1. Theories and Origins of Government

2. I. Theories of Government
Evolution Theory
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.
Force Theory
An individual or group claimed control over a territory and forced the population to submit. In this way, the state became sovereign, and those in control formed a government.

3. Theories of Government
Divine Right Theory
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.
Social Contract Theory
A population in a given territory gave up as much power to a government as needed to promote the well-being of all. In doing so, they created a sovereign state.

4. II. Contributions of the Greeks
Athenian Democracy or Direct Democracy
When: 508 BCE – 322 BCE
What: Also called pure democracy
Occurs when the will
of the people translates
directly into public policy
Works only on a small,
local level
Where:

5. III. Contributions of the Romans
Roman Republic
When: 509 BCE – 27 BCE
What:
Classical Republicanism
Civic virtue
Moral education
Small, uniform communities

6. So, what kind of government do we have in the U.S. today?

7. English Origins of American Government
The Magna Carta (1215)
King John is forced to sign by barons
Included guarantees of such fundamental rights as trial by jury and due process of law
Protection against absolute power

8. English Origins of American Government
The Petition of Right (1628)
King Charles I signed, by force of the Parliament
Limited king’s power
May not impose martial law
Can not force quartering
Punish only be laws of the land
Questioned Divine Right
No man should be
“compelled to make or yield any gift, loan, benevolence, tax, or such like charge, without common consent by act of parliament.”

9. English Government – Parliament Arrives
Parliament was a council of nobility created to advise the monarch.
History of hostility between parliament and monarch.
Parliament = House of Lords + House of Commons
House of Lords- nobility
House of Commons - wealthy and people of standing in community-knights, merchants, craftsmen.

10. English Origins of American Government
The English Bill of Rights (1689)
Signed by William and Mary of Orange during the Glorious Revolution
Prohibited a standing army in peace time
Required free parliamentary elections

11. John Locke,

12. John Locke’s Natural Rights Philosophy
State of Nature
Natural Rights
Human Nature
Purpose of Government
Social Contract Theory

13. Pure Democracy and Crowdsourcing
What is crowdsourcing?
Definition
Examples

14. Pure Democracy and Crowdsourcing
Pros of Delegating Decision-making:
Efficient
Expert quality
Pros of Pure Democracy:
Equality
Representational quality

15. Who should decide? The Math: Condorcet's jury theorem
One of the two outcomes of the vote is correct, and each voter has an independent probability p of voting for the correct decision. The theorem asks how many voters we should include in the group. The result depends on whether p is greater than or less than 1/2:
If p is greater than 1/2 (each voter is more likely than not to vote correctly), then adding more voters increases the probability that the majority decision is correct. In the limit, the probability that the majority votes correctly approaches 1 as the number of voters increases.
On the other hand, if p is less than 1/2 (each voter is more likely than not to vote incorrectly), then adding more voters makes things worse: the optimal jury consists of a single voter.

16. Testing the theory Divide in half making 2 teams for chess
One team will vote on a representative to make all their decisions
The other will vote each day on their move.
If the “pure democracy” team wins, voters were more likely than not to make the correct decision and more voters creates better results.

17. Questions to Consider Should we all vote on more decisions?
Which branch of government would most appropriately be replaced by this system?
What are the problems with a pure democracy in America?