Guiding Questions
• The themes/guiding questions are going to be along the lines of:
• What causes rebellion? What makes rebellion successful? • How do you get people to work together/sacrifice for a
cause?• How much are people motivated by ideas/interests?• How do you create a new society?• What is equality?• What is the balance between the needs of the individual
and the needs of society?
•What is politics?• Please write your response
Politics“Man is a political animal.”
Aristotle
Politics- the process by which a society decides how power and resources will be distributed.•Who is in charge? Why?•Who will pay? Who will benefit?
Policies- course of action- the laws and actions of a person or group.
Power
Power:–strength: physical force or strength–control and influence: control and
influence over other people and their actions
How is Power Defined?
The British Empire-1/4 of the globe
Military Might
U.S. attack on Baghdad 2003—”Shock and Awe”
Financial control?
Five sources of power• Coercion-–Ability to punish
• Reward– Ability to give $, praise, status,
responsibility
• Persuasion• Formal Authority
• Based on a position within an established organization
• Expertise– Based on specific skills or expertise
Examples?Give an example of somebody who has each sort of power (or a combination of them).This can be an individual, or a type of job.• Coercion• Reward• Persuasion• Formal Authority• Expertise
Theories of Government
“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
Lord Acton
Theories of Government
“If men were angels, no government would be necessary.”
James Madison, Federalist 51“Father of the Constitution”
Theories of Government• Evolution Theory–The heads of families
became the government.
• Force Theory–A strong individual or group
claimed control over a territory and forced the population to submit.
Theories of Government• Divine Right Theory–God created the state. The
government is made up of those chosen by God. The population must obey their ruler.
• Social Contract Theory–People gave up some power and
liberty to a government in order to secure safety of life, liberty, and property.
Political philosophers look for basic truths
1. What is human nature? –Are we selfish and greedy? Or do we look out for
each other?
2. How would people live in a “state of nature” (no government, no laws)?
The Enlightenment
• 17th-18th century philosophical movement in Europe• Challenged authority–Questioned religious authority–Questioned political authority–Where does authority come
from?–Who should have power? Why?
The Philosophes
Man will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest.
Denis Diderot (1713-1784)
One of the writers of the first Encyclopedia.
Thomas Hobbes 1588-1679• All individuals in nature
are equal• but pessimistic about
humans; everyone against each other• Nature is a state of war• People give up rights to a
Leviathan.
Leviathan• A leviathan is a sea
monster or any huge, powerful creature
• What is Hobbes’ Leviathan?
John Locke 1632-1704• Humans are basically good• We are a blank slate (Tabula Rasa).
Society makes people what they are:• Natural Rights• State exists to preserve life, liberty
and property• Consent of the governed• People have right to revolt if gov’t
doesn’t provide those rights
Baron de Montesquieu
• People are power-hungry• People are fearful-driven to
form societies• Separation of powers in
government: executive, legislative, judicial to keep each other in check
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
• People are good, belief in “general will” of people
• People corrupted by society• People improved by returning to nature• Social Contract needs to involve “the
whole community”• People are the sovereign • Popular “general will” leads to laws• Direct democracy, no separation of
powers • People can’t revolt against the state
because they are the state
Charters and Constitutions• A charter: –a formal written statement of the aims,
principles, and procedures of an organization
• A Constitution:–a statement outlining the basic laws or
principles by which a country or organization is governed
John LockeNatural Rights: Life, liberty, property
JJ RousseauThe Social Contract
Montesquieu:Separation of powers,Checks and balances
VoltaireFreedom of speech
•Magna Carta•Right of Petition•English Bill of Rights
Vocab
• Prudence- caution, good sense• Abolish- Destroy• Despotism- tyranny, dictatorship, abuse
of centralized power.• Hath- has• Usurpations- taking, stealing• Transient- fleeting, brief, ephemeral