i
,1
American Government: Roots,
Context, and Culture
Chapter Overview
Politics and government matter—that is the single most important message of this book. By
emphasizing the historical continuity in U.S. politics, O’Connor’s text helps students see beyond the
headlines and contemporary debates to understand what is really happening in politics. To that end,
Chapter 1 establishes the foundation for the balance of the text by introducing questions
fundamental to the study of politics and government. We begin by tracing the historical origins of
American government. We then place the U.S. political system in a global context by considering
alternative forms of government from around the world. We also consider the unique nature of
American political culture and its importance in understanding contemporary U.S. politics. We
conclude by considering Americans’ expectations of their government.
Lecture Suggestions
1.1 Trace the origins of American government.
LECTURE 1: The notion of the social contract, an agreement between a government and its
citizens under which citizens cede certain freedoms to the state in exchange for the protection of
1
,others, is deeply rooted in American political thought. The Framers drew their understanding of the
nature, function, and limits of government from Enlightenment social contract theorists like
Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Indeed, the Constitution is often read as
a social contract document.
▪ Explain what is meant by the social contract, contrasting the three perspectives
offered by Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau.
▪ Explain how the social contract theories of the Enlightenment were codified in the
U.S. Constitution and how they continue to affect our lives today.
LECTURE 2: The idea of democracy was first articulated by early Greek philosophers, who
understood democracy as “rule by the many.” Critics (perhaps including Thomas Jefferson) have
quipped that democracy is nothing more than “mob rule.”
▪ Outline the major principles inherent in democracy, including protection of
individual rights, equal protection before the law, opportunities for political
participation, and majority rule based on the principle of one person, one vote.
▪ Be sure to consider the reasons why the Framers considered and rejected Athenian
notions of direct democracy, based precisely on their concern over “mob rule.”
LECTURE 3: In Federalist Paper No. 10, James Madison warned of the dangers of “pure
democracy,” noting that such a system “can admit of no cure for the mischiefs of faction.” For
Madison, in other words, the danger of direct democracy was that it provided no guarantees against
abuse of the minority by the majority.
▪ Explain the specific ways in which the Framers sought to check the unlimited power
of majority rule in direct democracy.
▪ Focus in particular on the specific manifestations of limited government expressed in
the Constitution and Bill of Rights, including
the First Amendment (free speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press),
the Fourth Amendment (protection from unreasonable search and seizure), and
the Fifth Amendment (due process protections).
LECTURE 4: The Preamble to the U.S. Constitution begins with the phrase “We the People.” But
who are “the People”? Trace the evolution of the notion of “the people” from the earliest
2
, inhabitants of the Americas, the indigenous peoples who likely crossed the Bering Strait more than
30,000 years ago, to the first colonists who arrived from Europe in the early seventeenth century, to
the expansion of the franchise in the twentieth century. Along the way, pay particular attention to
who was excluded from “the People.”
LECTURE 5: Explain how the early experience of the colonists affected the nature of the
American political system. How did the experience of the escaping political and religious oppression
in Europe, the fighting of a war for liberation from England, and the experience of the American
frontier shape both American political culture and the U.S. political system?
1. Evaluate the different types of governments countries may
1.2
employ.
LECTURE 1: While students are often comfortable with the idea that the United States is a
democracy, they often have more difficulty understanding the forms democracy may take.
▪ Begin by outlining the central features of American democracy: principles of political
equality, majority rule and minority rights, and equality before the law.
▪ Contrast this with authoritarian and totalitarian systems, in which such principles are
not in place.
▪ Contrast direct and representative democracies as competing forms of democratic
government.
▪ Consider why the Framers established representative democracy rather than direct
democracy in the United States, as seen in the Congress (particularly the election of
the U.S. Senate prior to the passage of the Seventeenth Amendment in 1913 and the
use of the Electoral College to select the president).
LECTURE 2: Some countries, like the former Soviet Union, claim to be representative
democracies. They even hold regular elections boasting near universal voter turnout and resounding
victories for the ruling party. Obviously, representative democracy requires more than just holding
occasional elections.
▪ Outline the major features of representative democracy, including the requirements
that candidates be selected by the voters, that elections are open to competition from
3
,1
American Government: Roots,
Context, and Culture
Chapter Overview
Politics and government matter—that is the single most important message of this book. By
emphasizing the historical continuity in U.S. politics, O’Connor’s text helps students see beyond the
headlines and contemporary debates to understand what is really happening in politics. To that end,
Chapter 1 establishes the foundation for the balance of the text by introducing questions
fundamental to the study of politics and government. We begin by tracing the historical origins of
American government. We then place the U.S. political system in a global context by considering
alternative forms of government from around the world. We also consider the unique nature of
American political culture and its importance in understanding contemporary U.S. politics. We
conclude by considering Americans’ expectations of their government.
Lecture Suggestions
1.1 Trace the origins of American government.
LECTURE 1: The notion of the social contract, an agreement between a government and its
citizens under which citizens cede certain freedoms to the state in exchange for the protection of
1
,others, is deeply rooted in American political thought. The Framers drew their understanding of the
nature, function, and limits of government from Enlightenment social contract theorists like
Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Indeed, the Constitution is often read as
a social contract document.
▪ Explain what is meant by the social contract, contrasting the three perspectives
offered by Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau.
▪ Explain how the social contract theories of the Enlightenment were codified in the
U.S. Constitution and how they continue to affect our lives today.
LECTURE 2: The idea of democracy was first articulated by early Greek philosophers, who
understood democracy as “rule by the many.” Critics (perhaps including Thomas Jefferson) have
quipped that democracy is nothing more than “mob rule.”
▪ Outline the major principles inherent in democracy, including protection of
individual rights, equal protection before the law, opportunities for political
participation, and majority rule based on the principle of one person, one vote.
▪ Be sure to consider the reasons why the Framers considered and rejected Athenian
notions of direct democracy, based precisely on their concern over “mob rule.”
LECTURE 3: In Federalist Paper No. 10, James Madison warned of the dangers of “pure
democracy,” noting that such a system “can admit of no cure for the mischiefs of faction.” For
Madison, in other words, the danger of direct democracy was that it provided no guarantees against
abuse of the minority by the majority.
▪ Explain the specific ways in which the Framers sought to check the unlimited power
of majority rule in direct democracy.
▪ Focus in particular on the specific manifestations of limited government expressed in
the Constitution and Bill of Rights, including
the First Amendment (free speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press),
the Fourth Amendment (protection from unreasonable search and seizure), and
the Fifth Amendment (due process protections).
LECTURE 4: The Preamble to the U.S. Constitution begins with the phrase “We the People.” But
who are “the People”? Trace the evolution of the notion of “the people” from the earliest
2
, inhabitants of the Americas, the indigenous peoples who likely crossed the Bering Strait more than
30,000 years ago, to the first colonists who arrived from Europe in the early seventeenth century, to
the expansion of the franchise in the twentieth century. Along the way, pay particular attention to
who was excluded from “the People.”
LECTURE 5: Explain how the early experience of the colonists affected the nature of the
American political system. How did the experience of the escaping political and religious oppression
in Europe, the fighting of a war for liberation from England, and the experience of the American
frontier shape both American political culture and the U.S. political system?
1. Evaluate the different types of governments countries may
1.2
employ.
LECTURE 1: While students are often comfortable with the idea that the United States is a
democracy, they often have more difficulty understanding the forms democracy may take.
▪ Begin by outlining the central features of American democracy: principles of political
equality, majority rule and minority rights, and equality before the law.
▪ Contrast this with authoritarian and totalitarian systems, in which such principles are
not in place.
▪ Contrast direct and representative democracies as competing forms of democratic
government.
▪ Consider why the Framers established representative democracy rather than direct
democracy in the United States, as seen in the Congress (particularly the election of
the U.S. Senate prior to the passage of the Seventeenth Amendment in 1913 and the
use of the Electoral College to select the president).
LECTURE 2: Some countries, like the former Soviet Union, claim to be representative
democracies. They even hold regular elections boasting near universal voter turnout and resounding
victories for the ruling party. Obviously, representative democracy requires more than just holding
occasional elections.
▪ Outline the major features of representative democracy, including the requirements
that candidates be selected by the voters, that elections are open to competition from
3
