1. Do Now Who has power in your life and why?
In other words, besides yourself, who makes or influences decisions you make in your life and why?

2. The Nature of Power, Politics, and Government

3. 8/18 DO nOW
Where does government get its power from?

4. What’s your opinion about this quote?
“Society in every state is a blessing, but government even in its best state is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one” -Thomas Paine

5. What is power? Where does it come from?
Power- The ability to cause others to behave as they might not otherwise choose to do so.
Sources of power
Formal Authority
Expertise
Persuasion
Coercion/Force
Rewards

6. What gives a ruler legitimacy?
Legitimacy: being accepted as a valid authority
Some examples of legitimacy from past and present:
“mandate of heaven”- king was a son of heaven and must rule morally
Divine right of kings- king or queen represented God on Earth
Social-Contract Theory- (unwritten deal) people agree to obey a ruler in exchange for the ruler’s promise to protect their rights

7. What is the purpose of government?
What’s your opinion on this statement?

8. What is the purpose of government?
Government serves many purposes, such as:
-Keeping Order
-Protecting Life and Property
-Providing Public Goods (a product people can use whether they pay for it or not)
Examples of Public Goods: Schools, Roads, the Military, Fire and Police Department

9. Who do you agree with?

10. Do Now: Begin copying this down: The Building Blocks of Government
Government is ultimately the monopoly of force (They control the police and the military)
To provide protection, keep order, and provide public goods requires:
1. Coercion/Force- If you break the law, you can be arrested, imprisoned, or sued. Governments may also create a military draft or have you serve jury duty
2. Collecting Revenue- Taxation, like property, sales, and income taxes

11. Who should rule? Aristotle’s Classification of Governments:

12. Is the US becoming an oligarchy?
According to a recent study, it might be

13. Political games people and politicians play
1) Horse Trading--Two groups going back and forth trying to find a middle ground
2) Walkout--One party refusing to participate in activities to produce error in a society, so the other party is more willing to cooperate
3) Power Struggle--Outsmarting the other opponent and defeating them through logic
4) Demolition Derby--Taking out the opponent or rendering them incapacitated in relation to being able to go against one self
5) Civil Disobedience--Purposefully breaking laws that you see to be unfair, but in a peaceful manner, as a protest
5 political games people play in action.

14. In your notebook:
Give an example of how you use each of these political games in your life or have noticed others try to do so (We all use these methods at one time or another!)

15. Comparing Forms of Government

16. Origin and Evolution of government
-1st type of government in the prehistoric times was small groups led by elders -The birth of farming created more complex societies that required new forms of government -Ancient China, Egypt, Mesopotamia, and India used government for protection and fairly distributing water -These governments grew more powerful, with powerful kings creating empires

17. Governments of Greece and Rome
Direct Democracy- Decisions made by the people themselves- Made famous first by Athens, Greece
Representative Democracy, also called a Republic- Decisions made by leaders elected by the people
-Eventually Rome’s Republic fell apart and they were ruled by powerful emperors

18. Feudalism
When Rome fell in 476 AD, a new system developed, called feudalism.

19. Absolute Monarchy
-By the 1300s, kings grew more powerful as nobles and their feudal land lost power and became apart of powerful nation-states.
-This period, until the late 1700s, came best be summarized by Louis the 16th by the phrase “I am the State.”

20. Democracies and Revolution
By the late 1700s, people got tired of kings, who ruled for their own benefit.
This lead to revolution,
This lead to constitutional monarchies in England, which limited the power of the king and increased the power of elected representatives.
In France, their revolution killed the King and Queen, but eventually lead to a dictator, Napoleon Bonaparte, who restored order, but tried to control people’s lives.
The US’s revolution lead to a constitutional republic, where government was based off a written Constitution.

21. the 20th century
Communism- Start in Russia in This is where the government controls the entire economy
Fascism- Started in Italy in the 1920s, government tries to control people’s lives and controls most of the economy.
Nazism- Similar to Fascism, but based off the myth of racial superiority

22. Do now 8/19
Name 3 types of governments where one person holds all or most of the power
Name 2 types of governments where the people hold the power
How did farming lead to government becoming more complex?

23. Governments around the world
1.Monarchy- Most monarchs rule in name only and have little to no power. -Saudi Arabia’s King though, has power 2.Dictatorships-Powerful leader who holds power by force, as opposed to a monarch, who inherits their power. 3. Theocracy- Rule by a few powerful religious leaders. Examples: Iran and Vatican City 4. Single-Party State: the Constitution of such a place only allows one party to rule. Some examples today, Syria and Vietnam 5. Parliamentary Democracy- Voters elected representatives and the majority party selects the leader, the Prime Minister. 6. Presidential Democracy- Voters elect a President and representatives. Examples, US, Russia, and most of Latin America

25. Distributions of power in government

26. Comparative economic systems

27. Do Now 8/20: What is your ideal form of government?
Instructions: At your table (2 people), decide how you would answer the following questions. Be prepared to share.
1. Upon what basis is power based on? For example divine right, by pure force, social contract theory, etc
2. Who holds the power in your government? (refer to Aristotle’s classification of governments)
3. Refer to your notes on the origin and evolution of governments and governments of today, which one matches your preference?
4. How is power distributed: unitary, federalism, or a confederacy?
5. Which economic system would be more fitting: traditional, market, command, or mixed?