nations, states and countries (oh my!). what is a “nation?” nation: a large aggregate united by...
Post on 15-Dec-2015
217 Views
Preview:
TRANSCRIPT
Nations, States and Countries(Oh my!)
What is a “nation?”
• Nation: a large aggregate united by common– Descent– History– Culture– Language– Inhabiting a particular
territory • (not necessarily a country)
What is a “state?”• State: a “nation” with its own government that
occupies a particular territory
What is a “country?”
• Country: same as a state
What is a “stateless nation?”• “Stateless nation”: A group of people that has
the characteristics of being a nation but does not have their own government
What is a “nationless state?”• “Nationless state”:
boundaries (arbitrarily draw) with no historical context and no common bond between people
Governments
What is a government?
• Government: The institution through which a state maintains social order, provides public services, and enforce binding decisions on citizens.
• Popular Sovereignty: the state has supreme and absolute authority within its territorial boundaries– (In theory, no state has the right to
interfere with the internal affairs of another state.)
Government Power and
the Social Contract
• Governments always get their power from the people they rule
• Social Contract: – People give up some
rights and power to the government
– Government protects the citizens
Government Effectiveness
For a Government to Work…
• gov’ts must make unifying decisions
• Individuals must obey gov’t decisions
• Gov’t must have the power to punish those who do not obey
Government Power• Legitimacy– Willingness of citizens to
obey • Democracy: consent of the
people
• Coercive Force– Comes from police, judicial
and military institutions– Gov’ts force people to pay
taxes and punish offenders by fines/imprison
Purpose of Governments
Maintain Social Order
• Settle disputes– Structures for settling
• Make and enforce laws
Provide National Security
• Protect people against attack by other states and from threats of terrorism
• Foreign relations– Trade agreements– Treaties
Provide Public Services
• Roads• Sewer systems• Promote health and
safety– Diseases prevention– Driver’s licenses
Making Economic Decisions
• Address poverty– (Causes of revolutions)
• Payments to farmers• Stimulate economic
growth – Taxes– Money circulation
Types of Governments
Autocracy
• Autocracy: any system of government in with the power and authority to rule are in the hands of a single individual.
Autocracy• Totalitarian Dictatorship: – the ideas of a single leader or group of leaders are
glorified– The government seeks to control all aspects of
social and economic life– Examples: • Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini and Joseph Stalin
Autocracy• Monarchy:– King, queen, or emperor exercises the
supreme powers of government– Monarchs usually inherit their position– Example: King of Saudi Arabia
• Constitutional Monarchy– Monarchs whose power is limited by a
constitution– Example: Great Britain
Theocracy• Theocracy– Theo: Greek for God– Kratia: Greek for “rule”– Religious leaders rule the country– They use religious laws to rule the people and
settle disputes.– Example: Iran
Oligarchy
• Oligarchy:– A system in which a small group holds power.• Example: China’s Communist Party
Dictatorships and Oligarchies
• Dictatorships and Oligarchies– Will say they rule for the people– Give appearance:• Hold elections, but only offer one candidate• Have Assemblies or Legislatures, but approve decisions
already made by the leaders
Democracy
• Democracy– Demos: Greek for “the people”– Kratia: Greek for “rule”– A system of government in which rule is by the
people
Characteristics of a Democracy• Individual Liberty– No one can have complete
freedom = chaos– People are to be as free as
possible to develop their own capacities
– “The freedom to move your arm ends where my nose begins.”
Characteristics of a Democracy• Majority Rule with Minority
Rights– “Tyranny of the Majority”– Difficult balance to achieve • Example: Japanese Interment
Camps: – Supreme Court (Korematsu vs. US)
upheld interment camps
Characteristics of a Democracy• Free Elections– Every person’s vote in equal– All candidates have freedom of
expression– People are free to help
candidates/issues– Legal rights to vote
(citizenship, age, residence) are kept to a minimum
– Secret ballot
Characteristics of a Democracy• Competing Political
Parties– Groups of individuals
with broad interests who organize to nominate candidate, etc
Democracy
• Direct Democracy:– People govern themselves by voting on issues
individually as citizens– Only works in small societies where citizens can
meet to decide on key issues and problems– Example:• Ancient Athens
Democracy
• Indirect Democracy (Republic)– People elect representatives and
five them the responsibility and power to make laws and conduct government
– If the representative makes good decisions, then he/she could be re-elected. (visa-versa)
– Example:• Ancient Rome and the USA
First AmendmentCongress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petitition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Rights
• Rights are legal, social, or ethical principles of freedom or entitlement; – that is, rights are the fundamental normative rules
about what is allowed of people or owed to people
Universal Rights
• The right that ALL people of all countries have…– The Right to Life
Cultural Rights• Cultural Rights: Rights you have in a particular
country• Rights vary from country to country
Prohibitive Power
• Prohibitive Powers: powers denied to both national and state governments – Example US Bill of Rights
• Amendment VIII• Excessive bail shall not
be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.
top related