AM GOVT HONORS
UNIT I
CIVICS, CITIZENSHIP,
AND GOVERNMENT
Name:__________________
1
Chapter 1 – Government Basics
OBJECTIVES: The students will be able to:
1.) Define and explain government
2.) Compare and contrast different methods of organizing a government
3.) Distinguish between different types of governments
GOVERNMENT BASICS
What would you think of a government with the following characteristics:
 No Executive or President
 No Court system
 No army or military
 No power to tax
 No single currency or money system
 No single set of rules on trade and business
This government actually existed and it was the 1st in the USA called the Articles of
Confederation, which ran our country from 1781 to 1787.
State, Country, Nation
History trivia: Is Pennsylvania a state?
Pennsylvania is a Commonwealth which is a traditional English term for a political community founded
for the common good. (4 in US = KY, MA, VA)
A State is a political community that occupies a definite territory and has an organized government with the
power to make and enforce laws without the approval of a higher authority.
A Country is the same as state.
A nation is any sizeable group of people who are united by common bonds of race, language, custom,
tradition and sometimes religion, often called a nation-state. It is primarily a psychological term to
describe attachment or identity rather than a geopolitical unit such as the state.
A Regime is the government system and institutions and practices such as the constitutional order in a
democracy.
I. THE STATE – THE BASICS
1.
2.
3.
“GOVERNMENT” is the body within a community, political entity or organization which
has the authority to make and enforce rules, laws, and regulations. It can also be used to refer
to the people that hold the authority in a state.
What are the purposes of government?
 Pass laws and provide stability
 Provide Services
 Settle Disputes (Court System)
 Provide Defense
 Make Economic decisions for a group of people
What are the essential features of a state?
 Land or territory
 People
 Government
 Sovereignty
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4.
TYPES OF GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS
A. UNITARY SYSTEM
 All government power is centralized in the national or central government
 EX: China and Iran and the UK
B. FEDERAL SYSTEM (FEDERALISM)
 Government power is divided between the national, state and local
governments
 USA
 Why did the Founding Fathers choose a federal system?
o The Unitary State of the UK had too much power and took away
people’s rights
o People were more loyal to their state governments as opposed to a
new national government. They would never approve a
government which took all power from their local state
governments.
C. CONFEDERATION
 A loose association of sovereign states that come together for a common
purpose
 EX: America from 1776 to 1787
 EX: Confederate States of America 1861-1865
 EX: The European Union for economic reasons
II. FORMS OF GOVERNMENT
1. Basic Test that distinguishes one from another How many people rule? The number of people that control the
government power
2. Basic Forms or Types of Governments throughout history into today:
A. AUTOCRACY
1.) Definition:
 Government by one person
2.) Characteristics:
 Rule by one person
 This can be a monarch, a dictator, etc.
 It is one of the oldest and most common forms of government
 Most autocracies maintain their positions of authority by
inheritance or the ruthless use of military or police power
Types: Monarchy: king or queen, emperor or empress
Absolute Monarchy: monarchs with complete and unlimited power to
rule, this power is usually justified by divine right (the view that god
granted those of royal birth the right to rule their people)
EX: Great Britain with its Kings and Queens / Japan with its Emperors / Monte
Carlo
Type:
Totalitarian Dictatorship (Authoritarian Govt or Fascist Govt): the ideas of
a single leader are glorified; the government seeks to control all aspects of social
and economic life
EX: Hitler / Castro / Stalin / Kim Jung IL in North Korea
Theocracy – Government controlled by religious leader (Iran after the Islamic
Revolution in 1979 with the Ayatollah)
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B. OLIGARCHY
(1)Definition: Government by a small group
Characteristics:
 Rule by a group; a system of government where a small group holds power
 This group usually derives its power from wealth, military power, social
position or a combination of these; Sometimes religion is a source of power
 All political opposition by the people is usually suppressed ruthlessly
EX: Like Communist China where the leaders of the Communist Party control
the government powers
Iran Today with the Shia Clerics running the country
C. DEMOCRACY
“Democracy is the worst form of government on earth except for all the rest.”
–Winston Churchill
What does it mean? Why would he say it like that? What do you think he was getting after?
(1) Definition: Government by the many – by the people
 Any system of government in which rule is by the people
Types of Democracies:
 Direct democracy/ Pure Democracy / Participatory Democracy: a system
of government in which the people govern themselves by voting on issues
individually as citizens; this works only in very small societies since they must
meet regularly to discuss and decide key issues; no country today has a direct
democracy, but some small towns in New England and some communities in
Switzerland use this
 Representative Democracy / Indirect Democracy: a system of government
in which the people elect representatives and give them the responsibility and
power to make laws and conduct government; this takes the form of a council,
legislature, congress, or parliament
 Indirect democracies and representative democracies are REPUBLICS; a
republic is any system of government where the power of the government is
officially in the hands of the people; the people are considered supreme and
the government only rules with their consent. Leaders get and retain political
authority by winning free and fair elections.
Pros of Democracy
 More creative and effective in the long run
 Satisfies the largest number of people
 People’s freedoms and rights are protected
 Less violent with other countries
 Should be more internally resistant to
revolution or civil war
Cons of Democracy
 SLOW!!! and Inefficient
 Requires consensus by the people; this is
hard to get sometimes and is time
consuming; it requires patience and
consistent effort
 Requires: education, participation,
communication, freedom, protection of
people’s rights
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(2) Ways in which government today can be more like a Pure or Direct Democracy:




Initiative – Process by which people can recommend changes to their state
Constitution by way of a Petition. Yes – Tyler can make his own
amendment to the PA. Constitution!
Referendum – The People’s Veto – Process by which the people get to
vote “yes” or “no” to laws passed by their State Legislature. It is usually
used in cases of tax increases or large spending bills (like financing a new
sports stadium)
Recall – Process by which citizens can remove an elected official from
power before the end of their term (See Arnold the Governator in
California)
The Internet – Opens up a world of communication possibilities for
politicians
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SPEAK SOFT, SPEAK SURE
THE FEATURES OF A HEALTHY DEMOCRACY
The following is taken from the One World, many democracies; citizens of the world Internet
project, Democracy.
http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/speak/democracy/healthy.htm
What are the essential features of a healthy democracy?
"No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that
democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been
tried." (Winston Churchill)
Our constitution does not copy the laws of neighboring states; we are rather a pattern to
others than imitators ourselves. Its administration favors the many instead of the few; this
is why it is called a democracy. If we look to the laws, they afford equal justice to all in
their private differences; if to social standing, advancement in public life falls to
reputation for capacity, class considerations not being allowed to interfere with merit; nor
again does poverty bar the way, if a man is able to serve the state, he is not hindered by
the obscurity of his condition. The freedom which we enjoy in our government extends also
to our ordinary life.
Pericles Funeral Oration quoted in Thucydides, The Peloponnesian War 2.37.1
What do democracies have in common?
A democracy is not just one thing ñ it is like a fabric, made up of many threads ñ threads of
ideas and practices, of institutions and individuals, all woven into each nation’s own complex
mix of cultural, historical, and geographical heritage. Each democracy is unique. But there are
also common threads found in democracies all around the world.
As Winston Churchill points out above, democracies are never perfect. "The government of
the people, by the people, for the people" sounds good, but Oscar Wilde’s version "The
bludgeoning of the people, by the people, for the people" can be true too. After reading
through this section you might like to think about how the common threads help make a
healthy democracy, and how they can be used (or abused) to work against the principles of
democracy.
In a democracy, power is spread amongst the people in various ways. It is not concentrated in
the hands of one person (autocracy or monarchy) or small group of people (oligarchy or
aristocracy). It may not produce results that satisfy everybody, but it is less likely to produce
results that satisfy only the small ruling group. Any dissatisfaction amongst a small
percentage of the population must be weighed against the dissatisfaction of the majority.
The vote – Free, Fair, and Competitive Elections with Universal Suffrage
The most common thread of democracy is the vote. In democracies citizens have the power to
vote. Citizens vote to elect a government (general election) or have a direct vote on an issue of
national importance (referendum or plebiscite).
 General elections
It is the citizen's vote which decides who will sit in the assemblies. It is in the
assemblies that the citizens' representatives debate and make the laws. It is the
citizens' vote (directly or indirectly) that decides who makes up the executive which
actually governs.
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 Referendum or plebiscite
A referendum or plebiscite is a system by which a specific question is decided upon
by a direct vote of all eligible citizens.
But just having a vote does not guarantee democratic government. The voting system also has
to be fair and free and the vote has to be meaningful. For example, in Australia when you go
to a polling booth your name is crossed off a list, so that nobody can vote more than once, and
you fill in the ballot paper in a private booth. When the ballot papers are counted, there are
people who oversee the counting to ensure it is done correctly. Apart from voting, there are
other threads that need to be woven into a democracy.
Basic freedoms – Individual Civil Liberties and Civil Rights
 freedom of speech
 freedom of assembly
These freedoms allow different views to be expressed and allow individuals to combine
together to be represented or a "common" voice heard. Freedom of speech has led to many
important pieces of legislation being passed or repealed in all democracies. This is because
people have been able to speak about their ideas in many forums to many people. Freedom of
assembly has allowed the ideas of different individuals and groups to be heard, because people
have been able to hear speakers debating ideas at assemblies. When large groups of people
have assembled for a specific purpose they have often influenced the course of events, e.g. the
anti-Vietnam moratorium marches of the 1960s and 1970s and the people power marches in
the Philippines against the Marcos regime in the 1980s.
Restrictions on freedoms – Rule of Law with Majority Rule but Protection for Minority
Rights
But freedoms have their limits, too. The rights of all people in a democracy need to be
respected, and so speech or assembly are never completely free of restrictions. Every person
holds these rights so one cannot impinge on another person's rights while exercising one's
own. Without restrictions, the rights of the many are sometimes ignored for the wants of the
few or of one. This is seen in many 20th century dictatorships, such as Nazi Germany or
Uganda under Idi Amin. Laws and a country's constitution usually provide some protection
from these extremes. Often it is only in the Congress or Parliament or the Legislature itself
where speech might be truly free, where members may make almost any statement without
fear of being taken to court for libel or a damages action. But even here there will be rules
about what is acceptable and what is not.
More than one political view – Competing Political Parties
Democracies allow more than one political view to be expressed in an open discussion. In
fact, criticism and open discussion are essential in a democratic system. They help prevent
abuse of power by individuals or groups. If the opinions of certain groups are suppressed or do
not get heard, then it is more likely that the needs and wants of those groups will be ignored.
As such, the fewer voices that are heard, the greater the propensity toward an unhealthy
democracy. Gandhi said, "Honest disagreement is often a good sign of progress".
Government
Not all countries have a written constitution and not all written constitutions are a complete
"rule book" for a country. However, there exists, in all democracies, a series of checks and
balances within the civic structures to ensure a democracy flourishes. Some sort of guarantee
must be provided within the law itself that everyone, including the government, is equal
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before the law and must follow the rules. Usually a democracy has separated its power to
govern into three sections.
Separation of powers
The three arms of government are called the executive, legislative and judicial branches. Each
branch has its own specified powers and roles and some independence from each other, whilst
maintaining some ability to monitor each other. This is to prevent power being concentrated in
the hands of one of the groups. Further, an independent system of courts and judges must
exist to arbitrate disputes or apparent law breaking.
Stability
Another essential thread in a strong democratic system is its ability to adapt to change. No
democracy will be safe if, whenever it has a crisis or does something a group or individual
doesn't like, the government breaks up in disarray, or is sacked, or a revolution breaks out, or
the military take control. A strong democratic system will always encounter crises; but
eventually the system should be stable enough to find compromises or solutions in a
democratic way. Even if governments do fail or fall, the question can be put to the people
again at the ballot box for their decision.
What are the features of a healthy democracy?
For a society to be democratic it needs first to believe that it is democratic. In order for a
democracy to be healthy, it needs to have its citizens practice democracy at a grassroots level,
as well as at a government level. Democratic practices need to be embedded throughout the
society with citizens being active in many ways. The active citizen is able to:
 understand how the institutions of government function (parliament or congress and
courts of law)
 criticize government policy without fear (debate)
 feel political decisions are relevant to their lives and that these decisions are fair and
reasonable (open and accountable government)
 bring about change through actions (joining in) and be responsible to society for these
actions.
Further, the citizens of a society must know and feel that they are equal to each other through
the mechanisms of their constitutions. Otherwise democracy will exist only in name and
governments will have opportunities to develop authoritarian strains. It can be hard work
being an active citizen and making decisions about the direction of a community or society,
but this is a fundamental aspect of democracy.
The role of the media is very important in a democracy. It can provide an independent
assessment of events and government actions, and alert citizens to problems ensuring
government accountability. However if the media is not independent, whether it be
government or privately owned, it will not be able to investigate issues and inform the public.
Private ownership of media can mean that information is a product to be sold and as such the
selling can become a higher priority than the information. Media wholly controlled by the
government can deliberately slant reporting in an attempt to create public opinion and
influence the democratic process in favor of the government. The advent of the Internet has
increased the potential for a wide range of interpretations of information to be accessible.
Healthy democracies are often those that are wealthy and economically stable.
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The visible features of a healthy democracy then, are: the vote, basic freedoms, separation of
powers, more than one political view and stability. But there are more factors than these
involved in a healthy democracy, some of which are listed below.
1. An active and informed citizenry being:
 informed, that is have knowledge of moral, social and political issues as well as an
understanding of how the three branches of government function
 actively involved in the collective decision making process, with equal access to that
process.
2. The nation needs a tradition of democracy. Historically, nations that adopted liberal
values and a liberal constitution and then extended this to a democratic political
system have tended to become more stable democracies. On the other hand countries
that have created a democratic constitution without the experience of liberal
traditions, have tended to face problems of instability and have become authoritarian
systems.
3. The government has to be open and transparent. That is, government has open doors
and open records, combined with open, honest and frequent elections. These
constitute the best protection against corruption, mismanagement and lack of
responsiveness in government.
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III. Spectrum of Economic Systems
No government control  total government control
1.
COMMAND ECONOMY
Defined:
 A centrally planned and controlled economy / or
 Government dictates pricing and production
FEATURES / CHARACTERISTICS OF A COMMAND ECONOMY:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Central Planning
Central power makes all decisions
Fixed or gov’t set pricing
Govt’ control of distribution and production
Gov’t control of employment and wages
State owned econ resources
Highly Restricted property rights if any
Use of production quotas and PLANS
Socialism
Government owns basic means of production, determines use of resources, distributes products and wages,
provides social services- education, health, welfare.
Communism
Government decides how much to produce, what to produce, how to distribute goods and services,
command economy
2.
MARKET ECONOMY
DEFINED: An economy in which decisions regarding investment, production and distribution
are based on supply and demand based on the private market with little to no government control
FEATUES / CHARACTERISTICS OF A MARKET ECONOMY
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
The Private sector controls and makes econ decisions and sets
prices
Supply and demand determines allocation of resources
Private property rights
Freedom to choose jobs and econ decisions
Focus on profits
Emphasis on competition
Income / Wage inequality / unemployment
Economy booms and busts - instability
Capitalism
Government is mostly hands off the means of production, use of resources, distribution of products and the
determination of wages. The essentials of capitalism are free enterprise, free market, freedom of choice,
individual incentive and laissez-faire.
3. Mixed Economy – This is the economic system used by almost every country in the world. There is a
mix between government control and private decision making. The good old US of A
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IV. POWER AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE STATE AND CITIZENS
1. SOVEREIGNTY: The right to rule – The ability of a state to carry out actions or
policies within its territory independently without external or internal resistance
A. Sources – What are the sources of Sovereignty for the US government?
2. Legitimacy - LEGITMACY: A value whereby an institution is accepted by the
public as right and proper, thus giving it authority and power.
A. What types of things might impact a regimes level of legitimacy?
3. Political Efficacy – The extent to which citizens understand their political system and
feel confident in their ability to take part in the system as well as confidence that the
government will respond to them.
A. What is meant by INTERNAL POLITICAL EFFICACY?
B. What is meant by EXTERNAL POLITICAL EFFICACY?
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Chapter 2 – Citizen Behavior and Participation
OBJECTIVES: The students will be able to:
1.) Identify the responsibilities of good citizens
2.) Describe methods of participation possible in a democracy
3.) Explain the rules for voting in Pennsylvania
4.) Discuss why citizens do not vote
I. Civics and Good Citizenship
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
CIVICS means a social science that studies the rights and duties of citizens.
CIVIC DUTY means a belief that one has an obligation to participate in civic and political affairs.
CIVIC COMPETENCE means a belief that one can affect government policies.
POLITICAL EFFICACY means a citizen’s capacity to understand and take part in political affairs
(Internal Efficacy) and to influence political events (External Efficacy).
In order for Democracy to work, the people have to be responsible and productive citizens. What
are the major responsibilities of good citizens?
6.
How many ways can a person be active in their society and democratic government besides the
voting / electoral method?
7.
Please explain why citizens choose not to vote
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PENNSYLVANIA VOTING
“All elections by the citizens shall be by ballot . . . secrecy in voting shall be preserved . . .
Article VI of the Pennsylvania Constitution
“If voting made any difference they wouldn't let us do it.”
― Mark Twain
In order to vote in Pennsylvania, a person must be:
 Age – 18 years of age
 A Citizen of the USA
 Residency – Must have resided in their election district at least 30 days before the election
 Registration – Voters must be registered in their election district
The following types of elections are held in Pennsylvania:
 GENERAL ELECTIONS = For the election of national and state officers. These elections are
held every even-numbered year on the Tuesday following the first Monday in November.

PRIMARY ELECTIONS = These elections are held so that the political parties may choose their
candidates for office. They are held in the Spring (usually in May) before the General Elections.
Pennsylvania uses a CLOSED PRIMARY system which means that only voters registered in that
political party may vote in the Primary election for that party’s candidates. (As opposed to an
OPEN PRIMARY which allows anyone to vote in any political party primary)

MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS = These elections are held in odd-numbered years on the Tuesday
following the first Monday in November, and the Primaries are held in the Spring of those years.
In these elections, county, city, ward, borough, And township officers are elected along with some
PA judges.
BALLOTS = When voting in Pennsylvania, voters receive a paper ballot or use some kind of automatic
(electronic) voting device such as a voting machine. Instructions for using a voting machine are available
at each polling (voting) placed.
BOARD OF ELECTIONS = The conduct of elections in Pennsylvania comes under the supervision of the
Bureau of Elections of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In each county, where the actual elections are
managed, the Board of Elections is made up of the three (3) county commissioners (called a City Board of
Commissioners in Philadelphia). These bodies control elections in their areas.
REFERENDUMS = Voters are sometimes asked not only to vote for candidates but also to vote on public
issues of some governmental body. Referendums are often used when a governmental body is issuing a
bon d (to raise money) or spending large amounts of money (like stadium financing) or when changing the
state constitution.
Voting Procedures:
Where do you vote and what is the procedure when you arrive there? You go to your
assigned polling place between 7 am and 8 pm. They will ask you for your name and
signature; then compare it to your signature in the roll book; they then give you a voter
slip; and then you go to the voting booth and cast your vote.
Provisional ballot- if you are at the wrong polling place or your name does not appear on
the roll
Absentee ballot- is used if you will be out of town during the election.
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Untapped Power
I once asked a Democratic politician in New York why the Democrats didn't make an all-out push to
increase the voter registration rolls, since it seemed apparent that a large majority of the new voters would
vote for candidates of his party. His reply was blunt. ''You start registering a lot of new voters and you got
trouble,'' he said. ''They might vote for a Democrat, but which Democrat? You could get a primary
challenge. Who needs it?''
That's the way it is with voters. They have clout. They make demands. Ignore them and they can press the
eject button on that previously safe seat. Conversely, the folks who don't vote can be ignored, even reviled,
with impunity. Each ballot they fail to cast is an affront to their own interests, a self-inflicted wound.
The folks at the top of the socioeconomic ladder understand this completely. The levels of voter registration
and Election Day turnout for people with four or more years of college and incomes above $50,000
annually are extremely high. For people with less than a high school education and incomes of $15,000 or
less, the voter participation rates are dismayingly low.
Kari Moe, an aide to Senator Paul Wellstone, a Minnesota Democrat, said: ''People often don't understand
that they actually do affect the outcomes of elections in meaningful ways. And it's a lot easier for
government officials to ignore the agenda of the people who don't vote. That's rolling around in the back of
people's minds all the time -- who votes and who doesn't.''
Part of the reason for the poor voter participation rates of lower income people has been the near-total focus
of the major political parties on the concerns of upscale Americans. The Republicans are locked in a nearpermanent embrace with the upper middle class and the very wealthy, and the Democrats are assiduously
courting suburbanites while trying desperately to conceal their historical alliances with the poor and ethnic
minorities.
This was reflected in a comprehensive survey of voters and nonvoters sponsored by the League of Women
Voters. The league's president, Becky Cain, said: ''The people who voted seemed to feel that when they
watched the election process -- the campaign, the debates, etc. -- they seemed to feel that the candidates
were talking to them, that it was their interests that were being talked about.
''The people who didn't vote felt there was no connection between what was being said and what was
happening in their daily lives. It wasn't that they didn't care. They just didn't feel the dialogue or the
rhetoric was directed toward them, had any meaning for them.'' While this reasoning is valid to a point, it
should be recognized that the inclination of many politicians to give short shrift to the interests of the
young, the poor, the working classes, the black and the brown, has been encouraged by the consistently
poor voting records of those groups.
There is, as Ms. Cain said, ''a vicious cycle'' at work. ''Look at the 18- to 24-year-olds,'' she said. ''They do
not normally register in large numbers. When the candidates look over the voter registration lists, they are
not there. So the candidates say, 'I better talk to the people who are going to show up on Election Day.' You
won't hear a lot in the campaign about tuition tax credits, or early job market entry. But you will hear a lot
about Social Security.''
There are other chronic factors, mostly ignored, that hamper voter participation. A surprising number of
Americans are mystified and intimidated by the voting process. And they are not anxious to advertise their
misgivings. ''We found that people needed more information,'' Ms. Cain said. ''Very basic things. They
would say to us, 'Like, O.K., where is precinct 432?' They would ask, 'Can I go on my lunch hour, or do
they close the polls so the people there can eat lunch?' They would say, 'What do we vote on here? A voting
machine? A punch-card thing? How does it work?' ''
Like the energy embedded in every grain of matter, there is enormous untapped power in the hands of the
tens of millions of Americans who choose each election not to vote. Much of that power will be released
when voting becomes as common, as easy and lacking in mystery, as running out to the bodega, or going to
the mall.
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1.
According to this article, why is it a lot easier for politicians “to ignore the agenda of the people
who don't vote”?
a. Because they won’t help the politicians get elected.
b. Because they won’t help the politicians’ opponent get elected.
c. Because nonvoters don’t know what they want from politicians.
d. Because poor voters don’t contribute money to politicians’ campaigns.
e. A and B
2.
Which groups are more likely to vote?
a. people with higher incomes
b. younger people
c. older people
d. A and C
e. B and C
3.
According to the article, discussion about which of the following examples show that politicians
pay attention to the concerns of the people who vote?
a. Funding for tuition tax credits.
b. Political strategies to help early job market entry.
c. Improving voter education.
d. Social Security
e. A and B
4.
According to the article, what other obstacles reduce voter turnout?
a. Poor voters can’t afford to leave work to vote.
b. Voting cannot be done on a person’s lunch hour.
c. Confusion about basic issues of when and how to vote.
d. Primary elections could cause existing politicians to lose their positions.
e. A and B
5.
Which statement best describes the “vicious cycle” that reduces voter turnout?
a. Some citizens don’t understand the voting process and therefore are not allowed to vote.
b. Specific groups of people don’t vote if politicians aren’t talking about their issues and
politicians don’t talk about the issues of nonvoters.
c. You can’t solve the problems of Social Security and college tuition costs at the same
time.
d. Voters make demands and politicians don’t like it.
e. Better educated citizens vote and then earn more money.
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FREAKONOMICS
Why Vote?
By STEPHEN J. DUBNER and STEVEN D. LEVITT
Published: November 6, 2005
A Swiss Turnout-Boosting Experiment
Within the economics departments at certain universities, there is a famous but probably
apocryphal story about two world-class economists who run into each other at the voting
booth.
"What are you doing here?" one asks. "My wife made me come," the other says. The
first economist gives a confirming nod. "The same." After a mutually sheepish moment,
one of them hatches a plan: "If you promise never to tell anyone you saw me here, I'll
never tell anyone I saw you." They shake hands, finish their polling business and scurry
off.
Why would an economist be embarrassed to be seen at the voting booth? Because voting
exacts a cost - in time, effort, lost productivity - with no discernible payoff except
perhaps some vague sense of having done your "civic duty." As the economist Patricia
Funk wrote in a recent paper, "A rational individual should abstain from voting."
The odds that your vote will actually affect the outcome of a given election are very,
very, very slim. This was documented by the economists Casey Mulligan and Charles
Hunter, who analyzed more than 56,000 Congressional and state-legislative elections
since 1898. For all the attention paid in the media to close elections, it turns out that they
are exceedingly rare. The median margin of victory in the Congressional elections was 22
percent; in the state-legislature elections, it was 25 percent. Even in the closest elections,
it is almost never the case that a single vote is pivotal. Of the more than 40,000 elections
for state legislator that Mulligan and Hunter analyzed, comprising nearly 1 billion votes,
only 7 elections were decided by a single vote, with 2 others tied. Of the more than
16,000 Congressional elections, in which many more people vote, only one election in
the past 100 years - a 1910 race in Buffalo - was decided by a single vote.
But there is a more important point: the closer an election is, the more likely that its
outcome will be taken out of the voters' hands - most vividly exemplified, of course, by
the 2000 presidential race. It is true that the outcome of that election came down to a
handful of voters; but their names were Kennedy, O'Connor, Rehnquist, Scalia and
Thomas. And it was only the votes they cast while wearing their robes that mattered, not
the ones they may have cast in their home precincts.
Still, people do continue to vote, in the millions. Why? Here are three possibilities:
1. Perhaps we are just not very bright and therefore wrongly believe that our votes will
affect the outcome.
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2. Perhaps we vote in the same spirit in which we buy lottery tickets. After all, your
chances of winning a lottery and of affecting an election are pretty similar. From a
financial perspective, playing the lottery is a bad investment. But it's fun and relatively
cheap: for the price of a ticket, you buy the right to fantasize how you'd spend the
winnings - much as you get to fantasize that your vote will have some impact on policy.
3. Perhaps we have been socialized into the voting-as-civic-duty idea, believing that it's a
good thing for society if people vote, even if it's not particularly good for the individual.
And thus we feel guilty for not voting.
But wait a minute, you say. If everyone thought about voting the way economists do, we
might have no elections at all. No voter goes to the polls actually believing that her single
vote will affect the outcome, does she? And isn't it cruel to even suggest that her vote is
not worth casting? This is indeed a slippery slope - the seemingly meaningless behavior
of an individual, which, in aggregate, becomes quite meaningful. Here's a similar
example in reverse. Imagine that you and your 8-year-old daughter are taking a walk
through a botanical garden when she suddenly pulls a bright blossom off a tree. "You
shouldn't do that," you find yourself saying. "Why not?" she asks. "Well," you reason,
"because if everyone picked one, there wouldn't be any flowers left at all." "Yeah, but
everybody isn't picking them," she says with a look. "Only me."
In the old days, there were more pragmatic incentives to vote. Political parties regularly
paid voters $5 or $10 to cast the proper ballot; sometimes payment came in the form of a
keg of whiskey, a barrel of flour or, in the case of an 1890 New Hampshire Congressional
race, a live pig. Now as then, many people worry about low voter turnout - only slightly
more than half of eligible voters participated in the last presidential election - but it might
be more worthwhile to stand this problem on its head and instead ask a different question:
considering that an individual's vote almost never matters, why do so many people bother
to vote at all?
The answer may lie in Switzerland. That's where Patricia Funk discovered a wonderful
natural experiment that allowed her to take an acute measure of voter behavior. The
Swiss love to vote - on parliamentary elections, on plebiscites, on whatever may arise.
But voter participation had begun to slip over the years (maybe they stopped handing out
live pigs there too), so a new option was introduced: the mail-in ballot. Whereas each
voter in the U.S. must register, that isn't the case in Switzerland. Every eligible Swiss
citizen began to automatically receive a ballot in the mail, which could then be completed
and returned by mail.
From a social scientist's perspective, there was beauty in the setup of this postal voting
scheme: because it was introduced in different cantons (the 26 statelike districts that
make up Switzerland) in different years, it allowed for a sophisticated measurement of its
effects over time. Never again would any Swiss voter have to tromp to the polls during a
rainstorm; the cost of casting a ballot had been lowered significantly. An economic model
would therefore predict voter turnout to increase substantially. Is that what happened?
Not at all. In fact, voter turnout often decreased, especially in smaller cantons and in the
smaller communities within cantons. This finding may have serious implications for
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advocates of Internet voting - which, it has long been argued, would make voting easier
and therefore increase turnout. But the Swiss model indicates that the exact opposite
might hold true.
But why is this the case? Why on earth would fewer people vote when the cost of doing
so is lowered?
It goes back to the incentives behind voting. If a given citizen doesn't stand a chance of
having her vote affect the outcome, why does she bother? In Switzerland, as in the U.S.,
"there exists a fairly strong social norm that a good citizen should go to the polls," Funk
writes. "As long as poll-voting was the only option, there was an incentive (or pressure)
to go to the polls only to be seen handing in the vote. The motivation could be hope for
social esteem, benefits from being perceived as a cooperator or just the avoidance of
informal sanctions. Since in small communities, people know each other better and
gossip about who fulfills civic duties and who doesn't, the benefits of norm adherence
were particularly high in this type of community."
In other words, we do vote out of self-interest - a conclusion that will satisfy economists but not necessarily the same self-interest as indicated by our actual ballot choice. For all
the talk of how people "vote their pocketbooks," the Swiss study suggests that we may be
driven to vote less by a financial incentive than a social one. It may be that the most
valuable payoff of voting is simply being seen at the polling place by your friends or coworkers.
Unless, of course, you happen to be an economist.
Stephen J. Dubner and Steven D. Levitt are the authors of "Freakonomics: A Rogue
Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything." More information on the academic
research behind this column is at www.freakonomics.com.
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II. CITIZENSHIP RIGHTS
1.
2.
Every nation has rules on who is a member of, owes allegiance to, and is a subject of that nation..
How is citizenship acquired and lost?
A. How is citizenship conferred on an individual?
1.) JUS SOLI – Citizenship by PLACE OF BIRTH – If you are born on US
soil, then you are automatically a US citizen.
EX: 50 states, Washington DC, Territories like Puerto Rico / Guam /
Virgin Islands / Northern Marianas Islands, and US embassies around
the world.
2.) JUS SANGUINIS – Citizenship by Blood. You are a citizen regardless of
where you are born if one of your parents or grandparents is a US
Citizen.
3.) BY NATURALIZATION – What? The process of conferring citizenship
on a person
b.) Congress set Naturalization requirements for Nonenemy Aliens:
(1.) over 18 years of age:
(2.) lawfully admitted to the US for permanent residence and has
resided in US for at least 5 years and in this state for at least 6
months:
(3.) file Petition for Naturalization
(4.) be able to read, write, and speak English
(5.) possess good moral character
(6.) understand US history and principles of US government
(7.) demonstrate that he / she is well disposed toward the good order
and happiness of US
(8.) does not believe in, or in the last 10 years belong to, an
organization that is communist or is in favor of the violent
overthrow of the government
(9.) need to renounce allegiance to your former country and swear to
support, defend, and take up arms for the US
All aspects are investigated by the INS and the FBI.
B. Can citizenship be revoked? NO – Once a citizen, always a citizen (Even for Timothy
McVeigh).
C. What is the Right of Expatriation? The right of a citizen to renounce and to give up their
citizenship in a country. (Ask Cat Stevens – a/k/a Yusuf Islam)
3.
What is Dual Citizenship? Citizenship in more than 1 country at a time
A. Which countries allow Dual Citizenship? Many such as Canada and Mexico (wonder
why), Italy, France, India, among others
4.
RIGHTS OF ALIENS
A. We are now in a period of growing hostility toward aliens.
B. The Constitution protects many rights of ALL persons and not just citizens.
C. Congress can deny or limit some federal benefits to aliens and illegal immigrants.
D. Can states deny a public education for children of illegal aliens? How about welfare?
No according to the US Supreme Court since we do not want to punish children for
the decisions of their parents.
ADMISSION TO THE UNITED STATES
A. Aliens do NOT have a Constitutional right to enter the USA.
B. Congress has complete power (and wide discretion) over admission.
5.
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C. IMMIGRATION ACT OF 1965
1.) Sets the annual ceiling for nonrefugee aliens allowed entry as permanent
residents.
2.) It also sets limits on the numbers of aliens admitted from each country.
3.) Preferences are given for family reunification or for people with special skills
or who are needed for jobs that US workers do not want.
4.) Preference for “Millionaire Immigrants”???
5.) Diversity Category with visas for 55,000 immigrants from 34 different
countries set for qualified applicants by lottery.
D. Political Refugees – The Attorney General can grant asylum for people who can show a
specific danger of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, social group / class or
political opinion.
6.
Aliens who are legally in the USA have a full range of obligations: obey the laws, pay taxes, etc.
7.


When can deportation occur?
Commit a felony
Illegal voting


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Terrorist Actions
Spousal Abuse
Chapter 3 – OBJECTIVES:
1.)
2.)
3.)
The students will be able to:
Define what an Amendment is
Explain the Amendment process set out in Article V of the US Constitution
Explain the Civil Liberties and Civil Rights guaranteed in the Amendments
to the US Constitution.
YOUR RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS
THE US CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
1. A written change or addition to a Constitution is called an AMENDMENT.
2. There have been 27 Amendments to the US Constitution since 1787.
3. The BILL OF RIGHTS is the first 10 Amendments to the US Constitution which contain the basic
rights and freedoms of the American people.
4. Today, we are going to focus on the Amendments which lay out the basic rights and freedoms which
every responsible US citizen should know and cherish. Fill in the chart below with a list of your basic
rights and freedoms as protected by the US Constitution.
5. IMPACT – What impact did each Amendment have on our political system?
 Add or subtract (+ or - ) national government power
 Add or subtract (+ or -) state government power
 Increase / Expand or decrease the power of the electorate
 Structural changes to the US Political system
AMENDMENT
1ST
RIGHT AND FREEDOM PROTECTED
1ST
1st
1st
1st
2nd
4th
5th
5th
5th
5th
5th
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IMPACT
6th
6th
6th
6th
6th
8th
8th
12th
13th
14th
14th
15th
16th
17th
18th
19th
20th
21st
22nd
23rd
24th
25th
26th
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Chapter 4 - Political Ideology: Ideological Groups
OBJECTIVES: The students will be able to:
1.) Define Political Ideology and the Political Spectrum
2.) Compare and Contrast the major schools of Political Ideologies
I. Political Ideology: a basic set of beliefs and values about government and public policy (as well as
how they should influence life, culture, and society)
The Political Spectrum
Left wing
Radical
Right Wing
Liberal
Moderate
Conservative
Reactionary
Radical: "someone who advocates extreme measures to create an entirely new system" (dictionary
definition)
They usually view society’s problems similarly to liberals, but radicals are more extreme in what
they identify as the causes and what they want as solutions. They usually see society as exploiting
someone or something for the benefit of those in power. At most, they make up one to two percent
of the population and probably don’t belong to one of the major political parties because they’re too
mainstream. They’re sometimes violent, but many are not.
examples: Earth First, Communists (here in the U.S.A.), anarchists
Liberal: "someone in favor of reform or change for something new" (dictionary definition)
They want government to get involved by fixing those things which seem unfair in society;
want to help by creating programs and policies to improve health, education, equal
opportunity, and protection from unfair criminal justice proceedings.
The Democratic Party is considered more liberal. But while many liberals are Democrats,
not all Democrats are liberals. There are conservative Democrats in many parts of the country.
Moderate: Someone who holds beliefs that fall between the liberals and conservatives. The ideological
views of this group will vary over time. Moderate belief is defined by what the liberals and conservatives of
the times are advocating.
This is where most Americans are ideologically (usually about 40% of the population.)
Conservative: "someone resistant to change or inclined toward traditional views" (dictionary definition)
They believe that the role of government in society should be very limited and leave
individuals responsible for their own well-being.
The Republican Party is considered more conservative. But while many conservatives
are Republicans, not all Republicans are conservatives. There are moderate Republicans
in some parts of the country.
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Reactionary: "favoring a reverse movement in direction" (dictionary definition)
These are ultra-conservatives who wish to take society back to an earlier form when, as they see
it, things were better.
They usually view society’s problems similarly to conservatives, but reactionaries are more
extreme in what they identify as the causes and what they want as solutions. At most, they make
up one to two percent of the population and probably don’t belong to one of the major political
parties because they’re too mainstream. They’re sometimes violent, but many are not.
examples: militia groups, some religious groups, the K.K.K., fascists like Hitler & Mussolini also used
these ideas, and people favoring royal dictatorships (like a king or queen)
Libertarian - An adherent of a political ideology that is conservative on economic matters (NO TAXES
AND NO GOV”T REGULATION) and liberal on social issues. This ideology advocates a small, weak
government. They are in favor or individual rights and freedoms (Legalize drugs) and against government
rules and regulations (No child safety seats).
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II. Political Socialization and the Influences on Political Ideology
Political Socialization: The process by which parents and other adults teach children about values, beliefs
and attitudes of our American political culture.
Below is a list of the various factors that shape most people’s ideology. Which of these factors influence
each of us most may vary.
 Family & Home Influence: This is the most influential force for most people, probably because
children learn so much at home, especially during their early years, from family stories,
experiences, living conditions, and family activities.

Religious Institutions and Influences

Community Influences – EX: Rural vs. Urban / Northern vs. Southern / Eastern vs. Western – It
is clear that one’s political attitudes will vary based on their geographic region (The Solid South)

Peer Groups: Especially from adolescence onward, friends and social groups have important
influences.

Education and Schools: At the public school level, this should be more limited, but might
include shaping political values like an appreciation of our system of government, a commitment
to becoming a good citizen, knowledge of our history, and valuing diversity. Students who go to
college or some other schooling after high school experience school influences on their ideology
more. Many colleges, universities, and trade schools have very specific political climates that tend
toward the left or right of the political spectrum. Students are often influenced by those cultures.

Mass Media: TV, movies, music, books, magazines, newspapers, internet, etc. As communities
and families change, there is an expectation that the media is growing in influence.
Past research has concluded that media doesn’t often directly change whether we’re liberal or
conservative, but it does influence what issues we think about and what we are concerned about.
For example, as the media presents more dramas involving violence and as TV news gives violent
events more coverage, then the public begins to feel that violence is a greater concern even at
times when crime date statistic have said that violent crime is declining.

Government: Elected leaders and government officials have the responsibility to communicate
issues to the public. If the country needs to take a particular action or treat an issue as a priority,
then they must work to persuade the public to support it at election time.

Race and Ethnicity - Demographic and social categories (Social Class): A variety of other
categories that we fall into also shape our experiences and values. These would include things like
the region where you live (rural vs. urban vs. suburban or the part of the country), your age, race,
ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, profession, social and economic status, and your religion.
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III. “MILLENNIALS – YOUNG AMERICANS AND
POLITICS”
OBJECTIVES: The students will be able to:
 To discuss the importance of voluntary individual participation in
the United States’ constitutional republic.
 To describe a millennial voter and analyze their voting tendency
Big Idea:
Presidential Elections get the most attention from voters and from the Media. Voter
Turnout is always higher in Presidential years. In spite of the fact that congressional
elections are the closest and most direct form of representation for the electorate, midterm
elections tend to see a significant drop in voter turnout. Mr. Haley used to refer to the
26th Amendment as being the 2nd biggest waste of Constitutional time behind the 18th
Amendment, Prohibition of Alcohol. However, all that changed with the Election of
2008, Barack Obama vs. John McCain. Young Voters made a serious impact in this
election and put Barack Obama in the White House. The Election of 2012 also saw a
significant impact form young American Voters. The question now is whether the
Millennials will continue to be a force in American politics.
A MILLENNIAL is young person born between 1980 and 2000. They are basically
Young Americans who make up 25% of the US population. The size of the Millennial
population is even bigger than the famous Baby Boomer Generation that has dominated
politics since the 1950s. The ultimate question is whether a group this large will play a
significant role in politics in the 21st century.
INSTRUCTIONS: The students are to watch the video and complete the questions
below. Over the weekend, examine the final question which we will discuss as a class on
Monday.
“YOUNG AMERICANS AND POLITICS”
1. What is the size of the Millennial population in 2014?
2. What percentage of the Millennials are expected to vote in the upcoming Mid-Term
Election?
3. How does this projected Millennial Turnout compare with 2012? And 2008?
4. List reasons why young Americans do not want to vote?
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5. What issues are important to Young American Voters?
6. Why are Young Americans cynical (distrustful) about the American Government?
7. Are Young Americans basically just Apolitical (disinterested in politics)?
FINAL QUESTION – CLASS DISCUSSION ON MONDAY
WHAT HAS TO BE CHANGED ABOUT AMERICAN POLITICS TO GET
YOUNG AMERICANS ACTIVE IN POLITICS AGAIN – TO GET OVER THEIR
DISTRUST?
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IV. PREDICTING POLITICAL BEHAVIOR = STYLING AND
PROFILING
OBJECTIVES: Predict political behavior based on a person’s demographic
characteristics
1. WHY DO WE WANT TO STUDY PUBLIC OPINION AND POLITICAL IDEOLOGY?
 We want to know how people will behave politically
 Politics is an attempt to influence government policies – easier to do if we can predict
behavior
Stylin and Profilin! It may not be PC but we are gonna do it anyway!
2. How do we PROFILE?
GENERAL RULE - STUDIES TELL US THAT PEOPLE WITH CERTAIN CHARACTERISITCS
IN COMMON SOMETIMES HOLD CERTAIN POLITICAL BELIEFS IN COMMON
 DEMOGRAPHICS – The study of the characteristics of a population
 POLITICAL PREDISPOSITION – A characteristic of individuals that is predictive
of political behavior
 POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION – Process by which personal and other
background traits influence one’s views on politics and government
3. FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE IDEOLOGY AND BEHAVIOR
A. What is the best predictor of political behavior?
B. What impact does FAMILY have on a person’s ideology?
C. What impact does WHERE WE LIVE have on ideology?
D. What impact does AGE have on ideology?
E. What impact does RELIGION have on political ideology? \
F. What impact does GENDER have on policies issues?
G. What impact does EDUCATION AND INFORMATION have on political behavior?
H. What impact does INCOME /SOCIAL CLASS have on one’s political behavior?
I. What impact does RACE – AFRICAN AMERICANS have on political behavior?
J. What impact does ETHNICITY – HISPANICS / LATINOS have on political behavior?
K. What impact does ETHNICITY – ASIANS have on political behavior?
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