Principles of Government

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1. What is government and its basic powers?

2. What are the four characteristics, or elements, of the state?

3. How did governments first begin?

4. What is the purpose of government in the U.S. and other countries?

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Government is the institution through which a society makes and enforces its public policies.

Who controls government is determined by politics, or the competition for power.

Four Key Elements of a State

In order to be classified as a state, a country must have these four characteristics:

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What is sovereignty?

The control the state has over everything, including its own territory, foreign & domestic policy.

One person or a small group took control of an area and forced everyone to obey.

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The state evolved naturally out of the early family.

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God created the state and gives those of royal birth a “divine right” to rule.

This was a common belief in Europe that began to be challenged in the Age of Enlightenment (mid-1600s)

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How American society was formed.

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What would your life be like without any type of government? (Philosophers call this the “natural state”.)

Perfect freedom:

You could do whatever you wanted, but so could everyone else!

So: In the "natural condition of mankind," we have perfect freedom, but constantly fear a "violent death”!

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“…the life of man solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short. ... The condition of man... is a condition of war of everyone against everyone.

– Thomas Hobbes

Key Work: Leviathan

The social contract theory:

The state arose out of a voluntary act of free people.

Out of pure self-interest, individuals form a social contract to come together in societies for mutual protection and security.

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Thomas Hobbes, (1588-1679)

Key Work: The Social Contract

A ruler’s purpose is to serve the people

If the ruler does not act in the people’s interest, they may get rid of him.

Caused huge debates in France & his ideas were banned by Paris authorities!

His ideas inspired much of the thought behind theDeclaration of Independence."Man is born free but

everywhere is in chains." 11

Jean Jacques Rousseau

(1712 - 1778)

Key Work: Two Treatises of Government

In nature, a person has the natural right to do whatever she/he wants.

Even in a government, we should be able to keep these basic freedoms: Life, liberty & property.

Government's first job is to protect property and ensure individual freedom John Locke (1632-1704)

Government has no other end,

but the preservation of property.

Thomas Jefferson's used many of the ideas of Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau in his Declaration of Independence.

The Declaration was of list of “charges” against King George III for his failure to keep the social contract with his American subjects.

He had broken the contract, and it was therefore void.

The concept of a Social Contract how the American system of government was created.

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1. A government is

(a)always democratic.

(b) a collection of people.

(c) the institution through which a society makes and enforces its public policies.

(d) the organization representing farms and industries.

2. In three to four complete sentences, describe the origins of the state theory the framers adopted and placed in the Constitution.

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1. What different types of government exist in the

world?

2. What are the three ways to organize these

types of governments?

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We will organize the different types of governments in three ways:

(1) Who can participate?

(2) Where power is physically (geographically) located?

(3) How the legislative (lawmaking) & the executive (law-executing) parts of government interact

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1: Types of Government: Who Can Participate?

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In a democracy, the people have the power to control public policy.

In a direct democracy, people make all the laws and policies themselves.

In an indirect democracy, or a republic, a small group of persons who are chosen

by the people to act as their representatives, make

the polices.

1: Types of Government: Who Can Participate?

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In a dictatorship the ruler does whatever he

wants to do and the people have no control.

An autocracy is a dictatorship

where one person is in

control

An oligarchy is a dictatorship of a group of

several people

A theocracy is where the

government is controlled by a religious leader

Continuum of Government Systems

Dictatorship

Autocracy

Oligarchy

Aristocracy

Theocracy

Monarchy

Direct Democracy

Republic

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Dictatorship: North Korean's Kim Jong Un

Monarchy: Saudi Arabian King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud.

Theocracy: Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Dictators from History: Benito Mussolini, Adolph Hitler, & Saddam Hussein

• All powers held in a single place (usually the national capital)

The central government tells everyone else what to do

Examples: Iran, North Korea, UK

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A is an alliance of independent states.

The states tell the central government what to do

Examples: Not Many! The European Union

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Powers of government are divided between a central and local governments.

Examples: USA, Mexico

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Relationship between Legislative & Executive Branches

Presidential

• The people elect a President

• People elect legislature

• = Separation of Powers

Parliamentary

• People elect legislature

• Legislature chooses executive from among themselves.

• = Fusion of Powers

People vote for legislature

Legislature votes for executive

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Presidential Government Parliamentary Government

Relationship between Legislative and Executive Branches

1. In a democracy,

(a) independent states form an alliance.

(b) supreme political authority rests with the people.

(c) those who rule cannot be held responsible to the will of the people.

(d) the rule by a few, select individuals regulates the will of the people.

2. The United States government has the following characteristics:

(a) federal, presidential, and democracy.

(b) unitary, presidential, and democracy.

(c) confederate, parliamentary, and dictatorship.

(d) unitary, parliamentary, and dictatorship.

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1. How have the ideas of Carl

Marx and Adam Smith

changed governments and

societies?

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Key Work: The Communist Manifesto

Wealth and production controlled by the state, then distributed to the population

No private property

"From each according to his ability, to each according to his need."

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Carl Marx (1818-1883)

Key Work: The Wealth of Nations

Free Trade/Free Market. few restrictions on businesses

Private ownership of all capital

The "invisible hand" of the market produces just enough goods and keeps prices low.

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Adam Smith (1723-1790)

Free enterprise includes:

• Private or corporate ownership of capital goods,

• Investments determined by private decisions,

Mixed Economy:

• Free enterprise + government regulation (health, safety, environment)

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Continuum of Economic Systems

Communism Socialism Laissez-faire (free-market)

capitalism

Mixed Economy

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1. In a free enterprise system, the means of capital are owned

(a) by private and corporate entities.

(b) by government agencies.

(c) by only the agricultural sector.

(d) equally by the collective citizenry.

2. Should the market of goods and services bought and sold be regulated by government? Explain why or why not in three or four complete sentences.

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