2. 1.1 Brainstorm 1.1 brainstorm Warm up
Thomas Hobbes (1588–1679) once said that without government, life would be but a “state of nature” and would be “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.”
Describe what he meant by this statement and explain why governments are a necessity.

3. Groups
Get into groups of 3-4 no more no less.

4. Warmup: Government is All Around Us
Students will work in groups of 3-4 for this assignment
Groups will have 15 minutes to explore the school and attempt to answer the question below (the question will be revealed to you in a few moments)
One member of the group should be the designated photographer, and will use his/her cell phone to take photos to answer this question
Where is the Government
present in this building?

5. Do NOT, under any circumstance:
Enter the auditorium, main gym, either locker room, or the varsity team rooms
Enter the library, clinic, main office, or guidance without first securing approval from the adult(s) in that area
Allow your voices to rise above a whisper
Take photographs in the restroom
Leave the building
Enter any classroom where class is in session or disrupt classes in any way
Students caught in any unauthorized areas will receive a ZERO for this assignment and a referral

6. Once you returned to the classroom….
Sit with your group members
Text/ your 3 best photos to
Include the names of all group members
Do not send more than 3 photos
Prepare to have your photos shared with the class
When your photos are displayed, be prepared to say a few words about how each photo answers the question that you were presented with

8. After you read, you should have been able to answer this!
What is government?
Which major characteristics do all states share?
What are the major functions of government?
What theories of rule have been put forth to explain government?
Main Idea
Understanding major political ideas and classic forms of government will help you understand the purposes of government.

9. Life without government

10. What is Government?
Government is made up of the formal institutions and processes through which decisions are made for a group of people.
1) People
Elected officials with authority and control over others; public servants who carry out day-to- day governmental business
2) Power
Legislative to make laws; executive to carry out, enforce, and administer laws; judicial to interpret laws and to settle disputes
3) Policy
Decision made by government in pursuit of a goal; can be a law, a government program, or a set of government actions

11. Are you paying attention?
Describe the three main components of most governments.

12. Characteristics of a state
political unit with the power to make and enforce laws over a group of people living within a clearly defined territory
Population
Must have people; number does not matter
Territory
Must have clearly defined and recognized borders
Government
Must have a government that issues and enforces rules for the people living within its territory; government must be recognized from within and by other nation states in the international community
Sovereignty
Must have supreme power to act within its territory and to control its external affairs

14. Did you read? Why is sovereignty important to a state?
A state needs to have both the power to act within its territory and authority over its external affairs.

16. Functions of Government
Ensure National Security
Guard its territory and its people against external threats
Create and maintain national defense forces including military personnel, weaponry, and operations, as well as peacekeeping missions
Maintain good relations with other nations (diplomacy)

17. Functions of Government
Maintain Order
Laws help maintain order and protect rights, property, and lives
Must have clear rules for unacceptable behavior and consequences
Different societies have different ideas about lawful behavior and appropriate punishment
Must have means to identify and punish wrongdoers

18. Functions of government
Resolve Conflict
Some use intimidation and force; most use politics and justice system
Groups try to influence government decisions through politics

19. Functions of government
Provide Services
People pay taxes to fund services such as parks, mail, and education
Public goods include clean water, parks, and roads; restricted services may include medical care, high schools, and public housing

20. Functions of government
Provide for the Public Good
Definitions of “public” and “public good” change over time
These questions are addressed through the political process

21. Did you read? How might ideas about the public shape policy?
As notions of what constitutes the public change, government policies will change accordingly.

22. Theories of rule Legitimacy of Rulers
What makes some forms of rule more acceptable than others?
Rulers often have legitimacy. They are seen as right and proper by important segments of a nation’s population, so their governance is voluntarily accepted by the people.

23. Theories of Rule Divine Right
Ruler is believed to be chosen by God or the gods
Believed in ancient China, ancient Egypt, the Inca Empire, the Roman Empire, Japan until the mid-twentieth century, and seventeenth-century Europe
European political and religious theory by Bossuet argued for the divine right of kings

24. Theories of rule Natural Law and Natural Rights
Natural law is a system of rules derived from the natural world.
Natural law binds citizens and rulers alike.
All people possess natural, or human, rights.
Supported by Aristotle, Cicero, Augustine, and Thomas Aquinas

25. Theories of rule The Social Contract
Social contract theory: governments formed when people agreed to submit to state authority in return for protection and support
Government is legitimate only so long as the power is given to the state.
Contributed to by Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau