Principles of Government Mr. Reed Unit 1 Chapter 1 Section 1 Principles of Government Mr. Reed

The State State- a body of people living in a defined territory, organized politically, with the power to make and enforce laws

The State Nation-state- when the boundaries of a state and nation are the same

Essentials Features of a State There are four common essential features that make up a state in today’s society Population Territory Sovereignty Government

Population Most obvious, how many people, what do they look like, etc Also affects stability, if pop shares a general political and social consensus, agreement about basic beliefs, then government is usually stable Also affected by mobility

Territory Basically what they own, what are there boundaries Usually a source of major conflict May change as a result of: War Negotiations purchase

Sovereignty Key to being a state Means that state has the supreme and absolute authority within its territorial boundaries No state has right to interfere with other state (in theory)

Government Institution through which the state maintains social order, provides public services, and enforces decisions on all people living within the state Derive power from two sources: Legitimacy- willingness to obey the government Coercive force- police, judicial, and military institutions

Theories of the Origin of the State Evolutionary Theory- Head family serves as authority, until they eventually needed more organization

Theories of the Origin of the State Force Theory- government emerged when all the people of an area were brought under the authority of one person or group.

Theories of the Origin of the State Divine Right Theory- god or gods had chosen certain people to rule. To oppose was to oppose a god or gods and to commit sin and treason

Theories of the Origin of the State Social Contract Theory- theory that by contract, people surrender to the state the power needed to maintain order and the state, in turn agrees to protect its citizens Important People: John Locke and Thomas Hobbes

Social Contract Theory

Essential Needs of a Government (6) http://www.hippocampus.org/History%20%26%20Government?user=myKDE From beginning

The Purposes of Government Government has many purposes, but they will all fall somewhere under these four Maintaining social order Providing Public Service Providing National Security Making Economic Decisions

Maintaining Social Order People cannot live in groups without conflicts Provides ways of resolving conflicts among members of a group, such as making and enforcing laws

Providing Public Services Helps to provide essential services that people cannot provide by themselves These include: Roads Buildings Make and enforce laws Public health and safety

Providing National Security Protect people from other states/nations or other threats Helps deal with foreign nations Major concern of sovereign state

Making Economic Decisions Governments use their power, money, and resources to help keep people happy Also use their resources to help other nations Try to stimulate economy to help people in struggling times

Essential Questions How do the four essential features help to determine whether a land mass is a state or not? How do the Purpose of government effect your life on a daily basis?