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Introduction to Government

Pre-Write: What is Government?

(2 minutes)

Write the entire time even if

you go off topic. Writing hand

moves the whole time.

Brainstorm Ideas:

• Government is…

• Government is…

• Government is…

• Government is…

“Government is the

institution through

which society makes

and enforces its public

policies.”

Institution:

Structure of order governing behavior

of people in a community.

Public Policies:

Everything a government decides to

do… like provide interstate highways,

an educational system, health care,

etc…

Countries and Continent Review

• Group #1: List all countries in Europe.

• Group #2: List all countries in Asia.

• Group #3: List all countries in Africa.

• Group #4: List all countries in South America

• Group #5: List all countries in Central America

Compare and Contrast

• Different• Common

What Four Things Characterizes a

“State”? (Nation)

Sovereignty• The ability to make decisions for yourself.

Government• The institution through which society

makes and enforces public policies

Population• Every state must have people

Population Expectations for 2050.

Territory• A state must have known and recognized

borders

Pre-Write

When did Government Begin?

(2 minutes)

Write the entire time even if

you go off topic. Writing hand

moves the whole time.

Origins of the State

•Force Theory

•Evolutionary Theory

•Divine Right Theory

•Social Contract Theory

Force Theory

• The state was established when one person claimed control

over an area and forced all within it to submit to their rule

Evolutionary Theory: Family

• The state was naturally established out of the early family

Evolutionary Theory: Village

Evolutionary Theory: Nations

Divine Right Theory

• The state was created by God and that God had given those of

royal birth a “divine right” to rule

Louis XIV

Social Contract Theory

Mayflower Compact: 1620• The state arose out of a voluntary act of free people and that the state

only exists to serve the will of the people, that they are the sole source of

political power, and they are free to give or withhold power as they

choose.

Pre-Write:

What is the Purpose of

Government?

(3 minutes)

Write the entire time even if

you go off topic. Writing hand

moves the whole time.

Brainstorm Ideas: Come to the board and write your thoughts.

• The purpose of government is…

• The purpose of government is…

• The purpose of government is…

• The purpose of government is…

Purpose of Government

Preamble to the United States Constitution

To Form a More Perfect Union

To Establish Justice

To Insure Domestic Tranquility

Eden Prairie, MN

Columbia, MD

Newton, MA

Bellevue, WA

McKinney, TX

Fort Collins, CO

Overland Park, KS

Fishers, IN

Ames, IA

Rogers, AR

To Provide for the Common

Defense

To Promote the General Welfare

To Secure the Blessings of Liberty

Geographic Distribution of Power

• Unitary Government:

– Central Government is all

powerful. Local units (like

states) exist with powers

only granted to it.

– Unitary does NOT mean

dictatorship. Many, like

Great Britain are

democratic states.

Geographic Distribution of Power

• Federal Government:

– Federal Government is one

in which the powers are

divided between both

central and local

governments

– United States, Mexico,

Canada, Germany, India

are all Federal

– Each of our 50 states are

unitary in form.

Geographic Distribution of Power

• Confederate Government:

– A Confederate Government

is an alliance between

independent states.

– Limited power in central

body. Commonly, defense

and foreign commerce.

– Articles of Confederation.

– Confederation of Southern

States.

Relationship Between Legislative &

Executive Branches

• Presidential Democracy

• Parliamentary Democracy

The Number who can Participate

One- “Autocracy”

Dictatorship-------------------Monarch

Many: First Democratic Election in

Post Apartheid South Africa

How Many People Want Cheese

on Their Hamburger? Direct Democracy

Everybody Votes

Should we put Cheese on all Hamburgers?

Too many people to count the votes

so….pick one Representative

Representative

Democracy

Forms of Government

Theocracy

• Rule by religious leaders

Aristocracy• Rule by nobles or “titled class”

Oligarchy• Rule by a small elite

Plutocracy• Rule by the wealthy

Gerontocracy

• Rule by elders

Power vs. Authority

• “Ability to influence someone to do something that he/she may not have wanted to do.”

• “The legitimate recognized ability to exercise a given power”

Ex: While a mob may have the power to lynch

a person suspected of wrongdoing the

government (court) is the body holding the

legitimate authority to exercise the punishment.

Inalienable Rights

• These are natural rights that are deemed

“self-evident” and “universal”. All people

have these regardless on country,

government or socioeconomic status.

– Life

– Liberty

– Property

– Happiness