Oklahoma State University
American Government POLS1113-20470
Lecture Notes
Spring 2022
Lecture One
Contents: covers materials in Chapter 1- American Government and Civic Engagement
American Government
Lecture Notes #1
In the first chapter of our text, the first discussion is an overview of the American Government system
and civic engagement. Our text summarizes What government is and what groups govern us. Yet from
a historical overview of America and how citizens are affected by those in power. Briefly discuss current
events related to those individuals and groups governing us today.
Donald Trump and his crew have primarily divided this country's loyalty to managing democracy. The
Biden administration is currently in power to govern us; however, other factions take influences away
from the current administration. With the mid-term elections underway, Trump and his influencers are
doing all they can do to quash any democratic candidates from winning. Also, he is attacking the current
administration's efforts in handling the COVID-19 pandemic and the investigation of the insurrection at
the national Capitol on January 6th.
Not only is the Republican recasting the events of January 6th, but Donald Trump is also still laying claim
that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him. One-half of the American voters believing in
him and agreeing with him that the presidential election was stolen created a great rift in our
democratic process. At the Republican National Committee, Ronna McDaniel, the RNC chair, called the
"persecution of ordinary citizens who engaged in legitimate political discourse that had nothing to do
with violence at the Capitol."
Engaging in our democratic process comes with the responsibility of abiding by the laws that govern us
all. The Fourteenth Amendment must protect the rights of freedom of speech too. So our first chapter
outlines American Government and Civic Engagement. A political scientist Robert Putnam has argued
that civic engagement is declining. However, many Americans may report belonging to a group, and
these groups are usually large, impersonal ones with thousands of members.
Civic engagement can increase the power of ordinary people to influence government actions. History
will judge their participation in civic engagement at the Capitol. These are times citizenry engages or
attempts to destroy the democratic process with events such as the Insurrection at the Capitol.
