2. Magruder’s American Government C H A P T E R 1 Principles of Government 3 Feb 09

3. 2 Chapter 1, Principles of Government Section 1Government and the State Section 2Forms of Government Section 3Basic Concepts of Democracy Chapter 1

4. 3 CH 1.1 Government & the State Objective Questions: 1. Define government and the basic power every government holds. 2. Describe the 4 defining characteristics of the state. 3. Identify 4 Theories that attempt to explain the origin of the state. 4. Understand the purpose of government in the United States and other countries.

5. 4 CH 1.1 Government and the State Government is the institution through which society creates & enforces public policy. Every government has 3 kinds of power; legislative, executive & judicial power. Often, these powers are outlined in a constitution, which sets out the structure, principles, and processes of that government. In a dictatorship, one person or small group may exercise all the powers of government. In a democracy, supreme governmental authority rests with the people. The state is the worlds dominant political unit. It consists of a body of people living in a defined territory with a sovereign government and the power to govern themselves. Every state has a sovereign government, or one with absolute authority. There are 4 major theories about the origin of the state: 1.force theory — forceful takeover of authority by a person or group 2.evolutionary — political systems evolve from family groups thru clans, tribes, absolute monarchies, the nation-state, empires, republics, democracies, etc. 3.divine right — a god or gods created the state, then through divine right of kings 4.social contract — humans organize to form states to ensure their own survival, the state then responds to the needs of the people, or the people can change the state. The purpose of the American government is to serve the citizens of the United States, as described in the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution.

6. 5 Government and the State, 2 Preamble: United States Constitution “We the people of the United States, in Order to (1) form a more perfect union, (2) establish Justice, (3) insure domestic Tranquility, (4) provide for the common defense, (5) promote the general Welfare, and (6) to ensure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity; do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” CH 1.1

7. 6 CH 1.2 Forms of Government Objective Questions: 1. Classify governments according to 3 sets of characteristics. 2. Identify different ways power can be distributed geographically within a state. 3.Describe 2 forms of government in which power is distributed between the executive branch and the legislative branches. 4.Define systems of government based on who can participate.

8. 7 Forms of Government Governments can be classified by one or more of their 3 basic characteristics: I. Where government power is held (geographic distribution of power) : 1.Unitary government—All powers held by a single center of power 2.Federal government—All powers divided between central and local governments in a division of powers. Because the Constitution divides power between the National government and the 50 States, the United States is a Federal Government. 3.Confederation—an temporary, non-binding alliance of independent states II. The relationship between the legislative & executive branches of government: 1.Presidential form of government—Each branch is independent and coequal 2.Parliamentary form of government—Power is focused on the legislative branch. The executive consists of members of the legislative branch, and the executive branch is chosen by, and subject to, the legislative branch. III. Government can be classified by who (and what percentage of citizens) can participate: 1.Dictatorship—Not accountable to the people. All dictatorships are authoritarian. The Dictator holds absolute authority over the people, and he may be totalitarian, exercising control over every aspect of human affairs. A dictatorship may also be an autocracy (one person with unlimited power) or an oligarchy (a small elite holding all power). 2.Democracy—the people hold supreme authority, directly or through representatives CH 1.2

9. 8 CH 1.3 Basic Concepts of Democracy Objective Questions: 1. Understand the foundations of Democracy. 2. Analyze the connections between democracy and the free enterprise system.

10. 9 CH 1.3 Basic Concepts of Democracy The basic concepts of a democracy in the United States are:  Recognition of the worth and dignity of each person  Respect for the equality of each person  Faith in majority rule with insistence on minority rights  Acceptance of the need to compromise  Insistence upon the widest possible degree of individual freedom  The nation’s economy reinforces the belief in individual freedom  Capitalism (the free enterprise system) is based on: 1.Private ownership of property 2.Individual initiative 3.Profit 4.competition Capitalism does not rely on the government to make economic decisions. Rather, individuals make those decisions through the law of supply and demand. Supply & Demand = When goods and services are plentiful, prices drop. When goods and services are scarce, prices rise. In the United States, the American economic system is best called a mixed economy. To ensure the country’s survival as a democracy, we must respect and apply these principles.

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