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What is Government?• Government is the institution where a
society makes and enforces public policies.o Public Policies are all of the things a government
decides to do.• Taxes, Defense, Education, Crime, Healthcare,
Transportation, Environment, Civil Rights, Working Conditions…
• Gov’t must have the power to carry out public policies.
3 Basic Gov’t Powers• http://www.flocabulary.com/3-branches-of-government/
• Legislative Powero The power to make laws and to frame public policies.o Congress (Senate & House)
• Executive Powero The power to execute, enforce, and administer laws.o President
• Judicial Powero The power to interpret laws, to determine their meaning,
and to settle disputes that arise within the society.o Supreme Court and Lower Courts
Who Gets the Power?• Dictatorship
o Power held by a single person or small group.
• Democracyo Power rests with the majority of the people.o USA! USA! USA!
The State• State The dominant political unit in the world.
o Body of people, living in a defined territory, organized politically, and with the power to make and enforce law w/o the consent of any higher authority.
o State is a legal entity, nation is an ethnic term, country is a geographic term
• Population o People of the state; May or may not be homogenous.
• Territoryo State’s need land w/ known boundaries.
• Sovereigntyo Every state is sovereign = power is in it’s own hands.
• Governmento Every state is politically organized; Has a government.o Without government “chaos”.
Origin of the State• Four theories try to explain why states came into
being.• The Force Theory
o One person/Small Group claimed control over an area and forced all within it to submit to their rule.
• The Evolutionary Theoryo State developed naturally; Primitive family where one person was
head of the “government” and evolved into a network of related families; Once agriculture was developed and people were tied to the land the state was born.
• The Divine Right Theoryo God created the state and God had given royal a “divine right” to
rule.
• The Social Contract Theoryo The state exists to serve the will of the people; They can choose to
give or withhold power.o People give up some of their freedoms to a government in
exchange for safety.
Purpose of Government?
• http://www.flocabulary.com/us-constitution/
• You can find the purpose of government in the Constitution of the United States:
Purpose of Gov’t• Form a More Perfect Union
o Strength is in the union of the states.
• Establish Justiceo TJ believed that providing justice is the most sacred duty
of the gov’t; Law must be reasonable, fair, and impartial.
• Insure Domestic Tranquilityo Peace at home is essential to the well-being of society.
• Provide for the Common Defenseo Defending the nation against enemies is major
responsibility of gov’t.
• Promote the General Welfareo Gov’t provides services that benefit all or most people.
• Secure the Blessings of Libertyo Freedom; People must be willing to protect our rights and
liberties.
Review• Every state must have ___________________
o a. a homogeneous population.o b. a constitution.o c. territory with recognized boundaries.o d. a legislature.
• Which theory holds that God created the state and made it sovereign?o a. divine right theory o b. social contract theoryo c. evolutionary theory o d. force theory
• “The law must be reasonable, fair and impartial.” This is a definition of the concept ofo a. the common defense. o b. domestic tranquility.o c. the general welfare. o d. justice.
• A state differs from a nation in thato a. nations need territory, but states do not.o b. a state is a legal entity.o c. states are always formed by force.o d. the word state refers to races or other groups of people.