kingsiii. People could challenge the Crown and the Churchiv.

8、People could communicate directly with God and choose their own leadersv. People could think, use science and act rationally based on their self-interestb. Modern political philosophers: Hobbes (1588-1679), Locke (1632-1704) and Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778)i. Social Contract Theory: people agre

9、e to give up some freedom so govt can protect others; if govt breaks the contract, the people have a right to revoltii. According to Natural Law, people have natural rights iii. Representative Democracy iv. People possessed popular sovereignty IV. Political Culture and Values: the peoples beliefs an

10、d attitudes toward govt and politicsa. Liberty: the Five Freedoms of the Firstb. Equality: of opportunity for whom? c. Capitalism: private enterprise and private ownership of businesses run for profit with little govt interventioni. The free workings of the marketplace is where the power resides, no

11、t govtd. Consent of the governed: govt exists and works to the extent the people let ite. Individual, family, and communityV. The Changing Face of American Democracya. A population that is growing, aging, moving and becoming increasingly diverse b. In 1980, 80% of US population was white; in 2000 it

12、 went down to 70% and today the estimate is about 66%c. Latino population is booming, Black population remaining stagnantd. These changes have huge implications for American govt and politicsVI. Ideology: A Prism for Viewing American Democracya. Liberalism: favor change in social, political and econ

13、omic areas to better protect individual freedoms and equality. Often see a role for active govtb. Conservatism: oppose change, favor preserving tradition, emphasize family and community. Prefer a limited role of govt, one that acts in a decentralized wayc. Socialism: govt owned, operated business an

14、d industry to ensure equality for alld. Libertarianism: govt should take a hands-off approach in nearly everything; a very limited role for govte. Neoconservatism: “hawks” on foreign policy, advocates of U.S. military superiority f. Neocons were very powerful in the Bush years, esplly his first term

15、 CHAPTER 18: INTRODUCTION TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT I. Texas: A Huge State, a Land of Contrastsa. Second largest in terms of population and landi. Population went from 11 million in 1970 to 22 million todayb. Anglo, African American, Hispanic and a small Asian American populationc. A southern state with a

16、 southern heritaged. A western state with a western heritagee. Also, a very strong Spanish and Mexican heritagef. The southern culture of East Texas is different from the western culture of the plains regions.g. The Hispanic culture of the Rio Grande and San Antonio are distinctive from the rest of

17、Texas.h. Urban culture is distinct from rural cultureII. Texas Diversity is Reflected in the Popular Theme Park: “Six Flags” for each new govt:a. A Spanish colony, partially under French control, a Mexican state, an independent republic, a state in the United States, a Confederate stateIII. Settleme

18、nt Patterns or How Texas Came to Look Like it Doesa. 1600s: Tejanos or Mexicans settled mostly in the Rio Grande Valley and South Texasi. Came after Native Americans, these Spanish-origin people mostly advocate the traditional sub-culture (see below) b. 1820s: Southern Anglos settled and brought Afr

19、ican American slavesi. Antebellum East Texas-migrated from Deep South (traditional sub-culture)ii. Frontier West Texas-migrated from Upper South (individual sub-culture)c. 1840s: Germans settled the Hill Country (central TX) & follow the individual culturei. Objected to slavery, shunned non-GermansI

20、V. Population Growth, Changing Demographics and the Impact on Politicsa. Urbanization: 80% now live in urban areasb. Immigration: mostly from Mexico, but also from inside the USA and elsewhere c. Birth rates and population changei. Anglo: low birth rates, declining populationii. African-Americans: d

21、eclining birth rates, stagnating population1. Remains 10-12% of TX population for decadesiii. Mexican-Americans: high birth rates, rapid population increasesiv. Asian-Americans: small but concentrated in Houston v. East Texas Anglos demanding English-only amendments to the state constitution, viewin

22、g demands for bilingual education by South Texas Hispanics with contempt1. 32% of TX population in 2000, will be majority Whites by 2030vi. High Plains Republicans from Amarillo often clash with East Texas traditional Democratsd. Changing demographics lead to political changei. 1870s through 1970s o

23、ne party Democratic stateii. 1970s through today Republicans return to dominanceV. Types of Political culture a. Traditional: maintain existing order on behalf of the elite, keep low voter participation, less government servicesb. Individual: politics as a game of self-interest, little government re

24、gulation and presencec. Moral: politics as common good, improve society, more government servicesd. The political culture of Texas is mostly a combination of traditional and individual i. The impact of Texass political culture on government and politics in Texas1. A strong cynicism and distrust of g

25、overnment as reflected in 1876 Constn2. Power is divided among many elected officials 3. Executive authority is weak; most power rests with the state legislaturea. So we have a weak, decentralized state government4. Few state regulations placed on businesses; opposition to labor unions5. Regulation

26、of the environment is modest6. The state legislature usually protects the status quo and places few restrictions on lobbying and other activities of interest groups7. Texas often ranks near the bottom of the fifty states on expenditures8. Low taxes but that means less spending on government services

27、 9. Opposition to expanded civil rights 10. Favoring states rights over central (federal) government rightsVI. Texass Changing Economya. It used to be rural, land-based, agricultural: cotton, cattle, oil and gasb. In the 21st century there is a much more diversified economyi. Today, oil and gas acco

28、unt for only about 10% of the economyii. Manufacturing, technology, healthcare and finance iii. In East Texas: agr and oil declining, but timber is still important, with manufacturing increasing.iv. In the Plains region: more diversified but cattle and ranching still very strongv. Gulf Coast region:

29、 dominated by petrochemical industries, manufacturing, shipping and fishing, this region has the most economic diversityvi. Border area and the Rio Grande Valley: NAFTA increased trade w/Mexico 1. 40% of all USAs exports to Mexico come from Texas2. 6% of Texass entire economy is from exports to Mexi

30、covii. The Metroplex of Dallas/Fort Worth area: the financial center of the state.viii. The Central Corridor or mid-state region: High-tech in Austin and San Anton1. Major military bases in the Waco and San Antonio areas.2. Texas A&M and the University of Texas at Austin strongly influence the econo

31、my in this regionc. But, TX remains one of the worst among the states in: i. those without health insurance, drunk driving fatalities, low voter turnout, crime, sales tax rates, poverty, ii. But among the lowest in cost of livingCHAPTER 2: THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATESI. What is a Constituti

32、on and What are its Purposes?a. Describes an institutions mission b. Describes an institutions structurec. Describes an institutions proceduresd. How many constitutions are most Americans subject to?II. The Constitution of the USA, ratified in 1788a. Mission of the US Constitutioni. To “form a more perfect union”1. It is the Basic Law, or the basic legal system of a country