1. Principles of Government
Chapter 1 Section 1

2. Four characteristics of a state Theories of origin of government
Goals for this lesson
Four characteristics of a state
Theories of origin of government

3. **Ideas of government go all the way
back to the time of Aristotle.
Aristotle
-One of the first student’s of government
-Felt man was by nature a political animal.
-It was man’s nature to want order and laws
of society.
-The main political unit of his day was the Greek
city-state known as a polis.
-The word politics comes from the word “polis”.
-Words such as politics, democracy, and republic
originated in ancient Greece and Rome.

4. What is the difference between a country and a state?
*Nothing. They mean the same thing.
*The word state precisely identifies a political community that
occupies a definite territory and has an organized
government with power to make and enforce laws without
approval from any higher authority.
Ex. The U.S. is an independent state. There are nearly 200
States worldwide.

5. When the 13 colonies declared their independence, each
Why do we call our states “states” if a state is actually a country?
When the 13 colonies declared their independence, each
thought of itself as its own country.
-Later joined together as one under the Constitution
-Continued to describe the political units as states.
Nation- -Used to describe independent state or country.
**Could also be any sizeable group of people who are united by
common bonds of race, language, custom, tradition, and sometimes
religion.
Ex. Israel is a state and a Jewish nation.

6. Four Basic Characteristics of States
1. Population - people.
2. Territory - a geographic area on the earth’s surface.
3. Government - people and institutions with authority to establish and enforce public policies.
4. Sovereignty - political authority to act independently.

7. Population
-nature of its people affect stability
-states with a general consensus or agreement on beliefs have the
most stable governments.
Ex.- -U.S. citizens agree to democracy
-also affected by mobility
Ex. - -As we move around political power is modified. States with
the most people get the most representation in House of
Reps and electoral votes for president.
-May be large or small.
-May be very similar or very diverse in language, race, customs and culture.
-They are given a special status known as citizenship.
* Responsibilities - allegiance, paying taxes, obeying the law,
serving the state in some way
*Rights - take part in politics, protection against outside
attack

8. Territory
The area within a definite, recognizable boundary that separates one state from another.
Includes not only land but also coastal waters, inland waters, the air above the land, and all natural resources on or under the land.
Size of territory can vary greatly.
Disputes over territory and boundaries have been the cause of many conflicts in history.
May change due to:
-War - -Ex. –Japan loses territory at end of WWII
-Negotiations- -British give Hong Kong to China in 1999
-Purchase- -U.S. buys Alaska from Russia

9. Sovereignty
-Key characteristic of a state
-Political Sovereignty- -means that a state has supreme and absolute
authority within its territorial borders.
-Complete power to:
-make laws
-shape foreign policy
-determine its own course of action
-receive diplomats and ambassadors
-protect its own territory and keep foreigners out
Ex. The U.S. has been a sovereign state since 1776.

10. Government
-The institution through which the state maintains social order, provides
public services, and enforces decisions that are binding on all living
in the state.
-The people who run a nation may be called by variety of terms.
-The institutions may include a constitution, a court system, a
legislature, an army, and other established practices of a state.
-The government carries out public policies.
-Any course of government action directed toward a national goal.
Medical care, space program, welfare, road construction, etc.
The people and institutions of the gov’t need:
Authority- -Right to make the rules.
Power- -Force to be sure rules or followed.
Legitimacy- -People accept its authority and its right to lead.

11. Theories of Government
1. Evolutionary –
-A natural state in the evolution of human society,
growing out of the family relationship between parents
and children.
-Extended family might include 100s.
-Abraham in the Bible
-Eventually group will be large
enough to need
more organization.
-Family to clan to tribe

12. 2. Force -A ruler took power by force. As long as he was strong
enough he kept control.
-People cooperate:
-for protection
-to build public works projects
-to promote religion

13. 3. Divine Right -believed that a ruler’s power came from God and he
could not be challenged.
-Egyptians, Chinese, Mayans, Aztecs, early kings of
England
-believed rulers were descendants of the gods or
appointed by God himself.
-To oppose the king would be
treason and sin.

14. 4. Social Contract
-idea that people themselves had the rights or power of government
-people give up some rights in exchange for protection.
-1st theory to acknowledge people themselves have power.
Two Ideas on Social Contract Theory (emerged in 1600s)
Thomas Hobbes- -people are brutish, mean, selfish
- -people need government for protection from
one another.
- -give up rights for protection
- -no rights to break this agreement
2. John Locke- -people born with natural rights of life, liberty, property
-people make agreement with gov’t to pay taxes, follow
laws, etc.
-gov’t agrees to protect rights of people
-people can revolt and overthrow gov’t if it doesn’t
protect rights.