(not in any specific order)
- popular sovereignty
- representative democracy
- universal suffrage
- liberal democracy (majority rule w/ minority rights)- limited government
So you're saying the people rule, right?
Who really rules in America?
( 3 major theories)
- majoritarianism
government ought to do (and does) what the majority wishes
- elitism
government is run by small group who exercise power to advance their own interests
- pluralism
government dominated by mediation & bargaining between various interest groups in conflict
What makes you American?
Not in the "birth-right" sense but in the "I wear a t-shirt that says These colors don't run" sense.
Socialization of Americans (things we are raised to believe in)
- Individual freedom
- Equality
- Order & Security
- Individual property rights (note the 5th Amendments clause on eminent domain)
- Capitalism
