UNIT ONE Foundations of American Government

Foundations of American Government  Unit One, Lesson One Notes

How is government defined?  Your thoughts? How would you define it?  Government is the institution through which a society makes and enforces its public policies. It is a system of authority that acts on behalf of a group. WATCH WORD!!!

What are the basic powers that every government holds? 1.Keeps order in society – Creates laws – Creates court systems 2.Provides Protection – Police – Military 3.Provides Services – Public education – Maintains Roads – Libraries – Parks – Etc.

What are the basic powers that every government holds? 4.Unifies the Population – Provides borders – Gives us an identity as “Americans” 5. Provides Economic System – Issues currency – Creates regulatory laws

What if there was no government? Anarchy means the absence of government. What if you awoke one morning to find that government no longer existed in the US? What changes would you see in the world around you?

How do we define a state? A. Definition: Identifies a political community that occupies a definite territory and has an organized government w/ the power to make and enforce laws w/o approval from any higher authority. B. Commonly called a “country”

What are 4 defining characteristics of the state? 1. Population Needs people 2. Territory Land must be defined 3. Sovereignty Supreme power Decides its own policies 4. Government Politically organized Each state within the United States is NOT sovereign – why not??