This document provides an overview of key concepts from Chapter 1 of a political science textbook. It defines politics as determining how power and resources are distributed without violence. It discusses different types of political systems including democracy, republic, authoritarian, and others. It also covers economic systems like capitalism and socialism. The document outlines different theories of democracy and discusses the roles and obligations of citizens. It emphasizes the importance of informed and critical citizenship. It provides study questions at the end to prompt further discussion and analysis of political concepts.

1. Chapter 1

2. Goals/Themes of Chapter 1
 Meaning of “politics”
 Varieties of political systems and how
each works for individuals (the rules)
 Goals of founders
 Citizenship
 Critical Thinking (part of citizenship)

3. What is Politics?
 Politics: who gets what, when, and how—a process
and struggle of determining how power and resources
are distributed without recourse to violence.
 Power: the ability to get others to do what you want

4. What is Politics?
 Politics arranges our lives into some kind of social
order.
 Politics decides how power is managed and what
is legitimate—therefore stopping any violence.

5. What is Politics?
 Government: a system or organization for exercising
authority over a body of people
 Authority: power that people recognize as legitimate
 Social order: how we organize our collective lives

6. What is Politics?
 Rules: directives that specify how resources will
be distributed or what procedures govern
collective activity
 Institutions: organizations in which government
power is exercised

7. Rules
 Every game has rules—some rules are
written down, other rules are worked out
over time.
 Government and politics are shaped by
political rules.
 RULES OF THE GAME—that’s what we
will be examining this semester.

8. Rules
 Rules appeared in the Constitution and
have been honed ever since.
 The rules have changed over time.

9. Who Gets to Play?
 Everyone! The key issue is to know the
rules.
 We can all fight for what we want. While
the playing field isn’t even, it is open.
 Some get more, some know the rules
better—but we all have a chance.

10. Politics and Economics
Politics and economics are closely connected since both
focus on the distribution of society’s resources.
 Economics: production and distribution of a society’s
material resources and services
 Economics was meant to be private, whereas politics
was meant to be public

11. Economic Systems
 Capitalism: market determines production,
distribution, and price decisions
 Regulated capitalism has government
procedural guarantees, whereas laissez-
faire capitalism doesn’t

12. Economic Systems
 socialist economy: the state determines
production, distribution, and price
decisions. Property is government
owned
 social democracy is a hybrid of
capitalism and socialism

14. Political Systems
 Democracy
 Republic
 Authoritarian
 Anarchy
 Monarchy
 Theocracy
 Oligarchy

15. Non-authoritarian Systems
 anarchy: absence of government and
laws

16. Democracy
 Democratic systems: power vesting in the people
(with reservations)
 Citizens: members of a political community having
both rights and responsibilities, which include
obeying laws, paying taxes, owning businesses,
participating in government.

17. Authoritarian Systems
 Authoritarian systems: individuals are subjects of
their state government
 Subjects: individuals who are obliged to submit to
a government authority against which they have
no rights

18. Authoritarian Systems
 Fascist government: policy is made for the
ultimate glory of the state (Nazi Germany)
 Oligarchy: rule by a small group of elites
 Totalitarian government: a system in
which absolute control is exercised over
every aspect of life (North Korea)

19. Authoritarian Systems
 Monarchy: government power vested in a
king or queen (Saudi Arabia)
 Theocracy: government claims to draw its
power from divine or religious authority
(Iran)

22. Theories of Democracy
 Elite democracy: limits the citizens’ role to choosing
among competing leaders
 Pluralist democracy: citizen membership in groups is
the key to political power
 Participatory democracy: citizens should actively and
directly control all aspects of their lives

23. Theories of Democracy
 Social contract theory: the notion that
society is based on an agreement
between government and the governed
in which people agree to give up some
rights in exchange for the protection of
others

24. Citizenship/Role of the People
 What does it mean?
 Citizens have both obligations and responsibilities
 Too many citizens see government as just a one-
way-street. They want…..but do not wish to
contribute or give back.

25. Citizenship/Role of the People
 Obligations: obey the law, jury duty, pay
taxes…..
 Responsibilities: vote, knowledge,
activism, participation…..

26. Citizenship
 Madison did not trust average Americans to act beyond their
own interests
 Madison’s view contrasted with the idea of “republican virtue”
(citizens can put interests of community ahead of their own)
 American citizenship today illustrates elements of both views
of citizenship

27. Citizenship
 Madison feared “pure democracy” because people may
create “factions”
 Factions: groups that might pursue only their self-interest
 Madison preferred a republic
 Republic: a government in which decisions are made
through representatives of the people

28. Citizenship
 What is our role? (people/citizens)
 What do the “rules” allow us to do?
 What can’t we do?
 Do citizens take advantage of the
opportunities?
 Has the role of the citizen changed over
time? How and why?

29. Citizenship
 How can we become informed citizens?
 Do political leaders actually want
informed citizens? Something to think
about.

30. Informed Citizenship
 Read the news
 Speak up
 Demand leadership—but not perfection
 Understand pluralism and politics
 Know the rules
 Participate

31. Thinking about Politics
 Who are the parties involved?
 What resources, powers, and rights do
they bring to the struggle?

32. Thinking about Politics
 What is at stake? What does each party
stand to win or lose?

33. Thinking about Politics
 How do the rules shape the outcome?
Where do these particular rules come
from? And what strategies and tactics
are used by these political actors to
make the rules work for them?

35. Critical Thinking
 Challenging the conclusions of others
 Challenging “popular” notions
 Challenging conventional wisdom
 Exploring alternative opinions
 Asking why or why not

36. Critical Thinking
 Considering sources of information
 Looking for independent evidence and
logical reasoning
 Challenging experts or authorities—
leaders and so-called elders
 Not believing it simply because it’s
always what you have been told

37. Critical Thinking
 It is often uncomfortable
 It is often difficult

38. Critical Thinking/Benefits
 Learn to be an informed citizen
 Leads to awareness
 Can develop our own opinions
 It is an enjoyable activity
 Not just one of the crowd

39. Critical Thinking/Arguments
 Consider the source and audience
Who wrote the arguments?
Where did the item appear?
What audience was it directed?

40. Critical Thinking/Arguments
 Lay out the arguments, underlying
values, and assumptions
What argument is being made?
What is the author’s assumptions?
What are the author’s values?
Is the thinking clear and logical?

41. Critical Thinking/Arguments
 Uncover the evidence
Is the research done well?
Is the evidence demonstrated well?
Were reputable sources used?

42. Critical Thinking/Arguments
 Evaluate the Conclusions
Is the argument successful?
Is it convincing?
Does it change your mind?
Does it make you think?
Is it logical?

43. Critical Thinking/Arguments
 Sort out the political implications
What is the political significance of the
arguments?
What does it say about who get what and
why?

44. Critical Thinking/Causation
 Correlation: relationship between 2 or
more factors such that change in one is
accompanied by change(s) in the
other(s)
 Causation: direct responsibility for a
change
 Spurious relationship: no relationship!

45. Causation
 When ice cream sales go up, so do
residential burglaries. When ice-cream
sales decrease, burglaries have also
gone down.
 There is correlation. Is there causation?

46. Causation
 The purpose here is to show you that
policies is complicated and complex.
 Politicians, interest groups, and TV often
give you simple explanations.
 Hopefully, we will do it differently in this
class.

47. STUDY QUESTIONS

48. Study Questions
 When, if ever, should individuals be
asked to sacrifice their own good for the
good of the country?
 What would be an example of this? Why
should decide?

49. Study Questions
 What words, ideas, images, thoughts,
and/or opinions come to mind when you
hear the word "politics"?

50. Study Questions
 Why does politics seem like such a dirty
and corrupt business to Americans?
Whose fault is that? Is it true, or just a
perception?

51. Study Questions
 There was an old 1960s adage that said "If you are not
part of the solution, you are part of the problem." In
terms of American politics in our day-to-day lives, what
can each of us do to effect change or ease the severity
of problems like poverty, war, pollution, crime,
corruption, unemployment, etc.? List specific things
each of us can do as citizens. Must individual citizens
be concerned with these problems or should we just
leave the solutions to our leaders?

52. Study Questions
 What are some of specific things
about government and politics that
you would
like to learn more about in this class?

53. Study Questions
 Is the United States a real democracy? In other
words, how democratic is this nation? Do the
people actually rule? Do we really live in a
democracy?

54. Study Questions
 Who are the people? Are you
concerned that so many of our
leaders are wealthy? Are the people
represented in the Founder’s
government? If not, does it matter?

55. Study Questions
 Is it important to study politics? Make a
case both for an against? Maybe paying no
attention is okay!

56. Study Questions
 Why do young people like yourselves
(your age group) know and/or care so
little about politics? Where do these
attitudes come from? What might be
the consequences of these attitudes?

57. Study Questions
 How should our political representatives
vote? Should they solely consider what their
constituents want? Or should they take a
broader view and consider the best interests
of the nation/world as a whole?

58. Study Questions
 Is the American government the best in
the world? How would address the
question analytically and/or
intellectually? Literacy rates? Income?
Come up with some criteria to answer
this question.

59. Study Questions
 Are there times when democracies are
dangerous? Explain if you can have too
much democracy?

60. Study Questions
 Why does critical thinking feel like more
work than regular thinking?