1. What is Government? Chapter 1 - Sect. 1
American Government
What is Government?
Chapter 1 - Sect. 1

2. What is Government?
Decision making authority for a group of people

3. Governments in the U.S. U.S. Government 1 State Governments 50
Local Governments ,186
County Governments ,032
Municipal Governments ,200
Townships ,661
School Districts ,721
Special Districts ,532
Total ,383

4. What is the Purpose of a Government?
Maintains Social Order
helps keep the peace
Provides Services to the Public
welfare, food stamps, social security, Medicaid
Provide Security/ National Defense
Make Economic Decisions

5. In Order to Have an Effective Government, You Must Have 4 Things:
What are they?
. People
. Territory
People + Territory = Nation-State
3. Government
4. Sovereignty

6. What is a Nation-State? “Nation” “State”
Group of People Who Share Similar Beliefs
“Nation”
Live Within a Defined Territory or Boundary
“State”

7. The Authority to Govern
What is Sovereignty?
The Authority to Govern
“Sovereignty”
Where Does This Authority Come From?
People

8. 4 Roles of the Government
Provide Public Services
How Does the Government Accomplish These Roles?

9. 4 Theories of Government
Evolution
Force
Divine Right
Social Contract

10. Government Systems
System is Determined by How the Sovereignty is Divided
FEDERAL
UNITARY
CONFEDERATE

11. Systems of Government Federalism
Powers divided between national govnt. and the states
Works best in larger countries
Faster response to people’s needs
Laws usually less uniform

12. What is the Federal System of Gov?
Its Where the Power is Divided Between Several Governments!

13. Unitary Government Central Govnt. Holds all the Power
Most Common form of Govnt.
Power may be Sweeping!

14. Confederate Government
Collection of independent states
Can give/take away central govt. authority
All must agree
Difficult to set policy
United Nations

15. What Is Politics Anyway?
Attempt to Control or Influence Government
Why Are So Many People Involved in “Politics?”
Why is Politics Important?

16. 3 Types of Political Systems “Who Holds the Power”
1. Autocracy – ruled by a single individual
Oldest Type of Government
Dictatorship
Use Force/Military
- Monarchies
Absolute
Constitutional – Great Britain, Sweden, Japan

17. 2. Oligarchy - ruled by a few/small group
- Power comes from wealth, military, religion
Communism
China, Cuba, Old Soviet Union
Everything owned by the government
Work based on your ability and paid by what the Government thinks you need!

18. 3. Democracy - ruled by many
2 Types of Democracy
Direct
People govern themselves
Representative
People choose (elect) someone to make decisions for them
Presidential/Parliamentary
Republic – Voters hold the sovereign “Power”

19. What Makes Democracy Work??
A Favorable Economy
Widespread Education
Social Consensus
Citizen Participation
Strong Civil Society

20. Section 4 Economic Systems
What is an Economic System?

21. The Role of Economic Systems
Section 4-4
Although there are many kinds of economic systems, all of them must make three major economic decisions: 
What and how much should be produced? 
How should goods and services be produced? 
Who gets the goods and services that are produced? 
Each major type of economic system– capitalism, socialism, and communism– answers these questions differently.
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22. Meeting People’s Wants & Needs Through The
Production
Distribution
Exchange of Goods and Services

23. Government Economy Who Owns the Production?
Who Will Share In What Is Produced = $$$
Who is Employed and at What Salary

24. 3 Types Of Economic Systems
Capitalism
Socialism
Communism
Government Involvement?

25. Capitalism Grew out of a theory called “laissez faire’
“To allow to do”
Based upon the Free Enterprise System
Competition is Good!
Causes Business to make quality product – Consumers reap the rewards!
Many Sales = Profits $$$

26. Capitalism
Section 4-5
Capitalism emphasizes freedom of choice and individual incentive for workers, investors, consumers, and business enterprises. 
Pure capitalism has five main characteristics: 
private ownership and control of property and economic resources 
free enterprise 
competition among businesses 
freedom of choice 
the possibility of profits
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27. Supply & Demand Is The Key!
The More a Product Is In Demand, The Higher The Price!

28. Origins of Capitalism (cont.)
Section 4-7
The free market meant that buyers and sellers were free to make unlimited economic decisions in the marketplace. 
Adam Smith, a Scottish philosopher and economist, described capitalism in his book The Wealth of Nations. 
He believed in laissez-faire economics, or the idea that government should keep its hands off the economy.
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29. The U.S. Has A “Mixed Economy”
The Government Regulates Some Aspects Of The Economy
Minimum Wage Law, Building Codes, FDA, Banking
Capitalism Seems To Work Best In A Democratic Society, Why?

30. Mixed-Market Economy Section 4-11
A mixed-market economy is an economy in which free enterprise is combined with and supported by government decisions in the marketplace. 
Even though it is a mixed-market economy, the American economic system is rooted deeply in the idea of individual initiative, and it respects the right of all persons to own private property. 
The American system also recognizes that freedom to make economic choices is a part of the freedom of political choice.
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31. Socialism Only some Private ownership Government owns all public works
Belief is that all of society should benefit
Distribute the wealth equally
Government has a preconceived plan for production
Great Britain and Sweden are Socialist

32. Socialism (cont.) Section 4-13 Socialism has three main goals: 
the distribution of wealth and economic opportunity equally among people 
society’s control, through its government, of all major decisions about production 
public ownership of most land, of factories, and of other means of production
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33. Socialism (cont.) Section 4-14
Socialism began to develop in nineteenth-century Europe as a response to the problems of industrialization. 
Many workers’ living and working conditions were miserable. 
Some socialists favored violent revolution, while others planned and built socialist communities where workers were supposed to share profits equally.
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34. Communism Society as a Whole Owns All Means of Production
No Wages/Rent
Work According To Ability/ Paid According to Your Need

35. Communism
Section 4-16
Karl Marx ( ), a German thinker and writer, was a socialist who advocated violent revolution. 
In The Communist Manifesto (1848) and later in Das Kapital (1867), Marx said that the capitalist system would collapse.
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36. Communism (cont.) Section 4-17
He believed that in industrialized nations the population is divided into capitalists, or the bourgeoisie who own the means of production, and workers, or the proletariat, who work to produce the goods. 
The bourgeoisie use their economic power to force their will on the workers.
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37. Communism as a Command Economy
Section 4-19
In Communist nations, government planners decide how much to produce, what to produce, and how to distribute the goods and services produced. 
This system is called a command economy because decisions are made at the upper levels of government and handed down to managers.
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38. Why Has The Communist System Had Difficulty Surviving?
Time For A QUIZ !