Unit 1: Foundations

• The main idea of an ideal of democracy is?

  Limited government
• John Locke and Thomas Hobbes believed people were born with natural rights
• Natural Rights

  • People are born with certain rights that were given to them by their creator, not a monarch or political leader
  • These rights cannot be taken away by a monarch or a political leader
• The state of nature is life before government where people are free to do as they please
• Quote: "Life in the state of nature is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short" Who said this?

  Thomas Hobbes
• Thomas Hobbes

  • Believed people were brutal in the state of nature
  • Government is needed to establish rules
• John Locke

  • Believed in natural rights
  • Government is relied on the hands of the people (popular sovereignty) and people give up some of their freedom to protect their rights (social contract)
• Jean Jacques Rousseau

  • Believed in social contract
  • If the government violates the contract, it becomes tyrannical and the people must revolt and fix it
• "People elect leaders to represent them and pass laws that establish their interests" This represents what ideal of democracy?

  Republicanism
• Baron de Montesquieu

  • Put forward the idea of republicanism and separation of powers
• Written by Thomas Jefferson with help of John Adams, the Declaration of independent was the breakup letter of the colonies and Great Britain. It included the ideals of?

  Popular sovereignty, social contract, and natural rights
• "That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed" Illustrates?

  Popular sovereignty and social contract
• "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.-" illustrates?

  Natural rights
• The U.S Constitution, written by James Madison during the Philadelphia Convention in 1787, included what ideals of democracy?

  Separation of powers and republicanism
• Enlightenment Influence: U.S Constitution

  • Republicanism
  • Instead of a pure democracy, people elect representatives
  • The framers were afraid of a pure democracy
  • Separation of powers
  • The framers separated the power into 3 branches and included checks and balances
• Locke and Hobbes >>> Natural Rights

  Hobbes >>>> Social contract

  Montesquieu >>>>> Republicanism and separation of powers
• Natural rights

  • Rights people receive from their creator and cannot be taken away
• Social Contract

  • People in society give up some freedom to maintain social order and protect their rights
• Popular Sovereignty

  • Power derives from the consent of the governed
• Checks and Balances

  • Each branch can influence or limit the actions of the others
• Republicanism

  • People elect leaders to represent them
• Majority Rule and Minority Rights

  • Decisions are made by the majority of the citizens, but the rights of the minority are protected
• John Locke

  • Published "The Second Treatise on Government" In 1689
  • Three main ideas: Natural rights, social contract, revolt against tyranny"
  • Natural rights of liberty, life, and property
  • Inspired Thomas Jefferson
• Other Ideals of Democracy

  • Accountability

  Elect officials are held accountable to the people and can be held responsible for their actions

  • Transperency

  Government decisions and actions are open and accessible to the public

  • Responsiveness

  The government is responsive to the needs and interests of the citizens and should be able to adapt
• Federalism

  • Power is divided between federal, state, and local governments
• Limited government is established by?

  Separation of powers, checks and balances, federalism, and republicanism
• Is the US a democracy

  • A democracy is ruled by the people
  • The framers feared a direct democracy/pure because they didn't trust the people
  • Direct democracy doesn't exist at the federal level but may exist in state or local governments
  • The US is a representative democracy
  • The framers established a republic not a democracy because they feared mob rule
• Participatory Democracy

  • Participatory democracy emphasizes broad citizen participation and an active role for individuals in politics and civil society
  • People should participate in government, influence policies, and speak their minds
• What are contemporary examples of participatory democracy?

  Protests, social movements, and marches
• Pluralist Democracy

  • Pluralist democracy emphasizes group-based activism to impact policy-making
  • Like-minded people who share goals and values and work as group to promote their agenda, rather than working alone
• What are contemporary examples of pluralist democracy?

  Interest groups and political parties
• Elite Democracy

  • Limited citizen participation in politics
  • Power is held by a small group (selected) of individuals or institutions rather than being distributed among a larger part
  • Distrust of the people; a filter is needed
• The US Constitution contains elements of participatory, pluralist, and elite democracies
• Elite Democracy in the Constitution

  1. Sets up a republic where people vote other people to influence policies
  2. People vote for a president, but the electoral college decides it
• Participatory Democracy in the Constitution

  1. 1st amendment's freedom of speech and press
  2. Amendments like the 15th, 19th, and 26th that expanded voting rights
• Pluralist Democracy in the Constitution

  1. 1st amendment's freedom of assembly that allows interest groups and political parties to form
• The Initiative is the power of the People to directly propose and enact state laws and amendments.
• A referendum is a vote on a specific issue, usually a law or constitutional change.
• What are the three forms of a representative democracy?

  Participatory, pluralist, and elite
• Foundational government that explained why the American colonies were breaking away from Great Britain?

  The Declaration of Independence