Political science systematic study of political society
Human behavior
Large scale organizations that we create
Create for the sake of survival and good life
How humans interact with each other
How do these systems work? Are some better than others?
“Political Science is the master science in the realm of action” Aristotle politics gives direction to all kinds of other studies, political decisions determine a lot of things
Subfields of Political Science
American Politics how the American system works
Comparative Politics comparing countries systems and how they work
International Relations focus on how countries interact with one another; war; international organizations
Political Theory most philosophical branch; asks big picture questions
Law
Thomas Hobbes- “Leviathan”
True of all people- we don’t trust each other
Natural equality of hope- causes us to compete with one another
Competition, diffidence, glory make us fight in state of nature; use violence in sake of gain, reputation
Reason and passion lead us to organize into political society
*Life in the state of nature is “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short” state of nature is such a bad place to be in, gladly sacrifice our liberty to a centralized state
Anarchy----------------Despotism
Between Anarchy and Tyranny
Is Hobbes right about human nature?
Is there a political option between the Hobbesian extremes? If so, what is it?
Ancient Politics and Civic Virtue
Athenian Democracy
Polis “Politics”
City-State
Oikos as Foundation for Polis
Role of Women, Slaves, and Children
Direct Democracy
Oikos= Economics
Roman Politics
Comparison with Greeks
Res publicae= “public business”
Roman Republic:
Senate (patricians) old men, high class
Consuls heads of state, presidents, all together
Tribune (representing the plebians) one job- stop legislation; veto; on half of the common people
Secrets of Roman Success
**Right to vote, right to have contracts, right to a trial, roman citizen= could not be put to death except cases of treason right to move trial, can not be put to death by crucifixion**
Rome expands and controls much of Europe
From Republic to Empire
Shakespeare, Julius Caeser (1599)
Julius Caeser and Pompey
44 BC
Should Caeser be made King?
Caeser and the American Founding
Julius Caeser
Flavious & Murellus are tribunes= to protect people from the government
Upset because everyone celebrating Caeser
Don’t wont the celebration
Caeser enters with wife Calphurnia and Antony; closest thing to a son
Desperation for an heir= male son
Brutus is deep in thought; honorable man
Antony offers Caeser the crown, crowd cheers; keeps offering, Caeser keeps denying mostly for show; third time he faints and has a seizure Casca in line with Cassius; according to Casca, Caeser does want the crown
Why did Antony have the crown? Suspicious?
Crush the serpent instead of letting it hatch- Caeser
*Conspirators arrive; all swear an oath of secrecy Brutus says no, oaths are for distrust; get Cicero involved; Brutus says no; Antony Cassius and others say kill him and get rid of him, Brutus says no= too bloody, he will be nobody without Caeser, not a threat; sacrificing one man for the sake of Rome
Different kind of Republican government why we read this play
Calphurnia having nightmares, wants Caeser to stay home from Senate; he doesn’t want to be a coward, isn’t afraid; eventually agrees, sending the message “I will not go” because he is Caeser; ends up actually going; Artemidorus warns Caeser of the others
Caeser is stabbed
Brutus reassures the people and tells them not to panic, it is a sacrifice; explain why they have done what they have done
Antony reacts to the killing by making them believe that he supports them, pretends to be a friend; asks if he could speak at his funeral as a friend; Brutus agrees, has nothing against Antony; Cassius catches on to Antony’s plan, Brutus doesn’t believe him; Brutus will speak before Antony, explain his rationale, confident speech; wins
A BRIEF LOOK AT THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN On September 30, 3013 the Congress rejects and returns the spending bills. The House of Representatives calls for negotiation between the Republicans and Democrats. After several hours of critical debate, the two parties fails to reach an agreement on the spending budget for the fiscal year 2014. For the first time in 17 years, the United State Federal Government enters a shutdown for 16 days, from October 1 to 16. This is the third longest shutdown in…
afd saf d sa fd s fd s fd sa f ds af d sf dsaf ds IMPORTANT INFORMATION: 1. Hand-written requests are mailed within fourteen business days. 2. Current credit students: Use myCommNet for your transcript requests. 3. Official transcripts will be sent to an institution, agency, or the student. 4. No one else is permitted to request a transcript on behalf of the student except government and law enforcement agencies with either a STREET ADDRESS student's signed release, a…
Why taxes? You woke this morning to learn that George Mason University has seceded from the United States and established itself as an independent country henceforth known as the Republic of George Mason. Your group is the new government. The success or failure of your experiment with independence may well rest on the decisions you make here today. Below I pose a series of questions. Meet within your group work space and use the following procedure to address each question. First, designate…
SAY “NO” TO QUESTION 1 There are many different opinions about the question 1: reducing “the state personal income tax rate from 5% to 2.65% for the tax year beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2009, and eliminate the tax beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2010” in Massachusetts. “According to three recent polls, 45 percent of Massachusetts voters plan to vote yes on Question 1”(6), almost half of the voter population think that is a good idea, but other voters think differently. Lowering the state…
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Article Analysis Assignment First, read a news story from the newspaper or the Internet. Answer the following questions regarding your news story: 1) What is the main issue, who are the main actors being discussed; Then, choose one of the assigned articles you read for this week. Answer the following questions regarding the assigned article: 1) What are the basics of this article (who, what, when, how, why, etc.); 2) What is the overall main point the author is trying to convince you of? 3)…
Limited liability corporations were created in order to ensure that investors were only liable for the amount they had invested in the corporation and protected against loss of personal wealth. Investors typically have little involvement in the day to day functions of managing a corporation. The responsibility to protect the investors’ interest falls upon the executives who manage the corporation. Executives did not always act in the investor’s best interest. Investors searched for ways to compensate…
The End of the American Government The government of the United States dealings are involved in every Americans lives, on October 1, 2013 the United States federal government shutdown was solely caused by the President of the United States and Congress members ineptness to find a compromise on the budget. The effects are far reaching, from national parks being closed to traffic and food manufacturing investigations being stopped. The government shutdown and subsequent furlough of 40%…
components of a TIED Paragraph? Task 1: Task 1: Breaking Down the Task Instructions: In groups, Read and annotate the THEME and TASK by identifying and circling the key terms. Make sure you understand what the question is asking. Theme: Political Systems Task: Task 2: Outlining the Task Describe the characteristics of the nation’s political system 1. 2. 3. Discuss how the nation’s political system affected the nation’s history and/or culture 1. 2. 3. Evaluate why one nation’s…