Weeks 1 and 2 Topics and Key Points Scarcity Social Contract Government Thomas Hobbes John Locke Social Contract Mayflower Compact European Influences on American Colonies and U.S. Government Declaration of Independence Articles of Confederation U.S. Constitution American Bill of Rights Federalism Separation of Powers – Baron de Montesquieu Checks and Balances Theories of Democratic Government – Lanahan Readings

Foundations of Government• Scarcity: Limited Resources

Problem – How to ensure fair distribution of resources for the people of a society?

• Government: General Purposes shared by nations1. Maintain Social Order

2. Provide National Security

3. Stabilize and Maintain the Economy

4. Provide Public Goods and Services

• Purposes for the U.S. Government (See Preamble to the Constitution) is to: 1. Form a more perfect union

2. Establish justice

3. Ensure domestic tranquility

4. Provide a Common Defense (military)

5. Promote the General Welfare of the People

6. Secure the blessings of Liberty to current and future generations (our posterity)

Thomas Hobbes• Social Contract:

Thomas Hobbes - 17th Century English Philosopher First to theorize about the “Social Contract”

Related Literary work: “The Leviathan”

“State of Nature” – men are beasts, savages, and promote self-interests.

Believed in natural state, men live in a state of civil war.

Thought Government should be all-powerful; have absolute rule, to maintain social order and protect the interests of the people

Believed people should uphold the government, even if tyrannical.

John Locke Locke – 17th Century English Writer/Philosopher

Argued against powerful kings Took theory of social contract a step farther than Thomas Hobbes

― Government may be dissolved if not upholding legitimate expectations of the people.

Related Literary work: “Second Treatise, of Civil Government” Believed people could get along cooperatively if allowed liberty and

ability to own property. Within “State of Nature” exists “Natural Law”

Law of Nature / Natural Law: State of Equality among men – Men are all equal and free. Utopic view of man alone in Organic Nature Natural Law affords man the Natural Right to:

Life

Liberty and

Property – free of threat from another Government’s primary purpose to protect property and rights

Locke cont’d 3 Reasons Property is not Protected in a State of Nature (and Government is Needed) Given that men are biased/partial to their own self-interests:

1. Men do not apply the law to themselves as they would to their fellow man.

2. Men are apt to be vengeful and to carry revenge too far.

3. Attempts to punish offenders is too great a danger to one who might attempt to enforce punishment

Locke cont’d. Man’s 2 Natural Powers

1. Self-preservation2. Punishment for crimes of others against the law of self-preservation

Seldom find many who can collectively remain in ‘natural’ state. Requires a government sanctuary to protect against abuses from fellow man

and to preserve property. PROPERTY = (Man’s Life + Liberty + Estates) / Together referred to as “property” Demands / Need for:

1. Laws2. Judges3. Enforcement Conclusion: The Government exists by the consent of the people. As such,

that consent may be withdrawn from a government which fails to meet the

legitimate expectations of the people.THUS: To maintain social order: men forfeit natural powers to join a society;

establish a social contract between men and their government; consent to be regulated by laws of the society; and agree uphold their government.

Foundations of Government• Mayflower Compact

Definition: The Mayflower Compact was a document signed by 41 male Pilgrims on November 21, 1620. By signing this document, the men agreed to form a temporary government and be bound by its laws.

The compact became the basis of government in the Plymouth Colony. It is considered the first “social contract” made effective in America.

European Influences:• Great Britain • Feudalism

– Masses were peasants. – Unable to own land or property.– Not free to leave feifs.

• Monarchs – Absolute power– Favored lords– Ignored parliament until needed money for wars; reneged once conflict ended.– Significantly influenced by the church.

• Parliament– Great Britain’s law-making body; decides all laws for Great Britain– Seats could be bought and sold by tickets.– Model for American Congress– Unicameral legislature– Loaned money to monarchs to assist with wars– Colonists had problems with unfair laws passed by Parliament – Passed laws that taxed the colonies to raise revenue for the English government; led to

American Revolution. (Stamp Act, Sugar Act, Intolerable Acts) / French-Indian War (1774)

Intolerable Acts – 1774 (Response to Boston Tea Party)

• The Boston Port Bill: Closed Boston Harbor• The Quartering Act: Quartered Soldiers in the colonies• The Administration of Justice Act: Prevented British officials from being tried in

colonial courts. Required trials to be moved to Great Britain (nearly impossible)• Massachusetts Government Act: Denied self-government to Boston Colony• The Quebec Act: Extended the Canadian Borders to take over several American

Colonies; Promoted the Roman Catholic faith (England) over Protestantism (Colonies). Assigned the Ohio lands to Quebec (Canada), taking the land away from Virginia, Pennsylvania and New York – who had already laid claim to the land via their royal charters.

European Influences:• Baron de Montesquieu theory – “Separation of Powers.” Separate branches that could

check and balance each other’s power – the ideal format for a government.• Magna Carta – first legal document that Limited Government/Power of the British monarchs.

Largely ignored.• English Revolution/Civil Wars (1642 – 1651)

– between English Parliament & King Charles I, lasted 9 years.– Overthrow of Monarch by Oliver Cromwell (brilliant military officer; 1st to make England

a Republic / Led England, succeeded by his son) (1649 – 1660), by overthrowing and replacing the monarch; defeat led to execution of King Charles I.

– “Glorious Revolution” (1688) / Overthrow of King James II; Parliament partnered with the Netherlands. King and his army fled with no shots fired and no blood-shed.

• English Bill of Rights (Parliament insisted to have signed prior to admission to throne – specifying rights of Parliament)

– William and Mary; “social contract” signed willingly– Model for American Bill of Rights; Set more specific/clear limits on British Monarchy– Extension of Limited Government

• See Handout “Timeline of the Kings and Queens of England” web-site.

The American Colonies:• Mayflower Compact• British Soldiers – quartering in colonists homes, oversight, enforcement of

English Monarchs & Parliament• Modeled after Great Britain – loyal to the British Monarchy• Weak Oversight / Autonomy – result of British preoccupation with wars• Stamp Act – heavy taxes on Colonies by Britain / share costs of wars

(English protection of colonies against outside forces). Taxes very burdensome. Colonists viewed as excessive (1765)

• Battles at Lexington and Concord – 1st military engagements between colonies and British government. Start of American Revolution (April 1775)

• American Revolution – Overthrow of British Rule• Declaration of Independence• Federalism• Articles of Confederation – 1st American Constitution; Several Weaknesses• U.S. Constitution – Replaced Articles; Highest Law of the Land; One of

longest lasting Constitutions in history; over 224 years old.

Chart of American Colonies• See Word Doc “AP Chart American Colonies”

Course Web-Site• Film “Road from Runnymeade”

European History and Influences on ColoniesHistorical Events and Documents (List page 1 / ppt.) Colonies’ Declaration of Independence from England Articles of Confederation – See Word Doc “AP_ Articles vs. U.S. Constitution” (web-site)U.S. Constitution (Handout)

Week 1 Lanahan Readings – Key PointsTheories on Democracy:

• Alexis de Tocqueville “Democracy in America”

– Minority groups in America are silenced and forced into conformity by the majority.

– The privilege of the “majority” is often overlooked and that they enjoy uncontrolled authority, much like tyranny.

– Nearly impossible for the minority to fair against the power of the majority.

– A nation’s beginnings are crucial to understanding that nation’s character.

– The existence of partible inheritance results in huge estates that a few rich families own.

– Viewed equality in America in terms of the equal chance that the people in America have to succeed.

– Believed that if people in a nation are equal in one sense, such as social class, they will become equal in other ways eventually.

– Perhaps overlooks the dynamic nature of the majority. Not a static condition.

Week 1 Lanahan Readings – Key Points• C. Wright Mills “The Power Elite”

– Rule in America consists of a Triangle of Power between Corporate Rich CEOs, members of the Political Directorate (Consultants and Leaders), and Military Leaders.

– Relationship between the common people and the power elite is like “trusting children” who choose to rely on the superior expertise of the elite. Views the common people as seemingly driven by forces they can neither understand nor govern.

– Elite maintain power due to: autonomy, centralization of power, interlocking networks difficult to penetrate, and secrecy of intentions, though their nature is obvious/apparent.

– Power Elite: Are in command of major hierarchies and organizations of modern society. Are not made by their jobs Create demands and cause others to meet them. Are in positions to make decisions having major consequences. Are experienced and powerful.

Week 1 Lanahan Readings – Key Points• Robert Dahl “Who Governs?” and “A Preface to Democratic Theory”

– Power, knowledge, wealth, social position, access to officials and other resources – are not spread evenly among all citizens of America.

– Compares America to New Haven, Connecticut.

– Analogy: Like New Haven, America’s political system, once dominated by one cohesive set of leaders (colonies/confederate states), has given way to a system dominated by many different sets of leaders with varying access to given combinations of political resources.

– Leaders, on one hand, enormously influential. Yet on other hand, subject to their constituents, yielding a decentralized political system.

– Identifies American political system as a “pluralistic” democracy with dispersed inequalities.

– Reciprocal relationship between leaders and the citizenry.

– Small segment of population much more politically involved than the rest, thus bearing and refining the nation’s political skills.

– Political stratum involves network of rapid channels of communication.

– Politically influential group/stratum is dynamic, not static. (new individuals constantly earning membership, thus embodies most widely shared values and goals of the society.

– Governmental decisions result in the steady appeasement of relatively small, expressive groups.

– “Strange Hybrid” of a System not likely to work in many places/nations elsewhere. Thus America’s democracy is a “noteworthy contribution to the art of government.”