Politics: Who Gets What, and How?

Chapter 1

Politics: Who Gets What, and How?

WRITING ASSIGNMENTS

Assignment #1

The “Citizenship in America” section in Chapter 1 discusses different views of citizenship that have existed throughout the political history of the United States. Countless views of citizenship exist, but the text mentions three very famous views of American citizenship by James Madison, John Locke, and Thomas Hobbes. Madison had little trust in human nature and in citizens’ ability to act in the public interest, rather than in their own interest. This contrasts with the views of other political philosophers, who have held that Americans possess a particular republican virtue. Locke believed that people had freedom and rights before governments even existed, and that when individuals decided that they needed some form of government, they would enter into a social contract. Locke also thought that people would voluntarily give up some of their rights in exchange for the protections of the government. Perhaps the most pessimistic view of citizenship in the chapter is that promoted by Hobbes, who believed that life without government is “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.” Hobbes believed that citizens resorted to being governed only to protect their own safety and security. As the “American Citizenship Today” section suggests, these competing views of citizenship remain in American politics.

Write an essay explaining which view of American citizenship you think is most accurate. As you develop your argument, answer the following questions:

· What were the three political philosophers’ views of human nature? What economic and political systems did the three philosophers advocate?

· Why did these three individuals advocate the systems they advocated?

· How did the era in which they lived affect their views of citizens? Similarly, how did their gender, class, race, and/or nationality affect their views?

· If you think that there is not one correct view of citizenship, or that the correct view is a combination of those spelled out in the chapter, which view best fits the way you view American citizenship?

STUDENT EXERCISES

Exercise #1

Go to the CIA’s World Factbook web site, and select two countries you are interested in analyzing. After making your choices, find out from the “Government” link what form of government these countries have. Then go to the “Economy” link and find out how much power the private sector has versus how much the government is involved in the economy in each country. Review your chapter vocabulary terms and make sure you can correctly identify the political and economic systems of the country you are analyzing. Recall what the text said concerning government control over the economy and over individual lives. Thinking like a political scientist using the CLUES critical thinking method, lay out an argument explaining your hypothesis that the people of each country are citizens or subjects.

· Given the evidence from this web site about each country’s economy and government, where would you place them in Figure 1.3?

· Do you hypothesize that the people of each country are citizens, or are they subjects?

· What criteria are you using to judge freedom?

According to Chapter 1, part of being a citizen rather than a subject is enjoying rights and freedoms. Go to the Freedom House web site and click “Reports” from the menu across the top of the page. Then select the Freedom in the World publication for the most recent year. Freedom House conducts an intricate study of freedom by surveying the world, and it provides a report assessing the freedom of more than two hundred countries and territories. Check out the “Aggregate and Subcategory Scores” link to learn about the criteria the group uses in deciding what “freedom” is.

· Does Freedom House’s methodology fit with your criteria for freedom?

· What are the similarities and differences?

Go to the “Freedom in the World” link and click on your selected countries on the map to test your hypotheses regarding each country’s respective level of freedom.

· How free are the people of this country?

· Are the people subjects or citizens?

Exercise #2

Chapter 1 addressed Athenian democracy and the Enlightenment, specifically their notions of the social contract, and how each served as important origins of American democracy. Studying them in greater depth will provide more insight into their particular influence on American democracy.

Go to the British Broadcasting Corporation’s (BBC) Democratic Experiment web site to see some key differences in how modern democracy and Athenian democracy operated.

· How many “citizens” existed in Athens?

· How does that compare to the number of citizens in American democracy?

· What does the author mean when he says Athenian democracy was direct and “in-your-face”?

· How does this differ from American democracy?

Not all Athenians agreed that democracy was the best system. While many of us would view Athenian democracy as not being open enough to all people, others had concerns that it was too open.

· What were some major concerns, according to the author of the BBC’s Critics and Critiques of Ancient Athenian Democracy web site?

· What were the concerns of Socrates and Plato, according to the author?

Read through some of the links provided in this web site series. They help to explain what led to the rise and fall of Athenian democracy.

Exercise #3

As Chapter 1 explains, conflicting views of American citizenship exist today. One view is that individual participation in government should be limited because human nature drives citizens to pursue their personal interests over the general good. On the other hand, those who believe in republican virtue argue that citizens can put the interests of the community ahead of their personal interests. Such debates over the proper roles for citizens are not new. According to the text, James Madison held a very skeptical view of human nature and the ability of citizens to put the common good ahead of their own interests.

Go to The Founders’ Constitution web page on the Deficiencies of the Confederation. In James Madison’s paper, “Vices of the Political System of the United States,” scroll down to #11 of his points as to why the Articles of Confederation were not working properly.

· What was his view of the American citizen?

· What motive drives representatives of the people: ambition, personal interest, or the public good?

· Did Madison feel that people should have more power?

But Madison’s view was not the only view regarding whether citizens could handle the demands of citizenship. He believed that government needed to be stronger to keep citizens in check.

· How did Jefferson’s view differ from Madison’s in Jefferson’s January 30, 1787, letter to Madison from the Early America Review web site?

Again, in Jefferson’s December 20, 1787, letter to Madison from The Founders’ Constitution web page on Securing the Republic, the alarm that Madison had over citizen rebellions was clearly not shared. Debates over whether citizens have republican virtue, or whether they need to be tightly penned in by institutions, is not new.

· Which of these important American founders was correct in his view of citizen virtue: Madison or Jefferson?

Exercise #4

Chapter 1 introduces the reader to basic economic and political vocabulary terms. While doing so, it explains that citizens in the United States enjoy some of the most expansive civil rights and liberties in the world. However, this does not mean that U.S. citizens should not be protective of their freedoms. Being well informed of your rights and current events are part of being a responsible, informed citizen. Go to Cornell University Law School’s web site to access the Bill of Rights. Read all ten amendments that compose the Bill of Rights.

· What is one amendment that you think matters most to you personally, and/or that protects a right you believe could be limited by the U.S. government in the future?

Go to the web site of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and look at their Key Issues page.

· Were your instincts correct? Do you have your finger on the pulse of current events that pertain to Americans’ civil rights and liberties?

Keep in mind that the ACLU is not considered a mainstream, centrist organization.

· What type of organization is the ACLU? Liberal? Conservative? Would some other adjective best describe this organization?