section 1: government and the state i.what is government?

Section 1: Government and the State

I. What is Government?

A. Government- the institution through which a

society makes and enforces its public

policies

B. Public Policies - those things a government

decides to do

C. Three kinds of power

1. legislative power - the power to make laws

and to frame public policies

2. executive power - the power to execute,

enforce, and administer law

3. judicial power - the power to interpret laws, to

determine their meaning and to settle disputes

D. Constitution - the body of fundamental laws setting

out the principles, structures and processes of a

government

1. the purpose of our government can be found in

the Preamble to the US Constitution

E.Politics- the process by which a society decides how

power and resources will be distributed within that

society

U.S. Constitution

Preamble to the Constitution

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, 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.

Capitol Building in D.C.

Legislative Branch

Executive Branch

Judicial Branch

4 things a State must have to be a state

Population

II.The State

A. Population

1. a state must have people

2. least populated state?

- Vatican - less than a 1,000 people

3. World's most populous state?

- China - 1.3 billion people

4. United States is third most populous state -

305 million people

5. people may or may not be homogenous

4 things a State must have to be a state

Territory

B. Territory

1. recognized boundaries

2. Smallest state?

- Vatican - less than a quarter of a square

mile

3. World's largest state?

- Russia - 6.6 million square miles

4. United States has 3,787,425 square miles

(third largest in the world)

4 things a State must have to be a state

Sovereignty

C. Sovereignty

1. has supreme and absolute power within its

own territory and can decide its own foreign

and

domestic policies

2. the only characteristic that distinguishes a

state from a lesser political unit

• Colonies, American States, Provinces

4 things a State must have to be a state

Government

D. Government

1. necessary to avoid chaos and confusion

2. can be a republic, democracy, dictatorship,

monarchy, parliment

Make Your Own State

In groups of 2/3/4, use the 4 pieces of criteria to make a state.› Make sure you have a name for your state.› Have answers to the 4 criteria for a state.› Does your state have any laws that would

make it unique› Also, discuss various aspects about a state

such as gender make-up, location, ect.› Country must have a flag and a motto

The Origins of a State

III. Origins of the State – 4 theories

A. Force Theory – when a person or group of

people claim control of an area and force the

people

in that area to their rule

B. Evolutionary Theory – developed naturally

out of the family

III. Origins of the State – 4 theories

C. Divine Right Theory – the right to rule came

directly from God's consent

D. Social Contract Theory – people give up

rights to the government for certain

services; a voluntary act of free

people

Social Contract

1. Thomas Hobbesa. claimed without

authority there is chaos

b. people do not* have the

right to break the agreement

c. believed the best form

of government was monarchy

Social Contract

2. John Locke

a. people are

born with natural

rights

b. the people

have* the right to

overthrow an unjust

government

Section 2: Forms of Government

I. Who Can Participate?

A. Democracy - 2 Types

1. the people hold the sovereign power

2. direct democracy

a. will of the people is made into public

policy directly by the people

themselves in mass

meetings

b. can only work in small communities

Town Hall Meeting

3. indirect democracy (representative)

a. the people elect representatives and give

them the power to conduct the daily

activities of government and

make laws

b. representatives are responsible to the

people and are held

accountable for their conduct at

periodic elections

4. republic – the people hold sovereign power

What is the Difference between a Democracy and a Republic?

What is the United States?

B. Dictatorship

1. those who rule are not held responsible to

the will of the people - authoritarian

2. autocracy - rule by one

a. only a few in existence today - Libya,

Saudi Arabia

3. oligarchy- power is held by a small, usually

self- appointed elite

4. most dictatorial regimes are militaristic

5. some dictatorships will hold elections that

are closely monitored with candidates from

only one political party

6. an elected legislature may exist, but it is

controlled by the dictator

Worlds Worst Dictators (2009)

1. Muammar Qaddafi – Libya – 2010

2. Robert Mugabe – Zimbabwe – 1980

3. Omar al-Bashir – Sudan – 1989

4. Kim Jong-ll – North Korea – 1994

5. Thon Shwe – Burma – 1992

II. What is the Geographic Distribution of Power?

A. Unitary Government

1. all power rests with the national

government (most

governments in the world)

2. could be a democracy - like Great Britain

3. local governments may exist, but the

national government could

dismiss them at any time

B. Federal Government

1. power is divided between the national and local

levels

a. cannot be changed by the local or national

governments acting alone

2. there are only about 25-30 states with this type of

government

a. United States, Canada and Mexico* are

examples

b. the US National Government is centered in

Washington D.C., but each of the 50 states has

their own government that cannot be dismissed at

the national level

C. Confederate Government

1. an alliance of states in which the confederate

government handles issues that the member

states assigns it

2. allows different states to cooperate yet maintain

their own identities

3. the European Union is the closest example of a

confederacy today

III. What is the Relationship Between Legislative and

Executive Branches?

A. Presidential Government

1. the legislative and executive branches are

independent and coequal to one another

a. voters choose who is in the legislative branch

b. voters choose who is in the executive branch and

the chief executive

2. the two branches have powers that can block each

other

3. the U.S. is the leading example

Voters

Legislative Executive

B. Parliamentary Government

1. the chief executive (prime minister or premier) and

his cabinet are part of the legislative branch

a. voters choose the legislative branch (parliament)

b. parliament chooses the chief executive and his

cabinet (often called "the government" and are

from the majority party)

Voters Legislative Branch

Executive Branch

2. if the parliament defeats the prime minister and his

cabinet on an important issue, the government

may receive a "vote of no confidence"

a. usually all seats in parliament go before the

voters in general election

3. avoids deadlock between the executive and

legislative, but there is no system of

checks and balances

4. majority of governments in the world are

parliamentary governments

a. Britain, Canada, Japan

Foundations of a Government

The things we believe in.

I. Foundations

A. Worth of the Individual1. often we are required to do things we don't want to

for the good of the many2. but the many are the individuals that make up a

society

B. Equality of All Persons1. "all men are created equal"2. equality of opportunity3. equality before the law4. no person should be held back because of race,

color, religion, or gender

C. Majority Rule, Minority Rights1. democracy argues that a majority of the people will

be right more often than they'll be wronga. they don't always come up with the "best" or

"right" answers, but will at least come up with

a satisfactory answer

2. a majority can crush its opposition, so it is restrained by the minority's rights

a. there are certain rights that can never be taken away

3. the majority needs to recognize the right of any minority to become the new majority

D. Necessity of Compromise

1. democracy insists that everyone is equal

a. with a society that is made up of many

different opinions and interests, how can the

people make public decisions without

compromise

2. most public questions can be answered

several different ways

E. Individual Freedom

1. cannot have absolute freedoms

2. need to find a balance between freedoms of

the individual and the rights of society

Democracy and the Economy

II.Democracy and the Free Enterprise System

A.How the System Works

1. free enterprise - characterized by the private

ownership of capital goods, investments

made by private decision, and success or

failure determined by competition in the

market place

2. law of supply and demand – if the people

demand something, the manufacturers will

produce it

B. Government and the Free Enterprise System

1. mixed economy - an economy in which private

enterprise exists in combination with a

considerable amount of government

regulation and promotion

Government Regulation?

Ford Escape Hybrid

Honda Civic Hybrid

GMC Tahoe Hybrid