POL 101

1
POL 101
McDougal
Basic/Fundamental Values

• Order-Freedom-Equality

Now What?
2
Confusions from Last Time?
versus
Freedom
Order
Philosophy
Freedom or Equality
Equality or Freedom

3
IN THE REAL WORLD Daily Life

Freedom
Order
Politics!

Freedom Equality

Equality Freedom
4
Confusions from Last Time?
Reflection ? Problems
In The Real World, all three Basic Values are
involved at the same time!

• CHOICE is unavoidable

• CONFLICT over those choices

• POLITICS is inevitable

and perpetual!
Lessons of History
Totalitarianism 20th century
Order without Freedom?
Feudal England
Military Dictatorship
Freedom and Equality without Order?
5
Order without Freedom?
Authoritarian

• Olig / archy Rule of the Few ? Elite Theory

• Mon / archy Rule of the One

• Aristo / cracy Rule of the Better class,
  birthright

• Theo / cracy Rule of the Godly

Ordered Liberty

• Merit / ocracy Rule of the Accomplished modern
  idea

• Demo / cracy Rule of the Many The People,
  but . . .

6

• Ancient Athens Western Origins
• The Many Citizen Adult, Male, Athenian
  Born
• Elected Served as City Officials
• Big Men Distinguished Families ? Class
  Based Politics Occasional Dictators and Kings

• Liberty No Imperial Overlord i.e, freedom
  for the Community, not the Individual
• Not democracy in any modern sense

• Elsewhere
• Kingship and Empire
• Not Citizens but Subjects

7

• Roman Republic
• SPQR Senatus Populus que Romanus
• In the name of the Senate and the People of
  Rome
• Republic No King ? Class-Based Politics
• The Roman Senate a self-appointed patrician
  political aristocracy of Distinguished Families

• Plebeian (Plebs) held Assemblies elected
  many city officials, often electing clients of
  the Distinguished Families

• Military Conquest and a politics of The Big
  Man
• Conquest over Kingdoms
• Law of Roman Citizenship Rights of Roman
  Citizens

8

• Medieval Europe (No Pretense of Democracy)
• Military Aristocracy ? Hereditary Aristocracy
  Kingship The Prince Sovereign Lord
• Royalty-Nobility-Gentry Towns
  Guilds-Servants
• The Lord-Vassal Relationship ? Class System
• Serfdom

• Parliaments at the Kings Pleasure
• English House of Commons ? Consenting to Taxes

• 1688 Glorious Revolution Parliamentary
  Supremacy The King-in-Parliament Regular
  Elections Popular Elections Factions

• 18th Century Enlightenment
• Early philosophical practical concerns for
  democracy

9
Theories of Democracy
On facets as a metaphor
Responsive Accountable
Limited Representative
FOUR BASIC ELEMENTS
PROCEDURAL ASPECTS

• universal participation in elections active
  informed electorate
• political equality one citizen one vote
  all votes count equally
• majority rule 50 one ? Choice!

• But,
• Empirical Research on Participation
• All is accomplished through election
  re-election

10
Theories of Democracy
MAJORITARIAN ASPECTS

• Implicit in Majority Rule
• But, what about between elections?
• An Ethic The decisions of government ought to
  reflect the will of the majority in society
  Representatives votes ought to reflect the will
  of the majority of his/her constituents
• Importance of Public Opinion -- Polls

DIRECT (PARTICIPATORY)
INDIRECT (REPRESENTATIVE)

• Town Hall Meeting
• Initiative Elections
• Referendum Elections

• Directly Elected Representatives making
  decisions
• The People decide indirectly
• More Stress on Elections
• Tyranny of the Majority the Problem of
  Individualism

11
Theories of Democracy
SUBSTANTIVE

• Substantive Content of Policy Choices
• The Political Majority Substantively (i.e.,
  Ethically) Limited

• Natural Rights John Locke
• Bill of Rights Fourteenth Amendment
• 1948 U.N. Declaration of Human Rights

• Protection for the Political Minority
  Individual
• Civil Liberties Civil Rights
• European Stress on Economic Rights
• The Rule of Law

12
Theories of Democracy
PLURALISM

• Limited Knowledge Interest of Average Person
• GROUPS as the basic political organization of
  society
• Individuals ? Groups ? Politics Government

• The Normative Logic
• IF of significant social interests are
  organized, and
• IF all organized interest groups are active in
  politics and government,
• THEN there is a working democracy
• Multiple Groups ? Self-Checking Politics
  (Federalist 10)

• Government Choice through Bargaining
  Negotiation among most immediately interested
  groups shifting coalition based on self-interest
• No one faction will dominate permanently.

13
Order-Freedom-Equality Democracy