POLITICAL THEORIES OF POWER
Pluralism: power is exercised by groups (plural = more than one)More than one person in each groupMore than one groupGroups (parties, economic classes, interest groups) compete for powerEveryone wins some of the timeEveryone gets some of what they wantNo one always wins/gets everything
Political theories of power
Elite theory
Elite theory Society is organized like a pyramid Many at the bottom, few at the top Those at the top have all the power,
all the time (political, economic, military, etc.), so they always win
Upward mobility: Just enough opportunity for the lower classes to enter the upper class to prevent dissatisfaction/revolution
The “Occupy Wall St. Movement” and “We Are the 99%!” – this is elite theory in action
Political Culture
Daniel J. Elazar Perceptions of what government is Kinds of people who become active
in politics and government Actual way government is conducted
Types of Political Culture
Individualistic Democracy as marketplace No gov’t. concern for “good
society” Limited intervention into
private activities Politics as a business Predominant in the West,
Midwest
Types of Political Culture
Moralistic Commonwealth Search for “Good Society” Politics to promote public
good Issues and ethics in
government are important Predominant in Midwest, New
England
Types of Political Culture
Traditionalistic Paternalistic and elitistGovernment exists to preserve order
Hierarchy with limited political participation
Predominant in the South
Western Political Thought
Aristotle Greek philosopher, 3rd Century B.C.Man has the power to reason“Absolute justice” derived from reasonNatural law: reason produces common
views on the nature of universal justice
Aristotle was Plato’s student“The Allegory of the Cave” is an excerpt from Plato’s Republic, discussing the need for education among the leaders of society
Western Political Thought
St. Thomas Aquinas (13th Century)
- God is source of man’s ability to reason
- Natural law, absolute justice, government are God’s gifts to mankind
- Leads to philosophy of natural rights
Western Political Thought
John Locke, British philosopherSecond Treatise, on Civil Government
(1690)Agrees with Aquinas on existence of
natural law, but argues that power is derived from consent of the people, not from God
Challenge to theory of divine right (basis of English monarch’s power)
Locke: Second Treatise, on Civil Government (1690)
Natural Rights Human beings have certain
rights by virtue of their existence.
God grants these rights, not the King.
Because the King doesn’t grant them, he can’t take them away.
Natural Rights
Most important of the natural rights are “life, liberty, property”
“State of Nature”
Perfect freedom and equality No rules, laws or regulations “Not a state of license” to
harm others or oneself Punishment of violators must
not be arbitrary or disproportionate to the offense
What’s Missing from the State of Nature?
“Established, settled, known law” accepted by common consent.
“Known, indifferent [impartial] judge” to administer justice.
“Power to back and support the sentence when right.”
Locke on theDissolution of Government
Government exists only to protect the rights of the people.
Locke argues that the people have a right to dissolve a government that violates or does not protect their rights.
Thomas Hobbes
English philosopher, same era as Locke
State of nature is highly undesirable Human life is “nasty, brutish and
short” Social contract theory
Social Contract
Jean-Jacques Rousseau, French philosopher
The social contract is the idea that people give up some of their rights in exchange for the protection of their remaining rights
(Give up unlimited right to acquire property in exchange for protection against theft)
Importance to American Political Thought:
Thomas Jefferson got many of the philosophical ideas in the Declaration of Independence from Locke
Declaration of Independence
We, the people of the…
united Statesor
United States?
Declaration of Independence
“We hold these truths” [facts]
“to be self-evident” [no need for explanation]
“all Men are created equal” [less inclusive definition of equality than today]
“Endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights” [Locke on natural, God-given rights that can’t be taken away]
Unalienable rights
Locke: “Life, liberty and property”
Jefferson: “Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”
Purpose of Government
“That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men” [Social contract: Government exists only to protect the rights of the people]
Powers of Government
“…deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed”
Government may only do what is just
Consent of the people is required
Dissolution of Government
“Whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it”
“Call to Arms”
…”appealing to the Supreme Judge of the World…[asking God’s help] do…Publish and Declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be, Free and Independent States…”
[This statement is the literal Declaration of Independence]
[And Finally…]
“And for the support of this Declaration…we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.”
Articles of Confederation
First national government, 1781-1787
National government deliberately made much weaker than state governments
Jefferson: more power to states Hamilton: more power to national
gov’t.
Articles of Confederation
Article II: “Each state retains its sovereignty, freedom and independence”
National government has only those powers which the states specifically give it.
State laws supersede nat’l. laws.
Articles of Confederation
Article VI: States required to maintain a militia
With consent of Congress, states may conduct foreign policy, maintain an army or navy, declare war (against other nations, Indian tribes)
National defense force came only from state militias and state funds
Articles of Confederation
National government had limited power to regulate commerce among the states
States could impose tariffs on each other’s products
States and national government all issued currency
Interstate commerce made extremely difficult
Articles of Confederation
National government had no power to tax Dependent on voluntary state
contributions to fund national government
No executive branch or separate judiciary One-house legislature, each state had
one vote Delegates to national legislature were
considered officials of state governments
Articles of Confederation
Nine out of 13 states required to pass most legislation
Unanimous agreement required on some significant matters
Very difficult to accomplish anything Convention called in Philadelphia, 1787,
to revise Articles, instead threw it out and drafted Constitution (still in effect)