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Once Upon A Time…. Purposes and Origins of Governments. “Nation-States” (Define). Nation-States. “Nation-State” = a country / nation Examples: The U.S., Brazil, Lithuania, France, Sweden, Russia, etc. What makes a nation-state a nation-state? (What makes a country a ‘real country ’?).
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Once Upon A Time… Purposes and Origins of Governments
Nation-States • “Nation-State” = a country / nation • Examples: The U.S., Brazil, Lithuania, France, Sweden, Russia, etc. • What makes a nation-state a nation-state? (What makes a country a ‘real country’?)
4 Characteristics of a Nation-State • Territory—you gotta have somewhere to put your people. • People—you gotta have someone to live in your territory. • Sovereignty—must be in charge of what happens inside your boundaries. • Government—someone has to rule and make decisions on behalf of the nation.
Why Do We Want / Need Government? What Do We Want It To Do? (Discuss)
Common Purposes of Governments: • Protection from the outside (goes with ‘sovereignty’ from a few slides back) • Protection from one another on the inside • Resolution of conflicts between citizens • Infrastructure (transportation, communication, public buildings, etc.)
Common Purposes of Governments: • In modern times, governments are often expected to make some provision for the poor, the sick or disabled, the elderly, etc. • In modern times, governments are often expected to exercise regulatory power over businesses which impact public welfare.
Common Purposes of Governments: • In the 21st Century U.S., there is an ongoing debate about just what government should and should not be involved in.
How Did ‘Government’ Begin? There are 4 basic theories as to how government evolved…
How Did ‘Government’ Begin? • Familial Evolution (Parents held natural authority over children from prehistoric times. As families grew larger or combined, elders made natural leaders by being older, more knowledgeable, and wiser. Over time, those most able to lead effectively took over from those who just happened to be oldest or have the most offspring.)
How Did ‘Government’ Begin? (One tribe conquers another and imposes its rules on the defeated. This requires structure to maintain and leadership begins expanding to become “government.”) • Familial Evolution • Force Theory
How Did ‘Government’ Begin? • Familial Evolution • Force Theory • Divine Right Theory (Rulers inherit their power from God or via religious authority. Defiance of the ruler either directly or indirectly represents defiance of god, the gods, the church, or whatever.)
How Did ‘Government’ Begin? • Familial Evolution • Force Theory • Divine Right Theory • Social Contract Theory (Humans develop government and choose rulers to establish order and promote security in a chaotic natural world. By agreeing to cooperate and follow an agreed-upon set of rules, man can have relative order and safety. Power comes from the governed, not from above.)
How Did ‘Government’ Begin? • Familial Evolution • Force Theory • Divine Right Theory • Social Contract Theory (This is the one on which many of our founding documents and ideals are based. Society & Government are based on mutual agreement and mutual interests, and government exists primary to protect the rights of the individuals it serves. This is not a given in other times & places.)
What Do All Governments Have In Common? • What do you need in order to protect your nation-state from outside nation-states? • What do you need to protect your citizens from one another? • What do you need so people will obey the laws, follow the rules, and otherwise respect your authority? • What do you need to build, take care of, regulate, or otherwise do all that stuff we talked about governments doing?
* Power * • It takes power to protect, to organize, to control, to coordinate, etc. • Power can = guns and soldiers, or come from respect for the system, or control of major resources, or a link to the divine or…? • Power can be concentrated in the hands of one person, or a small group, or distributed among many.
Who Holds The Power = Type of Government
Some Common Types of Government 1. Democracy (Direct Democracy) – Rule by the People 2. Republic (Indirect Democracy) – Citizens elect representatives to make and enforce laws 3. Monarchy – Rule by a King or Queen (or Emperor, Czar, etc.) 4. Aristocracy / Oligarchy – Rule by a small number of wealthy, educated people. Many monarchies aristocracies. 5. Dictatorship – Rule by one person or a group of people. Very few dictators admit they are dictators. 6. Democratic Republic –A common misnomer preferred by governments that are neither democratic nor republics. Communist dictatorships especially like this term.
Economic Systems Often Impact Governmental Structure Scarcity is the fundamental challenge confronting all individuals and nations. We can't always get what we want. How we deal with these limitations “Economic System” (1) Traditional Economic Systems: The work people do, the goods and services they provide, how they use and exchange resources, follow long-established patterns. Things don’t change very much over time, and individuals don’t have much financial or occupational mobility. Things are predictable, and community interests tend to take precedence over individual desires. Today, mostly found only among very small tribes who are not particularly “modernized.”
Economic Systems Often Impact Governmental Structure (2) Command System / Planned Economy: The government controls the economy. The state decides how to use and distribute resources. The government regulates prices & wages, and possibly what sorts of work individuals do. As you might have gathered, this sort of economic system tends to require a strong central government to enforce its dictates. It tends to work best with oligarchies / dictatorships. The old Soviet Union, Communist China, and North Korea are examples.
Economic Systems Often Impact Governmental Structure (3) Market Economy: Economic decisions are made by individuals. The unfettered interaction of individuals and companies in the marketplace determines how resources are allocated and goods are distributed. In its purist form, the government is entirely absent from economic affairs. This sort of economy tends to go with a democratic form of government. The U.S. in the late 19th century was the closest thing we’ve seen to a pure market economy in action.
Economic Systems Often Impact Governmental Structure (4) Mixed Economic System:Combines elements of the market and command economy. Many economic decisions are made in the market by individuals, but the government also plays a role in the allocation and distribution of resources. The United States today, like most advanced nations, is a mixed economy. The eternal question for mixed economies is just what the right mix between the public and private sectors of the economy. The discussion can become… fervent. Many world powers today have variations of Mixed Economic Systems. Some are moving from more Controlled Economies to greater freedom, others (like the U.S.) are moving from unfettered capitalism towards a more closely managed system.
Other Big Questions • Purpose of “Essential Questions” • Rules for “Essential Questions” • Better “Essential Questions”?
