What are the basic concepts of Democracy?
Notes 1-3
Difference?
Both founded in Individual Freedom
Gov’t must be involved in economy;
however, to what extent is a MAJOR
point of debate
Duties and Responsibilities of Citizens
Duties
Responsibilities
• Serving on a jury
• Voting
• Serving as a witness
• Volunteering
• Attending school
• Participating in Civic life
• Paying taxes
• Understanding the
• Registering for the draft
• Obeying laws
• Respecting the rights of
others
Government
Basic Concepts:
1. Worth of the Individual
2. Equality of all persons
3. Majority Rule, Minority Rights
4. Necessity of Compromise
5. Individual Freedom
1. Worth of the Individual
• Individual respected and seen as very important
• Not the case everywhere
• Collective Societies vs. Individualistic Societies
• One individual vs. all individuals.
• Constant struggle.  Freedom vs. Security
• At times, individual forced to do things they don’t want to, for the
greater good.
• Taxes
• traffic signals
• Obey Laws
2. Equality of all persons
• D of I – “All men are created Equal”
• Has this been true in US History?
• Two main ideas
• Equality of Opportunity
• Race, Gender, Creed, etc
• Latest?
•  Sexual Orientation
• “No freedom til’ we’re equal, &#@ right I support it”
• Equality before the law
• We all face the same legal system, obey same laws, get same
punishments.
• True?
1. Fill in the Blanks
2. Inner Strength
3. Shop Online
4. Pyramid Scheme
5. Short of Breath
6. Seeing Eye Dog
7. The Odds are Overwhelming
8. Vanished into Thin Air
9. Wireless Internet
10. Close Quarters
11. He's Getting Under my Skin
12. Part Time Job
2. Equality (Cont’d)
• Progress has been made!
• Emancipation Proclamation (1863)
• 13th, 14th, 15th Amendments
• 19th Amendment (1920)
• Civil Rights Movement (1960s)
• Americans with Disabilities Act (1990)
• Still a ways to go…
3. Majority Rule, Minority Rights
• Majority – more than 50%
• Minority – less than 50%
• Could a majority oppress a minority?
• If 70% of a country wants to ban gay marriage, are gay people truly
free?
• If 90% of a state wants African-American students to attend a different
school, are those students free?
• “Tyranny of the Majority”
• When the majority can take away freedoms of the minority
• Negative Side Effect of Democracy – Can be as bad as a king.
• Bill of Rights intended to prevent the “Tyranny of the Majority”
4. Necessity of Compromise
• Today, we see a lack of bipartisanship
• Bipartisanship – Two political parties working together
• Polarization – the process by which the public opinion divides and
goes to the extremes.
• If there is no compromise, can a democracy function?
• Ex/ in a relationship
5. Individual Freedom
• Is your freedom absolute? What are you not free to do?
• “The freedom to swing my fist ends where the other man’s nose
begins”