Representation Professor Kelly Rivera Outline I. Introduction II. The People a. Legally b. Politically III. The Process a. Elections b. Governance IV. Linking the People and the Process V. Representation in American Politics Introduction 2005 Bankruptcy Reform Emphasized Personal Responsibility Chapter 7 Chapter 13 …but barely touched • Homestead Exemption • Tax Shelters • Court Shopping • Predatory Lending “The People” Legally The Declaration of Independence says that governments are constituted among men to secure the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Any powers they have are dependent on the consent of the governed. “The People” Legally Not only do you get a say in what the government does, but you also get certain protections. Civil Liberties • Freedom of Expression • Criminal Protections “The People” Legally But for more than 100 years, “the people” didn’t mean everyone. Indeed, the rights of suffrage and citizenship rights only extended slowly, and with a fight. The Founding & 3/5th Clause Dred Scott 13th, 14th, 15th Women’s Rights (19th) Civil Rights Movement CRA ’64, VRA ’65 ADA ’90 “The People” Legally “The People” Legally Nowadays, virtually everyone enjoys equal status under the law. “The People” Politically However, legal equality isn’t political equality. “The People” Politically Voters vs. Non-Voters Organized vs. Unorganized Attentive vs. Inattentive Intense vs. Apathetic Contributors vs. Everyone Else The Process If it is “the people” who are to govern, then the question is how? As we talked about, one way would be to have every citizen vote on every issue requiring a decision. Of course, such a direct democracy is impractical almost anywhere, much less in a nation as big as ours. So instead we delegate to representatives who act on our behalf. Such is the basis of our representative democracy. The question we asked was how we can keep those officials focused on our goals (rather than their own, or someone else’s). The Process Republican Government The answer, we said, was to have a government where… 1. Elections are free, fair, competitive, and frequent. 2. Governance is transparent, debated, and widely covered. The Process Elections Free? Essentially Yes - questions of registration and former felons and such Fair? Pretty much - questions of campaign funding, ballot technology, and such Competitive? Debated - gerrymandering, fundraising, media, public apathy Frequent? Some say too frequent. The Process Governance Transparent? Mixed - way more public than old days…but lots of complexity Contested? Mixed - House rules - Senate rules - Parties encourage cheerleading w/in party. Widely Covered? Yes and No - Inside and Outside Beltway - President vs. Everyone Else - State to State (Media Market to Media Market) Linking People and Process Even if process is competitive, transparent,.