Principles of Government. Government and the State Government is the institution through which a society makes and enforces its public policies. Public

Principles of Government

Government and the State

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

• Public policies are all the things a government decides to do.

• Taxation, defense, education, and healthcare are examples of public policies.


• Government needs power to function – power is the ability to command or prevent action.

• Government has three basic forms of power– Legislative power– Executive power– Judicial power


• Legislative power is the power to make laws.

• Executive power is the power to execute, enforce, and administer laws.

• Judicial power is the power to interpret laws, determine their meaning and settle disputes.


• Who holds the power to run government makes a big difference.

• When one person or a small group holds all the power it is called a dictatorship.

• When the power is held by the majority of the people it is called a democracy.


• Government is one of the oldest human inventions – dating back ancient Egypt.

• Each state in the world has a form of government – and by state we do not mean United States.

• A state is a legal entity – also called a nation or a country.


• What do you need to make a state?– Population – The people who live there.– Territory – The land where the state is, defined

by clear boundaries.– Sovereignty – All of the governing power is

controlled by the state.– Government – The state has the ability to

make and enforce public policies.


• Scholars have identified four ways in which a state is created.

• 1. Force Theory – An individual or group claimed control over a territory using force.

• 2. Evolutionary Theory – A population formed out of primitive families and heads of the state were named.


• 3. Divine Right Theory – God created the state and chose the leaders while the people must obey or go against God.

• 4. Social Contract Theory – government protects people’s life, liberty, and property.

YOUR TURN TO WRITE

• What are the three basic forms of government power?

• What are the four characteristics of a state?

• Which two theories of the origin of the state best describe the origin of dictatorships? Explain.

Preamble to the Constitution

• A constitution is the body of fundamental laws setting out the principles, structures, and processes of government.

• A preamble is an introduction – like to state your reasons for why you did something.

• Thus, the Preamble to the Constitution is an introduction to the fundamental laws in America.


• We the people of the United Sttes, 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.


• The preamble introduces six key points about the establishment of the American government.

• 1. Form a more perfect Union: To make sure that the states stayed unified and together.


• 2. Establish Justice: The laws of the United States must be reasonable, fair, and impartial.

• Even though the United States has not been perfect at achieving justice, we are constantly amending our laws to get there.


• 3. Insure domestic Tranquility: To make sure that law and order is followed in our society.

• Humans are not perfect – what would society be like without any laws or order?


• 4. Provide for the Common Defense: To defend the nation against foreign and domestic enemies.

• This is why the United States has an army, navy, air force and coast guard – to protect us as American citizens.


• 5. Promote the General Welfare: The government acts as a servant to us as Americans.

• Government provides schools, keeps our food and water safe, protects the air we breathe, and aids our transportation.


• 6. Secure the Blessings of Liberty: America was founded on the basis of liberty – that everyone possess individual freedoms.

• As American citizens we are protected under basic rights and no one should be allowed to take those away.

YOUR TURN TO WRITE

• Analyze the political cartoon on page 11 in the textbook, and answer the question below it.

• Which of the six purposes of government listed in the preamble is the most important? Why?

Forms of Government

• When you try to identify a type of government, use these three guidelines to help you.

• 1. Who can participate in the governing process.

• 2. The geographic distribution of power.

• 3. Relationship between legislative and executive branches.

Forms of Government

• Determining how much power the people have can help you identify the form of government.

• In a democracy, the people or majority hold the power over the government.

• However, not all democracies are the same.

Forms of Government

• For example, there are direct democracies in which the majority make all decisions.

• This works for small states where it is easy for the people to meet and the problems are small.

• The government of the United States is not a direct democracy.

Forms of Government

• Instead, the United States is an indirect democracy.

• People vote for representatives to serve in government offices to make decisions for them.

• A representative democracy is also called a republic.

Forms of Government

• The opposite of democracy is dictatorship.

• In a dictatorship, the rulers of a state cannot be held responsible to the will of the people.

• Dictatorships are the oldest and most common form of government in past history.

Forms of Government

• Just like democracies, not all dictatorships are the same.

• An autocracy is a government where one single person is in charge completely.

• An oligarchy is a government where a small group of people are in charge.

Forms of Government

• Some more notorious dictatorships from modern history are Nazi Germany, and the Soviet Union.

• Most dictatorships that exist today are ruled by small groups of people and hide behind fixed elections like China and Iran.

Forms of Government

• Geographic distribution of power analyzes where the government’s power is located.

• In a unitary government, all the power is held by a central agency.

• The central agency then allows power to flow to local governments throughout the state.

Forms of Government

• A federal government is different from a unitary government.

• In a federal government, certain powers are divided between a central agency and local governments.

• The United States, Australia, and Canada have federal style governments.

Forms of Government

• A confederate government is made through an alliance of independent states.

• Most of the power lies with the local government, and the central government only controls issues like defense.

• The European Union is an example of a confederation in today’s world.

Forms of Government• Governments are also classified by the

relationship between the legislative and executive branches.

• A presidential government balances power between the executive and legislative branch.

• The United States is a presidential government.

Forms of Government• In a parliamentary government, the executive

branch is made up of the prime minister and his/her cabinet.

• The majority political party in parliament chooses the prime minister.

• When the majority party loses power, a new prime minister is chosen by the new majority.

YOUR TURN TO WRITE

• What is the difference between an autocracy and an oligarchy?

• Analyze this quote from Alexander Pope: “For forms of government let fools contest, whatever is best administered is best.” Paraphrase this quote and explain whether you agree with it or disagree with it?

Concepts of Democracy

• “No government demands so much from the citizen as Democracy, and none gives so much back.”

• What do you make of this quote?

• What does democratic government demand from you?

• What does it give you?


• Democracy in America rests on these basic notions:– 1. Equality in voting.– 2. Equality of all persons.– 3. Individual freedom.– 4. Majority rule and minority rights.– 5. Voluntary consent to be governed.


• Equality in Voting:

• Citizens need equal opportunity to express their preferences about policies and leaders.

• Democracy is based on the idea that individuals vote to determine public policy.


• Equality of all persons:

• Even though we are all not created the same, we believe we should be treated equally.

• Equality of opportunity, and equality before the law.


• Individual freedom:

• All individuals may do as they like, as long as their actions do not violate the rights of others.

• “The right to swing my fist ends where the other man’s nose begins.” – Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes.


• Majority rule, and minority rights:

• Democracy is the voice of the people – therefore majority rules.

• However, the majority must be willing to listen and compromise with the minority view for democracy to stay strong.


• Voluntary consent to be governed:

• This goes back to the social contract theory – democracy only works if the people believe in the government.

• The people agree to be governed.

Concepts of Democracy• Voluntary consent to be governed also means

that people have duties and responsibilities to government.

• However, there is a difference between a duty and a responsibility.

• Duties are requirements of every citizen, while responsibilities are encouraged of every citizen.


• Duties include: – Serving on a jury.– Serving as a witness when called.– Attending school.– Pay taxes.– Register for draft (men only).– Obeying laws.– Respecting the rights of others.


• Responsibilities include:– Voting– Volunteering– Participate in civic life.– Understand the workings of our government.

YOUR TURN TO WRITE

• List and explain the five principles of democracy.

• Differentiate between duties and responsibilities of citizenship in the United States and give two examples of each.

Free Enterprise and Wrap-Up

• America’s commitment to freedom does not stop with democracy.

• America also believes in a free enterprise system when it comes to the economy.

• Americans have the freedom to economically grow as they wish.


• Free Enterprise, also known as Capitalism, is based on four factors:– 1. Private ownership of capital goods.– 2. Investments made by private decision, not

government direction.– 3. Profit.– 4. Competition.


• The successes or failures of American business are determined by the market-place…..or supply and demand.

• However, this does not mean government sits out of the economy completely.

• Government regulates the economy to protect the consumer and protect private industry.


• The question remains debated today – how much should government be involved with business?

• The answer is found in everyone’s political philosophy – or a set of notions or ideas about how people should be governed.


• Your political philosophy drives your political opinion.

• People choose to get involved in politics with other people who share their interests – and they see those interests being affected by governemnt.


• If the people feel that the government is no longer working for them they have options.

• They can use the power of democracy to vote for changes to be made.

• Or they can use force and overthrow the government – also called a revolution.


• Revolutions have occurred numerous times throughout history.

• The United States of America was developed as a direct result of a revolution.

• The goal of a revolution is to make a better system of government.


• So, how do you know when a government is the right one?

• “The legitimate object of government, is to do for a community of people whatever they need done, but cannot do at all, or well, for themselves.” – Abraham Lincoln.

YOUR TURN TO WRITE

• Defend the free enterprise system in America using the four fundamental factors it is based on. Explain how it works, and why it works.

• What is the goal of a revolution? How is it achieved?

Documents

Principles of Government. Government and the State Government is the institution through which a society makes and enforces its public policies. Public