Why study government?

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1 Presentation Pro Magruder s American Government C H A P T E R Principles of Government C H A P T E R Principles of Government SECTION Government and the State SECTION Forms of Government SECTION Basic Concepts of Democracy Modified by Fatmeh Reda 00 by Prentice Hall, Inc. Chapter S E C T I O N Government and the State How is government defined? What are the basic powers that every government holds? What are the four defining characteristics of the state? How have we attempted to explain the origin of the state? What is the purpose of government in the United States and other countries? Why study government? Chapter, Section What Is Government? Government is the institution through which a society makes and enforces its public policies. Public Policies of Government Public policies are all of the things that government decides to do and they can include: Taxation Defense Education Crime Healthcare Transportation Environment Civil rights Working conditions These policies give government Power- or the ability to command or prevent action, the ability to achieve a desired end. Chapter Section

2 Basic Kinds of Power All governments exercise kinds of power. Legislative: power to make laws and to frame public policies Executive: the power to execute, enforce, and administer law Judicial: the power to interpret laws, to determine their meaning, and to settle disputes that arise within the society These powers are outlines in a country s constitution- or the body of fundamental laws setting out the principles, structures, and processes of a government. Power can take many organizational forms Held by a single person dictatorship Those who rule cannot be held to the will of the people Held by the majority of the people democracy Supreme authority rests with the people State Government has been around since ancient Egypt and 6 th century B.C Aristotle, a Greek Philosopher once said: man is by nature a political animal Politics and government are different Politics is a process by which a society decides how power/resources will be distributed, who will get benefits and who will pay while government is an institution A state is a body of people, living in a defined territory, organized politically [with a government], and with the power to make and enforce law without the consent of any higher authority. A.k.a: country, nation 00 states in the world today The state can be defined as having these four characteristics: Population A state must have people, the number of which does not directly relate to its existence..number doesn t matter Sovereignty Every state is sovereign. It has supreme and absolute power within its own territory and decides its own foreign and domestic policies. Territory A state must be comprised of land territory with known and recognized boundaries size doesn t matter Government Every state has a government that is, it is politically organized and is able to make and enforce public policies Origins of the State The Force Theory The force theory states that one person or a small group took control of a territory and forced the population to submit to that person s or group s rule. In this way, the state became sovereign and those in control formed a government. The Evolutionary Theory The evolutionary theory argues that the state evolved naturally out of the early family. A population formed out of primitive families. The heads of these families became the government. When these families settled in one territory and claimed it as their own, they became a sovereign state. Chapter, Section Chapter, Section

3 The Purpose of Government The Divine Right Theory The theory of divine right holds that God created the state, making it sovereign. The government is made up of those chosen by God to rule certain territory. So God gave those of royal birth a divine right to rule. The people [population] must obey those rules. The Social Contract Theory The social contract theory argues that the state arose out of a voluntary act of free people. So, a population in a territory gave up as much power to a government as needed to promote the well-being of all. In doing so, they created a sovereign state. The main purposes of government are described in the Preamble of the Constitution of the United States: We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. Chapter, Section Section Review Form a more perfect union: Articles of Confederation failed to unite states so created the Constitution in 787 Establish justice: so that the law and its administration must be fair and impartial Insure domestic tranquility: keep order and peace within the country Provide for the common defense: defending against foreign enemies by maintaining an army, navy, air force, coast guard and departments Promote the general welfare: public schools, protect quality of air you breath, water you drink, food you eat. Secure the blessings of liberty: giving rights, patriotism. A government is (a) the institution through which a society makes and enforces its public policies. (b) a collection of people. (c) always democratic. (d) the organization representing farms and industries.. A state has the following four characteristics: (a) population, territory, sovereignty, and government. (b) sovereignty, a perfect union, welfare, and territory. (c) people, places, force, and divine right. (d) justice, defense, liberty, and domestic tranquility. Want to connect to the Magruder s link for this chapter? Click Here! Chapter, Section S E C T I O N Forms of Government How can we classify governments? How are systems of government defined in terms of who can participate? How is power distributed within a state? How are governments defined by the relationship between the legislative and executive branches? Classifying Governments Governments can be classified by three different standards: () Who can participate in the governing process. () The geographic distribution of the governmental power within the state. () The relationship between the legislative (lawmaking) and the executive (law-executing) branches of the government.

4 Classification by Who Can Participate Democracy In a democracy, supreme political authority rests with the people. A direct democracy exists where the will of the people is translated into law directly by the people themselves. In an indirect democracy, or representative democracy, a small group of persons, chosen by the people to act as their representatives, expresses the popular will. Dictatorship A dictatorship exists where those who rule cannot be held responsible to the will of the people. An autocracy is a government in which a single person holds unlimited political power. An oligarchy is a government in which the power to rule is held by a small, usually self-appointed elite. Democracy United States Mexico France Spain Germany Dictatorship China Myanmar Cuba North Korea Libya [until recently] Classification by Geographic Distribution of Power Where power to govern is located Unitary Government A unitary government has all powers held by a single, central agency. Great Britain: Parliament Confederate Government A confederation is an alliance of independent states Government has only power to handle the things that the states allow it to European Union [EU] made up of 7 countries have common currency and defense policies Federal Government A federal government is one in which the powers of government are divided between a central government and several local governments. An authority superior to both the central and local governments makes this division of power on a geographic basis. United States: National vs. State governments Classification by the Relationship Between Legislative and Executive Branches Forms of Government 4

5 Section Review. In a democracy, (a) independent states form an alliance. (b) supreme political authority rests with the people. (c) those who rule cannot be held responsible to the will of the people. (d) the rule by a few, select individuals regulates the will of the people.. The United States government has the following characteristics: (a) confederate, parliamentary, and dictatorship. (b) unitary, presidential, and democracy. (c) federal, presidential, and democracy. (d) unitary, parliamentary, and dictatorship. S E C T I O N Basic Concepts of Democracy What are the foundations of democracy? What are the connections between democracy and the free enterprise system? How has the Internet affected democracy? Want to connect to the Magruder s link for this section? Click Here! Chapter, Section Foundations The American concept of democracy rests on these basic notions: () A recognition of the fundamental worth and dignity of every person; () A respect for the equality of all persons; () A faith in majority rule and an insistence upon minority rights; (4) An acceptance of the necessity of compromise; and (5) An insistence upon the widest possible degree of individual freedom. Chapter, Section Worth of the Individual Preserving dignity; or doing things for the welfare of all [i.e. paying taxes, register for the draft, follow traffic laws] Equality of all persons Thomas Jefferson All men are created equal Granting equality in opportunity and equality before the law Majority Rule, Minority Rights What the majority want goes, but by taking into consideration the criticisms of the minority and preserving their rights Necessity of Compromise Compromise is the process of blending and adjusting competing views and interests Find balance between the needs/interests of all groups of people Individual Freedom Each individual do as he or she wants, as long as they don t threaten the rights of everyone else Balance between individual rights vs. rights of society as a whole No such thing as absolute freedom- can only exist in anarchy [which is absence of government] 5

6 Duties of each Citizen [Have to] Serve on a jury Serve as a witness when called Attend school Pay taxes Register for the draft [men only] Obey local, state, and national laws Respect rights of all others Citizens Citizen: one who holds both rights and responsibilities in a state. Responsibilities of each citizen [Show respect to country if do it] Voting Volunteering Participating in civic life Understanding workings of government Democracy and the Free Enterprise System The free enterprise system is an economic system characterized by private or corporate ownership of capital goods; investments that are determined by private decision rather than by state control; and determined in a free market. Decisions in a free enterprise system are determined by the law of supply and demand. An economy in which private enterprise exists in combination with a considerable amount of government regulation and promotion is called a mixed economy. Chapter, Section Section Review. All of the following are basic notions found in the American concept of democracy EXCEPT (a) a recognition of of the fundamental worth and dignity of every person. (b) a respect for the equality of all persons. (c) the rule of government by a single individual. (d) an acceptance of the necessity of compromise.. In a free enterprise system, the means of capital are owned (a) by private and corporate entities. (b) by government agencies. (c) by only the agricultural sector. (d) equally by the collective citizenry. Want to connect to the Magruder s link for this section? Click Here! Chapter, Section 6