Introductory Thoughts 8/24-8/25 Government in America Introductory Thoughts 8/24-8/25

Agenda Handout vocab list (quiz on 8/30 – 9/1) Warmup Put names on vocab quiz answer sheets Warmup PowerPoint with notes (Chapter 1, Lesson 1 & 2) Activity

Warmup – quick write What is “government”? What is its function? What type of government do we live with here in the United States? What other types of government do you know about?

Nation-State A political community claiming authority (sovereignty) over a specific territory. Requires: People--citizens Defined territory (borders/boundaries) Government able to make and enforce laws May vary in… Population, land area Ethnicity, language, religion, etc. Types of government

Government The people and organizations that have the power and authority to make policies (decisions) for a community, state, or nation.

How should we govern?

What should governments do? Defend people and their property Preserve order Provide public services Provide economic security/assistance 4 functions of government

What should governments do? Provide public services Education Roads and highways Trash collection Medical care Parks and recreation Welfare Others

4 essential features of a state Population (no governing without people) Territory = recognizable borders Sovereignty = supreme and absolute authority within its borders Government = someone in charge

Democratic Policymaking Organizing government to respond to the public’s preferences. This leads to… The six items are hyperlinked to their own slide. A return button is also on the slide. Figure 1.3

Politics Selecting our government leaders and influencing the decisions they make. Deciding…. Who gets what, when and how. Implementing public policies—a course of action… Expenditures, taxes, or tax cuts for specific groups New laws or regulations “Non-decisions”

4 Theories of the state Force Theory The strongest leaders take control and use violence/the threat of violence to control their own people. Evolutionary Theory The head of the family is the authority. Extended families needed more organization. Some cultures are still governed by family and clan traditions.

4 Theories of the state Divine Right Mayan king Chinese emperor Egyptian pharaoh Aztec king Divine Right The origin of divine right is very old. Cultures from all over the world believed their rulers were descendants of the gods, and therefore had the only legitimate right to rule. BUT…

Divine Right The divine right theory of government came from European rulers during the 17th and 18th centuries (1600s and 1700s) Their right to rule came from God and to oppose their rule was a sin against God and the state

Social Contract Theory smackdown Thomas Hobbes John Locke

Social Contract Theory smackdown Hobbes = people surrender their freedom to the state, and in return, they receive order and security Locke = people have natural rights and the social contract is made between people and their government to protect these rights Which philosopher do you think shaped the development of our government?

The winner! The winner = John Locke!

Systems of Government Unitary System = all powers to the central government The state/local governments only have powers that the central government gives them Advantage = constant (uniform) laws, national sense of unity Disadvantage = lack of power balance, slow to react, lack of representation among the citizens

Systems of Government Confederate System = a loose union of independent states Advantage = strong state powers Disadvantage = weak central government (Articles of Confederation)

Systems of Government Federal system = a division of power between the national and state governments Advantage = sharing of power between the two governments but still has a stronger central government Disadvantage = each level of government can make its own laws

Constitutional government Constitution = a plan that provides rules for government 1) writes out ideals that people share 2) establishes basic structure of government, their powers and duties 3) provides the supreme law of the country A constitutional government is a limited government in which the constitution places limits on the powers of the people/institutions in charge

Remember those types of government you thought of during your warmup?

Authoritarian Authoritarian governments have leadership that controls all aspects of its citizens’ economic and social lives (also called totalitarian governments) Adolph Hitler Joseph Stalin Kim Jong Un

Dictatorship A dictatorship is a government where one person holds power and has total control Romanian dictator Ceauşescu Cambodian dictator Pol Pot

Democracy A democracy is a system of government that is ruled directly by the people or through representatives Which one do we have here in the US? A representative democracy!

Direct vs. Representative Democracy A direct democracy is a democracy where the people cast a vote directly on government issues and laws A representative democracy is one where the people elect representatives to make laws and conduct government affairs (most efficient way)

Republic? But, what’s this I keep hearing about America being a republic? We are. We have a representative democracy that does not have a monarch in charge Great Britain has Queen Elizabeth as the head of state but the people have a representative democracy, so they are NOT a republic

Monarchy Queen Elizabeth II A monarchy is a form of government in which one person (a king or queen) has power Most monarchies now are constitutional monarchies (they have a ruler but that ruler is limited by a constitution or they are ceremonial figures) Queen Elizabeth II

Your turn! With a partner, please rank the principles of democracy in the order that YOU think is important We will discuss as a class after 10 minutes

Activity! Group A = democracy Group B = dictatorship Using the butcher paper and markers, you and your group will create a large, attractive poster about one of the different types of government Please include: Title Definition Pictures to describe the government (people, charts, diagrams, etc.) List any significant leaders (past or present) List nations that have this type of government Anything creative you can think of! Group A = democracy Group B = dictatorship Group C = monarchy Group D = authoritarian Group E = totalitarian Group F = republic

Exit Ticket On the Exit Ticket sheet, write down 2 things that you learned today and 1 question you still have about the material