DEFINING GOVERNMENT

Dr. East 9/2014

Think! Why do we need government? • Ex.________________________• Ex.________________________• For Order!

– What do we mean by “order”?– Why is order good?

• To help promote Civility and Community!– What are the various meanings of civility?– Why is being part of a community

important?– What kinds of social communities do you

belong to?

• For personal and group EmPOWERment!– How can you be empowered?

By Augstine Rodin, French Scuptor, 1902

Defining Government and Politics• Government = body or group of people that makes laws

and policies (rules, procedures and statements, like our dress code policy) and ensures that they are followed.

• Governments do this for their citizens and residents (along a continuum of fully legal with green card visas to undocumented, at risk for deportation). – Citizens are those people that “by law” are members

of a political community and have certain freedoms and rights because of it.

• Who in US are citizens?

– How can some non-citizens become citizens?

Governments are organized geographically and topically

• Political jurisdictions (political divisions) are regions of the Earth’s surface over which groups of people establish social, economic, and political (governmental) control.

• Within a geographic area a government entity (body, agency, like FBI, or Arlington Police, or VA state government) might have topical jurisdiction over some aspect of our lives. – Ex. FBI handles arrest and prosecution of people that

commit federal crimes, like interstate drug trafficking. – Ex. Local water conservation districts might manage

how much water you use in your house. – Ex. State of VA might make sure you pay your property

taxes( so that it can pay for the maintenance of state roads, etc.)

• Political Jurisdictions are:

– Sometimes hierarchical

– Often territorial with set geo. Boundaries

International Gov.

Country Gov.

Regional Gov.

State Gov.

State Sub-divisions…counties,

voting districts

County sub-divisions…cities, villages

City sub-divisions & School Districts

• What are some reasons for these different political divisions?– Desire for government closer to home to solve local

problems locally– Need to administer resources most efficiently– Differences in culture, language, religion– Retention of historical boundaries– Imperial Conquest and Control

• What does imperialism mean? ___________________________________

– Economic similarities and differences between places

There may be conflict or cooperation between various political divisions since they represent different groups of people.

•Example conflict: States may pass a law that allows pot production and sale; this is illegal under federal law

•Example of cooperation: Both the cities of Arlington and Alexandria want to expand the number of north/south Metro bus routes, so they cooperate with the WMATA (Washington Area Metropolitan Transportation Authority) to make more bus routes between the orange lines and the blue/yellow metro lines

Our Government Is…• an indirect democracy (also called a representative

democracy) = we elect leaders to represent us

– We call these leaders representatives or delegates

• allows universal suffrage = all adult citizens are enfranchised with voting rights

– Except those we purposefully disenfranchise (like felons, etc.) and do not allow to vote

• initially based upon free-market, lassiez-faire, capitalistic economic principles = let markets, businesses and consumers regulate themselves

– Since Great Depression of 1930s government has attempted to regulate (manage) business more, this is called Keynesian Economics and often people will call this socialism, not capitalism --- thus we can say we have some socialistic reforms in government

Defining Politics

• Studying government requires that people study politics.

• The word “politics” refers to a process and this process is how laws, policies, rules, etc. get made.

• It is social activity that many people engage in (by voting, by discussing, by protesting, etc.) and in the US people have free elections that help determine our government/political leaders

• Politics determines who gets what when and where and how!

What is the “American Dream” and how does Government and our political process help (or

hinder) people achieving it?

• Give me examples of Government helping.

• Give me examples of Government hurting (hindering) people.

Breaking down the “Preamble to the Constitution” (written, 1787 by people we call the Framers)

• “We the people of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for a 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.”

• Check out this School House Rock! • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHp7sMqPL0g

– Let’s tackle the words you don’t know: – ????– HW: Memorize this Preamble by:

• 9/15 1st and 5th blocks• 9/16 2nd and 3rd blocks