1. Foundations of government

2. Personal Power Assessment
Answer the following questions in your notebook.
Make a list of all the individuals, institutions, and circumstances that have power over you. For each item, write a brief description of how it has power over you.
Now make a list of all the individuals, institutions, and circumstances in which you have power. For each one, briefly describe how you have power.
Create a simple illustration that represents you and how you feel about power in your life.
Below your illustration, summarize in two or three sentences how you feel about power in your life.

3. The Chip Game This is a game where you trade colored chips.
For each round, you will have two minutes to trade your chips. All trades—including those in progress—must stop when the time is up.
After trading, the student with the most points will be asked to make a rule for the next round. That rule will apply only to the next round.
Begin Round 1

4. The Chip Game Points Use these amounts to calculate your points.
Green = 10 points
Blue = 25 points
Yellow = 50 points
Red = 100 points
Who has the most points?
Winner gets to make a rule for the next round. The new rule cannot end all trading and will apply only to the next round of trading. Write the rule on the board.
Continue with the next round

5. The Chip Game Conclusion
What happened to you during the game?
What happened in the class during the game?
What do you think the game was about?
Based on this experience, how would you define power?
Why might power be related to a course on American politics and government?

6. The Nature of Power, Politics and Government
Read the quotes on the handout.
In your notebook assign each quote a “truth ranking” from 1 to 5 (1 = never true, 5 = always true).
Write a brief response to each of the following questions. Support your answers with evidence from your own experience and your knowledge of historic and current events.

7. The Nature of Power, Politics and Government
Which of the quotations do you think is the most true about power?
Which of the quotations do you think is the most true about politics?
Which of the quotations do you think is the most true about your own life?

8. What is Government?
Government is the institution through which a society makes and enforces public policies

9. The State Four characteristics: Population Territory Sovereignty
Must have people who agree to separate
Territory
Must have land with recognized boundaries
Sovereignty
Must have supreme power within its territory
Government
Must be politically organized

10. Origins of the State Force Theory Evolutionary Theory
One person or small group took control & forced all within it to submit to that person or group’s rule
Evolutionary Theory
Evolved naturally out of the structure of the family
Divine Right Theory
Argues that God created the state; gives those of royal birth the “divine right” to rule.
Social Contract Theory
State arose out of a voluntary act of free people

11. The Purpose of Government
Defined in the Preamble of the Constitution
Government = protection of the people
“We the people of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure Domestic Tranquility, provide for the Common Defense, promote the General Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

12. Classifying Governments
3 ways:

13. 1. Classification by who can Participate
Democracy
Sovereignty rests with the people
Direct Democracy
The citizens themselves actively create laws
Indirect Democracy
Representatives are chosen by the people
Dictatorship
Sovereignty rests with elite group of rulers
Autocracy
a single person holds power
Oligarchy
Power to rule is held by a small group

14. 2. Classification by Where Power is held
Unitary Government
All power held by a single, central agency
Confederation
A loose alliance of independent states
Almost no central government at all
Federal Government
Powers of government are divided between central and local governments

15. 3. Classification by balance between Legislative and Executive
Presidential Relationship
Voters elect the Legislature
Voters also elect an Executive
Legislative and Executive branches are independent
Parliamentary Relationship
Voters elect the Legislature to represent them
The Legislature chooses someone from among them to be the Executive
(Prime Minister)