Transcript Power Point

Unit 1
Basic Political
Theory and
Historical Roots
Government
► What
would your lives have been like if,
from an early age, you were free to do
whatever you wanted without parental
oversight?
► What are the various roles of a parent?
► How
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Government
does government affect you?
Protection – military
Provides education
Guards public health
Protects the environment
Paves the streets and regulates traffic
Punishes criminals
Responds to fires and natural disasters
Cares for elderly and poor
Protects consumers and property owners
Government
► So
what is government?
 Definition: government is the institution
through which a society makes and enforces its
public policies.
What are public policies?
In short it is all of those things a government
decide to do.
Government
► Three
basic kinds of power:
 1. Legislative – power to make laws
 2. Executive – power to execute, enforce and
administer law
 3. Judicial – power to interpret laws, determine
their meaning, and to settle disputes
These powers are outlined in…
The Constitution!
Constitution
► What
is the constitution?
 The body of fundamental laws setting out the
principles, structures, and process of a
government.
 The Supreme Law of the land!
The Basic Unit
►The
foundational political unit in
the world is the state
 Body of people in a territory with a
government that has no higher
authority
 Examples: Mexico, Russia, Canada,
the United States are all states
The 4 Characteristics of a State
►Population
►Territory
►Sovereignty
►Government
Vice-President
Joe Biden
How Did States Evolve?
►4
► 1.
Theories:
Evolutionary
► 2. Force
How Did States Evolve?
►3.
Divine Right
 15th through 18th
centuries, common
thinking was that
God gave certain
people a “divine
right” to rule over
others
How Did States Evolve?
► 4.
Social Contract
 1700’s philosophical
response to the idea
of Divine Right
 Theory was
developed by John
Locke, Thomas
Hobbes, and Jean
Jacque Rousseau
John Locke
(1632-1704)
How Did States Evolve?
John Locke
(1632-1704)
►Social Contract
 Free people decided
to form states to
keep themselves
safe (popular
sovereignty)
 Locke believed all
persons are born
with certain rights
including life,
liberty, and
property.
The Big Deal is:
►If
people formed states to
serve their own interests,
then government exists to
serve the people
Purpose of Government
►
Based on the social contract theory, the purpose of
American government is to:
 Form a More Perfect Union
 Establish Justice
 Insure Domestic Tranquility
 Provide for the Common Defense
 Promote the General Welfare
 Secure the Blessings of Liberty
►*In case you’re curious, this is the Preamble to the
U.S. Constitution*
Constitution of
the United States
►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.
Different Forms of Government
based on Who Can Participate
 Democracy - “Government of the people, by the
people, for the people”
►Direct - people make policy themselves
►Indirect - people vote for others who will
make policy (also called republic)
► Classified
Different Forms of Government
based on Who Can Participate
 Dictatorship – government is not accountable to
anyone
►Autocracy – single person holds unlimited
power
►Oligarchy – a small, self-appointed group rules
► Classified
Different Forms of Government
► Classified
based on
Geographic Distribution
of Power
 Unitary – one national
government, smaller
lower units have little
or no say in policy
►Examples : Israel,
Great Britain,
France
Different Forms of Government
► Classified
based on
Geographic Distribution
of Power
 Federal – smaller
units share power
with the central
national government
►Examples : U.S.,
Mexico, Canada,
Australia
Different Forms of Government
► Classified
based on
Geographic Distribution
of Power
 Confederal – smaller
regional governments
hold the most power,
united by a weak
central government
►Examples :
European Union,
Confederate States
Different Forms of Government
based on Relationship between
Legislative (people writing the laws) and
Executive (people enforcing the laws)
 Presidential – voters separately elect
Executive and Legislative branch members
► Classified
Different Forms of Government
► Classified
based on Relationship between
Legislative and Executive Branches
 Parliamentary – Executive is chosen from
the Legislative branch
Basic Concepts of Democracy
►Worth
of the Individual
►Equality of All Persons
Not necessarily equal
conditions, but strive for
equal opportunity
Basic Concepts of Democracy
►Majority
Rule, Minority Rights
►Necessity of Compromise
►Individual Freedom