Functions of Government Essential question: What are the basic functions of government?

Government Terms- Political Units A nation is a large group of people united by common bonds of race, language, custom, or religion. Ex. "Gator Nation"  A state and a country are both political communities that occupy a definite territory and have an organized government. A state has sovereignty, which means that its government makes and enforces its own laws.

Do we need Government? A government is an institution through which leaders exercise power to make and enforce laws affecting people under its control.  Legitimate governments have five basic functions: to provide leadership, to create order, to provide public services, to  protect people, and to give economic security.  Cut out your 5 functions organizer and glue it into your notes. ​

1) Providing Leadership Government officials set priorities and make all sorts of decisions on behalf of the people.  They decide what actions are crimes and what the punishment for these crimes will be. They make decisions about who must pay taxes and how much they have to pay.  They decide who benefits from natural resources like coal and natural gas.  They can require that people do things they might not do voluntarily, such as pay taxes or serve in the army. 

2) Maintaining Order Governments try to control and contain conflict between people by placing limits on what individuals can do.  Governments provide some domestic security force—police or a national guard—to enforce laws and to keep peace.  Governments provide courts and other ways for people to resolve their conflicts. They also punish people who break laws. 

3) Providing Public Service Governments provide services people cannot or will not do on their own like create schools, build sewer systems, and pave roads.  Some government services promote public health and safety. For example, most fire departments are funded (at least in part) by governments.   State governments make laws that require drivers to pass a driving test before they can get a driver’s license.

4) Providing National Security Another task of government is to protect the people against attack by another country or by terrorists.  Today’s world faces threats such as nuclear weapons, spy satellites, international terrorists, and huge armies. Providing for the safety of a nation’s citizens is a complex and demanding job.  The U.S. federal government is responsible for national security. State governments may have relationships with other nations for trade or cultural exchange, but the national government can place limits on these relationships.

5) Providing Economic Security/Assistance  Governments make trade deals with other countries and try to protect businesses that strengthen their own economies.  Governments often get involved in the economic affairs of other nations.  For example, after World War II, the United States funded the Marshall  Plan to help Europeans rebuild.   Within their own countries, governments can also make policies to protect the economic security of their people. Governments can help people in need. This assistance might be in the form of food aid or rental housing for low-income families.

Learning Check Look back at your notes so far design questions about key ideas and quesitons. Use pen and write in the margins. Examples of Cornell questions:  What is government? How are the terms state and country different? What is sovereignty and why is it important? What do governments provide to citizens?