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Chapter One
The Study of American Government
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Two Key Questions
• Who governs? Those who govern will affect us.
• To what ends? How will government affect our lives?
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What is Political Power?
• Power: the ability of one person to cause another person to act in accordance with the first person’s intentions
• Authority: the right to use power
• Legitimacy: what makes a law or constitution a source of right
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Kinds of Democracy
• Direct democracy: A form of democracy in which most, or all, of the citizenry participate directly.
• Representative democracy: A government in which leaders make decisions by winning a competitive struggle for the popular vote.
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The Framers’ View
• Government would mediate, nor mirror, popular views
• People were viewed as lacking knowledge and susceptible to manipulation
• Framers’ goal: to minimize the abuse of power by a tyrannical majority or by officeholders
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Theories of Government
• Marxism: Those who own the means of production, controlling the economic system, will control the government
• Elitism: A few top leaders, drawn from the major sectors of the United States polity, will make all important decisions
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Theories of Government
• Bureaucratic: Appointed civil servants control the government, without consulting the public.
• Pluralist: Competition among affected interests shapes public policy decision-making