1. C H A P T E R 1 Principles of Government
American Government
C H A P T E R 1 Principles of Government

2. Objectives
Define government and the basic powers every government holds.
Describe the four defining characteristics of a state.
Identify four theories that attempt to explain the origin of the state.
Understand the purpose of government in the United States and other countries.

3. Key Terms
government: the institution through which a society makes and enforces public policies
public policies: all the things a government decides to do
legislative power: the power to make laws
executive power: the power to enforce and administer laws
judicial power: the power to interpret laws
dictatorship: a government in which all power rests with an individual or small group

4. Key Terms, cont.
democracy: a government in which supreme authority rests with the people
state: a body of people, living in a defined territory, with a government that can make and enforce law without the consent of any higher authority
sovereign: to have supreme and absolute power within a territory
divine right: the theory that governments gain their authority from the will of God

5. Notes What is government and what is its purpose?
Government is the institution which policies are made for a society while allowing a society to make and enforce public policies.
Every government has three basic powers.
legislative power to make laws
executive power to enforce laws
judicial power to interpret laws and settle disputes.

6. Notes Basic Types of Government
In a dictatorship, all powers are held by one person or group.
In a democracy, authority lies with the people.
The U.S. government gives executive power to the President, legislative power to Congress, and judicial power to the Supreme Court.

7. Notes
The state
States are the main unit of government in the world today.
There are more than 200 states, varying greatly in size, population, and power.
Every state has four basic characteristics: population, territory, sovereignty, and a government.
A state is not strictly the same thing as a nation (which refers to large groups of people) or a country (which refers to a particular region).

8. Notes
Every state has a population, whether large or small, diverse or homogeneous.
China has a large population that is reflected in its landscape.
A state must have territory, land with known and recognized boundaries.

9. Notes
Every state has sovereignty, the absolute power within its own territory to decide domestic and foreign policies.
Each state has a government, a political organization to make and enforce its policies.

10. Notes Origins of the State
Many theories have been developed to explain the origins of the state.
These include the force theory, the evolutionary theory, the divine right theory, and the social contract theory.

11. Notes
The force theory holds that an individual or group claims control over a territory and forces the population to submit.
The state then becomes sovereign and those in control form a government.

12. Notes
The evolutionary theory says that a population formed out of primitive families.
The heads of these families became the government.
When these families settled in one territory and claimed it as their own, they became a sovereign state.

13. Notes
The divine right theory holds that God created the state, making it sovereign.
The government is made up of those chosen by God to rule a certain territory. The population must obey their ruler.

14. Notes
The social contract theory was developed by philosophers such as Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean Jacques Rousseau and has had the greatest influence on United States government.
Social Contract Theory holds that the people chose (volunteered) to give the state enough power to promote the well-being of everyone and that all political power comes from the will of the people.
Checkpoint Answer: This theory holds that the people entered a voluntary contract with the state in which they provided it with power in exchange for the state providing safety and promoting the well-bring of the people. In this theory all political power is based upon the will of the people. 14

15. Again: This theory holds that the people entered a voluntary contract with the state in which they provided it with power in exchange for the state providing safety and promoting the well-being of the people. In this theory all political power is based upon the will of the people.

16. Social contract theory holds that the people can withhold power from an unjust government.
Political Cartoon Question Answer: Student answers will vary, but based on the section reading they are likely to answer a dictatorship or any form of government that does not draw its authority from the people and so can abuse or limit the rights of the people without their approval.

17. Notes:
The main purposes of government are described in the Preamble of the Constitution of the United States:
“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
You Will need to be able to write this on your first test Word for Word; 50 Points!!!
Preamble

18. Notes- Six Purposes of Government (cont)
Form a more perfect union
In union there is strength- uniting the state governments and the American people
Articles of Confederation: “Firm league of friendship” = epic fail. Couldn’t enforce anything.
The Articles of Confederation were just a firm “Firm league of friendship” and it didn’t work because they couldn’t enforce anything

19. Notes- Six Purposes of Government (cont)
2. Establish Justice
No purpose can be of greater importance in a democracy
The law, in both its content and administration, must be reasonable, fair, and impartial.

20. Notes- Six Purposes of Government (cont)
Insure domestic tranquility
Keeping the peace at home- providing law and order.
Government offers domestic tranquility, or peace at home
Government provides for the nation’s defense by maintaining armed forces and safe-guarding national security.
Government offers domestic tranquility, or peace at home, by
Government provides for the nation’s defense by maintaining armed forces and safe-guarding national security.

21. Notes- Six Purposes of Government (cont)
4. Provide for the common defense
Defending against foreign invaders
Mentioned more in the Constitution than any other function of the gov.
Entails both foreign policy and defense

22. Notes- Six Purposes of Government (cont)
Promote the general welfare
Servant of its citizens
Public schools, quality of air, quality of drinking water,

23. Notes- Six Purposes of Government (cont)
Secure the blessings of liberty
by guaranteeing many individual rights and liberties
Prized above all
“the God who gave us life gave us liberty at the same time.” Thomas Jefferson
These freedoms are absolute—you are not free to violate the liberties of others.

24. Some Inspiration American Trinity

25. Purpose of Government, cont.
Each generation must strive for patriotism by learning and protecting these freedoms.
What does the phrase “thank your lucky stars” in the political cartoon at right refer to?
Question Answer: The stars in the phrase are the stars on the flag, which represent the unity of the states in the United States, which in turn act to protect the freedoms listed on the flag itself in the cartoon.

26. Review
Now that you have learned about what government is and what its purpose is, answer this Essential Question and turn it in.
Is government necessary?

27. Key Terms
autocracy: government in which a single person holds all political power
oligarchy: government in which a small, usually self-appointed group has the sole power to rule
unitary government: a government in which all power belongs to one central agency
federal government: a government in which power is divided between one central and several local governments

28. Key Terms, cont.
division of powers: the split of power between central and local governments
confederation: an alliance of independent states
presidential government: a government with separate executive and legislative branches
parliamentary government: a government in which the executive branch is part of the legislative branch and subject to its control

29. Notes:
Governments can be classified by three different standards: (1) Who can participate in the governing process. (2) The geographic distribution of the governmental power within the state. (3) The relationship between the legislative (lawmaking) and the executive (law-executing) branches of the government.

30. Notes 1. Who can participate in the governing process. A. Democracy
In a direct or pure democracy, Everyone votes on everything. The people pass laws by discussing and voting on them in meetings, such as town meetings.
This system works only in small communities.

31. Notes: Who can participate (cont)
In an indirect or representative democracy, the people elect agents who make and carry out the laws.
These representatives rule with the consent of the governed and can be removed by the people at election time.
NOTE TO TEACHERS: Some people argue that the United States is properly a republic, not a democracy, because only a direct democracy can truly be called a democracy. Still, representative governments such as the United States are commonly called democracies. The above image shows a legislator voting.

32. Example Democracies The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy.
Most power lies with the Parliament, which is elected by the people.
The queen is the head of state, while the head of government is the Prime Minister, who is the head of the leading party in Parliament.
NOTE TO TEACHERS: The current Prime Minister as of Jan is Gordon Brown, while Queen Elizabeth II is the monarch.

33. Notes: Example Democracies, cont.
The United States is a constitution-based federal republic.
The President and members of Congress are chosen by the people.
The President is both Chief of State and Head of Government.

34. Notes
B. Dictatorships
In an autocracy, one person holds total political power, while in an oligarchy a small elite group shares political power.
Both are forms of dictatorships, holding absolute and unchallenged authority over the people, who have no say in government.
Checkpoint Answer: Both are dictatorships, but an autocracy is ruled by one individual with all political power, while an oligarchy divides absolute political power among a small ruling elite. 34

35. Example Dictatorships
Some dictatorships are like that of China, where people can vote only for candidates from one political party and the legislature does whatever the dictatorship says.
Other dictatorships are like the one in Myanmar, where the military rules and there are no elections.

36. Notes 2. Classification by Geographic Distribution of Power
A. In a unitary model, all power belongs to the central government, which may grant some powers to local governments.
The powers of the central government may be limited or unlimited.
Most governments in the world are unitary in form.

37. Notes: Classification by Geographic Distribution of Power
B. A confederation is an alliance of independent governments that grant limited powers, usually involving defense or foreign affairs, to a central government.
The European Union is similar to a confederation.

38. Notes: Classification by Geographic Distribution of Power
C. In the federal model, power is divided between a central government and several local governments, usually according to a constitution.
The U.S. and some 25 other States have federal forms of government.

39. Classification by the Relationship Between Legislative and Executive Branches

40. Notes
3. Based on the relationship between legislative and executive branches.
A. Presidential Government- Separation of power between executive and legislative. Coequal, elected independently and have distinct powers.
Invented by the US. “Western form of government.”
NOTE TO TEACHERS: The United States is the main example of a presidential government in the world, and most presidential governments are found in the western hemisphere.

41. Notes
B. Parliamentary Government- Executive branch is made up of the prime minister/premier and that official’s cabinet. All are members of the legislature (parliament). The party in parliament that is in power selects the prime minister.
A majority of the world’s governments are parliamentary.
lacks some checks and balances but promotes cooperation between the executive and legislative branches

42. Parliamentary Government, cont.
The prime minister is the head of the leading party in Parliament and chooses cabinet members from the Parliament.
If the Parliament loses confidence in the Prime Minister and cabinet, elections are held to form a new government.
NOTE TO TEACHERS: The image above shows members of the South African parliament being sworn into office.

43. The American concept of democracy rests on these five basic notions:
Notes:
Foundations
The American concept of democracy rests on these five basic notions:
(1) A recognition of the fundamental worth and dignity of every person; Each person is separate and distinct. However, the needs of the many sometimes outweigh the needs on the one.
(2) A respect for the equality of all persons; equal opportunity, equal before the law

44. Notes
(3) A faith in majority rule and an insistence upon minority rights; A majority of the people will be right more often than they are wrong, and they will be right more often than any ONE person
(4) An acceptance of the necessity of compromise; Give and take, find the answer most acceptable to the largest number
(5) An insistence upon the widest possible degree of individual freedom. Not complete freedom
Complete freedom = anarchy
“ the right to swing my fist ends where the other man’s nose begins.” Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.
Government must never restrict the individual beyond necessity.

45. Notes:
Democracy and the Free Enterprise System
The free enterprise system is an economic system characterized by private or corporate ownership of capital goods; investments that are determined by private decision rather than by state control; and determined in a free market.
Decisions in a free enterprise system are determined by the law of supply and demand.

46. Notes
An economy in which private enterprise exists in combination with a considerable amount of government regulation and promotion is called a mixed economy. (Type in the US)