Introduction to the learning objectives and core requirements required in Kitchenman's survey American Government Course. Includes a broad overview of key terms in political science that students should master and philosophical underpinnings of democratic government.

1. American Government Introduction to the
Class (Lecture First Day)
Walter Kitchenman
Adjunct
kitchew@scf.edu
Note: The slides in this Module are derived from, or directly attributable to, the Schmidt text required for this course.
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2. The US National Government (Federal):
Three Separate and Equal Branches
Bi-Cameral Executive Branch Independent
Legislature Judiciary
Senate House
15 Cabinet Members Exec. Agencies, Independent
(Executive Depts) Establishments, Govt. Corps.
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3. What We Will Learn
Ideas Structure Process
Constitution The Presidency Campaigns
Introduction The Congress Courts
& Federalism & Bureaucracy & Voting
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4. Purpose
Overview of the origins and structure of government in the US so that students
appreciate more fully the issues faced as citizens, voters and residents.
What are the Big Objectives?
• Define the work of the framers at the Constitutional Convention of 1787
• Understand Key Terminology related to American Government
• Understand roles of Presidency, Congress, Courts and Bureaucracy
• Structure a report or presentation about government using Best Practices
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5. Requirements
Ten quizzes on-line after each chapter, in-class Mid-Term, in-class Final and
one PPT review of a highly regarded book on US history and government.
What are the Big Requirements?
• Reading a total of 10 Chapters in the text book (about 1 chapter per week)
• On-line quizzes after every Chapter (on Angel) (multiple choice and essay)
• In-class mid-term (multiple choice)
• In-class final (multiple choice)
• One Individual PPT (a presentation) on one of four books
– Alexander Hamilton, American (Brookhiser)
– Miracle at Philadelphia (Drinker-Bowen)
– Lincoln at Gettysburg: The Words that Remade America (Wills)
– The Passage of Power (Caro)
• In-class participation
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6. Where Are We This Class?
Ideas
Constitution
Introduction & Federalism
What Should I Do for This Module?
• Read Chapter One on The Democratic Republic!
Assignments
• On-Line Quiz Module One
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7. Some Key Terms This Module
You might consider developing Study Cards for these terms.
• Authoritarianism • Oligarchy
• Consent of the People • Pluralism
• Democratic Republic • Political socialization
• Direct Democracy • Referendum
• Elite Theory • Republic
• Founders • Totalitarian
• Framers • Universal Suffrage
• Government
• Initiative Super Key Words:
• Legitimacy Initiative and Referendum
Democracy, Republic and Direct Democracy
• Majoritarianism Authoritarian and Totalitarian
• Majority Rule
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8. If You Were Suddenly on an Island Like
“Lost” What Would you Do?
• You don’t know each other – but there are some obvious issues:
• What about food? (what if there isn’t much?)
• Water? (what if there are limited resources?)
• Sanitation issues? Can people ‘do their business’ wherever they want?
• Who will decide?
Biggest and badest?
If not how?
• What happens if somebody steals your food?
• What happens if somebody falsely accuses somebody?
• How would you accuse somebody? Any process?
• Who would decide guilt?
• What happens if the Biggest, Badest Dudes don’t like the rules?
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9. Plato’s Five Types of Government
Who Governs?
• Aristocracy – the best
• Timocracy – the strongest
• Oligarchy - the rich
• Democracy – the governed (the “People’)
• Tyranny - one ruler or one party
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10. Why Is Government Necessary?
Liberty is generally considered the greatest freedom of individuals consistent
with the freedom of other individuals.
• Order – Rules of the game
• Liberty - Protection against individuals and governing authorities too
• Authority and Legitimacy – In democracies these ultimately reside in the People
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11. Forms of Government
A Totalitarian Regime controls all aspects of political and social life, while in an
Authoritarian Regime a ruler (or party) controls the government but there are
some independent social and economic institutions.
• Totalitarianism
• Authoritarianism
• Democracy
Key Thought:
Democracy is derived from the Greek words demos (“the
people”) and kratos (“authority”).
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12. Direct Democracy
In Athens most citizens debated and voted on proposed laws in the plaza
(women, foreigners and slaves were excluded from citizenship however).
• Political decisions are made by the people directly, rather than by their
elected representatives
• Attained most easily in small political communities
• Direct Democracy was a failure in Greece and the US Founders knew it
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13. Direct Democracy Today
Our Founding Fathers distrusted Direct Democracy, so the Federal
Government, our Republic, has almost no provisions for direct democracy -
state constitutions, including California and Florida, may have such provisions.
• Initiative
• Referendum
• Recall
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14. Is Direct Democracy Dangerous?
Founders believed that the People were prone to influences of unscrupulous
political demagogues – and they also feared a “tyranny of the majority.”
• Founders believed in government based on the consent of the people but
were highly distrustful of anything that might look like “mob rule”
– Remember Revolutionary period, Shays Rebellion
• Founders devised institutions to filter the popular will through elected
elites
– What are some of these filters?
Key Thought:
What do we mean by Consent of the People?
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15. A Democratic Republic (an Indirect
Democracy)
The US Republic provides for indirect democracy but was unique in modern
times because of the power vested in ordinary citizens.
• Democratic republic and representative
democracy really mean the same thing -
government based on elected representatives
• Difference: A Republic cannot have a king or
queen since the People are sovereign in
theory – but a representative democracy can
have a constitutional monarchy (e.g., the UK,
Spain, Denmark, Netherlands)
(National Portrait Gallery)
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16. In the US, Fundamental Values or Political
Views are Often Shaped by Our Experience
Our attitudes toward government often are defined by whether we prefer
individual liberty (including a right to fail) over policies promoting equality.
• Political Socialization
- How families, education and peers shape views
• Liberty versus Order
- Social Contract
• Equality versus Liberty
- Economic Equality
- Property Rights and Capitalism
Key Question:
Does democracy check or ‘mediate’ capitalism?
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17. Ideologies: Liberalism versus Conservatism
• Conservatives
- Economic Conservatives want limited government in the economic sector
- Social conservatives want expanded government in terms of lifestyles, values
• Liberals
- Historically favor free movement of people, capital and ideas
- Often favor regulation of the economy for the greater good of society
- Generally favor a limited government role in terms of social issues
• Independents
- Often social liberals but economic conservatives
Key Questions:
How would you characterize Democrats and Republicans?
How would you characterize the current Tea Party movement?
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18. The Global Political Spectrum
US Generally Falls Here
Source: Schmidt
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19. Other Ideologies
US historically opposed these ideologies as they were often global in nature,
challenging self-determination of countries and the rights of individuals.
• Communism
• Fascism
• Radical Religious Fundamentalism
– Identified today with parts of Islam for the most part
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20. The Changing Face of America
If power is derived from the governed, than demography matters!
• Aging
• Population Growth
• Ethnic Change
• Changes in Hispanic Community
• Women in the Workforce
Key Question:
How can these changes affect the American political landscape?
What current issues result from this?
Are there any benefits?
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21. American Government Introduction to the
Class (Lecture First Day)
Walter Kitchenman
Adjunct
kitchew@scf.edu
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