Chapter 1 Summary

A sentiment voiced by American anthropologist Margaret Mead expresses a powerful truth:

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."

Answers:

1. c, 2. d, 3. a, 4. b, 5. d, 6. d, 7. d, 8. c, 9. b, 10. d, 11. Civic engagement, 12. Government, 13. Majority rule, 14. Public goods, 15. constitutionalism.

Right to Run for Office

Additionally, practically all adults enjoy the right to run for elected office in the government.

1. In what ways has technology changed how politics happens and how government works?

Advances in technology have altered the political landscape in many ways. In some countries, these advances have facilitated the overthrow of governments. In other countries, they are changing how voters and candidates communicate with each other, how governments provide information to individuals, how people get their news about events, and how governments administer laws.

1. y shd u stdy am dem now? Or, Why Should You Study American Democracy Now?

American democracy is at a crossroads with respect to the effects of technology and a rapidly changing global political environment on politics. The young Americans of today differ from earlier generations in notable ways, and their fresh opinions and means of organizing and communicating with one another make them a significant political force.

4. The Origins of American Democracy

American democracy was shaped by individuals who believed in the right of citizens to have a voice in their government. Through principles developed by Enlightenment philosophers such as Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, the key tenets of American democracy emerged, including the idea of a social contract creating a representative democracy.

Internet Resources

CIRCLE: The Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning & Engagement www.civicyouth.org Circle is the premier clearinghouse for research and analysis on civic engagement. Association of American Colleges and Universities www.aacu.org/resources/civicengagement/index.cfm The AACU's website offers a clearinghouse of Internet resources on civic engagement. American Political Science Association www.apsanet.org The professional association for political scientists offers many resources on research about civic engagement, education, and participation. The 2010 Census www.census.gov/2010census/ The U.S. Census Bureau's 2010 census website is a clearinghouse for information about the census, including information on why the census is important, data, and how you can get involved in the census.

MULTIPLE CHOICE:

Choose the lettered item that answers the question correctly.

Freedom of Expression

Citizens enjoy the right to express themselves without concern for severe punishment and imprisonment. The following topics should be fair game and open to criticism: government officials and their policies, the government as an institution, the regime or executive leadership, the socioeconomic order and prevailing conditions within the country as well as ideology.

Citizen Powers

Citizens have the opportunity to formulate their preferences Citizens also have the opportunity to signify their preferences to their fellow citizens and the government by individual and collective action. Citizens have the opportunity to have their preferences weighed equally in the conduct of the government.

11. is individual and collective actions designed to identify and address issues of public concern.

Civic engagement,

Free and Fair Elections

Elected officials are more likely to consider the pressure of public opinion when said public opinion is vital to their job security. Citizens must enjoy the freedom to choose their leaders absent government coercion. Many countries that consistently violate the rights of their citizens hold elections where the sitting dictator pulls 100% of the vote. That is hardly a democratic result. One final note-free and fair elections should also be frequent. While the level of frequency is open to debate, a democracy functions best when there is a set schedule for elections and elected officials are subject to public scrutiny at least every 4-6 years.

12. is the institution that creates and implements policy and laws that guide the conduct of the nation and its citizens.

Government,

2. What Government Does

Governments perform a variety of essential functions. They provide for the national defense, preserve order and stability, establish and maintain a legal system, distribute services, raise and spend money, and socialize new generations of citizens.

Elected Officials

Granted, direct democracy functions absent elected officials or merely requires government officials or employees to implement popular policy decisions. However, it is very difficult to envision a functioning, contemporary pure democracy.

Recommended Readings

Howe, Neil, and William Strauss. Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation. New York: Vintage, 2000. A pre-September 11, 2001, examination of the unique characteristics of the Millennial generation. Levine, Peter. The Future of Democracy: Developing the Next Generation of American Citizens. Medford, MA: Tufts University Press (UPNE), 2007. An examination of how today's youth are participating in politics differently than previous generations did and how they lack the skills necessary to facilitate some forms of civic participation. The author proposes educational, political, and institutional changes to correct this problem. Putnam, Robert D. Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community. New York: Touchstone, 2000. A classic volume demonstrating the decline in traditional forms of civic participation. Verba, Sidney, Kay Lehman Schlozman, and Henry E. Brady. Voice and Equality: Civic Voluntarism in American Politics. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1995. An analysis of how people come to be activists in their communities, what issues they raise when they participate, and how activists from various demographic groups differ. Winograd, Morley, and Michael D. Hais. Millennial Makeover: MySpace, YouTube, and the Future of American Politics. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 2008. A study of the impact of Millennials' use of changing technology on political life. Zukin, Cliff, Scott Keeter, Molly Andolina, Krista Jenkins, and Michael X. Delli Carpini. A New Engagement? Political Participation, Civic Life and the Changing American Citizen. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006. A study of participation and political viewpoints across generations.

3. Types of Government

In categorizing governmental systems, political scientists evaluate two factors. One factor is who participates in governing or in selecting those who govern. In a monarchy, a king or a queen has absolute authority over a territory and its government (although most of today's monarchies are constitutional), whereas in an oligarchy, an elite few hold power. In a democracy, the people hold and exercise supreme power. Scholars also categorize governmental systems according to how governments function and are structured. Totalitarian governments effectively control every aspect of their citizens' lives. Authoritarian governments have strong powers but are checked by other forces within the society. In democracies, the people have a say in their governance either by voting directly or, as in the United States, by electing representatives to carry out their will.

What impact did September 11, 2001, and the subsequent war on terrorism have on how Americans thought—and think—about their government?

In the immediate aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks, then-president George W. Bush and Congress enjoyed record-high approval ratings. Roughly 80 percent of young people and nearly that same percentage of all Americans supported U.S. military actions in Afghanistan. Beyond opinions, actions changed as well: • More than 70 percent of college students gave blood, donated money, or volunteered in relief efforts. • Nearly 70 percent volunteered in their communities (up from 60 percent in 2000). • Eighty-six percent believed their generation was ready to lead the United States into the future. Then the political context changed again, over months and then years, as the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq wore on, as casualties mounted, and as military spending skyrocketed. Trust in government, particularly of the president, plummeted. The changes after September 11 continued to affect how Americans, particularly young Americans, participate in politics.

6. Ideology: A Prism for Viewing American Democracy

Liberals emphasize civil liberties, separation of church and state, and political equality. Conservatives prefer small government, individual initiative, and an unfettered market economy. Socialists advocate government intervention in the economy to promote economic equality, whereas libertarians argue that government should take a hands-off approach to most matters. Some social scientists prefer to use a three-dimensional framework rather than a two-dimensional continuum for understanding and analyzing political ideology. Regardless of their ideology, citizens can and should act upon their views through civic and political engagement.

13. is the idea that in a democracy, only policies with 50 percent plus one vote are enacted.

Majority rule,

4. How did the ideas of the Enlightenment shape people's views on the proper role of government?

Newton's ideas about natural law , the assertion that the laws that govern human behavior are derived from the nature of humans themselves and can be applied universally, laid the foundation for the ideas of the political philosophers of the Enlightenment.

5. Political Culture and American Values

Political culture refers to the people's collective beliefs and attitudes about the government and the political process. Though aspects of political culture change over time, certain fundamental values have remained constant in American democracy. These include liberty, which is both freedom fromgovernment interference in daily life and freedom to pursue happiness; and equality, the meaning of which has fluctuated significantly over the course of U.S. history. Capitalism—an economic system in which the means of producing wealth are privately owned and operated to produce profits—is also a core value of American political culture, as is consent of the governed, with its key components of popular sovereignty and majority rule. Finally, the American political system values the importance of the individual, the family, and the community.

14. are services governments provide that are available to everyone, such as clean air, clean water, airport security, and highways.

Public goods,

Inclusive Suffrage

Suffrage is simply a fancy term for the right to vote. A flourishing democracy secures the right of practically all adults to choose their leaders.

Movies of Interest

The Messenger (2009) This film, starring Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson, depicts one side of the ravages of war through the experiences of the U.S. Army's Casualty Notification officers. Through their experiences, viewers explore the values of the families of fallen soldiers, as well as those of society at large. V for Vendetta (2005) Actress Natalie Portman becomes a revolutionary in this thriller, which depicts an uprising against an authoritarian government. Blind Shaft (2003) This Chinese thriller explores the interaction between free market incentives and aspects of political culture, including traditional communal values and human decency, in the context of an increasingly globalized economy. Blue Collar (1978) This classic film tracing the experience of three autoworkers in the late 1970s explores racial and economic strife in the United States.

7. The Changing Face of American Democracy

The population of the United States is growing, aging, and becoming increasingly diverse. Hispanics now make up the country's largest ethnic minority. U.S. families have undergone fundamental structural alterations as the numbers of nonfamily households and of households headed by single people have increased. These changes have already had an impact on communities, and their effect on government policies will intensify. The demographic shifts may create demand for changes in current policies, or they may indicate that the nature of the electorate has shifted and that different priorities are favored by a majority of the people.

7. Describe the general trends with regard to population change in the United States.

The primary factor for this shift is economic: Young people have higher unemployment rates than older workers, but the sour economy also meant that parents might receive help from the contributions of grown children to the household. Also on the rise is the proportion of single-person households (which increased from 13 percent in 1960 to 28 percent in 2011). Explanations for these trends include the tendency of people to marry at an older age and the fact that, as the population ages, rising numbers of individuals are left widowed.

The Meaning of Democracy

True democracy grants power to citizens.

Alternative Information

While all of these mechanisms are vital to free government, a free media might be the most important characteristic of a vibrant democracy.

3. The economic system in which the means of producing wealth are privately owned and operated to produce profits is a. capitalism. b. monetarism. c. socialism. d. communism.

a. capitalism.

Key Terms

authoritarianism 10 capitalism 16 citizens 9 civic engagement 7 consent of the governed 16 conservatism 18 constitutionalism 11 democracy 10 direct democracy 14 divine right of kings 12 efficacy 6 government 9 Key Terms indirect democracy 14 legitimacy 9 liberalism 17 libertarianism 19 liberty 14 limited government 11 majority rule 16 monarchy 10 natural law 12 naturalization 9 oligarchy 10 political culture 14 political engagement 7 political ideology 17 politics 4 popular sovereignty 13 property 16 public goods 9 social contract 12 social contract theory 13 socialism 18 totalitarianism 10

9. An agreement between the people and their leaders in which the people agree to give up some liberties so that other liberties are protected is called a. a Mayflower Compact. b. a social contract. c. republicanism. d. natural law.

b. a social contract.

4. Emphasizing the importance of conserving tradition and of relying on community and family as mechanisms of continuity in society is known as a. communism. b. conservatism. c. liberalism. d. libertarianism.

b. conservatism.

1. The institution that creates and implements policies and laws that guide the conduct of the nation and its citizens is called a. a democracy. c. government. b. efficacy. d. citizenry.

c. government.

8. The principle that the standards that govern human behavior are derived from the nature of humans themselves and can be applied universally is called a. the social contract. b. legitimacy. c. natural law. d. representative democracy.

c. natural law.

15. A form of government that is structured by law, and in which the power of government is limited, is called .

constitutionalism.

2. Public goods include a. clean air. b. clean water. c. highways. d. all of these.

d. all of these

6. A system in which citizens elect representatives who decide policies on behalf of their constituents is referred to as a. an indirect democracy. b. a representative democracy. c. consent of the governed. d. both (a) and (b).

d. both (a) and (b).

5. Citizens' belief that they have the ability to achieve something desirable and that the government listens to them is called a. popular sovereignty. b. democracy. c. civic engagement. d. efficacy.

d. efficacy.

7. A belief by the people that a government's exercise of power is right and proper is a. authoritarianism. b. democracy. c. popular sovereignty. d. legitimacy.

d. legitimacy.

10. A form of government that essentially controls every aspect of people's lives is a. socialism. b. neoconservatism. c. liberalism. d. totalitarianism.

d. totalitarianism.

6. Contrast liberals' and conservatives' views on government.

liberalism an ideology that advocates change in the social, political, and economic realms to better protect the well-being of individuals and to produce equality within society conservatism an ideology that emphasizes preserving tradition and relying on community and family as mechanisms of continuity in society liberals and conservatives both want the role of the government to have some type of action however liberals want government action to promote opportunity and conservatives want government action to protect and bolster capitalism, with little restrictions or limitations on fundamental rights.

5. Explain the fundamental values of American democracy.

liberty the most essential quality of American democracy; it is both the freedom from governmental interference in citizens' lives and the freedom to pursue happiness Equality evolved from the emphasis the ancient Greeks placed on equality of opportunity. All three major world religions—Christianity, Judaism, and Islam—stress that all people are equal in the eyes of God. These notions of equality informed both Jefferson's assertion about equality in the Declaration of Independence and, later, the framers' structuring of the U.S. government in the Constitution. capitalism an economic system in which the means of producing wealth are privately owned and operated to produce profits capitalism an economic system in which the means of producing wealth are privately owned and operated to produce profits majority rule the idea that, in a democracy, only policies with 50 percent plus one vote are enacted

3. Describe how social scientists categorize governments.

• In a monarchy , a member of a royal family, usually a king or a queen, has absolute authority over a territory and its government. Monarchies typically are inherited—they pass down from generation to generation. Most modern monarchies, such as those in Great Britain and Spain, are constitutional monarchies, in which the monarch plays a ceremonial role but has little say in governance, which is carried out by elected leaders. In contrast, in traditional monarchies, such as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the monarch is both the ceremonial and the governmental head of state. • In an oligarchy , an elite few hold power. Some oligarchies are dictatorships, in which a small group, such as a political party or a military junta, supports a dictator. North Korea is a present-day example of an oligarchy. • In a democracy , the supreme power of governance lies in the hands of citizens. The United States and most other modern democracies are republics, sometimes called representative democracies, in which citizens elect leaders to represent their views. We discuss the republican form of government in Chapter 2. When classifying governments, social scientists also consider how governments function and how they are structured: • Governments that rule according to the principles of totalitarianism essentially control every aspect of their citizens' lives. In these tyrannical governments, citizens enjoy neither rights nor freedoms, and the state is the tool of the dictator. Totalitarian regimes tend to center on a particular ideology, religion, or personality. North Korea is a contemporary example of a totalitarian regime, as was Afghanistan under the Islamic fundamentalist regime of the Taliban. • When a government rules by the principles of authoritarianism , it holds strong powers, but they are checked by other forces within the society. China and Cuba are examples of authoritarian states, because their leaders are restrained in their exercise of power by political parties, constitutions, and the military. Individuals living under an authoritarian regime may enjoy some rights, but often those rights are not protected by the government. •Constitutionalism , a form of government structured by law, provides for limited government — a government that is restricted in what it can do so that the rights of the people are protected. Constitutional governments can be democracies or monarchies. In the United States, the federal Constitution created the governmental structure, and this system of government reflects both the historical experiences and the norms and values of the founders.

2. Explain the functions that governments perform.

• To protect their sovereign territory and their citizenry and to provide national defense. Governments protect their sovereign territory (that is, the territory over which they have the ultimate governing authority) and their citizens at home and abroad. Usually they carry out this responsibility by maintaining one or more types of armed services, but governments also provide for the national defense through counterterrorism efforts. In the United States, the armed services include the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Coast Guard. For the year 2015, the U.S. Department of Defense budget was approximately $525 billion. Governments also preserve order domestically. In the United States, domestic order is preserved through the National Guard and federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. • To preserve order and stability. Governments also preserve order by providing emergency services and security in the wake of disasters. Governments also maintain stability by providing a political structure that has legitimacy : a quality conferred on government by citizens who believe that its exercise of power is right and proper. • To establish and maintain a legal system. Governments create legal structures by enacting and enforcing laws that restrict or ban certain behaviors. In the United States, the foundation of this legal structure is the federal Constitution. Governments also provide the means to implement laws through the actions of local police and other state and national law enforcement agencies. By means of the court system, governments administer justice and impose penalties. • To provide services. Governments distribute a wide variety of services to their citizens. In the United States, government agencies provide services ranging from inspecting the meat we consume to ensuring the safety of our workplaces. Federal, state, and local governments provide roads, bridges, transportation, education, and health services. They facilitate communication, commerce, air travel, and entertainment. • To raise and spend money. All the services that governments provide, from national protection and defense to health care, cost money. Governments at all levels spend money collected through taxes. Depending on personal income, between 25 and 35 cents of every dollar earned by those working in the United States and earning above a certain level goes toward federal, state, and local income taxes. Governments also tax commodities (commercially exchanged goods and services) in various ways—through sales taxes, property taxes, "sin" taxes, and luxury taxes. • To socialize new generations. Governments play a role in socialization, the process by which individuals develop their political values and opinions. Governments perform this function, for example, by providing funding for schools, by establishing standards for curriculum, by introducing young people to the various "faces" of government (perhaps through a police officer's visiting a school or a mayor's bestowing an honor on a student), and by facilitating participation in civic life through institutions such as libraries, museums, and public parks. In these ways, governments transmit cultural norms and values such as patriotism and build commitment to fundamental values such as those we explore later in this chapter. For a detailed discussion of political socialization, see Chapter 6.