Government and Our Lives Unit 1

“Man is by nature a political animal; it is his nature to live in a state” -Aristotle 335 B.C.

Sec.1: State as a Basic Political Unit A. State – a political community that occupies a definite territory and has an organized gov’t w/ the power to make and enforce laws w/o approval from any higher authority. – 1. Also called: Country, nation-state and nation. (any group united by common bonds of race, language, customs, religion, etc.) – 2. Currently 194 Largest Population: China Largest Territory: Russia

B. Essential Features of the state – 1) Population=people, citizens a) States where population shares a general political and social consensus have most stable gov’ts. b) Gov’ts affected by population mobility (movement). c) Gov’ts affected by pop. composition. – 2) Territory= boundaries w/ land, water, nat. resources a) Disputes over territory lead to war/conflict.

– 3) Gov’t=Institution through which state maintains social order, provides public services and enforces binding decisions. a) Different levels (National vs. Local) b) Levels’ Relationships Classified – 1)Unitary: All powers on fed. level (FR, GB) – 2)Federal: Divides powers between fed and state levels (US, Mex, Canada) – 3)Confederate: alliance of indep. states w/ a weak central gov’t., states have supreme authority w/ exception of a few delegated things. » a) US: Articles of Confed. and CSA

– 4) Sovereignty: Supreme and absolute authority within its territorial boundaries. a) power to make/enforce laws, shape foreign policy, defend itself. b) Technically AZ is not a state. Why?

C. Origins of the State – 1. Force Theory: strong overpowered the weak. – 2. Evolutionary Theory: Families to clans to tribes to states. – 3. Divine Right Theory: royal power came from God. – 4. Social Contract Theory: people agree to give up unbridled freedom to create a state w/ order to protect all. a. Developed by Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau: revolutionary thinking against Divine Right. b. Based on Natural Rights Philosophy (Hobbes)

1) Life under nat. law brutally harsh due to man’s survival instinct: Conflict resulted. 2) Result, man created a state w/ a gov’t whereby people give consent to be ruled. 3) Man born w/ Natural Rights (life, liberty, property) 4) Gov’t was created to protect these rights. 5) Must give up some freedom in order to get security, peace and order.

6) Man enters into agreement w/ others in society, known as Social Contract. 7) Gov’t gets its right to govern from consent of the governed. 8) If Gov’t does not protect natural rights, people should abolish it. 9) Hobbes – The Leviathon – absolute ruler could offer best protection. C. Man’s Original Dilemma: Freedom vs. Order D. Man’s Modern Dilemma: Freedom vs. Equality