American Government

American Government C H A P T E R 1Principles of Government

Objectives Define government and the basic powers every government holds. Describe the four defining characteristics of a state. Identify four theories that attempt to explain the origin of the state. Understand the purpose of government in the United States and other countries.

Key Terms government: the institution through which a society makes and enforces public policies public policies: all the things a government decides to do legislative power: the power to make laws executive power: the power to enforce and administer laws judicial power: the power to interpret laws dictatorship: a government in which all power rests with an individual or small group

Key Terms, cont. democracy: a government in which supreme authority rests with the people state: a body of people, living in a defined territory, with a government that can make and enforce law without the consent of any higher authority sovereign: to have supreme and absolute power within a territory divine right: the theory that governments gain their authority from the will of God

Notes What is government and what is its purpose? Government is the institution which policies are made for a society while allowing a society to make and enforce public policies. Every government has three basic powers. legislative powerto make laws executive powerto enforce laws judicial powerto interpret laws and settle disputes.

Notes Basic Types of Government In a dictatorship, all powers are held by one person or group. In a democracy, authority lies with the people. The U.S. government gives executive power to the President, legislative power to Congress, and judicial power to the Supreme Court.

Notes The state States are the main unit of government in the world today. There are more than 200 states, varying greatly in size, population, and power. Every state has four basic characteristics: population, territory, sovereignty, anda government.

Notes • Every state has a population, whether large or small, diverse or homogeneous. • China has a large population that is reflected in its landscape. • A state must have territory, land with known and recognized boundaries.

Notes Every state has sovereignty, the absolute power within its own territory to decide domestic and foreign policies. Each state has a government, a political organization to make and enforce its policies.

Notes Origins of the State Many theories have been developed to explain the origins of the state. These include the force theory, the evolutionary theory, the divine right theory, and the social contract theory.

Notes • The force theory holds that an individual or group claims control over a territory and forces the population to submit. • The state then becomes sovereign and those in control form a government.

The evolutionary theory says that a population formed out of primitive families. The heads of these families became the government. When these families settled in one territory and claimed it as their own, they became a sovereign state. Notes

The divine right theory holds that God created the state, making it sovereign. The government is made up of those chosen by God to rule a certain territory. The population must obey their ruler. Notes

The social contract theorywas developed by philosophers such as Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean Jacques Rousseau and has had the greatest influence on United States government. Social Contract Theoryholds that the people chose (volunteered) to give the state enough power to promote the well-being of everyone and that all political power comes from the will of the people. Notes

Again: This theory holds that the people entered a voluntary contract with the state in which they provided it with power in exchange for the state providing safety and promoting the well-being of the people. In this theory all political power is based upon the will of the people.

Social contract theory holds that the people can withhold power from an unjust government.

Notes: The main purposes of government are described in the Preamble of the Constitution of the United States: “We the People of the United States, 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.” • You Will need to be able to write this on your first test Word for Word; 50 Points!!! Preamble

Notes- Six Purposes of Government (cont) • Six Purposes of Government • Form a more perfect union • In union there is strength- uniting the state governments and the American people • Articles of Confederation: “Firm league of friendship” = epic fail. Couldn’t enforce anything.

Notes- Six Purposes of Government (cont) 2. Establish Justice • No purpose can be of greater importance in a democracy • The law, in both its content and administration, must be reasonable, fair, and impartial.

Notes- Six Purposes of Government (cont) • Insure domestic tranquility • Keeping the peace at home- providing law and order. • Government offers domestic tranquility, or peace at home • Government provides for the nation’s defense by maintaining armed forces and safe-guarding national security.

Notes- Six Purposes of Government (cont) 4. Provide for the common defense • Defending against foreign invaders • Mentioned more in the Constitution than any other function of the gov. • Entails both foreign policy and defense

Notes- Six Purposes of Government (cont) • Promote the general welfare • Servant of its citizens • Public schools, quality of air, quality of drinking water,

Notes- Six Purposes of Government (cont) • Secure the blessings of liberty • by guaranteeing many individual rights and liberties • Prized above all • “the God who gave us life gave us liberty at the same time.” Thomas Jefferson • These freedoms are absolute—you are not free to violate the liberties of others.

Some Inspiration American Trinity

Purpose of Government, cont. • Each generation must strive for patriotism by learning and protecting these freedoms. • What does the phrase “thank your lucky stars” in the political cartoon at right refer to?

Review Now that you have learned about what government is and what its purpose is, answer this Essential Question and turn it in. Is government necessary?

Key Terms autocracy: government in which a single person holds all political power oligarchy: government in which a small, usually self-appointed group has the sole power to rule unitary government: a government in which all power belongs to one central agency federal government: a government in which power is divided between one central and several local governments

Key Terms, cont. division of powers: the split of power between central and local governments confederation: an alliance of independent states presidential government: a government with separate executive and legislative branches parliamentary government: a government in which the executive branch is part of the legislative branch and subject to its control

Notes: Governments can be classified by three different standards: (1) Who can participate in the governing process. (2) The geographic distribution of the governmental power within the state. (3) The relationship between the legislative (lawmaking) and the executive (law-executing) branches of the government.

Notes 1. Who can participate in the governing process. A. Democracy In a direct orpure democracy, Everyone votes on everything. The people pass laws by discussing and voting on them in meetings, such as town meetings. This system works only in small communities.

Notes: Who can participate (cont) In an indirectorrepresentative democracy, the people elect agents who make and carry out the laws. These representatives rule with the consent of the governed and can be removed by the people at election time.

The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy. Most power lies with the Parliament, which is elected by the people. The queen is the head of state, while the head of government is the Prime Minister, who is the head of the leading party in Parliament. Example Democracies

Notes: Example Democracies, cont. • The United States is a constitution-based federal republic. • The President and members of Congress are chosen by the people. • The President is both Chief of State and Head of Government.

Notes B. Dictatorships In an autocracy, one person holds total political power, while in an oligarchy a small elite group shares political power. Both are forms of dictatorships, holding absolute and unchallenged authority over the people, who have no say in government.

Example Dictatorships • Some dictatorships are like that of China, where people can vote only for candidates from one political party and the legislature does whatever the dictatorship says. • Other dictatorships are like the one in Myanmar, where the military rules and there are no elections.

Notes 2. Classification by Geographic Distribution of Power A. In a unitary model, all power belongs to the central government, which may grant some powers to local governments. The powers of the central government may be limited or unlimited. Most governments in the world are unitary in form.

Notes: Classification by Geographic Distribution of Power B. A confederation is an alliance of independent governments that grant limited powers, usually involving defense or foreign affairs, to a central government. The European Union is similar to a confederation.

Notes: Classification by Geographic Distribution of Power C. In the federal model, power is divided between a central government and several local governments, usually according to a constitution. The U.S. and some 25 other States have federal forms of government.

Classification by the Relationship Between Legislative and Executive Branches

Notes 3. Based on the relationship between legislative and executive branches. A. Presidential Government- Separation of power between executive and legislative. Coequal, elected independently and have distinct powers. Invented by the US. “Western form of government.”

Notes B. Parliamentary Government- Executive branch is made up of the prime minister/premier and that official’s cabinet. All are members of the legislature (parliament). The party in parliament that is in power selects the prime minister. A majority of the world’s governments are parliamentary. lacks some checks and balances but promotes cooperation between the executive and legislative branches

Parliamentary Government, cont. The prime minister is the head of the leading party in Parliament and chooses cabinet members from the Parliament. If the Parliament loses confidence in the Prime Minister and cabinet, elections are held to form a new government.

Notes: Foundations The American concept of democracy rests on these five basic notions: (1) A recognition of the fundamental worth and dignity of every person; Each person is separate and distinct. However, the needs of the many sometimes outweigh the needs on the one. (2) A respect for the equality of all persons; equal opportunity, equal before the law

Notes (3)A faith in majority rule and an insistence upon minority rights; A majority of the people will be right more often than they are wrong, and they will be right more often than any ONE person (4)An acceptance of the necessity of compromise; Give and take, find the answer most acceptable to the largest number (5) An insistence upon the widest possible degree of individual freedom.Not complete freedom Complete freedom = anarchy “ the right to swing my fist ends where the other man’s nose begins.” Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. Government must never restrict the individual beyond necessity.

Notes: Democracy and the Free Enterprise System • The free enterprise system is an economic system characterized by private or corporate ownership of capital goods; investments that are determined by private decision rather than by state control; and determined in a free market. • Decisions in a free enterprise system are determined bythe law of supply and demand.

Notes • An economy in which private enterprise exists in combination with a considerable amount of government regulation and promotion is called a mixed economy. (Type in the US)

American Government