Upload
georgina-randall
View
224
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Chapter 1: Freedom, Order or Equality
Warm Up (Daily Dilemma): DD1 Which is better, to live under a government that
protects individual freedom or under one that infringes on freedom while guarding
against threats to security? -Hamdi case
DD#2
Which is better: to let all citizens keep the same share of their income or to tax the wealthy at a higher rate?
The Great Recession
• In 2009 the unemployment rate was at 10.2% (and 17.3% counting people who had given up looking for work).
• More than ½ of all unemployed workers borrowed money from friends or relatives & 60% drew down their savings accounts
What should governments do to end such intense economic downturns?
The Globalization of American Government
•Governments are instituted to control human behavior. •In the past, governments generally have recognized national sovereignty, which means governments have the right to rule its territory as it sees fit, without the intrusion of other governments and institutions.
•As we have become more of a global society, governments and institutions have become increasingly involved in the actions of other nations.
• National sovereignty is threatened under globalization because of the pressure for international law to govern behavior
• Human rights are an area that has drawn such attention.
• “Protection of human rights must ‘take precedence over concerns of state sovereignty.’” Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the United Nations
• How has this shift impacted our national sovereignty? – U.S. pulling out of the International Criminal Court
treaty– Concern that U.S. soldiers abroad may be arrested and
tried in such a court.– U.S. is being pressured to eliminate the death penalty.
• The U.S. has strong economic, political and social ties to countries throughout the world, should this be taken into consideration when making policy decisions here in the United States?
The Purpose of Government
• All governments require individuals to give up some level of freedom in order to receive the benefits provided by government.
• There are three basic purposes of
government:– Maintaining Order– Providing Public Goods– Promoting Equality
The Purpose of Government
• Maintaining Order is the first role of governments, it can be accomplished in 3 ways:– Establishing the rule of law to preserve life
• Thomas Hobbes (1588 – 1679)– Believed that without government life would be “solitary, poor,
nasty, brutish, and short.”– Saw a strong, single sovereign as the only way to maintain order.– Authoritarian rule– Preserving Private Property
The Purpose of Government
• John Locke (1632 – 1704)– Protection of “life, liberty, and property” is the main
objective of government.– Where have we heard that before??– Preserving Property for All
• Karl Marx (1818-1883)– Communism – “from each, according to their ability,
to each, according to their need.”– Ownership of all land and productive facilities Is given
to “the people” (i.e. the government)
The Purpose of Government
• Once order is established, governments can begin to provide public goods.– Governments must tax citizens to provide public
goods.– Public goods benefit all members of a society, but
are not usually provided by private citizens.
What are some examples of public goods?
The Purpose of Government
• Promoting Equality is a controversial role of governments– Came about in the 20th century, after industrialization and
urbanization.– Idea of the Welfare State emerged in Europe– Guaranteed income, “from the cradle to the grave.”– Should the government redistribute income?
• Social equality can also be promoted by government by passing such laws as:– Civil Rights– Affirmative Action
A Conceptual Framework…
• Our text offers five concepts through which to study government.
GOALS OF GOVERNMENT- what the gov’t tries to do:– Freedom– Order– Equality
HOW DEMOCRACIES TRY TO DO IT:– Majoritarian Democracy– Pluralist Democracy
The Concepts of Freedom, Order and Equality• Freedom can be broken down into
two senses:• “Freedom of,” which includes:
• The absence of constraints• Freedom of religion,
freedom of speech• Liberty
• “Freedom from,” which includes:• Immunity from something• Freedom from fear and
want• Equality
When “freedom” is used by the authors, it will generally refer to “freedom of.”
Order
• Order, as defined by the textbook, includes– Preserving life– Protecting property– Maintaining traditional patterns of social
relationships• Order is maintained through the government’s police power.
Equality
• Equality is also broken down into more specific senses:– Political equality
• One person = one vote
• Does a persons influence and access make them “more equal?”
• Social equality– Do people need to be equal in wealth, education and status
in order to achieve political equality?• Two routes to social equality
• Equality of opportunity• Equality of outcome
Two Dilemmas of Government
1. Freedom vs. Order
How much freedom are you willing to give up in order to ensure a safe and orderly society?
How much order are you willing to give up in order to ensure your freedoms?
This American Life episode
2. Freedom vs. Equality• The Equal Pay Act requiring employers to pay
women and men the same rate for equal work– Employers are forced to pay more than they would
if their pay was based on free choice• Bussing of schoolchildren to achieve a fair
distribution of blacks and whites in schools– Impaired freedom of choice for educational
equality
When forced to choose, Americans are more likely to choose freedom over equality
Ideology and Government
ECONOMIC THEORIESSocialism Capitalism
Laissez Faire
POLITICAL THEORIESTotalitarianism Libertarianism Anarchism
Most Government Least Government
AMERICAN SYSTEMLiberals Conservatives
Political Theories
• Totalitarianism:– Government should have unlimited power in all areas.
• Libertarianism– Government’s role is only to protect life and property.– Laissez faire economics – leave it be
• Anarchism– Government is unnecessary.
• Values freedom above all else.
Economic Theories
• Socialism:– An economic system based on Marx’s ideas. Government has
significant control over the economy, usually owns or controls, at least, the basic industries.
• Democratic Socialism– Countries allow civil liberties, free elections and political parties
• Capitalism– Free Enterprise – Limited or no government interference in business
The American System
Liberals and Conservatives
• Liberals– Purpose of government should be to protect
equality, but not order
• Conservative– Purpose of government is to enforce order rather
than equality.
Section 3: A Conceptual Framework for Analyzing Gov’t
•A Two-Dimensional Classification of Ideologies
Conservatives
Freedom over EqualityOrder over Freedom
Libertarians
Freedom over EqualityFreedom over Order
Communitarians
Order over FreedomEquality over Freedom
Liberals
Freedom over OrderEquality over Freedom
Fre
ed
om
Eq
ua
lity
Freedom Order
DD #3
What is more “equal,” equality of opportunity or equality of outcome?
Why does equality of outcome show the dilemma of equality vs. freedom?