Political Science: Why Should You Study American Democracy Now?

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Nicole Girgis Political Science 1 Honors CHAPTER 1 I. y shd u stdy am dem now? Or, Why Should You Study American Democracy Now? A. How Technology Has Changed Politics i. How voters & candidates communicate ii. How governments provide information to individuals iii. How people get their news about events iv. How government administers laws B. The Political Context Now v. After Sept 11, more people got involved in politics vi. Voter participation of 18-20 year olds increased vii. Those who participate are knowledgeable about the events occurring viii. Local communities, states, & the nation benefit from an engaged populace.…show more content…
Oligarchy: government in which an elite few hold power. xx. Democracy: government in which supreme power of governance lies in the hands of citizens. F. How government functions & is sturctured xxi. Totalitarianism: system of government in which the government essentially controls every aspect of people’s livs. xxii. Authoritarianism: system of government in which the governments holds strong powers but is checked by some forces. xxiii. Constitutionalism: government that is structured by law, and in which the power of government is limited. xxiv. Limited government: government that is restricted in what it can do so that the rights of the people are protected. IV. Origins of American Democracy G. Democracy's Origins in Popular Protest: The Influence of the Reformation and the Enlightenment H. The Modern Political Philosophy of Hobbes and Locke I. The Creation of the United States as an Experiment in Representative Democracy V. Political Culture and American Values J. Liberty K. Equality L. Capitalism xxv. Key concept of capitalism is property i) Ex: business, home, farm, material…show more content…
An Aging Population Q. A Changing Complexion: Race and Ethnicity in the United States Today xxx. Population is more racially & ethnically diverse k) Hispanics more than Blacks l) Asian Americans doubled m) Native Americans increased marginally R. Changing Households: American Families Today` xxxi. Nuclear family: stay-at-home mother, working father, & children was the stereotypical family n) Hardly nowadays after the women’s liberation movement. o) Proportion of populations living in nonfamily households has increased. S. Why the Changing Population Matters for Politics and Government xxxii. The aging of the population will inevitably increase the burden on the nation’s Social Security and Medicare health care systems, which will be forced to support the needs of that rising population. xxxiii. The racial and ethnic makeup of the population (along with other influences) can significantly affect the nation’s political culture and people’s political attitudes. VII. Ideology: A Prism for Viewing American
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