notes+for+4-+18


 * __FRIENDS, FAMILY, JOBS:__**


 * //Our government is heavily influenced by the citizens because they are the ones that have the power to elect and re-elect people in the government. This though can only happen if the citizens participate in the system. In order to participate in the system, individuals can either vote during elections, join a political organization, interest group, stage a protest, donate funds to a political campaign or cause. there are many more ways to participate in the system.//**


 * __POLITICAL AND GOVERNMENT:__**

**//Politics is the struggle over power or influence within organizations or informal groups that can grant or withhold benefits or privileges.//** //** Politics exists in our everyday lives through issues that we tend to have controversial opinions about. **// //** A government is an institution in which decisions are made that resolve conflicts or allocate benefits and privileges. **// //** The government has the power to make decisions and establish political values. The government can also force you to comply with laws through taxes, fines, and the power to send you to prison. **//

//__**WHY IS GOVERNMENT NECESSARY?**__//

//**A government is necessary to prevent multiple armed forces compete by fighting and the absence of a unified government usually leads to a civil war which causes civilizations to deal with consequences.**//


 * //__SECURITY:__//**


 * **//If a government is in place, this helps maintain security and order. when the government keeps the peace, it protects individuals from violence at the hands of private or foreign armies. Without the order, the ability to maintain this security isn't possible. Once it is established that there is no clear united government, chaos tends to break out. Order is a political value.//**
 * //**Ever since 9/11, the government started a program to sort out potential terrorists which didn't sit well with some citizens.**//

//**__LIBERTY:__**//

//**Order however is not the only important political value. sometimes order can exist but there are larger threats that individuals have to watch out for. Which makes protection from the violence of domestic criminals or foreign armies is not enough, individuals also need the protection from being abused by the government and this is called liberty. Liberty is the greatest freedom of the individual consistent with the freedom other individuals.liberty is the second most important political value and it can be promoted or invoked against a government.**//

//__**AUTHORITY AND LEGITIMACY:**__//

//**Every government has the right and power to enforce its decisions which is called authority. however since we grow with the mindset to follow rules and obey the law it is hard to notice the government enforce its decisions. Authority that is broadly accepted has legitimacy. Authority without legitimacy usually leads to chaos.**//


 * //__WHY CHOOSE DEMOCRACY:__//**

//**In all the nations that exist in the world, there is no specific form of government because it varies from a group, a person, a monarch, a dictator, or an anarchy.**//
 * //**A totalitarian regime is when one group or a particular person has total control of the nation.**//
 * //**An authoritarianism is when only the government is fully controlled by the ruler.**//
 * //**aristocracy is being ruled by the best which means the wealthy. others are ruled by an oligarchy. an oligarchy is people are ruled by a small group of people who rule for corrupt and self-serving purposes.**//
 * //**Democracy is when the citizens grant the government power.**//
 * //**An anarchy is when there is no government and every individual chooses to authorize themselves.**//

//__**DIRECT DEMOCRACY AS A MODEL:**__//

//**A direct democracy is when citizens of a community debate and vote directly on all laws even those put forward by the ruling council of the city. Representative democracy is supplemented by the initiative which allows citizens to vote directly on laws or constitutional amendments. the recall process is when an official is removed from the state office.** **Since technology has gotten better, people are now able to vote on the internet.**//

//**__THE DANGERS OF DIRECT DEMOCRACY:__**//

//**Once the founding father's started basing the constitution on the Athenian model, John Madision enlighted them by questioning how would a problem be resolved if one voter doesn't agree with the rest. A direct democracy allows people to overrule the minority of others.**//

//__**A DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC:**__//

//**The framers of the U.S constitution decided to frame the country as a republic which gave good citizens turns to rule the country. This allowed for the birth of a democratic republic. This meant that people held direct power by voting but the decisions were made by the elected. There was also the birth of a representative democracy which was ruled by a monarch. In a democratic republic, there is universal suffrage, fair decisions are based on majority and minority rights for those who are unheard. There have to be free competitive elections where anyone running can win. Another principal is limited government.**//

//__**MAJORITARIANISM:**__//

//**I****t is believed that in a government they should do what the majority of the people want. A good number of scholars believed that majoritarianism is not an accurate description of how the US democracy works like. Most Americans however aren't interested in politics nor well informed and few are able to name the people running in their districts and what positions they are running for.**//

//__**ELITISM:**__//

//**Most people correspond the elite theory with America because they believe the country should not be run a privileged minority. Now it seems as a problem whereas before it was deemed appropriate. Versions of the elite theory include a small cohesive elite class making all the important decisions of a nation whereas others suggest that we elect competing elites.New members of the elite are selected through the brightest children of the masses, it is also believed that the elite only care about their wealth and control the political system to protect it. However they seem to be really diverse and more willing to defend individual liberties and more supportive of democratic values.**//

//__**PLURALISM**__//:

//**Pluralism is a struggle among groups to gain benefits for their members. group conflicts in this case tend to be settled through compromise and accommodation because there isn't a single person who dominates the political process and there are a multitude of interests. Group decisions usually benefit the wealthy because they know their interests compared to the poor who aren't quite sure about their interests. These groups pose a danger by becoming too powerful.**//

//__**FUNDAMENTAL VALUES:**__//

//**The writers of the constitution believed that the nation could be sustained by its political culture which is the set of ideas, values, and ways of thinking about government and politics that are shared by all citizens. Diversity is the result of political socialization the process by which beliefs and values are transmitted to new immigrants and to our children. the nation depends on families, schools, house of worship and the media to transmit the precepts of our national culture. The most important America culture is the one that came from Enlightenment in Western Europe which included the right to life, liberty and property.**//

__//**INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM:**//__

//**Liberty is a very controversial value. it threatens the traditional social order. It also threatens the sanctity of the family and the general cultural commitment to moral behavior.**//

//__**EQUALITY:**__//

//**Since the beginning of the country there has been some sort of equality but it has gotten so much more extended and elaborated. it is often necessary to place limits on the desire by some to treat people unequally. This makes equality and liberty conflicting values. Equal treatment regardless of race, religion gender and other characteristics is a popular value today to help individuals develop their talents and skills is another value with substantial support. Equality regarding to the economic status is a controversial value. Antipoverty advocated believe that redistributing the wealth and power could alleviate much suffering and they also believed that reducing economic inequality would promote fairness and enhance the moral tone of society.**//

//__**PROPERTY:**__//

//**Owning property is very powerful since America is based on a capitalist system. so it created inequality when someone is forced to give up their property since they are their wealth- creating assets.**//