Student
American Government Notes (Chapters 1, 2, and 3)
IAG
6,000,000,000 years average of how long there has been on earth.
6,000 years (keeping track of ourselves, writing, etc.)
Democratic Revolution
Broad-based acceptance of democratic rule is a relatively new concept.
The Origins of Society
According to Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) people voluntarily chose to leave a “state of nature” to form societies of individuals.
Despite the presence of absolute liberty, Hobbes felt the state of nature was “Solitary, poor, hasty, brutish and short.”
Therefore, people surrender a portion of their liberty in order to secure protection from others.
The Social Contract- Hobbes describes society and government as the product of an unwritten “Social Contract” where individuals within that society agree to relinquish their personal liberty and obey the laws of society in exchange for the protection of their rights.
Despite the fact that Hobbes believed that government ought to be absolute, this was the first usage of the phrase “Consent of the governed” in the description of the origin and legitimacy of government.
Freedom vs. Equality
A more contemporary conflict occurs in most societies that adhere to democratic principles between freedoms and equality-i.e. what quantity of government intervention on the freedom of an individual is proper in order to promote or protect the equality of another member of society.
Recurring Issues- Throughout 220 years of American political history, certain “marco” issues appear consistently.
1. Federalism
2. Big government vs. small government
3. Pluralism vs. Elitism
4. Status Quo vs. Redistribution
Who Governs?
Generally, governments fall into two broad classifications, those who govern from the “top down” (totalitarian) and those that govern from “bottom up” (democratic).
Order vs. Freedom
Hobbes Leviathan (1651) understood the classic conflict that any society and its government must
IAG
6,000,000,000 years average of how long there has been on earth.
6,000 years (keeping track of ourselves, writing, etc.)
Democratic Revolution
Broad-based acceptance of democratic rule is a relatively new concept.
The Origins of Society
According to Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) people voluntarily chose to leave a “state of nature” to form societies of individuals.
Despite the presence of absolute liberty, Hobbes felt the state of nature was “Solitary, poor, hasty, brutish and short.”
Therefore, people surrender a portion of their liberty in order to secure protection from others.
The Social Contract- Hobbes describes society and government as the product of an unwritten “Social Contract” where individuals within that society agree to relinquish their personal liberty and obey the laws of society in exchange for the protection of their rights.
Despite the fact that Hobbes believed that government ought to be absolute, this was the first usage of the phrase “Consent of the governed” in the description of the origin and legitimacy of government.
Freedom vs. Equality
A more contemporary conflict occurs in most societies that adhere to democratic principles between freedoms and equality-i.e. what quantity of government intervention on the freedom of an individual is proper in order to promote or protect the equality of another member of society.
Recurring Issues- Throughout 220 years of American political history, certain “marco” issues appear consistently.
1. Federalism
2. Big government vs. small government
3. Pluralism vs. Elitism
4. Status Quo vs. Redistribution
Who Governs?
Generally, governments fall into two broad classifications, those who govern from the “top down” (totalitarian) and those that govern from “bottom up” (democratic).
Order vs. Freedom
Hobbes Leviathan (1651) understood the classic conflict that any society and its government must