POLITICAL THEORIES OF POWER

Pluralism: power is exercised by groups (plural = more than one)More than one person in each groupMore than one groupGroups (parties, economic classes, interest groups) compete for powerEveryone wins some of the timeEveryone gets some of what they wantNo one always wins/gets everything

Political theories of power

Elite theory

Elite theory Society is organized like a pyramid Many at the bottom, few at the top Those at the top have all the power,

all the time (political, economic, military, etc.), so they always win

Upward mobility: Just enough opportunity for the lower classes to enter the upper class to prevent dissatisfaction/revolution

The “Occupy Wall St. Movement” and “We Are the 99%!” – this is elite theory in action

Political Culture

Daniel J. Elazar Perceptions of what government is Kinds of people who become active

in politics and government Actual way government is conducted

Types of Political Culture

Individualistic Democracy as marketplace No gov’t. concern for “good

society” Limited intervention into

private activities Politics as a business Predominant in the West,

Midwest

Types of Political Culture

Moralistic Commonwealth Search for “Good Society” Politics to promote public

good Issues and ethics in

government are important Predominant in Midwest, New

England

Types of Political Culture

Traditionalistic Paternalistic and elitistGovernment exists to preserve order

Hierarchy with limited political participation

Predominant in the South

Western Political Thought

Aristotle Greek philosopher, 3rd Century B.C.Man has the power to reason“Absolute justice” derived from reasonNatural law: reason produces common

views on the nature of universal justice

Aristotle was Plato’s student“The Allegory of the Cave” is an excerpt from Plato’s Republic, discussing the need for education among the leaders of society

Western Political Thought

St. Thomas Aquinas (13th Century)

- God is source of man’s ability to reason

- Natural law, absolute justice, government are God’s gifts to mankind

- Leads to philosophy of natural rights

Western Political Thought

John Locke, British philosopherSecond Treatise, on Civil Government

(1690)Agrees with Aquinas on existence of

natural law, but argues that power is derived from consent of the people, not from God

Challenge to theory of divine right (basis of English monarch’s power)

Locke: Second Treatise, on Civil Government (1690)

Natural Rights Human beings have certain

rights by virtue of their existence.

God grants these rights, not the King.

Because the King doesn’t grant them, he can’t take them away.

Natural Rights

Most important of the natural rights are “life, liberty, property”

“State of Nature”

Perfect freedom and equality No rules, laws or regulations “Not a state of license” to

harm others or oneself Punishment of violators must

not be arbitrary or disproportionate to the offense

What’s Missing from the State of Nature?

“Established, settled, known law” accepted by common consent.

“Known, indifferent [impartial] judge” to administer justice.

“Power to back and support the sentence when right.”

Locke on theDissolution of Government

Government exists only to protect the rights of the people.

Locke argues that the people have a right to dissolve a government that violates or does not protect their rights.

Thomas Hobbes

English philosopher, same era as Locke

State of nature is highly undesirable Human life is “nasty, brutish and

short” Social contract theory

Social Contract

Jean-Jacques Rousseau, French philosopher

The social contract is the idea that people give up some of their rights in exchange for the protection of their remaining rights

(Give up unlimited right to acquire property in exchange for protection against theft)

Importance to American Political Thought:

Thomas Jefferson got many of the philosophical ideas in the Declaration of Independence from Locke

Declaration of Independence

We, the people of the…

united Statesor

United States?

Declaration of Independence

“We hold these truths” [facts]

“to be self-evident” [no need for explanation]

“all Men are created equal” [less inclusive definition of equality than today]

“Endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights” [Locke on natural, God-given rights that can’t be taken away]

Unalienable rights

Locke: “Life, liberty and property”

Jefferson: “Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”

Purpose of Government

“That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men” [Social contract: Government exists only to protect the rights of the people]

Powers of Government

“…deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed”

Government may only do what is just

Consent of the people is required

Dissolution of Government

“Whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it”

“Call to Arms”

…”appealing to the Supreme Judge of the World…[asking God’s help] do…Publish and Declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be, Free and Independent States…”

[This statement is the literal Declaration of Independence]

[And Finally…]

“And for the support of this Declaration…we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.”

Articles of Confederation

First national government, 1781-1787

National government deliberately made much weaker than state governments

Jefferson: more power to states Hamilton: more power to national

gov’t.

Articles of Confederation

Article II: “Each state retains its sovereignty, freedom and independence”

National government has only those powers which the states specifically give it.

State laws supersede nat’l. laws.

Articles of Confederation

Article VI: States required to maintain a militia

With consent of Congress, states may conduct foreign policy, maintain an army or navy, declare war (against other nations, Indian tribes)

National defense force came only from state militias and state funds

Articles of Confederation

National government had limited power to regulate commerce among the states

States could impose tariffs on each other’s products

States and national government all issued currency

Interstate commerce made extremely difficult

Articles of Confederation

National government had no power to tax Dependent on voluntary state

contributions to fund national government

No executive branch or separate judiciary One-house legislature, each state had

one vote Delegates to national legislature were

considered officials of state governments

Articles of Confederation

Nine out of 13 states required to pass most legislation

Unanimous agreement required on some significant matters

Very difficult to accomplish anything Convention called in Philadelphia, 1787,

to revise Articles, instead threw it out and drafted Constitution (still in effect)