1. What is a Nation?
A group of group people bounded by race, language customs and sometimes religion.

2. Essential Features of a Nation/State
POPULATION
TERRITORY – FIXED BOUNDARIES
SOVEREIGNTY
GOVENRMENT

3. Where did Govt’ come from?
Evolutionary Theory – evolved from the family group
Force Theory – powerful people used forced to establish authority
Divine Right Theory – people were chosen by god
Social Contract Theory – some people gave the govt the power to rule them and in return the govt had to respect the people’s rights

4. What is the Purpose of Govt?
Maintain social order and enforce laws
Provide essentials services for people such as health and safety
Protect citizens from domestic and external threats
Pass laws that shape and control the nation’s economy in various ways

5. Govt Systems
Unitary System – gives all key powers to the national or central govt
Federal System – divides the powers of govt between the national govt and state govt

6. OLIGARCHY – small group of people own the govt
THEOCRACY – priests rule in the name of god

7. CONSTITUTION
A constitution is a plan that provides the rules of government
Organizes the structure of government and the way it operates
Sets out the goals and purposes of govt. as well as the ideals shared by the people
Provides the supreme law for states and their govt.

8. POLITICS
The effort to control or influence the policies and actions of govt.
Individuals and groups use politics to seek benefits from govt.
Although special interest groups seek special benefits , politics also provides benefits for all the people.

9. GOVERNING IN A COMPLEX WORLD
The world today is divided into industrialized nations, developing nations and newly industrialized nations
These groups of nations have many differences, but they are interdependent in many ways
Other groups besides nations, including multinational corporations, political movements, and international organizations are important in today’s world

10. MAJOR TYPES OF GOVT.
AUTOCRACY – a dictatorship or absolute monarchy, power and authority reside in a single individual
OLIGARCHY – such as communist country, a small group holds power in the govt
DEMOCRACY – such as the U.S, the people hold the sovereign power of govt

11. CHARACTERISTICS OF DEMOCRACY
Govt works to secure an equal opportunity for people to develop their own abilities
Govt. is based on majority rule through the people’s elected representatives, but respects the rights of minorities.

12. CHARACTERISTICS OF DEMOCRACY (cont.)
Govt is based on free and open elections in which every citizen has the right to vote, every vote has equal weight, and candidates for office can freely express their views
Political parties choose candidates for office, respect the voter’s decisions in elections, and act as loyal opposition

13. THE SOIL OF DEMOCRACY
Certain conditions or environments favor the development of the democratic system of govt.
Countries where citizens participate fully in civic life are more likely to maintain a strong democracy
Stable, growing economies with a large middle class help strengthen democracies

14. THE SOIL OF DEMOCRACY (cont.)
A public school system to all people helps promote democracy
A strong civil society in which a network of voluntary organizations (including economic groups, religious groups, and many others) exists independent of Govt helps democracy to flourish
The people accept democratic values such as individual liberty and equality for all in a social consensus

15. THE ROLE OF ECONOMIC SYSTEMS
Govts. provide for many different kinds of economic systems
Economic systems make decisions about what goods and services should be produced, how they should be produced and who gets them.

16. CAPITALISM Free Enterprise or individual economic choices
Developed gradually from the economic and political changes medieval and early modern Europe
The U.S has a capitalist economy , but Govt. plays a role
Govt’s role in the U.S. economy has increased since the early 1900’s
Today the U.S has a mix ed market economy, incorporating both free enterprise and Govt regulation of business and industry

17. SOCIALISM
Govt owns the basic means of production, plans the use of resources & distributes wealth equally among people
Socialism developed in Europe during the 19th century
Some socialists favored taking over the Govt by means of revolution, while other socialists believed in democratic socialism, in which economic conditions change peacefully & ppl have some freedoms & rights
Socialist Govts have taken power in several countries; however critics argue that this economic system fails to solve most economic problems

18. COMMUNISM
Based on the 19th century ideas of Karl Marx, whom argued that Capitalism exploited workers to benefit a small group of capitalists who controlled the economy
Marx predicted workers would eventually rise in a violent revolution, which would result in Govt ownership of all means of production and distribution; when all property was held in common, there would be no need for Govt

19. COMMUNISM (CON’T)
In Communist nations, Govt makes all economic decisions; owns the land, natural resources industry, banks and transportation system; and controls all mass communication

20. Chapter 2

21. English political heritage
The English colonists brought with them a heritage of freedom and principles of Govt that helped shape the Development of the United States
The concept of limited Govt, dating from the Magna Carta in 1215 was an accepted part of the English monarch.
The petition Right in 1628 severely limited the power of the English monarch

22. English political heritage
The Colonists believed in the limits in the ruler’s power and the freedoms protected in the English Bill of Rights, passed by parliament
The colonists firmly believed in representative Govt, following the model of Parliament
The ideas of the 17th century English philosopher
John Locke deeply influenced the American colonists.

23. Govt in the Colonies
The present system of American Govt evolved largely from colonial Govt and their practices
Written plans of Govt were a key feature of the colonial period.

24. Govt in the colonies (cont.)
Representative assemblies elected by the people helped establish the tradition of representative Govt in America
The division of Govt powers among the governor, the colonial legislatures, and colonial courts helped establish the principle of the separation of powers.

25. The colonies on their own
Although Britain regarded the American colonies largely as a resource
The British Govt tightened its control over the colonies after the French and Indian Wars
King George III and his ministers made the colonies help pay for the war by levying new taxes on the colonies.

26. Colonial unity
Harsh British policies and taxes helped unite the colonies
To protect British policies, the colonists sent petitions to the King and also organized committees of correspondence
The First Continental Congress held in Philadelpia in 1774 debated what the colonies should do about their relationship with Britain
When second Continental Congress met in 1775, fighting had begun and Congress acted as a central to carry on the Revolution

27. Independence
Thomas Paines’ Common Sense strengthened the independence movement.
A committee of delegates to the Philadelphia Congress, headed by Thomas Jefferson, drafted the Declaration of Independence in 1776.
The Declaration set forth the principles for the new nation

28. independence (con’t)
The Declaration had three parts: a statement of purpose, including a description of basic human rights; a list of specific complaints against King George III; and a statement of the colonist’s determination to separate from Great Britain
By the end of 1776, 10 states had adopted written constitutions, which were based on the consent of the governed, limited government, and the protection of individual rights

29. Government Under the Articles
The nation’s first government included a single-chamber Congress with limited powers
Each state had one vote in Congress, but the Govt had no executive branch or court system

30. Weaknesses of the Articles
The Congress had to depend on the states for money and had no power to collect taxes, regulate trade, or enforce the laws
Amending the Articles required the approval of all the states
The central Govt had no president or executive branch and carried out much work through congressional committees
There was no system of national courts; instead state courts enforced and interpreted national laws

31. Achievements
Despite its weaknesses, the Confederation Govt established a fair policy for developing western land.
The Confederation Govt signed the peace treat with England
The Confederation Govt. set up several departments establishing the precedent for cabinet departments later mentioned in the Constitution.

32. The Need for Stronger Govt
Soon after the war, disputes broke among the states; the Govt’s debt left soldiers unpaid
Many were alarmed when an economic depression in 1786 lead to Shay’s Rebellion, an armed uprising by Massachusetts farmers who could not pay their debts
Leaders who favored a stronger Govt failed to accomplish much at the 1786 Annapolis Convention, but persuaded the Confederation Congress to call a convention in Philadelphia to revise the Articles of Confederation

33. The Convention begins
The delegates to the Constitutional Conventional had great practical experience in politics and Govt and included many of the signers of the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation.
The delegates held their meetings in secret, deciding each state would have one vote, all decisions would be majority vote, and a quorom of seven states was required for all meetings
The delegates decided to give up the idea of revising the Articles of Confederation and to draft a new plan of Govt about which they shared many ideas.

34. Decisions & Compromises
The Virginia Plan proposed a strong executive, a national judiciary, and a strong two-house legislature in which the lower house would be chosen by the people and the upper house would be chosen by the lower house. This plan favored the large, more populous states.
The New Jersey Plan proposed a weak executive of more than one person elected by Congress, a national judiciary with limited powers, and a one-house legislature, with one vote for each state. This plan favored the small states

35. Decisions & Compromise (CONT’D)
C. A special committee devised the Connecticut Compromise, which proposed a legislative branch with two parts: a House of Representatives with state representation based on population, and a state with two members from each state, regardless of size. This compromise gave the large states an advantage in the House and protected the smaller states in Senate.
D. The three-fifths compromise settled the issue of representation in the House of Representatives, counting three-fifths of enslaved Africans in determining the number of a state’s representatives

36. Decisions & Compromise (CONT’D)
E. The Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise allowed the slave trade to continue until Congress was forbidden to tax exports and was granted power to regulate both interstate commerce and trade with other nations.
F. Although many Northern delegates wanted to end Slavery, they realized that if insisted on doing so, the Southern states would never accept the Constitution and the nation would face an uncertain future. Thus the Founders compromised and refused to deal with slavery in the Constitution.
G. The delegates agrees to other compromises as well, including a four-year term for the president and an Electoral College rather than a direct election of the president.

37. Ratifying the Constitution
Supporters and opponents of the Constitution began a great debate over whether to accept or reject it.
B. The federalists who urged ratification argued that a strong national Govt was badly needed to solve the nation’s problems and to deal with foreign countries; without the Constitution, disorder or anarchy would undermine the nation.

38. Ratifying the Constitution (Cont’d)
C. The Anti-federalists who opposed ratification argued that the delegates had drafted the Constitution in secret and had been given no power to replace the Articles. They contended that the constitution took important away from the states and lacked a Bill of Rights.
D. When the Federalists promised to add a Bill of rights, and the small states learned more about the Connecticut Compromise, the battle over ratification was finally won

39. Ratifying the Constitution (cont’d)
E. The national Govt was launched in 1789 when Congress met for the first time in New York City. Soon after George Washington took the oath of office as president of the United States.