Unit 1: Principles of Government

Essential Questions

• Why should we study government?• Is government necessary? • What is government?

Key Terms• State• Population• Citizenship• Territory• Government• Public Policy• Legitimacy• Sovereignty

The State

• What is a state?– Also called country, nation, nation-state

• Four Characteristics – Population– Territory– Government – Sovereignty

• Why wouldn’t Maryland be considered a state?

• Population– People that live in the state– 313.9 Million- Population of United States– 36, 896 Thousand- Population of Lichtenstein • Both States

– Legal distinction between its own people and foreigners• Citizenship & Allegiance

• Territory– Geographic area occupied by the state • Definite, recognizable boundary that separates one state

from the other

– Includes water, air space, and underground- including all natural resources

• Government– With authority to establish and enforce public policy– What would be examples of people? Institutions? – Public Policy• Any course of government action directed towards a national

goal

– Authority and Power• Must have right to make decisions others will follow

– Power is the government’s ability to make people accept those decisions

– Legitimacy• Do the people accept the government?• Do all government’s have legitimacy? What happens if it

doesn’t?

• Sovereignty – Political authority to act independently

1. Carry out own Foreign Policy2. Send and receive diplomats3. Protect its own territory

• Theories of Government– Force• Strongest govern

– Devine Right• Royal power comes from God

– The Social Contract• Idea that people had a role in Government not just rulers

Thomas Hobbes• Wrote about “State of

Nature” in Leviathan • Wrote during period of

English Civil War – How might that have

affected his views?• Pessimistic= people

should submit to absolute ruler to avoid state of nature

Thomas Hobbes