Unit 1: Principles of Government

What do we already know?

Essential Questions Why should we study government? Is government necessary? What is government?

What is our definition of government?

Key Terms State Population Citizenship Territory Government Public Policy Legitimacy Sovereignty

The State What is a state? – Also called country, nation, nation-state Four Characteristics – Population – Territory – Government – Sovereignty Why wouldn’t Maryland be considered a state?

Population – People that live in the state – Million- Population of United States – 36, 896 Thousand- Population of Lichtenstein Both States – Legal distinction between its own people and foreigners Citizenship & Allegiance Territory – Geographic area occupied by the state Definite, recognizable boundary that separates one state from the other – Includes water, air space, and underground- including all natural resources

Government – With authority to establish and enforce public policy – What would be examples of people? Institutions? – Public Policy Any course of government action directed towards a national goal – Authority and Power Must have right to make decisions others will follow – Power is the government’s ability to make people accept those decisions – Legitimacy Do the people accept the government? Do all government’s have legitimacy? What happens if it doesn’t?

Sovereignty – Political authority to act independently 1.Carry out own Foreign Policy 2.Send and receive diplomats 3.Protect its own territory Theories of Government – Force Strongest govern – Devine Right Royal power comes from God – The Social Contract Idea that people had a role in Government not just rulers

Thomas Hobbes Wrote about “State of Nature” in Leviathan Wrote during period of English Civil War – How might that have affected his views? Pessimistic= people should submit to absolute ruler to avoid state of nature

Thomas Hobbes

From Leviathan "Whatsoever therefore is consequent to a time of Warre, where every man is Enemy to every man; the same is consequent to the time, wherein men live without other security, than what their own strength, and their own invention shall furnish them withall. In such condition, there is no place for Industry; because the fruit thereof is uncertain; and consequently no Culture of the Earth; no Navigation, nor use of the commodities that may be imported by Sea; no commodious Building; no Instruments of moving, and removing such things as require much force; no Knowledge of the face of the Earth; no account of Time; no Arts; no Letters; no Society; and which is worst of all, continuall feare, and danger of violent death; And the life of man, solitary, poore, nasty, brutish, and short."

Fill out in your part of the Venn-Diagram Group 1- What are the unique characteristics of Hobbes? Group 2- What are the unique characteristics of Locke? Group 3- What are the shared characteristics? Be Prepared to share with the class