section 1: government and the state i.what is government?
DESCRIPTION
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 - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
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