Foundations of Social Studies GOVERNMENT TYPES OF GOVERNMENTS Government is the system of rules over a country s citizens. It directs the ways of life and the interaction between different countries. Government is necessary to have a structured and civilized society. Some people believe in anarchy, a system in which there is no government at all; however, this has always led to someone taking power and forming a government. Although there is understanding across all nations that a system of government is necessary, different countries organize their governments in different ways. Almost all governments in the world are a combination of two or more the types listed alphabetically below. Types of Governments Authoritarian An authoritarian government imposes authority on the citizens. There is very little freedom or rights given to the people. This type of government has a strong leader that must often use force and intimidation in order to maintain control. There are no countries that actually call their government authoritarian, but some countries like Kazakhstan, Syria, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan all have authoritarian governments despite their claims of being democracies or republics. Communist In a communist government, the government controls and manages the economy. Often, a single authoritarian political party holds the power. The main idea behind communism is that the government controls the property and distribution of goods and services so that all people have equal share and claim to those products. In practice though, inequality occurs and citizens are powerless to improve their situation. Countries with communistic government today are China, North Korea, and Cuba, Vietnam, and Laos. Constitutional A constitutional government is one in which the government s power is clearly described by a document usually called a constitution. This document limits the power of the government, gives rights to people, and explains the fundamental laws and principles that must be followed. Many countries today are constitutional but they are also categorized by another type of government. For example, the United Kingdom and Norway are constitutional monarchies and Iceland and the United States are constitutional republics. Democracy In a democracy, the people have the ultimate power which is exercised through voting. In a pure democracy people would vote for everything in relation to how the government should work. This is not how most democracies function today because it is not practical. Today, citizens elect representatives and rely on these officials to run the government. This is called representative democracy. There are many representative democracies around the world today. Citizens may use a democracy to create any of the many other types of government described in this essay.
Dictatorship A dictatorship is a government run by a single person or a small group of people that have unlimited and absolute power. The ruler is not bound by a constitution or any laws. North Korea, with its communist government, is run by a dictator. Belarus claims to have a republic, but is actually run by a dictator who cannot be voted out of office. Federation In a federation, the power of the government is divided by a constitution. The power is split between a central government, called the federal government, and the country s regions. Countries differ on what to call their federal regions; states, districts, provinces, or territories, etc. Federations will have some laws that influence the actions of the regions, but it will also have laws that affect the individual citizens. The United States, with its federal government and 50 separate state governments, is an example of a federation. Other examples are Russia, Brazil, and Mexico. Monarchy A monarchy is a government where the authority is given to one person. Unlike a dictatorship, the monarch is someone who gained power through birth. The monarch reigns until death, then is replaced by their heir who would be a close family relation, usually a son or daughter. Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Swaziland are the only countries that are considered monarchies. All other countries that have monarchs are constitutional monarchies because they have a constitution that limits the powers of the monarch. Republic In republics, people are represented by politicians who vote on laws, instead of people directly voting on everything. The majority of the countries in the world consider themselves to be republics simply because people vote to elect representatives. Examples of republics are: the United States, France, Russia, and Mexico. Socialism In socialist systems the government controls the planning, producing, and distribution of goods. It aims to equally distribute the goods and the labor throughout the people. Socialism is different from communism because there is not one ruling person or political party. Although there are no countries that have a pure socialist government, many countries, especially in Europe, are considered socialistic because their people have voted for socialized programs, giving the government power and control over things like health care and education. Theocracy In a theocracy, Deity or God is recognized as the supreme civil ruler and leader. The government is subject to religious laws as are interpreted by spiritual leaders. The government leader is one who is directly connected and communicating with God. The Vatican City is a Christian theocratic state. The Pope, who is the head of the Roman Catholic Church, is the ruling authority. Saudi Arabia and Iran are sometimes called theocracies. Although the rulers are not the religious authority for the Islam faith, Islam rules and beliefs play a major role in their laws and court rulings. Totalitarian Like the name hints, a totalitarian government has total control over its people. This government, like socialism, communism, and dictatorship, controls economic policies, but it goes further to control the attitudes, beliefs, and values of the citizens. Totalitarian governments use force and intimidation to control its people, but can also use propaganda and government censorship of media to control what beliefs and attitudes the people are exposed to. North Korea is considered a totalitarian government. In North Korea, the internet is censored and the government controls all of the television channels in order to manipulate the ideas and beliefs of the citizens.
Foundations of Social Studies GOVERNMENT LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT In a large country like the United States, people in various regions have different needs. It would be very difficult for representative leaders in Washington DC to meet the needs of every community within the country. Because of this, levels of government have been created to help serve the needs of the people. The federal government addresses issues that are important for the country at large. State governments pass laws that only apply within the state, and local governments address concerns of individual communities. Federal Level Many of the large countries of the world govern using a federal system. This means that powers of the government are split between the national government and state/provincial governments. In the United States, the words federal government refers to the national government in Washington, DC. Each state in the country sends representatives to serve in Congress. The members of Congress and the president deal with issues and pass laws that apply to the entire country. Some of the topics that the federal government handles are national defense, border security, and foreign affairs. The federal government has specific powers granted in the United States Constitution and is seen as the supreme law of the land. States cannot pass laws that are in disagreement with federal laws or the US Constitution. Some of the powers that are specifically given to the federal government are the ability to coin money, declare war, and sign treaties. State Level Just like the federal government, state governments have also created their own constitutions. Each state makes its own laws, each state has three branches of government, and each state elects their own representatives to their own state s legislature and other public offices. The chief executive elected in each state is called the governor. A state s governor sees that laws are carried out, commands the state s National Guard, and approves laws. To ensure that states would have the ability to make their own laws and govern themselves, the 10 th Amendment was included in the Bill of Rights of the US Constitution. This amendment reserves certain powers for state governments. Some of the powers guaranteed for states are ratifying amendments to the US Constitution, managing public health and safety in the state, and management of public education.
Local Level Local governments are close to home. The representatives in the local government live in the communities they serve and make decisions that impact people in their own counties, cities, and towns. County Government: County governments respond to local needs of the community. Counties address issues such as responding to emergencies, making and repairing roads, managing parks, and enforcing the law through county police and courts. Counties often manage public records and distribution of things such as driver s licenses, marriage licenses, and birth certificates. However, not all states use the term county to refer to the regions into which they are divided. For example, in Louisiana they are called parishes and in Texas they are called boroughs. In all cases, they are the third level of government. Each county has a county seat where it locates it center of government. The courthouse and official offices will be located there. City and Town Governments: Tribal Level City and town governments are the closest to home. They are sometimes called municipal government. They provide the most basic services for their citizens. Some of the services they provide include police and fire departments, garbage collection, and access to clean water. Many cities also provide recreational activities for residents through public parks and organized sports teams. The leader of a city or town is called a mayor. To help the mayor run the city, city council members are often elected to assist in governing the city. American Indians living in the United States are US citizens like all other individuals born in the country. They have all of the rights and responsibilities as other Americans. However, many American Indians are part of a tribe and have tribal governments. Laws in the United States recognize the political power of these tribal nations. They have the right of self-rule without control from others. They can make their own laws, form agreements with states, collect taxes, and run their own schools. Many tribal governments have presidents or tribal chair leaders, tribal council members, and tribal courts. Tribal lands and reservations are also independent of the state that they are located in. Though the land is within the state borders, tribal governments can make their own laws and are not required to follow laws and policies that are created at the state level.
Foundations of Social Studies GOVERNMENT THE UTAH CONSTITUTION What is a Constitution? A constitution is a set of guidelines that explains how a country should be governed. It describes what the government can and cannot do. It also protects the rights of the citizens within that country. Actually, even organizations have constitutions. In this case, the constitution clearly describes things such as membership, rules, and leadership in the organization. Most people are aware that the United States of America has a constitution, but they are less aware that each individual state also has a constitution. The Constitution and Statehood In the Constitution of the United States, Congress is given power to admit new states into the country. A new state cannot become part of an existing state or be formed by putting together multiple states or parts of states without approval from Congress. In order for a state to be admitted, they must follow the rules and regulations that have been set forth by Congress. Once application has been made and all requirements for statehood have been met, Congress must still vote to admit them, and the President must approve the admittance. All current states except the original thirteen colonies went through the application process to become a state. Perhaps the most important part of the process of becoming a state is creating a state constitution. A state is usually called a territory before statehood. Why Do States Need Constitutions? Because of the dual nature of the United States government, states need constitutions. The United States has a system where there is a central, often called federal, government that oversees the affairs of the entire country, while other local matters are dealt with on a local or state level. Just like the federal constitution sets up guidelines to explain how the country should be governed, a state constitution sets the rules on how a state should be governed. A state constitution will also protect rights of the citizens of that state. A state constitution cannot contradict the federal constitution. For example, in the United States Constitution, citizens are given the right to a speedy and fair trial. A state constitution cannot take away this right. It can, however, give citizens more rights. For example, the Vermont constitution abolished slavery in its state long before the United States constitution did the same. Because every state has its own constitution, the laws and government of each state are somewhat unique.
Utah s Journey to Statehood: Writing the Utah Constitution From the beginning of permanent settlement, the people of Utah desired statehood. In order to become a state, they needed the approval of Congress as well as the signature of the president. In general, the United States government and American people were suspicious of the settlers in Utah because most of them were members of a new and misunderstood religion: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For this reason, there was some reluctance to accept Utah s Constitution and allow statehood. When Utah was still a territory, many believed Utah was governed by religion more than government. Latter-day Saint religious leaders were elected to political offices by a 98% majority in 1870. The Latter-day Saints (Mormons) seemed clannish. Not only would they only vote for members of their religion, but they would choose to do business only with other Mormons. Citizens of Utah who were not Mormon were called gentiles, and found themselves shunned not only in trade and business, but also in socializing. Perhaps the greatest cause of unease and suspicion towards the Mormons in Utah was polygamy. The Mormon practice of marrying more than one woman was seen as immoral, and went against the teachings of all other Christian churches in the United States. Utah needed to make changes to the control religion had on the culture in order to be considered a serious candidate for statehood. Between 1848 and 1887, Utah drafted six state constitutions as part of the application for statehood. Statehood was denied all six times. During this time, the Latter-day Saint leadership made efforts to end polygamy. Utah also divided into political parties that matched the national political parties and Mormon leaders joined both parties. Other efforts were made to include gentiles in other activities in the state in order to bridge the gap between Mormons and other Christian faiths. Finally, in 1894, the US Congress passed an enabling act, that described the requirements for Utah s Constitution and steps that must be followed for Utah statehood. This act required Utah s Constitution to be written by a delegation that consisted of men from different religious backgrounds. It also required the Constitution to contain a clause that banned polygamy, guaranteed religious freedom, and renounce any claim to federal and Indian lands within its borders. Later that year, Utah appointed a delegation of 107 delegates to draft the Utah Constitution. The convention began in March 1895, and the delegates finished their work in May of the same year. In a general election in November 1895, the male citizens of Utah voted to ratify the new Utah constitution. On January 4, 1896, President Grover Cleveland proclaimed Utah a state. After forty-eight years, Utah finally had a constitution, and was recognized on equal footing with all the other states in the nation.
Foundations of Social Studies GOVERNMENT POLITICAL PARTIES What is a Political Party? Leading up to any election, political parties are greatly discussed on the news. News reports and political advertising explain how different political parties view different issues and how the parties plan to solve our country s problems. Candidates are judged on what party they belong to, and voters can make assumptions as to how they will vote on different issues based on their political party. So where did political parties come from? Why don t people just run for office without a party? A political party is an organization of like-minded people that work together to gain power in government. Around the world, there are thousands of different political parties. Technically, people can run for political office as an unaffiliated candidate, which means they are running without a party. By associating with a political party, however, the candidate can receive that party s financial support and connections with powerful people that can help them gain victory. People tend to trust candidates who belong to the party that supports the same things they do. Two-Party vs. Multi-Party System A two-party system is one in which there are two major political parties whose candidates usually win elections. While people can still vote for candidates from other parties, in a two-party system, a third-party is usually not able to win a large enough majority of the votes to gain a position in government. The United States has a two-party system. People in the United States can still vote for candidates who are from parties other than the two dominate ones, but winning candidates are most likely from those two parties. Some people dislike the two-party system because they do not agree with the platforms (the beliefs) of either party. They feel like their voice and opinions go unheard in government. However, in a two-party system, the winner is one who receives a majority of the votes (over 50%). This means that the representative has the support of the majority of the population. In a multi-party system, there are several political parties which are popular enough to have members elected to office. Usually in a multi-party system, there are between three and ten successful political parties. Multi-party systems create an environment where representatives have to work together in government and create coalitions (cooperative groups) with other parties in order to pass legislation. Canada and the United Kingdom are both countries where multi-party systems are found. In multi-party systems, political parties are more flexible in their adoption of current popular beliefs. One advantage to this system is that citizens are able to find parties and candidates who are more aligned with their own thinking. This system also makes it so that parties are unable to gain too much power by pushing legislation through the system unopposed. However, in this system, the party in power may not be a party who received a majority of the votes; it may be the party that received the largest percentage of the vote. For example, if Party A won 35% of
the vote, Party B won 30% of the vote, Party C won 20% of the vote, and Party D won 15% of the vote; Party A would win the election. Even though it does not represent the views of the majority of the population, Party A won the largest percentage. Political Parties in the United States The Founding Fathers of the United States were suspicious of political parties. James Madison called political parties a dangerous vice that are subject to impulse of passion, or of interest, adverse to the rights of other citizens. John Adams stated: There is nothing which I dread so much as a division of the republic into two great parties. Despite their dislike and suspicion of political parties, the Founding Fathers were unable to prevent people from organizing into parties. Both Madison and Adams were later affiliated with political parties when they ran for president themselves. Although during the last 200 years political parties in the United States have changed names and adjusted their platforms, there have always been two major political parties. Currently, the two major parties are Democrat and Republican. The Democratic Party The Democratic Party is considered the more liberal of the two political parties in the United States. This party believes that the country succeeds when everyone works together and is given a fair shot. Recently they have focused on issues like health care, clean energy, job creation, and education. The Democratic Party believes that all individuals have the right to affordable health care, and seek to make this possible. This party seeks to become energy self-sufficient by exploring alternative fuel sources and supporting clean energy. They seek to strengthen the middle class by lowering taxes for this class, while raising taxes on the wealthy. Democrats believe that by closing loopholes in tax policies for corporations, they will help to build small businesses and will be able to put Americans back to work. They seek to strengthen the education system in the United States by making student loans more available and providing teachers with more professional support and resources, while holding the teachers more accountable for what they are teaching. The Republican Party The Republican Party is considered the more conservative of the two political parties in the United States. The Republican Party favors low taxes and less government regulations. The issues they have more recently focused on are the economy, health care, education, and energy. They oppose raising taxes on any group of people, even the wealthy. Republicans oppose a government-run health care system, favoring reforms that will promote competition in services leading to lower costs, and protecting physician-patient relationships. They support parents right to choose when it comes to the education of their children and encourage educational options that are different from traditional public school. Republicans believe that energy independence comes from an all-of-theabove approach and does not believe in focusing on just alternative fuel choices. They seek to gain energy independence through drilling more domestic oil as well as finding alternative fuel choices.
Foundations of Social Studies GOVERNMENT CIVIL RIGHTS The main idea of civil rights is that all people should have equality regardless of race, religion, gender, age, and physical disability. Rights are granted by governments; however, not all governments recognize the same rights. Additionally, in the United States, the rights which our government has protected for all people have changed over time. When Americans think of civil rights, we most often think of the efforts made to bring equality to African Americans who had been denied many rights in our history. But the fight for equality and equal treatment has also included people of different religions, genders, ages, and people with disabilities. Origins of Civil Rights Governments have not always recognized that people have rights. One of the first times in history that people started to recognize rights were with the writings of an Englishman named John Locke. Locke wrote a book explaining his theory of rights. According to Locke s theory, governments should not take away any persons natural rights to three things: life, liberty and property. When the founding fathers of the United States were writing the Declaration of Independence they were heavily influenced by Locke s beliefs. However, they did not believe that people had a right to property so they eliminated property from their list and added the pursuit of happiness. Thus, the Declaration of Independence states that all people have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. This idea of equality and protecting individuals from government has changed many times throughout history. As an example, the right to vote in the United States has changed over time. This right was first granted only to white males over the age of 21 who owned property. Eventually, African Americans, women, and people over the age of 18 were also granted these rights. The Bill of Rights In the United States one of the key documents that protect individual s civil rights is the Bill of Rights. When the founding fathers were writing the Constitution there was a debate about guaranteeing individual rights. Many people felt that they needed to specifically write a protection of rights into the Constitution. That guarantee was written after the Constitution and is called the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights is the first 10 amendments to the Constitution. An amendment is something that is added to the Constitution. The first amendment is probably the most famous. It promises the right to the freedom of press, religion, speech and assembly. The other amendments protect individuals from things like illegal search and seizure, outline trial rights and the right to bear arms.
Eventually, the United States added 17 more amendments to the Constitution. Some amendments weren t connected to civil rights, but other amendments like the 14 th is. The 14 th amendment states that all people are equal regardless of their race. It was this amendment which finally granted black men the right to vote. However women, both black and white, were not able to vote until the 19 th amendment was passed in 1920. This gave equality based on gender. Expanding Civil Rights Today Another group of people who have had to fight for civil rights are people with disabilities. They could vote if they were old enough, however, they had difficulty accessing businesses, schools, or other public places. Many people believed that people with disabilities should have the right to access businesses, schools, and other public places. In 1990, Congress passed a law called the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) which requires schools, workplaces and public buildings to provide things like access ramps and parking for people in wheelchairs. Discrimination based on sexual orientation is something that is currently in the news. Only recently have gay people been able to legally serve in the US military. Homosexual couples are not legally allowed to marry in most US states. Many people believe that the civil rights of gay people are not protected because they are discriminated against based on their sexual orientation. Other people do not believe that civil rights based on sexual orientation should be protected in the same was as they are for race, religion, disability, and gender. After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, our country became much more concerned about large numbers of undocumented immigrants entering the United States. Very strict laws about people who are living in the United States illegally have been passed. Some of these laws are criticized because of a belief that they may violate civil rights. Other people do not believe that undocumented immigrants have these civil rights because they are not legal citizens of the United States. Today, most people in the United States have their civil rights protected by the government, either by the Bill of Rights or by laws which have been passed by the federal government or by their state. People cannot be discriminated against for any reason including race, religion, age, gender, or physical disability. However, as long as people believe that there is discrimination and that people are not being treated with equality the discussion about civil rights will continue.
Foundations of Social Studies GOVERNMENT NATIVE AMERICAN RESERVATIONS History When Europeans began settling North America they encountered Native Americans who already lived there. Sometimes the encounters were friendly and the two groups lived side-by-side. Sometimes there was fighting, especially if European settlements affected the hunting in lands where Native Americans lived or hunted. Treaties were often signed between the two groups to solve their problems. Usually, the Native Americans gave up rights to the land and moved into new territories. Sometimes, however, treaties were not successful or were rejected and wars between settlers and natives took place. In order to solve the problem of each state s dealing in different ways with the various Indian tribes, the federal government assumed responsibility for Native Americans. The first method used to solve the problem of white and Indian people competing for lands was known as Indian Removal. Indian removal policies negotiated with tribes to work out agreements for the Native Americans to move farther and farther away from the areas where white people wanted to settle. As open and unsettled lands across North America began to become scarce, the government moved toward a policy of assigning specific, smaller territories to the tribes. These Native American lands are called reservations today. Indian Territory A large area of land in the central area of the Great Plains was set aside for Indians who were removed from forested areas in the Eastern United States. This area came to be known as the Indian Territory which was basically the land which today is the state of Oklahoma. Many different tribes were assigned small portions of this large piece of land. This was supposed to be their permanent home, but changes in the laws which governed the lands there allowed. The Native Americans who lived there had the right to sell the land to whites, if they wanted to. Such a large number of white people purchased lands in the Indian Territory that it was eventually reorganized as the Oklahoma Territory and then finally received statehood. The Indian Territory was gone and the period of Indian removal came to an end. Definitions The method for dealing with Native Americans that followed the Removal Policy can be called the Reservation System. An American Indian reservation is an area of land managed by a Native American tribe. In general, the trade-off for Indians was that although they lost most of their traditional lands to white settlers the US government allowed them to run their assigned reservations with a good deal of independence. Although they do not have full power over the land they do have limited governmental rule.
Only tribes that are recognized by the federal government may have a reservation. This is because the reservations are created by treaties and treaties are made only with recognized tribes. Although there are over 550 recognized tribes in the United States today, there are only about 310 reservations. Some tribes have more than one reservation, some share reservations, and some tribes do not have reservations. The Bureau of Indian Affairs One very old part of the US government, established in 1824, is the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). The mission of the BIA is to " enhance the quality of life, to promote economic opportunity, and to carry out the responsibility to protect and improve the [lands] of American Indians, Indian tribes, and Alaska Natives." Programs that are run or managed by the BIA include: an education system consisting of 183 schools and 28 tribal colleges social services, natural resources management, economic development programs law enforcement and administration of tribal courts disaster relief, repair and maintenance of roads and bridges operation of irrigation systems and provides electricity to rural parts of Arizona, where the largest reservation in the United States is found Reservations Today Although many Native Americans choose to live on their reservation lands, many others choose to live in America s cities, towns, and rural areas. There they find jobs and economic opportunities which may not be available on the reservations. To create economic opportunities, many Indian Reservations have legalized gambling and built casinos and hotels. Nevertheless, it has been estimated that some of the Indian Reservations are home to the America s poorest citizens. Suicide is much more common on reservations than outside of them. Alcoholism, illiteracy, and gangs are also large problems faced by Native Americans who choose to live on the reservations. On the other hand, reservations are an important part of cultural preservation and Native American pride. On many reservations it is the only place where the traditional language is still spoken and where traditional arts and crafts, dances, and religious ceremonies are still practiced. Schools on reservations are using technologies such as computers and the internet to connect with tribal members who live far away and preserve the culture that remains.
Foundations of Social Studies GOVERNMENT LAND OWNERSHIP Throughout history humans have had to determine who will own land and how it will be divided and distributed. Sometimes individual people own the land. Other times the land is owned by the government or an individual who lets people live on the land. History of Land Ownership Many indigenous groups feel that land cannot be owned. They believe the land belongs to the Earth and that humans do not have the right to buy and sell it. This idea that land cannot be owned is called traditional land tenure. In most of the world, however, humans have long tried to own the land. Different concepts, or systems, about land ownership have evolved. Feudal land tenure: A landowner, usually a noble, owns the land but peasants work the land and pay a tax to the landowner. This historical meaning isn t practiced in the modern world. Fee simple: A landowner has purchased or inherited the land and is free to do whatever he/she wishes with the land. When land is owned in this way the government has no claim to it. Lease or rental: The person who lives on the land or works the land pays a fee for the right to live/work there to the landowner who lives elsewhere. Sharecropping: The person who works the land agrees to give the landowner a percentage of the crop in exchange for the right to work there without paying rent. Easements: A government has the right to use someone s land for the public good. An example of this is electricity lines or sidewalks placed on a person s property. In the United States there is an important difference between private land and public land. Private Ownership If something is privately owned it means that an individual person controls the land. It is also considered private if a business owns the land. Private ownership means that whoever owns the land can determine what to do with the land. They can decide what to build on the land and how to develop the land. However, often they have to work within the laws the government has written. Public Ownership If something is publically owned it means the local community, county, state, federal government, or government entities own the land. Public ownership means government can determine how the land is used and what occurs on the land. Examples of public land in the United States would be city parks, National Parks, and public schools.
Survey Systems Following the Revolutionary War the new government gained control of large areas of land west of the original thirteen colonies. The government wanted to give the land to soldiers who had fought in the war and sell some of the land to help raise money. Before they could divide the land up to be given away or sold it had to be measured. The process of measuring land is called surveying. To survey something means to measure locations and positions on earth. There are three basic ways to survey land: the long lots method, the metes and bounds method, and the rectangular method. The long lots method tried to make sure that each farmer had equal access to the rivers. It gave all farmers a small piece of the riverfront and then extended, often for miles, behind the riverfront. This created long, skinny lots. It was used in Louisiana, parts of Texas, and a few other places settled by the French or Spanish. The metes and bounds system uses angles, directions and distances to measure the property and then records it in government records. This type of survey is common in New England and creates a crazy patchwork quilt of land ownership. Boundary lines are clearly described, but there is no predictable pattern. The rectangular method was used for most of central and western parts of the United States. It divides the land into large rectangular areas that could be further subdivided if necessary. It creates a very orderly grid of land ownership which is clearly visible as you fly over the United States in a plane. Most major roads in the western half of the US follow these surveyed boundaries. The Future of Private and Public Land Today there is a great deal of controversy over public lands. Some people believe the government is losing money and resources by controlling these lands. Some groups would like to see the public lands privatized. This means that the public lands are sold to a private individual or group. Others feel that it is important to maintain public lands so that all individuals in a country have access to the land. Most people in the United States believe that for most situations private ownership works more efficiently that public ownership. This is because people theoretically work harder when they receive the profit. However, throughout history public ownership has allowed more equity and access. That is why the government and not private groups own National Parks. The underlying controversy is with private lands - where there are incentives to work for profit and with public lands where there is equal access.