Beginnings of Government

The First Governments

• Formed in the areas of early farming civilizations.– “Cradles” of Agriculture

• Mesopotamia • Egypt• Indus River• China

Purpose for Government

• Maintain Social Order• Prevent Violence• Provide Public Services• Enforce decisions and Rules

First Written Code of Law

• Hammurabi’s Code– Originated in Mesopotamia

(present day Iraq)– Published on rock slabs– Strict Capital and Corporal

Punishment– An “eye for an eye”

mentality

What is Government?

Government enables a society to protect the peace and carry out its policies

The State

What makes a state?• Population• Territory• Sovereignty• Government

Major Political Ideas

• There are four theories that explain how governments started– Force…a person or group forced

control over an area and people– Evolution…states grew out of

families and groups of families– Divine Right…power given by god– Social Contract…people allow to be

governed in return for security

There have been many forms of Government.

• Some based directly on the needs of the individual, others look out for the good of the whole group

• Combinations exist within these different systems and no two countries have had the exact same form of government; each putting their own “spin” on things.

Classifying Governments

Who can participate…Democracy, Dictatorship and Oligarchy

Distribution of Authority…Unitary, Federal and Confederate

Relationship between Legislative and Executive functions…President or Parliament

Evolution of Government

• Many different types have developed from Hammurabi’s code and most of them can be divided into two groups:

– Emphasis on the individual or group

Individual Emphasis

• Oldest and most widespread• The rights of the Individual are

important• Individuals have different abilities and

should be allowed to fulfill their station in life

• Some are fit to lead and some to follow

Earliest Form of Government

• One Ruler (Monarchy)• One person has the authority.• This authority differs according to the

different types of one-person rule.

Absolute Monarchy

• The Law is whatever the Monarch says it is.– Efficient system, however,

it benefits one person.– Often a divine claim to

rule.– Propensity to be autocratic

or self-serving.

Dictatorship

• Characterized by a strong military and institutionalized nationalism.

• Judgments come swiftly and dissent is not condoned.

• Examples:– Hitler and Mussolini (Fascists)

Adding to the Monarchy

• Rising complexity brought about the need to increase the number of rulers

• Oligarchy- Rule by few• A small group of people would rule

with all others serving their needs

Curtailing the Monarch

• Constitutional Monarchy– Great Britain is an

example. They have a Queen but power is shared with Parliament

– Japan is another example

Sharing Power

• People were becoming educated and demanded more say in the way things were

• Democracy-Rule by the people• Earliest Democracies originated in

Africa and in pre-Columbus America. Greece may not have been the first

Making Democracy Work

• A Republic is a democracy where representatives are elected to speak and vote for the people

• Much more efficient, you don’t have to have every single person’s vote or input

• “…and to the REPUBLIC for which it stands.”

The Purpose of Government

“We the People of 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.“

Preamble of the U.S. Constitution

The Basic Notions

• Worth of the individual• Equality of all people• Majority Rule; Minority Rights• Necessity of Compromise• Individual Freedom

Democracy and the Free Market• Definition of 'Free Market'

A market economy based on supply and demand with little or no government control.

Supply and Demand

Reality of a Mixed Economy

• Government Socialism Programs• Progressive Tax System• Unemployment Insurance• Social Security• Medicare

Government Regulation of Market

• Financial Regulation of Banking

• Regulation of natural monopolies (electric company, etc.)

• Busting monopolies

English Concepts

Ordered Government…recognition of the need for an ordered society

Limited Government…should not be all-powerful

Representative…should serve the will of the people

English Documents

• Magna Carte…1215…forced upon the monarch to limit government

• Petition of Rights…1628…extended individual rights and empowered Parliament

• Bill of Rights…1688…to prevent abuse by the monarch and solidified rights of the individual and Parliament

Social Contract

• John Locke• Foundation for Modern Democracy• Treatise of Government Reading

Emphasis on the Group

• Capitalism became target for criticism, especially by the middle of the 1800’s.

• Many felt this was exploiting the workers; making the rich, richer and the poor, poorer.

• Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels assembled a document that attacked capitalism and addressed the principals of a new system…

Communism

• The Communist Manifesto and the ideas they spelled out were how things were to be in the future.

• According to Marx, the bourgeoisie (Owners and managers of factories) and the aristocracy (Super-rich) were opposing the proletariat (Workers).

Marxist Thought

• The capitalist system: – leads to the exploitation of the workers – leads to a multi-level system of varying

levels of happiness– the system will collapse under itself when

the workers get sick of it, kill their leaders, and establish a workers state

State Economy• The Government owns factories

and other means of production.• Wages are set by a person’s

needs and each would work at the job set for his abilities.“To each according to his

needs; from each according to his abilities.”

• What, how much to produce, and how much to charge is also decided by the Government.

Examples

•China (transition)•North Korea•Viet Nam (transition)

•Denmark – not state run but extensive social welfare•Finland – high taxes = 100% literacy

The Growth of Socialism

• From Communism and Marxism came Socialism– less drastic—it embraces capitalism– Most countries (U.S. for instance) have

incorporated socialist ideas into their policies

– Seattle City Council member Kshama Sawant

– http://www.seattle.gov/council/sawant/

Socialism in U.S. “Free Market”

• Controls (regulates) businesses and maintains them but does not own them

• Involves “Social Programs” to help those who are unable to provide for themselves– Minimum Wage– Social Security (Elderly and disabled)– Food Stamps (Families w/Children)

• Recent survey said, Half of US social program recipients believe they "have not used a government social program"

Political Spectrum

• Based on 19th Century French Legislature.

• Those who places more emphasis on the individual were on the right and those who were oriented towards the group oriented forms on the left.

Political Spectrum

Don’t want any Government?

• Anarchy or No Rule.• More common after the spread of

communist and socialist governments.• Some see it as an “individual” based

idea because it leaves everyone for themselves.

• Others see it as a “group” emphasized form because everyone is forced to work for the benefit of others…