People & Government St. 19

What is Philosophy? Definition #1: Definition #2: The Study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, existence. Definition #2: A set of views or theories of a particular philosopher concerning certain studies. Examples of Philosophies Christianity Communism Capitalism

Political Philosophies Political Philosophy The study of topics such as politics, liberty, justice, property, rights, law, and the enforcement of a legal code by authority What government is Why (or even if) they are needed What, if anything, makes a government legitimate? What rights and freedoms it should protect and why.

Political Philosophies Limited Government A political philosophy Government is restricted in what it may do, and every individual has certain rights that government cannot take away. What documents of the United States list rights the government cannot take away? ____________ ______________________ Why can’t the American government take those rights away?_______________________ _______________________________ Does our government today have limits? __________________________________________________________

Political Philosophies Rule of Law A Political Philosophy Similar to limited government The people, but ALSO the government must obey the law The government and its officers, in all they do are always subject to, never above the law. The government must enforce the law. Do you think our government follows this requirement today, in everything it does?

Governments: The State A community of people that occupies a definitive territory & has an organized government with the power to make & enforce laws without approval from any higher authority. Examples: The United States, South Korea, Cuba.

Governments: States 4 Characteristics of a State Sovereignty Supreme and absolute authority Every state has sovereignty (supreme authority) within its territory. Government Institution through which a state maintains social order, provides public services, & enforces decisions that are binding on all people living within the state.

Government: States 4 Characteristics of a State Population Every state has a certain amount of people. Territory States control certain geographic areas, and have boundaries. Every state, whether Democratic, Autocratic, Parliamentary, Presidential, Oligarchic, Federal, or Confederal, has these 4 characteristics.

Governments: The Nation Sizable group of people who are united by common bonds of race, language, custom, tradition, & sometimes religion. Nations have two goals: Peace & Security.

Government: Purpose 4 Purposes of Government Provide for and control the economic system Provide for national security and a common defense Provide public services Maintain social order Anarchy State of political disorder, when no government is functioning or governing. In a state of anarchy, none of the purposes of government are fulfilled.

Government Systems Types of Government Systems There are three types of government systems Unitary Federal Confederal Government Systems The relationship between a nation’s national government and its smaller governmental divisions can be described as unitary or federal.

Systems of Government: Unitary Unitary Government System of government in which all power is held by the national government. Power resides with the central government. Local government is secondary.

Systems of Government: Federal Federalism System of government in which sovereignty (power) is constitutionally divided between a central governing authority and constituent political units (such as states or provinces) Divides power between the national and state governments. The United States has a federal form of government. The 50 states of the U.S. are not considered “states” by definition because they do not have sovereignty. The 50 states share sovereignty with the central government.*

Systems of Government: Federal Federalism Federal Government The national government & the states are co-equal partners. The National government has powers that it alone can exercise The states have certain rights the National government cannot infringe upon Both National and state governments share certain concurrent powers. Concurrent powers: Shared powers of the National & State governments

Systems of Government: Confederate Confederate Government A loose Union of independent states.* Most power belongs to the local or regional governments. The central government has only limited power. It is an alliance of independent governments that grant limited powers, usually involving defense or foreign affairs, to a central government. Example The Confederate States of America (1861-1865) In the CSA, states had more power than the national government.

Major Types of Government Ideas of the Greek Philosopher Aristotle Aristotle Aristotle asked a major question: Who governs the state? Under this classification, all governments belong to one of the three major types of government Autocracy Oligarchy Democracy

Major Types of Government: Autocracy System of government in which the power and authority to rule are in the hands of a single individual. Autocracies suppress political opposition.

Major Types of Government: Autocracy Monarchy In a monarchy, the head of government is the king or queen.*

Types of Government: Divine Right Theory The state has evolved from gods God has given those of royal birth the right to rule People must obey the monarch(King) as they would God. Opposition to this is sinful(against God) & considered treason. This had been the standard in European Kingdoms since they were created

Major Types of Government: Autocracy (Totalitarian) Dictatorships A dictator is an individual who rules without any limits or rules on themselves. Exists where those who rule cannot be held responsible to the will of the people. The government is not accountable for its policies, or how they are carried out. It is the oldest, & most common form of government in history. There are three kinds of dictatorship: Autocracy, Oligarchy, and totalitarian.

Major Types of Government: Oligarchy A major type of government according to Aristotle A small group holds complete power & sovereignty. Rule by a few powerful people A small elite group shares political power.

Social Contract Theory The belief that the origin of the state is in a social contract. Social Contract: Idea that by contract, people surrender to the state the power needed to maintain order & the state, in turn, agrees to protect its citizens.

Major Types of Government: Democracy Government in which people control the government. Political Authority rests with the people People living in a democracy have more freedom than under any other form of government. The concept of democracy originated in ancient Greece & Rome. Aristotle was a Greek Philosopher; he was one of the first philosophers of government. Constitution A plan that provides for the rules of government.

Types of Government: Democracy 5 Characteristics of a Successful Democracy Active Citizen Participation Citizens are encouraged to participate in elections & vote for candidates. Widespread Education Strong Civil Society Individual opportunity & individual liberty for all. Political parties compete to give voters a choice. Favorable Economy Social Consensus

Types of Government: Democracy 2 Kinds of Democracy Direct Also called pure democracy Occurs when the will of the people translates directly into public policy Generally, direct democracies function better in smaller societies. Because of a direct democracy’s smaller size, voters are able to vote on every single issue, instead of having to rely on representatives.

Types of Government: Democracy Indirect (Representative Democracy) A Representative Democracy is a Republic. group of persons chosen by the people express the will of the people. These representatives (delegates) make laws & govern for their constituency. This is called a representative government. Larger societies find it necessary to have an indirect democracy. The United States has a representative democracy.* In a Republic (indirect democracy), voters hold sovereign power

Larger societies find it necessary to have an indirect democracy. The United States has a representative democracy.* In a Republic (indirect democracy), voters hold sovereign power

Types of Government: Presidential Presidential Government Form of government in which the executive & legislative branches of the government are separate, independent, and coequal. A President is head of the executive, and is independent and co-equal to the legislative. The United States has a presidential form of government. France also has a presidential form of government.

Types of Government: Parliamentary Parliamentary Government Form of Government in which the executive branch is made up of the prime minister, or premier, and the official’s cabinet. A majority of world governments use this system in 2012. It lacks some checks & balances, but does promote cooperation between the executive & legislative branches.

Types of Government: Parliamentary Prime Minister Head of the leading party in Parliament. He chooses cabinet members for his administration from Parliament. He is the equivalent of a President in Presidential government. If Parliament loses confidence in the Prime Minister, it can hold new elections at that time & form a new government.