Psychology 401
Session 1
Age of Enlightenment
• Behavior should be governed by agreed upon rules;
not religious or monarchical decree.
• Everyone (including kings & bishops) should have to
obey the law.
• Problem: who decides what the law should be; who
decides who should decide that (active vs. passive
citizenship).
Why have government?
• Initially collective security
• Monarchy = hyper-wealthy class holds power through
taxation/protection.
• More productive people = more tax money
• Better physical infrastructure (transportation, sanitation,
water, energy) = more productive people = more $.
• Better social infrastructure (safe streets, education, health
care, workplace safety, mental health) = more productive
people = more $.
th
20
century government
• Otto von Bismarck’s social legislation:
• Universal health care (1883)
• Accident insurance (1884)
• Old age & disability support (1889)
• Productivity is hurt by sickness, fear, and
disasters.
• Government has a role in mitigating each of these
to increase national identity, productivity, quality
of life
FDR’s 4 freedoms
• Freedom of
1.
2.
3.
4.
Speech
Worship
From want
From fear
• The last two were the foundation for Truman’s
1947 legislative package: universal health care,
free college tuition, paid parental leave, paid sick
leave.
Required paid vacation
Nearly half of all military spending
worldwide is spent by the US