Roots of Government

Roots of Government

What is Government

• A government is the formal instrument or vehicle through which policies are made and the business of the state are conducted.

Philosophies of Government

• Prior to U.S. most countries in Europe were run by a king.

• During the Enlightenment , people began to question the “divine right” of kings.

• Q: What is meant by “Divine Right”?• Two English philosophers and one French philosopher,

Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau espoused the “social contract theory – requires all people to give their consent to be governed.

• Social Contract – An agreement between the people and the government signifying their consent to be governed.

• Mayflower Compact – Document written by the Pilgrims enumerating the scope of their government and its expectations of citizens.

Thomas Hobbes• One of two English social contract theorists.• Leviathan – treatise on government • Humanity’s natural state is one of war.• Without government life would be chaos.• “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short”• Struggle to survive against the evil of others.• Therefore, governments had to step on peoples rights and

liberties:• to control society.• To provide safeguards for property.• Single ruler to protect weak against the strong.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

• More optimistic about the state of nature.• Man has been corrupted by governments.• Governments were a source of power and

inequality which cause human alienation and corruption.

• The inequality in our lives would have been avoided by preserving the simple and solitary life that nature intended for us.

John Locke

• His position is between Hobbes and Rousseau.• Social contract to replace state of nature with a

system of government.• Believed in chief executive to administer laws.• This person should be limited by law or “social

contract” with the people governed.• Natural rights of men – Life, liberty, property• Thomas Jefferson based the Declaration on

Locke’s arguments.

Montesquieu

• Adopted the idea of a “social contract”• Believed that the best government is one that

fits the “peculiar character of its people.”• Theory of liberty – power to govern is best

when divided into branches with a system to check power with power.

• These philosophies and debates about government underlie current debates about the appropriate role of government.

• 1. Government is the solution to human needs and problems.

• 2. Government is often part of the problem.• 3. Government creates the social order that

protects its citizens.• 4. Government limits our freedoms.

Purposes of Government

• Community and nation-building – common language, norms and values, national identity.

• Security and Order – internal and external• Protecting rights – social rights, political rights,

economic property rights. Locke considered property rights of extreme importance for a prosperous community.

• Promoting Economic Efficiency and Growth – can ease results of market failure.

• Provide public goods ( clean air, national defense )

• Control externalities – costs not borne by the producer or consumer ex. Effects of toxic waste.

• Social Justice – redistribute wealth and resources.

• Protecting the weak – protect individuals and groups that cannot speak for themselves.

Government as the Problem

• Skepticism of government persists.• Two political and philosophical traditions are

critical of government.• 1. Libertarianism – criticize encroachment of

government on individual liberties.• 2. Anarchism – concerned with threats posed

to social communities.

• A. Destruction of communities – government destroys natural communities.

• Implies power and inequality among humaan beings.

• Stronger government becomes, the greater the inequalities of power.

• Strong governments create a “client society”

• B. Violations of basic Rights – can use power to violate essential rights.

• Examples – Nazi Germany, Stalin and the Soviet Union, the Taliban.

• Madison’s dilemma – create a government strong enough to be effective but not too strong.

• C. Economic Inefficiency – can distort and restrict economic potential.

• Many Third World countries the leader has destroyed the economy for personal gain.

• Can disrupt trade and lower peoples incentive to produce ( examples are Soviet Union and China.

• Government run industries are likely to be inefficient and complacent.

• D. Government for Private Gain – “rent-seeking”

• Government intervenes in the economy for personal gain and profit.

• Can turn into corruption.• Serious problem in underdeveloped countries.• “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts

absolutely”.

• E. Vested interests and Inertia – benefits to people in power leads to resistance to change.

• Benefits of government programs want to maintain the status quo.

• Example- Military observation post established during Spanish Armada remained for 400 years.

Types of Government

• Direct Democracy – members of the polity (decision makers) meet to discuss policy decisions and agree to majority rule.

• Indirect Democracy – citizens elect representatives to govern on their behalf.

• Authoritarian systems – policy makers chosen by someone other than the citizens.

• Monarchy – rule by hereditary kings.• Totalitarian – leader who rules in his own self-interest.

• Oligarchy – participation is conditioned by wealth or property, or privilege.

Geographic Distribution of Power

• Unitary Government – centralized government.

• All power held by a central agency• Local governments only have those powers

given to them by the central agency.• Example is Great Britain – all power is held by

Parliament.• Not to be confused with dictatorship.

• Federal government – powers divided between a central government and local governments.

• An authority superior to both governments makes this division of powers.

• In U.S. this is set up by the Constitution.• Other examples – Canada, Germany,

Switzerland, Australia.

• Confederate Government – a confederation is an alliance of independent states.

• A central government only handles those matters assigned to it by the states.

• Have little law-making power.• Vary rare in today’s world. • European Union is the closest to a

confederation today.

Relationship between Legislative and Executive Branches

• Presidential government – branches are separate, independent of one another, and coequal.

• Have powers that can be used to block actions by the other branch.

• U.S. is an example

• Parliamentary government – prime minister or premier and a cabinet.

• Both are members of the legislative branchg, or parliament.

• Prime Minister is usually the leader of the majority party.

• Cabinet members are chosen from Parliament.• Executive chosen by, part of, and controlled by

the legislature.