logic - The Logic of American Politics Chapter 1 Why have...

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The Logic of American Politics
Chapter 1
Why have government at all?

We could have anarchy, but it’s likely that
this would lead to violence.

Government protects property, both
within a person and external to a person.

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Anarcho-Syndicalist-Commune
Other options

Power could come from divine right, as
above.

It could come from might – the
commander of the army.

But in this class we’re primarily going to
be concerned with Democracy in
America.

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Problems government must solve

We have to make choices about allocating
scarce resources.

These choices will cause conflict, because
people have different interests, different
values, and different ideas about society.

Politics is: the process through which
individuals and groups reach agreement
on a course of action.

This requires bargaining and compromise.
Bargaining effectively

To facilitate bargaining we have rules.