GOVERNMENT PRINCIPLES OF GOVERNMENT

WHAT IS GOVERNMENT?  Government is made up of those people who exercise government’s powers, and those who have authority over the people.  Government is the institution through which a society makes and enforces its public policies.

TURN TO A NEIGHBOR Why do you think that we need government in the first place? Why do you think that we need government in the first place? To understand that we need to take a look at some of the things that government provides:

WHAT IS THE GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBLE FOR?  DEFENSE  EDUCATION  CRIME PREVENTION  CIVIL RIGHTS  WORKING CONDITIONS  BUSINESS PRACTICES

STATE OF NATURE Historians say that government first appeared when people realized they could not survive without some way to regulate their own and their neighbor’s conduct. Historians say that government first appeared when people realized they could not survive without some way to regulate their own and their neighbor’s conduct.

THE STATE  The dominant political body in the world  A body of people living in a defined and organized territory  A state has the power to enforce law without consent of a higher authority

THE 4 CHARACTERISTICS OF A STATE  POPULATION  TERRITORY  SOVEREIGNTY  GOVERNMENT

TWO ORIGINS OF STATE  DIVINE RIGHT THEORY – The state is created by god. Thus the ruler has a divine right to rule. Some examples are:  Ancient Chinese, Aztec, Egyptian, Mayan

2 nd ORIGIN OF STATE – SOCIAL CONTRACT THEORY  Developed by John Locke, Thomas Hobbes, Jean Jacques Rousseau and other enlightenment philosophers.  Before the state, no person was subject to superior power. Individuals were as safe as their own physical power  Humans overcame this by agreeing to create a state

The social contract involves a choice: Liberty vs. Security  An example of this would be the security checkpoints at an airport  Turn to a partner  Come up with at least one example of a liberty (freedom) you give up for security

The former colonies gathered at the constitutional convention

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 PREAMBLE TO THE U.S. CONSTITUTION

CHAPTER 1, SECTION 2  FORMS OF GOVERNMENT  THERE ARE 3 CLASSIFICATIONS OF GOVERMENT

TURN TO A PARTNER: Come up with current or historic examples of each  Parliamentary  Dictatorship  Presidential

3 CLASSIFICATIONS OF GOVERNMENT  GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION OF POWER  RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LEGISLATIVE AND EXECUTIVE BRANCHES  THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO CAN PARTICIPATE

1) GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION OF POWER  Unitary Government – Only one governmental agency (Great Britain)  Federal Government – Powers of Govt. divided between a central government and several local government. (US, Australia, Mexico, Germany).  Confederate Government – Alliance between independent states

2) LEGSLISLATIVE AND EXECUTIVE  LEGISLATIVE BRANCH – WRITES LAWS  EXECUTIVE BRANCH – RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DAY TO DAY MANAGEMENT OF THE COUNTRY. ENFORCES LAWS

The chief executive of our government is: GEORGE W BUSH

Presidential vs. Parliamentary Government  Presidential Government features a separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches of the government. Branches are independent  Parliamentary Government – The executive is made up of the prime minister or premier and of that official’s cabinet.

3) THE NUMBER WHO CAN PARTICIPATE  What is a dictatorship?  A dictatorship exists where those who rule cannot be held responsible to the will of the people.  Dictatorship is the oldest, and most common form of government known  Examples – Fascist Italy, Nazi Germany, People’s Republic of China

WHAT IS A DEMOCRACY?  In a democracy, supreme political authority rests with the people.  Government is conducted by the consent of the people.  A democracy can be direct or indirect.  Indirect democracy can be a representative democracy, like the USA

CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING  WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A UNITARY AND A FEDERAL GOVERNMENT?  IS THE UNITED STATES A REPRESENTATIVE OR DIRECT DEMOCRACY?

CHAPTER 1 SECTION 3 BASIC CONCEPTS OF DEMOCRACY  DEMOCRACY WORD ASSOCIATION  WHAT ARE SOME WORDS THAT COME TO MIND WHEN YOU THINK OF THE WORD DEMOCRACY?

IS DEMOCRACY INEVITABLE?  Democracy is not inevitable  Democracy exists because we, the American people believe in its basic concepts

 A recognition of the fundamental worth of every person  A respect for the equality of all persons  A faith in majority rule and insistence on minority rights  It is necessary to compromise  An insistence on the widest possible degree of individual freedom BASIC CONCEPTS OF DEMOCRACY

FUNDAMENTAL WORTH OF THE INDIVIDUAL  Each individual worth and dignity must be respected and recognized by all other individuals  American society is striving towards this.  QUESTION: Today do we as a society recognize the worth of every individual?

EQUALITY OF ALL PERSONS  Thomas Jefferson “All men are created equal”  What does he mean by this?  A democracy does not insist that everyone is equal in every aspect such as intelligence, strength, compassion.  Everyone is entitled to an equality of opportunity, and equality before the law.

MAJORITY RULE AND MINORITY RIGHTS  How do you determine popular will?  Majority will has been the only answer  Majority is not always right, but a democracy cannot work without majority rule  However, unchecked, a majority could destroy the opposition and democracy

NECESSITY OF COMPROMISE  QUESTION: LET’S SAY YOU GET TOGETHER WITH A BUNCH OF FRIENDS AND YOU ALL CAN’T DECIDE WHERE YOU WANT TO GO TO GET DINNER.  EVERYONE HAS A DIFFERENT OPINION. HOW DO YOU DECIDE?

INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM  Absolute freedom can only exist in anarchy, or “A state of Nature”  “The right to swing my fist ends where the other man’s nose begins.” –Justice Oliver W. Holmes  What does this quote mean?

A democracy must strike a balance between the individual and the rights of the society as a whole