Government and Our Lives

Unit 1

“Man is by nature a political animal; it is his nature to live in a state”

-Aristotle 335 B.C.

Sec.1: State as a Basic Political Unit

• A. State – a political community that occupies a definite territory and has an organized gov’t w/ the power to make and enforce laws w/o approval from any higher authority.–1. Also called: Country, nation-state and nation.

(any group united by common bonds of race, language, customs, religion, etc.)–2. Currently 194• Largest Population: China• Largest Territory: Russia

• B. Essential Features of the state–1) Population=people, citizens• a) States where population shares a general

political and social consensus have most stable gov’ts.• b) Gov’ts affected by population mobility

(movement).• c) Gov’ts affected by pop. composition.

–2) Territory= boundaries w/ land, water, nat. resources• a) Disputes over territory lead to war/conflict.

–3) Gov’t=Institution through which state maintains social order, provides public services and enforces binding decisions.• a) Different levels (National vs. Local)• b) Levels’ Relationships Classified–1)Unitary: All powers on fed. level (FR, GB)–2)Federal: Divides powers between fed and state

levels (US, Mex, Canada)–3)Confederate: alliance of indep. states w/ a weak

central gov’t., states have supreme authority w/ exception of a few delegated things.» a) US: Articles of Confed. and CSA

–4) Sovereignty: Supreme and absolute authority within its territorial boundaries.• a) power to make/enforce laws, shape

foreign policy, defend itself.•b) Technically AZ is not a state. Why?

• C. Origins of the State–1. Force Theory: strong overpowered the weak.–2. Evolutionary Theory: Families to clans to tribes

to states.–3. Divine Right Theory: royal power came from

God.–4. Social Contract Theory: people agree to give up

unbridled freedom to create a state w/ order to protect all.• a. Developed by Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau:

revolutionary thinking against Divine Right.• b. Based on Natural Rights Philosophy (Hobbes)

• 1) Life under nat. law brutally harsh due to man’s survival instinct: Conflict resulted.

• 2) Result, man created a state w/ a gov’t whereby people give consent to be ruled.

• 3) Man born w/ Natural Rights (life, liberty, property)

• 4) Gov’t was created to protect these rights.• 5) Must give up some freedom in order to get

security, peace and order.

• 6) Man enters into agreement w/ others in society, known as Social Contract.

• 7) Gov’t gets its right to govern from consent of the governed.

• 8) If Gov’t does not protect natural rights, people should abolish it.

• 9) Hobbes – The Leviathon – absolute ruler could offer best protection.

• C. Man’s Original Dilemma: Freedom vs. Order• D. Man’s Modern Dilemma: Freedom vs. Equality