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1. Gateways to Democracy 1-1

2. Citizen Participation Citizen participation is the heart of a democratic system. • Because of citizen participation, the United States has achieved the following successes: • The nation and its institutions are amazingly stable. The United States has the oldest written constitution in the world. • The government has weathered severe economic crises (a civil war, two world wars), and yet it still maintains peaceful transitions of power from one set of leaders to the next. Gateways to Democracy

3. Citizen Participation Successes (Cont’d) • Citizens are able to petition the government and to criticize it. They can assemble and protest the government’s policies. • Americans enjoy substantial freedom and are protected from abuse of power by the government. • The American economy has created an excellent standard of living, among the highest in the world. Gateways to Democracy

4. Citizen Participation Successes (Cont’d) • Americans exhibit more commitment to civic duty than do citizens in nearly all other major democracies. • Americans show a great deal more tolerance for wide-ranging political views than citizens in other major democracies. Gateways to Democracy

5. Problems with American Democracy Despite many successes, American Democracy still has its problems. • Inequality persists, and government is sometimes slow to respond. • Even with the election of President Barack Obama in 2008, racial tensions continue to haunt the country. • The imbalance of wealth in this country continues to grow, with increasing numbers of people living in poverty. Gateways to Democracy

6. Problems with American Democracy Problems (Cont’d) • The public’s trust in the institutions of government has eroded in recent years. • The rate of turnout in our elections is among the lowest of the major democracies. • Despite a high level of religious tolerance, there is also persistent distrust of some religious minorities, such as Muslims. Gateways to Democracy

7. Problems with American Democracy Problems (Cont’d) • Political polarization is now so extensive that members of Congress often attack one another on personal as well as political grounds. Some members have even taken to yelling at the president. • The American military is stretched thin by two wars in the Middle East and a global war against terrorism. Gateways to Democracy

8. What Is Democracy? Democracy is rule by the people or self-government. • Citizens hold political authority Gateways to Democracy

9. What Is Majority Rule? Majority Rule is the idea that a numerical majority of a group should hold the power to make decisions binding on the whole group; a simple majority. • Often associated with “mob rule,” a lack of liberty, and a lack of order in society. • “Democracy, while it lasts is more bloody than either aristocracy or monarchy. Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There is never a democracy that did not commit suicide.” -John Adams Gateways to Democracy

10. The American Constitutional System The American constitutional system serves to protect both liberty and order. • The Founding Fathers believed that without a constitution and rule of law, an unchecked majority could act to promote the welfare of some over the welfare of others. • In a constitutional system, the people set up and agree on the basic rules and procedures that will govern them. • Rule of law is an ancient British legal principle, that established all are equal before the law, all are subject to the law, and no one is above it. Gateways to Democracy

11. The Constitution as Gatekeeper The Constitution sets up a governmental structure with built-in constraints on power (gates) and multiple points of access to power (gateways). • The Constitution is strong enough to rule, but not strong enough to take away the people’s rights. • The American people formed a government and agreed to live by its rules. In return, government agreed to protect life, liberty, and property. • Natural Rights • John Locke argued that natural rights (the right to life, liberty, and property) are fundamental and that government cannot take them away. Gateways to Democracy

12. Amendments That Opened Gateways to Participation Gateways to Democracy

13. The Social Contract Social contract is a theory that government has only the authority accorded it by the consent of the governed. • First proposed by Thomas Hobbes who argued that people set up government to protect natural rights. • Illustrated by the Constitution’s preamble Gateways to Democracy

14. Is the United States a Democracy? There is not one single type of democracy. • Direct Democracy • Form of democracy in which political power is exercised directly by citizens • Representative Democracy (a.k.a. Republic) • Form of democracy in which citizens elect public officials to make political decisions and formulate laws on their behalf Gateways to Democracy

15. James Madison “If men were angels, no government would be necessary.” – James Madison In the Federalist*, Paper No. 10 and Federalist , Paper No. 51, James Madison explains how the Constitution will create a government of men over men, allowing elected officials to “control the governed” while also compelling it to “control itself.” *The Federalist Papers are a series of 85 essays written by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay arguing for the ratification of the Constitution. Gateways to Democracy

16. Federalist, Paper No. 10 In the Federalist , Paper No. 10 James Madison argues that the difficulty of a democracy lies in controlling “factions.” • A faction, as defined by Madison, is any group that places its own interests above the aggregate interests of society. • Are political parties factions? • Are interest groups factions? Gateways to Democracy

17. Federalist, Paper No.10 (Cont’d) What is the cure for factions? • A large republic • A republic is a form of government in which power derives from citizens, but public officials make policy and govern according to existing law. • Why a large vs. a small republic? • To create diversity of opinion and to make it more difficult for a few people to take over the country and rule in their own interests Gateways to Democracy

18. Federalist, Paper No. 51 The main purpose of Federalist, Paper No. 51 is to explain the division of power laid out in the Constitution. • Separation of power • The executive branch executes the laws. • The judicial branch interprets the law. • The legislative branch makes the law. • Bicameralism (2 houses) • Checks and balances • To minimize the chance that one branch will become so strong that it can abuse its power and harm the citizenry, each branch has some power over the other two branches. Gateways to Democracy

19. The Separation of Powers Gateways to Democracy

20. Federalism What is federalism? • Federalism is a system of government in which sovereignty is constitutionally divided between national and state governments. Gateways to Democracy

21. The Constitution Today Despite Madison’s efforts, Americans have divided into factions. • Political Ideologies • Liberalism • Democrats • Greens • Conservatism • Republicans • Libertarians • Moderates Gateways to Democracy

22. American Political Ideology Gateways to Democracy

23. American Political Culture Despite attachments to ideologies and parties, American political culture is still rooted in the concept of individualism. • Set of beliefs holding that people, and not government, are responsible for their own well-being. The United States tends to favor capitalism • An economic system in which business enterprises and key industries are privately owned As opposed to socialism • An economic system in which business enterprises and key industries are owned by government. Gateways to Democracy

24. American Political Culture (Cont’d) Although Americans love individualism, they also believe strongly in the principle of egalitarianism. • Egalitarianism is the belief in human equality that disdains inherited titles of nobility and even inherited wealth. • American political culture promotes equality and values each individual’s ability to achieve wealth and social status through hard work, not inheritance, and supports a free enterprise economic system, within limits. Gateways to Democracy

25. Public Policy in a Constitutional System Public policy is the intentional action of government designed to achieve some goal. • The Constitution is designed to constrain power and popular will. This can make public policy goals difficult to achieve. • The development of good public policy is difficult and complex. • Government seeks to pursue policymaking that maximizes benefits and minimizes costs. Gateways to Democracy

26. Making Public Policy Steps to making public policy • Identification of the problem • Get on the policy agenda • Influence of stakeholders • Members of government • Political parties • Interest groups • Citizens Gateways to Democracy

27. Stakeholders in the Policymaking Process Gateways to Democracy

28. Making Public Policy (Cont’d) • Policy formulation • Stage in the policymaking process in which those with a stake in the policy area propose and develop solutions to the problem that has been identified • Policy enactment • Stage in the policymaking process in which Congress passes a law that authorizes a specific governmental response to a problem Gateways to Democracy

29. Making Public Policy (Cont’d) • Policy implementation • Stage in the policymaking process in which the executive branch develops the rules that will put a policy into action • Policy evaluation • Stage in the policymaking process in which a policy is evaluated for its effectiveness and efficiency; if changes are needed, the issue is placed back on the policy agenda. Gateways to Democracy

30. The Policymaking Process Gateways to Democracy

31. Public Policy in a Republic Does policy making reflect the will of the American people? • One theory argues that a power elite, includingcorporations, government, and the military, controls the gates and gateways to power. • The Pluralist theory argues that the authority for policy making is held by different groups in different areas. • The majoritarian theory of policy making recognizes that no one group has a monopoly on power and those with a numerical majority hold the authority. Gateways to Democracy

32. Alternatives to Democracy The best way to see how government responds to citizens in a democracy is to compare it with countries where citizen input is limited. • Autocracy is a system of government in which the power to govern is concentrated in the hands of one individual ruler. • Saddam Hussein was an autocrat whose power was derived from oppression of the people. Gateways to Democracy

33. Alternatives (Cont’d) • Oligarchy is a system of government in which the power to govern is concentrated in the hands of a powerful few, usually wealthy individuals. • Monarchy is a system of government that assigns power to a single person who inherits that position and rules until death. • In each of these systems, the government keeps powers until they are overthrown, usually in a military coup. • Elections, although sometimes held, are rigged so that ruling party or official stays in office. Gateways to Democracy

34. Democratic Inputs In a democratic state, the citizens are asked to be actively engaged in the political process for the benefit of all. Gateways to Democracy

35. The Role of Representatives in a Democracy Should elected officials act as trustees or delegates? • A trustee is an elected official who does what they think best, even if the public disagrees; elections allow the public to render a judgment on their decisions. • A delegate is an elected official who does what the public wants and does not exercise independent judgment. • In reality, most elected officials act as both trustee and delegate, depending on the issue before them. Gateways to Democracy

36. Political Equality For a government to respond fairly to citizens, all citizens must have an equal opportunity to participate in government. • Equality of opportunity is the expectation that citizens will be treated equally before the law and have an equal opportunity to participate in government. • Equality of outcome is the expectation that incomes will level out or that standards of living will be roughly the same for all citizens. Gateways to Democracy

37. The Demands of Democratic Citizenship Why should a person participate in a democratic society? • Self-interest • Self-interest is the concern for one’s own advantage and well-being. If you don’t participate in our democracy, how can you expect your rights and interests to be reflected in public policy? • Civic interest • Civil interest is the concern for the well-being of society and the nation as a whole. Think of this as a sense of duty, to do what is right for your country and your fellow citizens. If we want this experiment that is American democracy to succeed, then it is up to all of us to play an active role. Gateways to Democracy

38. Policy Issues That Matter • Terrorism and Civil Liberties • Political Polarization and the Media • Social Security and Entitlement Programs • Immigration and Diversity • Education Gateways to Democracy

39. Social Security and Entitlement Programs Gateways to Democracy

40. Immigration and Diversity: The Changing Ethnic Composition of America Gateways to Democracy

41. Focus Questions • Does American democracy work? How can you evaluate it? • How democratic was the constitutional system of 1787? How democratic is the United States today? • What are the pros and cons of a system in which state governments and a national government share power? • What should be the balance between liberty and order? How has the U.S. government balanced the two? What liberty vs. order questions do citizens face today? • Why is equality important in a democracy? What role does, or should, government play in ensuring equality? What kinds of equality can, or should, government ensure? What should be the balance between equality and liberty? Gateways to Democracy