Unit 3: Politics and Civics

What is Government I can define government, and determine what basic powers every government has.

Government is the institution through which a society makes and enforces its public policies Public Policy -taxation, defense, education, crime, and health care…list is nearly endless Power is necessary…without it governments do not exist 3 kinds of power -legislative power -executive power -judicial power

**Powers are often laid out by the nations Constitution -body of fundamental laws setting out the principles, structures, and processes of a government.

*Ultimate responsibility for the exercise of these powers may be held by a single person or a small group *Responsibility for the exercise of power rests with the majority, supreme authority rests with the people

*A body of people, living a a defined territory, organized politically, with the power to make and enforce laws without the consent of any higher authority -190 states in the world -all differ in many aspects but still keep the criteria *population, territory, sovereignty, and government State is often called a “nation”

Population -the size of population does not matter, it just has to exist ex. San Marino (27,000 people) China (1.3 Billion people) -People of a state may or may not be Homogeneous -people who share customs, language, ethnic background

Territory Land with known and recognized boundaries San Marino, world’s smallest (24 square miles) Russia, world’s largest (6.6 million square miles) Sovereignty Every state is sovereign – supreme and absolute power within its territory Neither subordinate nor responsible to any other authority -Frame foreign policy and choose economic system U.S. is sovereign, the individual states are not because they are under the U.S. Constitution

Government Every state must be politically organized This includes the machinery and the personnel by which the state is ruled