BellRinger Activity

Please grab a bellringer paper on the front desk, put your name at the top along with week of August 13-17, and answer this question under Monday:

Question: Using your prior knowledge, please describe the difference (if any) between a nation, state, and country.

Unit 1Chapter 1Section 1

Principles of Government

Mr. Young

2, 3, 4, 5 periods

Essential Questions

How do the four essential features help to determine whether a land mass is a state or not?

How do the Purpose of government effect your life on a daily basis?

I CAN:

1. Explain the difference between a country, nation, and a state.

2. List and define the four main purposes of government

3. Evaluate the major theories of the origin of the state

Difference betweencountry, nation, state

Country- geography of something, where it is located

Difference betweencountry, nation, state

Nation- denote the people, who lives there

Difference betweencountry, nation, state

State- the political within a territory

The State

State- a body of people living in a defined territory, organized politically, with the power to make and enforce laws

The State

Nation-state- when the boundaries of a state and nation are the same

Essentials Features of a State

There are four common essential features that make up a state in today’s society

1. Population

2. Territory

3. Sovereignty

4. Government

Video:

http://www.hippocampus.org/History%20%26%20Government?user=myKDE

(half way)

Population

Most obvious, how many people, what do they look like, etc

Also affects stability, if pop shares a general political and social consensus, agreement about basic beliefs, then government is usually stable

Also affected by mobility

Territory

Basically what they own, what are there boundaries

Usually a source of major conflict

May change as a result of:

1. War

2. Negotiations

3. purchase

Sovereignty

Key to being a state Means that state has

the supreme and absolute authority within its territorial boundaries

No state has right to interfere with other state (in theory)

Government

Institution through which the state maintains social order, provides public services, and enforces decisions on all people living within the state

Derive power from two sources:1. Legitimacy- willingness to obey the

government2. Coercive force- police, judicial, and military

institutions

Theories of the Origin of the State

Evolutionary Theory- Head family serves as authority, until they eventually needed more organization

Theories of the Origin of the State

Force Theory- government emerged when all the people of an area were brought under the authority of one person or group.

Theories of the Origin of the State

Divine Right Theory- god or gods had chosen certain people to rule.

To oppose was to oppose a god or gods and to commit sin and treason

Theories of the Origin of the State

Social Contract Theory- theory that by contract, people surrender to the state the power needed to maintain order and the state, in turn agrees to protect its citizens

Important People: John Locke and Thomas Hobbes

Social Contract Theory

Essential Needs of a Government (6)

http://www.hippocampus.org/History%20%26%20Government?user=myKDE

From beginning

The Purposes of Government

Government has many purposes, but they will all fall somewhere under these four

1. Maintaining social order

2. Providing Public Service

3. Providing National Security

4. Making Economic Decisions

Maintaining Social Order

People cannot live in groups without conflicts

Provides ways of resolving conflicts among members of a group, such as making and enforcing laws

Providing Public Services

Helps to provide essential services that people cannot provide by themselves

These include:

1. Roads

2. Buildings

3. Make and enforce laws

4. Public health and safety

Providing National Security

Protect people from other states/nations or other threats

Helps deal with foreign nations

Major concern of sovereign state

Making Economic Decisions

Governments use their power, money, and resources to help keep people happy

Also use their resources to help other nations

Try to stimulate economy to help people in struggling times

Essential Questions

How do the four essential features help to determine whether a land mass is a state or not?

How do the Purpose of government effect your life on a daily basis?