This document provides a summary of 17 lecture topics from a political science course on US government, including America's elite membership, policy changes and innovations, political conflict, stability and instability, corporate and economic power, globalization, and how elites exercise power. It also summarizes John Locke's "Second Treatise of Government" over the course of 17 sections, outlining Locke's philosophy of natural rights, property, consent of the governed, and the purpose of government to protect individual rights and property.

1. West Coast American Leadership Academy
Political Science 1 – US Government
Fall 2015 / Spring 2016 – Power Point 3

2. Course Lecture Topics
1. America’s Elite Membership
2. Policy Changes and Innovations in America
3. Political Conflict
4. Stability & Instability
5. Power Of Exporting Corporate Elites
6. Corporate and Economic Power
7. Globalization
8. How Elites Exercise Power
9. John Locke’s “Second Treatise Of Government”
10.Capitalism & Democracy Are Similar

3. American Elite Evolution
America’s Elite Membership & New Elite Membership
1. Early disputes were between propertied classes.
2. Political parties emerged in the 1796 election.
3. New Western elites were assimilated
• The new electorate included all White men.
4. Industrial elites use Social Darwinism to justify wealth.
Policy Changes & Innovations in American Government
1. Hamilton pays the national debt
• Establishes a national bank.
2. Supreme Court expands necessary and proper clause.
3. President Abraham Lincoln & Emancipation Proclamation.
4. President Franklin Roosevelt & New Deal legislation.

4. North Versus South
Political Conflict
1. Southern and Northern elite conflict over western land
led to Civil War.
2. Missouri Compromise was an attempt at compromise.
3. Southern elites seceded from the Union.
4. America lost its first war in Vietnam.
5. America regained its prestige in Persian Gulf War I.
• President George Bush had a 90 % approval.
• The military was the most trusted institution.

5. Stabilization
Sudden instability is the greatest threat to humanity for it
threatens to cause irreparable harm to the individual. One
may never consider harming another person in a state of
nature. Elimination of one’s sustenance throws the individual
into a state of war, because their survival is now threatened.
Nation-states consist of multiple spheres of interest in turn
consisting of individual units consisting of people. As survival
is the primary goal of man, so it is the ultimate pursuit of
nation-states. The primary concern is that of stability. This
philosophy has prevented a major war from taking place over
the last sixty years. Instability is the primary cause of all
conflict both within and between nation-states.

6. Nightmare Scenario
Sudden instability results in the
potential destruction of a
relationship. Everyone has
experienced the negative effects of
instability. Relationships between
loved ones is just one of many
examples. One major cause of
rampant instability is the breakdown
of communication between spheres.
This is a video documentary titled
“First Strike”. It presents a
nightmare scenario resulting from
souring relations between the
United States and the Soviet Union.

7. Global Elites
Corporate and Economic Power is globalized and free from
national government restraints.
1. Financial and industrial elites control America’s economic life.
2. Exporting Corporate elites control America’s trade policy.
• WTO and IMF/WB facilitate international trade.
• NAFTA and FTA are institutionalizing global trade.
• Corporate Elites have earned a reputation for greed.
America’s Elites exercise power in many sectors of society.
1. Elites move from government positions to corporate positions
through a revolving door.
2. Elites are public-regarding and establishment-trained.
3. An increasing number of neoconservatives and neoliberals are
in America’s elite.

8. Globalization (1)
Globalization is a process that seems to create a more unified
world united in a single economic system. Globalization
continues to be cited as a cause for the withering away of the
state. Technology has allowed mankind to realize
globalization. Liberalism and its market-based order continue
to be the primary motivator for technological innovation that in
turn has rendered previous norms obsolete. One can argue
that this constant drive may in time render international strife,
conflict and other assorted calamities obsolete. Liberals
would argue that globalization is a trend toward the
transformation of world politics with states no longer
remaining sealed units.

9. Globalization (2)
Globalization may be seen as a homogenization process that
equalizes prices, products, wages, wealth, rates of interest
and profit margins. It is a movement that can spark resistance
both within the United States as well as around the world. This
can come from religious fundamentalists, labor unions and
other types of special interest groups. Globalization has so far
only encompassed western countries, Israel and certain Asian
countries like Japan, South Korea and China. Most of the
world has been left out, including Africa, Latin America,
Russia, Middle East and swaths of Asia.

10. Globalization (3)
This political piece explores the
effects of globalization. One can
argue that globalization has
extended people’s buying power.
Dollars can be stretched must
further thanks to lower labor
costs found in distant lands. “Big
Box-Mart” argues that cheap
goods does present a serious
side effect. Does the message
relate to your personal belief
about our present global
economy?

11. John Locke (1)
1. Recognized as the first to anticipate the rise of liberal
thought in his time.
2. Addressed the merits of exchanging certain natural rights or
liberties for civil rights as afforded by a social contract that
provides a foundation of laws assuring freedom and equality
for all citizens.
3. One cannot have liberalism without capitalism.
4. Embodies tolerance, freedom of speech and religion with
capitalism. Social contract is man’s way of establishing a
government to guarantee those identified fundamental
rights.
5. Argues that the law of God serves as the fundamental
example of what constitutes natural rights.

12. John Locke (2)
6. John Lock is very secular as his natural law argument
demonstrates. Adopted to make Christianity more
progressive, Locke argues that the law of reason is in
actuality the law of nature with natural law governed by God.
7. No man has sovereignty by birth or any other greater
freedom, for all of man are seen in the same light under
God’s eyes. (Chap.1)
8. Locke argues that man’s natural duty is to insure his self-
preservation, which he bases on two qualifications. First,
men do what is necessary for their pursuit of life, liberty and
prosperity. Second, man can only take from another if it is
dependent on preserving his own life, liberty and prosperity.
(Chap.1)

13. John Locke (3)
9. Self-preservation is absolute only in a state of war, for when
force without rights exists, it presents a theater through
which violence exists outside the reach of law. (Sec.17)
10.Stresses that rights or duties accorded in a state of nature
are based on natural law, or reason. His whole theory is
based on the tenets of liberalism with a focus on
relationships and conflict. (Preface)
11.Examines how one can and cannot morally possess material
goods. States that the law of nature demands that no one
shall waste or spoil anything that others could use. Arguing
that one’s claims to the products of the earth is in truth
owned in common by all, the right of subsistence cannot
justify waste, for one does not own the Earth. (Sec.36)

14. John Locke (4)
12.Self-regulating capitalism is the overriding purpose of the
establishment of this contract in order to insure that equality
and freedom continue to exist outside of the state of nature.
13.Addressing the needy deficiencies of the state of nature,
Locke examines the need for common consent with the
people following the basic tenets of natural law. Man thereby
agrees to give up their natural rights in exchange for civil
rights in return for order in a civil society.
14.Argues that the rule of law must apply to all in the same
fashion, fairly affecting all aspects of society. The state of
nature dictates that the law must treat all people equally for
no one has the right to control another absolutely.

15. John Locke (5)
15.From the beginning: Adam & Eve. Neither had total control
over their children or the Earth. (Chap.1)
16.People must freely surrender some of their inalienable rights
in order for the construction of government. (Chap.1)
17.All are charged with the responsibility of ensuring their
prosperity. None may willfully retreat from life to death.
(Sec.6)
18.A state of war results when one’s survival is jeopardized.
Slavery produces a state of war. (Sec.8)
19.No man shall do harm. Transgressors shall be punished
either by the state or individual. (Sec.11)

16. John Locke (6)
20.State of nature is a state of peace, good will, mutual
assistance and preservation. A state of enmity, malice,
violence and mutual destruction is in fact a state of war.
(Sec.16)
21.When actual force ends then so does the state of war. Both
sides are then subjected to the faire determination of the
law. (Sec.20)
22.Men willingly join a society to prevent a state of war.
(Sec.21)
23.Man shall not be under any other legislative power, but that
established, by consent, in the commonwealth. Only those
restraints placed by the legislature may apply. (Sec.22)

17. John Locke (7)
24.Only those powers willfully forfeited may be applied to man.
No one can give more away more power than he has
himself. He that cannot take away his own life, cannot
give another power over it. (Sec.23)
25.Every man has a property in his own person. No power has
any right to this property except the respective
individual.(Sec.27)
26.Adding labor or value makes the end product man’s.
(Sec.28)
27.Ethics of converting or trading tangible products into
currency. This brings money, gold and silver, into the foray.
(Sec.50)

18. John Locke (8)
The freedom then of man, and liberty of acting according to his
own will, is grounded on his having reason, which is able to instruct
him in that law he is to govern himself by, and make him know how
far he is left to the freedom of his own will. To turn him loose to an
unrestrained liberty, before he has reason to guide him, is not the
allowing him the privilege of his nature to be free; but to thrust him
out amongst brutes, and abandon him to a state as wretched, and
as much beneath that of a man, as their's. This is that which puts
the authority into the parents hands to govern the minority of their
children. God hath made it their business to employ this care on
their offspring, and hath placed in them suitable inclinations of
tenderness and concern to temper this power, to apply it, as his
wisdom designed it, to the children's good, as long as they should
need to be under it. (Sec.63)

19. John Locke (9)
MEN being, as has been said, by nature, all free, equal, and
independent, no one can be put out of this estate, and
subjected to the political power of another, without his own
consent. The only way whereby any one divests himself of his
natural liberty, and puts on the bonds of civil society, is by
agreeing with other men to join and unite into a community for
their comfortable, safe, and peaceable living one amongst
another, in a secure enjoyment of their properties, and a
greater security against any, that are not of it. (Sec.95)

20. John Locke (10)
For when any number of men have, by the consent of every
individual, made a community, they have thereby made that
community one body, with a power to act as one body, which is
only by the will and determination of the majority: for that which
acts any community, being only the consent of the individuals of
it, and it being necessary to that which is one body to move one
way; it is necessary the body should move that way whither the
greater force carries it, which is the consent of the majority: or
else it is impossible it should act or continue one body, one
community, which the consent of every individual that united
into it, agreed that it should; and so every one is bound by that
consent to be concluded by the majority. (Sec.96)

21. John Locke (11)
IF man in the state of nature be so free, as has been said; if he
be absolute lord of his own person and possessions, equal to
the greatest, and subject to no body, why will he part with his
freedom? why will he give up this empire, and subject himself to
the dominion and control of any other power? To which it is
obvious to answer, that though in the state of nature he hath
such a right, yet the enjoyment of it is very uncertain, and
constantly exposed to the invasion of others: for all being kings
as much as he, every man his equal, and the greater part no
strict observers of equity and justice, the enjoyment of the
property he has in this state is very unsafe, very insecure.
Protection of property is the primary motivator to join civil
society. (Sec.123)

22. John Locke (12)
THE majority having, as has been shewed, upon men's first
uniting into society, the whole power of the community naturally
in them, may employ all that power in making laws for the
community from time to time, and executing those laws by
officers of their own appointing; and then the form of the
government is a perfect democracy: or else may put the power
of making laws into the hands of a few select men, and their
heirs or successors; and then it is an oligarchy: or else into the
hands of one man, and then it is a monarchy: if to him and his
heirs, it is an hereditary monarchy: if to him only for life, but
upon his death the power only of nominating a successor to
return to them; an elective monarchy. And so accordingly of
these the community may make compounded and mixed forms
of government, as they think good. (Sec.132)

23. John Locke (13)
Though the legislative, whether placed in one or more, whether
it be always in being, or only by intervals, though it be the
supreme power in every common-wealth; yet,
First: It is not, nor can possibly be absolutely arbitrary over the
lives and fortunes of the people: for it being but the joint power
of every member of the society given up to that person, or
assembly, which is legislator; it can be no more than those
persons had in a state of nature before they entered into
society, and gave up to the community: for no body can transfer
to another more power than he has in himself; and no body has
an absolute arbitrary power over himself, or over any other, to
destroy his own life, or take away the life or property of another.
(Sec.135)

24. John Locke (14)
Second: The legislative, or supreme authority, cannot assume to
its self a power to rule by extemporary arbitrary decrees, but is
bound to dispense justice, and decide the rights of the subject by
promulgated standing laws, and known authorized judges: for
the law of nature being unwritten, and so no where to be found
but in the minds of men, they who through passion or interest
shall miscite, or misapply it, cannot so easily be convinced of
their mistake where there is no established judge: and so it
serves not, as it ought, to determine the rights, and fence the
properties of those that live under it, especially where every one
is judge, interpreter, and executioner of it too, and that in his own
case: and he that has right on his side, having ordinarily but his
own single strength, hath not force enough to defend himself
from injuries, or to punish delinquents. (Sec.136)

25. John Locke (15)
Absolute arbitrary power, or governing without settled standing
laws, can neither of them consist with the ends of society and
government, which men would not quit the freedom of the state
of nature for, and tie themselves up under, were it not to
preserve their lives, liberties and fortunes, and by stated rules
of right and property to secure their peace and quiet. This were
to put themselves into a worse condition than the state of
nature, wherein they had a liberty to defend their right against
the injuries of others, and were upon equal terms of force to
maintain it, whether invaded by a single man, or many in
combination. (Sec.137)

26. John Locke (16)
Thirdly, The supreme power cannot take from any man any part
of his property without his own consent: for the preservation of
property being the end of government, and that for which men
enter into society, it necessarily supposes and requires, that the
people should have property, without which they must be
supposed to lose that, by entering into society, which was the
end for which they entered into it; too gross an absurdity for any
man to own. (Sec.138)

27. John Locke (17)
Legislative Powers Of The Commonwealth
1. Govern by promulgated established laws, not to be varied in
particular cases, but to have one rule for rich and poor, for
the favorite at court, and the country man at plough.
2. Laws also ought to be designed for no other end ultimately,
but the good of the people.
3. They must not raise taxes on the property of the people,
without the consent of the people, given by themselves, or
their deputies.
4. The legislative neither must nor can transfer the power of
making laws to any body else, or place it any where, but
where the people have. (Sec.142)

28. John Locke (18)
5. But because the laws, that are at once, and in a short time
made, have a constant and lasting force, and need a
perpetual execution, or an attendance thereunto; therefore it
is necessary there should be a power always in being, which
should see to the execution of the laws that are made, and
remain in force. And thus the legislative and executive power
come often to be separated. (Sec.144)

29. John Locke (18)
6. Executive and federative, though they be really distinct in
themselves, yet one comprehending the execution of the
municipal laws of the society within its self, upon all that are
parts of it; the other the management of the security and
interest of the public without, with all those that it may
receive benefit or damage from, yet they are always almost
united. (Sec.147)

30. John Locke (19)
7. In a constituted common-wealth, standing upon its own
basis, and acting according to its own nature, that is, acting
for the preservation of the community, there can be but one
supreme power, which is the legislative, to which all the rest
are and must be subordinate, yet the legislative being only a
fiduciary power to act for certain ends, there remains still in
the people a supreme power to remove or alter the
legislative, when they find the legislative act contrary to the
trust reposed in them: for all power given with trust for the
attaining an end, being limited by that end, whenever that
end is manifestly neglected, or opposed, the trust must
necessarily be forfeited, and the power devolve into the
hands of those that gave it. (sec.149)

31. John Locke (20)
8. WHERE the legislative and executive power are in distinct
hands, (as they are in all moderated monarchies, and well-
framed governments) there the good of the society requires,
that several things should be left to the discretion of him that
has the executive power: for the legislators not being able to
foresee, and provide by laws, for all that may be useful to
the community, the executor of the laws having the power in
his hands, has by the common law of nature a right to make
use of it for the good of the society, in many cases, where
the municipal law has given no direction, till the legislative
can conveniently be assembled to provide for it. (Sec.159)

32. John Locke (21)
9. Because the miscarriages of the father are no faults of the
children, and they may be rational and peaceable,
notwithstanding the brutishness and injustice of the father;
the father, by his miscarriages and violence, can forfeit but
his own life, but involves not his children in his guilt or
destruction. His goods, which nature, that willeth the
preservation of all mankind as much as is possible, hath
made to belong to the children to keep them from perishing,
do still continue to belong to his children: for supposing
them not to have joined in the war, either through infancy,
absence, or choice, they have done nothing to forfeit them:
nor has the conqueror any right to take them away.
(Sec.182)

33. John Locke (22)
10.AS usurpation is the exercise of power, which another hath
a right to; so tyranny is the exercise of power beyond right,
which no body can have a right to. And this is making use
of the power any one has in his hands, not for the good of
those who are under it, but for his own private separate
advantage. When the governor, however entitled, makes
not the law, but his will, the rule; and his commands and
actions are not directed to the preservation of the
properties of his people, but the satisfaction of his own
ambition, revenge, covetousness, or any other irregular
passion. (Sec.199)

34. John Locke (23)
11.Where-ever law ends, tyranny begins, if the law be
transgressed to another's harm; and whosoever in
authority exceeds the power given him by the law, and
makes use of the force he has under his command, to
compass that upon the subject, which the law allows not,
ceases in that to be a magistrate; and, acting without
authority, may be opposed, as any other man, who by
force invades the right of another. This is acknowledged
in subordinate magistrates. He that hath authority to
seize my person in the street, may be opposed as a thief
and a robber, if he endeavors to break into my house to
execute a writ, notwithstanding that I know he has such a
warrant, and such a legal authority, as will empower him
to arrest me abroad. (Sec. 202)

35. John Locke (24)
12. HE that will with any clearness speak of the dissolution of
government, ought in the first place to distinguish between the
dissolution of the society and the dissolution of the government.
That which makes the community, and brings men out of the
loose state of nature, into one politic society, is the agreement
which every one has with the rest to incorporate, and act as one
body, and so be one distinct commonwealth. The usual, and
almost only way whereby this union is dissolved, is the inroad of
foreign force. Thus conquerors swords often cut up
governments by the roots, and mangle societies to pieces,
separating the subdued or scattered multitude from the
protection of, and dependence on, that society which ought to
have preserved them from violence.. Besides this over-turning
from without, governments are dissolved from within. (Sec. 211)

36. John Locke (25)
13.First, When the legislative is altered. Civil society being a
state of peace, amongst those who are of it, from whom the
state of war is excluded by the umpirage, which they have
provided in their legislative, for the ending all differences
that may arise amongst any of them, it is in their legislative,
that the members of a commonwealth are united, and
combined together into one coherent living body. (Sec.212)

37. Capitalism & Democracy Are Similar (1)
1. For freedom to rein it is required for the market place to
determine the fate of all products, services and ideas. No
interference can burden this process. Oversight is not
necessarily detrimental as is the policy of the United States to
regulate various industries. The death kneel comes when
powerful spheres of influence serve to squash competition. John
Locke argues it best when he suggests that liberalism can never
exist without capitalism. This is the philosophy of Adam Smith’s
“invisible hand” where he explains how markets determine the
fate of all competing interests seeking society’s acceptance. We
are today living in a time of unprecedented technological
innovation that is helping to propel humanity further the ladder of
evolution. This would not be possible if vested interests were
prevented from pursuing market acceptance.

38. Capitalism & Democracy Are Similar (2)
2. John Locke and Adam Smith would agree that there is no fundamental
difference between a marketed product, service or even political idea.
All interest groups competing in the marketplace are engaged in the
same pursuit: acceptance. Companies competing for market dollars
strive to offer the most cost efficient product or service that is also the
most innovative. This in turn encourages competing peers to further
maximize efficiency while also stretching the bounds of innovation in
order to offer the best value. Marketing ideas is in essence the same we
have witnessed with political campaigns striving for societal acceptance.
Political organizations seeking for example the election of a particular
individual to office must secure a majority of the market within a certain
region. Competing campaigns offer different ideas to the market that
seek to offer a better value. This constant battle allows all individuals to
decide for themselves what “product” “service” or even “idea” is best.
We all benefit from conflict.

39. Capitalism & Democracy Are Similar (3)
3. Let us look at the example of telecommunications to
understand the benefits of conflict. Prior to 1996, there
existed in Southern California like most other regions in
the United States, two cellular telephone companies.
These were the days of analog communications, or AMPS
(Advanced Mobile Phone System). Southern California
was home to Airtouch and LA Cellular prior to 1996. Both
companies maintained prices that prevented the average
consumer from fully utilizing their services, or even
purchasing them at all. Everything changed with the
signage of the 1996 Telecommunications Act by President
Bill Clinton. The bill allowed for more efficient use of
spectrum, thereby allowing easier access for companies
to compete in wireless communications.

40. Capitalism & Democracy Are Similar (4)
4. Various competitors entered to compete for market
acceptance, requiring all companies to strive for greater
efficiency, while also providing even greater services.
Consumers today face a wide selection of companies who
individually offer greater communication services that go
beyond voice services to encompass video calling and
broadband internet. The invisible hand eliminates those
companies that do not provide the greatest benefit for
consumers.

41. Capitalism & Democracy Are Similar (5)
5. The ultimate nightmare may be the elimination of debate.
Many have unwittingly called for this in the halls of
government. It is not debate that threatens society, but
the lack of contesting ideas. Policies enacted to prevent
overly powerful monopolies help to maintain open
competition. To have one overly powerful sphere of
interest prevent debate is destructive to the system itself.
Pluralism emphasizes both conflict and compromise with
interest groups engaged in a constant pursuit of power
that naturally results in established alliances to compete
with peer spheres that are doing the same, resulting in
the formation of two major spheres.

42. Capitalism & Democracy Are Similar (6)
6. Public policy would thereby stall until reaching a
compromise between these two majority powers. This in
turn helps to protect the majority of those residing in
society. Every policy requires constant improvement for
humanity to arrive closer to perfection. Those that call for
the elimination of special interest groups or even the
restriction of political debate are ignorant for this process
benefits society immensely.