[ 1.1 ] Principles of Government [ 1.1 ] Principles of Government

Key Terms

• Government - the institution through which a society makes and enforces its public policies

• public policies - all of the things a government decides to do

• legislative power - the power to make laws

• executive power - the power to execute, enforce, and administer laws

• judicial power - the power to interpret laws, to determine their meaning, and to settle disputes that arise within the society

[ 1.1 ] Principles of Government

Key Terms

• constitution - he body of fundamental laws setting out the principles, structures, and processes of a government

• dictatorship - form of government where those who rule cannot be held responsible to the will of the people

• democracy - form of government where supreme authority rests with the people

• sovereign - a state’s supreme and absolute power within its own territory

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What is a State?

[ 1.1 ] Principles of Government

• “country” or “nation” are more commonly used terms for the type of state being described here.

How States Arose

[ 1.1 ] Principles of Government

• The United States government finds it’s origins in Social Contract Theory.

What is the mission of a government?

• Form a More Perfect Union

• Establish Justice

• Insure Domestic Tranquility

• Provide for the Common Defense

• Promote the General Welfare

• Secure the Blessings of Liberty

• Patriotism

[ 1.1 ] Principles of Government

[ 1.2 ] Types of Government [ 1.2 ] Types of Government

Classifying Governments

• All governments are classified based on three questions…

• Who can participate in the government?

• What is the geographic distribution of power?

• What is the relationship between the Legislative Power (making the laws) and Executive Power (enforcing the laws)?

[ 1.2 ] Types of Government

Who Can Participate? Democracy

• Direct Democracy - Every person can create and vote on public policies.

• Direct Democracy doesn’t exist at the national level anywhere, is only used in small groups.

• Indirect Democracy - People vote for representatives to run the government on their behalf.

• The United States is an Indirect Democracy

[ 1.2 ] Types of Government

Who Can Participate? Republic, Dictatorship and Theocracy

• Republic - Government is run by representatives of the people.

• Dictatorship / Authoritarian - A single person (autocracy) or small group of people (oligarchy) run the government and the people have no say.

• Theocracy - Government based on religious law

Geographic Distribution of Power

• Centralized / Unitary Government Only having one government in a country

• Example - Great Britain

• Central and Local / Federal Government - Having multiple levels of government (ie National, State and Local)

• Example - United States

• Confederate States - A loose association of sovereign states

• Example - The European Union

[ 1.2 ] Types of Government

Geographic Distribution of Power

[ 1.2 ] Types of Government

Legislative and Executive Branches

• Presidential or Separation of Powers Between Branches of Government

• Voters elect a President (Chief Executive) and Legislature (Congress) separately

• Written Constitution are used to outline the separations of powers within a government

• Parliamentary Government

• Voters elect a Legislature (parliament), that then selects a Prime Minister (Chief Executive)

[ 1.2 ] Types of Government[ 1.4 ] The Basics of Democracy

[ 1.4 ] The Basics of Democracy

Key Terms• majority rule - running a government based on

the will of the people as represented by what the largest group of people want.

• compromise - an adjustment of opposing principles or systems by modifying some aspect of each in order to find the position most acceptable to the majority

[ 1.4 ] The Basics of Democracy

Foundations of Democracy• American Democracy relies on 5 Basic Concepts

• Worth of the Individual

• Equality of All Persons

• Majority Rule, Minority Rights

• Necessity of Compromise

• Insistence upon Individual Freedom

[ 1.4 ] The Basics of Democracy

Responsibilities, Duties, and Obligations of Citizenship

• In order for a democracy to thrive, the citizens involved must be informed and educated.

• A multitude of news sources are available today through the internet, television and radio.

• Citizens must use critical thinking skills to make sure the information they receive is valid and useful.

[ 1.4 ] The Basics of Democracy

Democracy and the Free Enterprise System• The four pillars are the basis for free enterprise, or

capitalism, in the United States.

[ 1.4 ] The Basics of Democracy

Democracy and the Free Enterprise System

• Free Enterprise System - An economic system, not a political system, based on four concepts: Private Ownership, Individual Initiative, Profit, and Competition. (aka Capitalism)

• The US has a mixed economy based on the Free Enterprise System.

• The main role of government in our mixed economy is to Regulate and Promote the economy.