Chapter 1: The Study of American Government

1. To what ends?

1.1. Representative Democracy

1.1.1. Elected representatives make political decisions on behalf of the citizens whose votes the candidates compete for

1.1.2. representatives

1.2. Democratic Centralism

1.2.1. A single party attempts to interpret the will of the people in a coarse excuse for democracy

1.2.2. single paty

1.3. Direct Democracy

1.3.1. Nearly all citizens hold civic office or participate in political decisions

1.3.2. citizens

2. Political Change

2.1. As times change, who governs and how much will change to accomodate needs and respond to people's desires

2.1.1. socioeconomic events

2.1.2. Foreign affairs

2.1.3. Generational attitudes

3. Who governs?

3.1. Marxist: socioeconomic dynamics and social changes cause the real political shifts

3.2. Bureaucrat: elected officials hold the real power

3.3. Pluralist: Too many factors influence politics to determine the main power

3.4. Elitist: Minority has disproportionate power

4. Political Power

4.1. Legitimacy of power

4.1.1. from Constitution

4.2. Authority to govern

4.2.1. the people

4.2.2. socioeconomic status