1. Government and Politics

2. Why do we need to study government?
Text – the zero page (turn to page 1)

3. What are the purposes of government?

4. Provide for national security and common defense
Maintain social order
Provide for national security and common defense
Maintenance of security and order of citizens from violence and criminal activity is the oldest purpose of government
Iraq
Somalia

5. Provide public services
Provide for and control of the economy
The preamble of the Constitution sets out the general purposes of the American government and why it was established

6. What is government?

7. The institution through which the state maintains social order, provides public services, and enforces binding decisions on citizens
The institution through which government makes and enforces its public policies

8. Government is an aspect of politics
Politics the struggle over power or influence within organizations or informal groups that can grant or withhold benefits or privileges
Politics “who gets what, when, and how”… Harold Laswell
Government can be defined as an institution in which decisions are made that resolve conflicts or allocate privileges or benefits

9. Government is the preeminent institution within society – the ultimate authority for making decisions and establishing political values

10. Definitions
Institution – An organization that performs certain functions for society
Order – a state of peace and security
Public Policy – all those things government does

11. Why is government necessary?
The need for security and order
Order is a political value
In an orderly society government may turn its attention to other purposes
In a capitalist economy government attempts to soften the harshness of capitalism
Government may encourage investment, private ownership of property, protect the environment

12. Why is government’s power limited?
Citizen’s need to be protected from the abuses of government
Iraq
WMDs not the only reason for the war
Promote stability in the Middle East by freeing the Iraqi people of a despotic regime
Protect the liberties of the Iraqi people
Iraq has various groups divided on the basis of religion, ethnicity and language and each group is subject to the oppression of others

13. Order cannot be the only political value
Liberty is the second major political value
Liberty – The greatest freedom of individuals that is consistent with the freedom of other individuals in the society
Liberty is a value that can be promoted by government, but it can also be invoked against government

14. Liberty existed prior to government
Philosophically people gave up liberty to create a government for protection
Government power is limited because it only has the power granted to it by the people