Chapter 1 People and Government

What is a Government? State - political community that occupies a definite territory and has an organized government that can make and enforce laws without approval of a higher authority. Nation - a sizeable group of people united by common race, language, customs, traditions, and/or religion. Nation is often mistakenly used to describe a state.

What is a government? Not all states are nations: Quebec, Canada: Follows French culture and language and Catholic religion. Most of Canada is English and Protestant. Not all nations are states: Many African tribes are divided among many different separate political states. When the territory of a nation and state coincide, you have a nation-state.

Four Characteristics of a State Population Territory Sovereignty Government

Theories of the origin of the state. Evolution Theory: The state evolved from the family group. Force Theory: One person or a group used force to establish its authority to govern. Divine Right Theory: The rulers were chosen by the gods to govern. Social Contract Theory: The people gave the government its power to rule, in return the government had to protect and respect the people’s rights.

Thomas Hobbes Thomas Hobbes in the 1600s wrote a book called the Leviathan, in which he described the world without government, “In such condition there is…worst of all, continual fear and danger of violent death; and the life of man (is) solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short…” People create a government by entering into a social contract. Hobbes developed the theory of the social contract in Leviathan.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau In 1762, Jean-Jacques Rousseau published a book called The Social Contract, in which he stated that people gain and lose certain things when entering into the social contract, “What man loses through the social contract is his natural liberty and an unlimited right to everything that tempts him and that he can acquire. What he gains is civil liberty and the proprietary [exclusive] ownership of all he possesses.” Without government, a person can own anything he can take by force. With government, a person owns anything that they possess – whether or not they have the force to keep it.

John Locke John Locke (1632-1704) believed that the contract creates a limited government that relies entirely on the consent of the governed. The people, and only the people, give it the authority to govern. Natural Rights - The rights that people are born with. Locke wrote about these rights in his Second Treatises on Government, where he listed the natural rights as the rights to life, liberty, and property. The people have the right to abolish that government and form a new one. Influenced founders, especially Thomas Jefferson, writer of the Declaration of Independence.

Montesquieu Charles Montesquieu – Developed the theory of separation of powers in his book, Spirit of Laws Divided power among three branches– Legislative, Executive, and Judicial Branches

Purpose of Government Maintain social order Provide services Protect people Help control the nation’s economy.

Governments Systems A unitary system gives all key powers to the national or central government. A confederacy is a loose union of independent states that come together to form a common goal. Our first form of government was a confederacy – it failed to unite the states so that they could work together. A federal system of government divides the powers of government between the national and state governments.

Constitutions and Government A constitution is a plan that provides the rules and structure for government. Constitutions set out the goals and purposes of government. Constitutions provide the supreme law for states and their governments.

Goals of the U.S. Constitution The Preamble lists the goals of our Constitution. They are… To form a more perfect union Establish justice Ensure domestic tranquility Provide for the common defense Promote the general welfare Secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.

Politics and Government Politics is the effort to control or influence the policies and actions of government. Special interest groups seek special benefits towards a specific goal. The Constitution is designed to promote the general welfare.

Major Types of Government In an autocracy power and authority reside in a single individual. In an oligarchy, such as a communist country, a small group holds power. In a democracy the people hold the power.

Characteristics of Democracy Equal opportunity. Majority rule minority rights respected. Free and open elections in which every vote has equal weight. Candidates for office respect the voters’ decisions and act as loyal opposition.

The Roots of Democracy Conditions that favor the democratic system of government. Citizens participate in civic life. Stable, growing economy with a large middle class. A public school system open to all. A strong civil society in with a network of voluntary organizations. The people accept values such as liberty and equality for all.

Representative Democracy The US has a Representative Democracy. The people elect representatives that run the country. In a Direct Democracy every citizen votes on every issue.

1) representative democracy 2) oligarchy 3) No, some monarchies are democracies where the monarch’s powers are limited.

Origins of American Government Chapter 2

An English Political Heritage English colonists brought with them a heritage of freedom and principles of government that helped shape the development of the United States. Most important to the colonists was to have a government which limited the monarch’s power and represented the will of the people.

Three documents that limited the power of the King Magna Carta Petition of Right English Bill of Rights

Magna Carta AKA the Great Charter 1215 – signed by King John of England Limited Government – the king did not have all the power Established the rule of law, meaning that everyone had to follow the law. Protect life, liberty and property

Petition of Right 1628 King Charles I, and monarchs to follow, could not: Collect taxes without consent of Parliament. Imprison people without just cause. House troops in private homes. Declare martial law.

English Bill of Rights 1688 Monarchs rule with the consent of the people Parliament must agree to suspend laws, levy taxes, or maintain an army Monarch cannot interfere in Parliament elections Right to petition the government Fair and speedy trials No cruel or unusual punishment

Representative Government Followed the model of Parliament, which was a bicameral, or two chamber, legislature: House of Lords House of Commons

Principles of Colonial Government What are three key practices found in the colonial governments? Written constitution -Ex. Mayflower Compact – 1st written constitution in America. Legislature of elected representatives - Ex. VA House of Burgesses – first legislative body. Separation of powers

In a nutshell… The American colonies were founded by the British The colonies were a source of raw materials and a market for British goods Britain was 3000 miles away Colonial government handled most business with some guidance from Parliament and the king. The colonists did not have representation in Parliament