1. Ch. 1 - Principles of Government
Government: The institution through which a society makes and enforces its policies
Essential to the existence of civilized society and has an extraordinary impact on the lives of people.
What would you be like if you never had any oversight?

2. What do we expect from our Gov’t?
Protect us from criminals and terrorists
Protect the environment, our property, health and education
Pave streets, regulate traffic
Punish criminals
Respond to natural disasters
Protect our civil rights
Care for elderly and poor
That is a lot!

3. The State Dominant political unit in the world. Characteristics:
Population
Territory
Sovereignty – power within its own borders
Government
Body of people living together in a defined area, tied together politically
Nation=ethnic term, country=geographic term

4. Politics
Politics – The process by which we select our governmental leaders and what policies these leaders produce.
Politics – The process by which government is conducted, policies determined and leaders chosen.

5. Politics is NOT a Dirty Word
People disagree on politics because they disagree about:
Government Priorities
The Role of Government
Specific Governmental Policies
The Direction of the Nation
Personal Values
Etc.
Politics and Government are inseparable

6. Purpose of Government From the Preamble to the Constitution:
Form a more perfect union – link
together people and states

7. Purpose of Government From the Preamble to the Constitution:
Establish Justice – equal rights and laws
3. Insure Domestic Tranquility – Peace at home
4. Provide for the common defense – military, foreign policy

8. Purpose of Government From the Preamble to the Constitution:
Promote the general welfare – well being
6. Secure blessings of liberty–rights & freedoms

9. Purposes (the Preamble) review:

10. Forms of Government Dictatorship – Rule by 1 person or small group
The most common form of goverment
Authoritarian, Oligarchy, etc.
Totalitarian
Control all aspects of life – political, social, economic
Hitler, Stalin, Kim Jong-Il
Theocracy
Control by force and the FEAR of force

11. Forms of Government Democracy “Government of the people,
by the people, for the people”
“We the People”
Direct Democracy – NE town halls
Representative Democracy – Republic
Fastest growing form of government
Most difficult form of government

12. Democracy Presidential System Branches chosen independently
Separation of Powers
Checks and Balances
Strong Executive – independent of Legislature
United States system

13. Democracy Parliamentary System
Executive (Prime Minister) is a member of legislature (Parliament)
Legislative majority chooses Executive
Legislative branch is superior to Executive and Judicial branches
No checks and balances
System used in UK, Canada, Israel, most of Europe

14. Foundations of Democracy
Worth and dignity of every individual
Sometimes the welfare of some is subordinated for the welfare of the group
Equality of all persons – conditions, opportunities, laws
Majority rule with minority rights
Necessity of compromise=most ideas have more than two sides
Individual freedom

15. “No government demands so much from the citizen as Democracy, and none gives so much back.”

16. Conditions Favorable to Democracy
Economic conditions
Best when there aren’t extremes of wealth and poverty
Free enterprise – capitalism or socialism
Education
The higher the literacy rate the better
You need educated voters
Social Consensus
Shared values: Freedom, Equality, Peace, etc.

17. Democracy and the Free Enterprise System (Capitalism)
Gov’t doesn’t make the decisions, the market does through the laws of supply and demand
Private ownership, profit, competition
America has a mixed economy because the government does get involved
Regulations, laws
Building codes
Education
Post office