Transcript Chapter 1 PPT

Chapter 1:
Principles of Government
Section 1: Government &
The State
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What is Government
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Institution through which a society makes and
enforces its public policies
Public Policies
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All the things the Government decides to do
What is Government (con’t)
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Every Government has three basic powers
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Legislative
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Executive
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To make law and public policies
To execute, enforce and administer law
Judicial
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Interpret laws and settle disputes
What is Government (con’t)
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These powers are determined by a country’s
Constitution
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The body of fundamental laws setting out the
principles, structures, and process of a Gov’t
These powers can be determined by a
single/small group of people (dictatorship) or
a large majority of the people (democracy)
The State
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A body of people, living in a defined territory,
organized politically (Aka they have a
Government)
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Called nations or country most often in the news
The State (con’t)
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Requirements to be a state
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Must have a population
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May or may not be homogeneous
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Must have a territory or boundaries
Must have sovereignty
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Supreme and absolute power within it’s territory
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Sharing common customs, language & Ethnic
Ex. The U.S. Constitution is supreme to the Missouri
Constitution
Must have a Gov’t
Origins of the State
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The Force Theory
Evolutionary Theory
Divine Right Theory
Social Contract Theory
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By contract, people within a given area agreed to
give up to the state as much power as was needed
to promote the safety and well being of all
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Came about during the Enlightenment from
Philosophers
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Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Jean Jacques Rousseau
Serves the will of the people
The Purpose of Government
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Preamble is the Thesis statement of the U.S.
Constitution
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“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.”
Purpose of Government (con’t)
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America is about Freedom
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Constant struggle today… individual freedom
versus the “Common Good”
Section 2: Forms of Government
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Classifying Government
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Who can participate in the governing process
The geographic distribution of government power
within the state
The relationship between legislative and
executive branch
Who can Participate
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Democracy
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“Government of the people, by the people, for the
people.” Abraham Lincoln
Direct Democracy
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Originated from Ancient Greeks
Everyone votes for public policy
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No representatives
Who Can Participate (Con’t)
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Indirect Democracy
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Most Common Form of Democracy
It is a representative government
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People vote for other people to do the law making and
executing
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Ex. Gov. Matt Blunt, Sen. Obama, Sen. McCain
If the representative does not do the will of the people,
they are not voted back in to Government
Who Can Participate (Con’t)
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Dictatorship
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The Government is not controlled by the people
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Two Forms
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Autocracy
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Single Person
Oligarchy
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Small Group
All Dictators are authoritarian
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Hold Absolute power
Who Can Participate (Con’t)
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Most modern dictators are totalitarian
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Control nearly every aspect of human affairs
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Hitler (Germany)
Stalin (USSR)
People’s Republic of China
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea)
Who Can Participate (Con’t)
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Modern dictators present/ hide beneath the
image of “Government for the people”
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Name
Rigged Elections
Controlled Legislative Branch
Propaganda
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Ex. Zimbabwe, North Korea
Geographic Distribution of Power
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Unitary Government
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Power is held to the Central Government
Federal Government
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Power divided between central government and
several local government
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The two groups must work together
Confederate Government
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An alliance of independent states
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Very weak or no central government
Example is the EU
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Though working towards a Federal style Government
Relationship between Legislative and
Executive Branches
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Presidential Government
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Executive and Legislative are independent of one
another and coequal
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They have the power to block each others actions
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AKA Separation of Powers
Parliamentary Government
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Executive branches is voted in by the Legislative
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Prime Minister and his cabinet are voted in by the
legislative branch
Thus they are not independent nor co-equal of
one another
Section 3: Basic Concepts of
Democracy
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Foundations
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Worth of the individual
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Equality of all persons
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Fight of individual versus society
Equality of opportunity
Equality before the law
Majority Rule, Minority Rights
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The majority will make more satisfactory decisions for
the “Common Good” than will a minority of people
However, Majority must listen and involve the minority
Foundations (Con’t)
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Necessity of Compromise
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Process of blending and adjusting competing
views and interest
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Due to our diversity in the U.S., compromise is
mandatory and difficult
Individual Freedom
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“The rights of every man are diminished when
the rights of one man are threatened” JFK
Democracy and the Freed Enterprise
System
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Free Enterprise System
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Law of Supply and Demand
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Four fundamental factors: Private ownership,
individual initiative, profit and competition
Market determines the price and supply
Mixed Economy
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Free market and some governmental regulation
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U.S. system is a mixed economy