Constitutional Democracy

1. Constitutional Democracy Mrs. Lacks: AP Government & Politics

2. Politics • Greek politikos • “of or relating to citizens” • What do you think of when you think of politics?

3. Niccolo Machiavelli • tough and dirty politics • The Prince • One of the first political scientists

4. Niccolo Machiavelli • “The ends justify the means.” • “It is better to be feared than loved.” • “By no means can a prudent ruler keep his word. Because all men are bad and do not keep promises to you, you likewise do not have to keep your promises to them.”

5. John Locke • A more positive thinker • “The only valid government is one based on the consent of the governed.” - Locke • Rulers and citizens enter into an agreement, or a social contract • Government by the people, masses • Highly influenced Jefferson’s Declaration & the idea of democracy in the US

6. Defining Democracy • Constitutional Democracy • enforces limits on those who govern • allows people to be heard through free and fair elections • Direct Democracy • all citizens report to govt • Ex. Ancient Athens • Constitutionalism • how power is granted, dispersed, and limited • Making of laws

7. Our Democracy is… • A system of interacting values • A system of interrelated political processes • A system of interdependent political structures

8. A System of Interacting Values • Popular consent • Governmental power from the people • A willingness to lose if majority loses support

9. A System of Interacting Values • Respect for the Individual • Every individual has rights; these rights are the source of all legitimate governmental authority and power • Opposite of statism (state supreme over individual)

10. A System of Interacting Values • Equality of opportunity • “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal” • What kind of equality? Equality of opportunity?

11. A System of Interacting Values • Personal liberty • All individuals must have the opportunity to realize individual goals • The essence of liberty is self-determination (key to social progress)

12. A System of Interacting Values • Democratic values in conflict • Individualism versus collective welfare • Self-determination versus equal opportunity • Big government versus small government

13. A system of interrelated political processes • Free and fair elections • Held at frequent intervals; decided by majority rule • All citizens should have equal voting power • Existence of opposition political parties

14. A system of interrelated political processes • Majority rule • Those with the most votes assume power • Majority still respects minority views • Constitution reflects fear of tyranny by majority

15. A system of independent political structures • The Constitution and the Bill of Rights create a structure that both grants and checks government power • Four elements of the constitutional system • Federalism • Separation of powers • Checks and balances • Bill of Rights

16. Constitutional Democracy • Constitution & Bill of Rights have survived over time… • 2000 Election reminds us of systems strengths/weaknesses • Trust in government has declined • Government can be a force of good or evil

17. Constitutional Democracy • Is not a spectator sport • requires participation, balance between faith and skepticism • requires faith concerning our common human enterprise • requires tolerance and protection of rights of others • is necessarily government by politicians • A gap exists between expectations about the actual and the ideal politician

18. Constitutional Democracy • Difficulty in sustaining democracies? • Two kinds of constitutional democracy practiced in the world today

20. Blue: Presidential republics with a full presidential system.Yellow: Countries with a semi-presidential system.Green: Parliamentary republics with an executive presidency chosen by the parliament Orange: Parliamentary republic with a ceremonial president, where the prime minister is the executive.Red: Constitutional monarchies where executive power is vested in a prime ministerPink: Constitutional monarchies which have a separate head of government, but where royalty hold political powerPurple: Absolute monarchiesBrown: Single-party state

21. What conditions are conducive to constitutional democracy? Constitutional Democracy

22. Conducive Conditions • 1. Educational conditions: most voters should be able to read and write but literacy is not a guarantee of democratic government

23. Conducive Conditions • 2. Economic conditions • prosperous nation, with an equitable distribution of wealth • Private ownership of property; market economy

24. Conducive Conditions • 3. Social conditions (social capital) • Variety of associations and social institutions (groups) • debate and discussion

25. Conducive Conditions • 4. Ideological conditions – democratic consensus

26. Having all of that… Principles necessary for a democracy to exist. • Universal suffrage (everyone vote) • Political Equality (all votes counted equally) • Majority Rule • Government responds to public opinion

27. Theories on how democracies function • Majoritarian Theory: leaders are forced to follow the wishes of the people because majority rules • Pluralist Theory: groups compete and compromise with each other to get the gov’t to do what they want • Elite or Class Theory: groups or people who possess the most more power (money or influence) dominate gov’t • Bureaucratic Theory: appointed officials dominate the gov’t through unelected jobs

28. Pluralism • Many groups (ex. economic, religious, cultural, ethnic.) compete to achieve goals • Groups that influence gov’t, work hard, and have largest membership, get what they want • Even if the average citizen does not keep up with politics, their interests will be protected by their group. • Groups must COMPROMISE to achieve goals

29. Arguments For Pluralism Against Pluralism (Hyper pluralism) • There is no unified majority in the US that always acts together. • Gov’t leaders must please groups to gain votes and money to be reelected. • Groups must compete for gov’t services and favorable laws. • Relatively low numbers of people join interest groups. • Poor citizens have less opportunity to join interest groups or contribute to them. • One can’t assume that group decisions are always in the best interest of the nation.

30. Elite or Class Theory • Control the economic system = control the political system. • Politicians require massive funding to win elections, and rely on corporations to supply them.

31. The Roots of the American Experiment • Locke & Jefferson Assignment