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Published byHarold Turner Modified over 9 years ago
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What is government? Every person must write a word or phrase on the board.
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Get out a half sheet and answer the following questions: Based on your own thoughts and maybe combining what your peers wrote on the board, what is a government? We know governments exist, but are they essential? ◦Provide 2 reasons why they are and 2 reasons why they may not be
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Learning Targets for the day I can ◦define government and the basic powers every government holds ◦describe the four defining characteristics of the state ◦identify four theories that attempt to explain the origin of the state ◦understand the purpose of government in the United States and other countries
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Government The institution through which a society makes and enforces its public policies. ◦What are public policies?
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Public Policies All of the things a government decides to do ◦Therefore, what types of issues does government have to deal with?
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Rank the above in order of importance to you (9 = most important) Taxation Defense Education Crime Health care The environment Civil rights Worker rights Welfare
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Tackling these issues is a part of the political game. Politics ◦“Man is by nature a political animal.” -Aristotle ◦Is politics a bad word?
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So where does all of this (government, public policy, politics) take place?
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The State Population Territory Sovereignty Government
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How did the state come about?
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Major Political Ideas The Force Theory The Evolutionary Theory The Divine Right Theory The Social Contract Theory
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Force Theory One person or a group claimed control over an area and forced all within it to submit to that person’s or group’s rule.
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Evolutionary Theory The state was born naturally out of the family unit concept. One person was the head of a household (little government), then a network of related families formed clans (a little bigger government), then the clan became a tribe (much larger government), then the tribe took to agriculture and tied itself to the land. Then the state was born.
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Divine Right Theory People were bound to obey the ruler as proscribed by sacred religious beliefs, and then heredity.
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Social Contract Theory Thomas Hobbes ◦“In the state of nature profit is the measure of right.” John Locke ◦“Government has no other end, but the preservation of property.” Jean Jacques Rousseau ◦“Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains.”
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Purpose of Government (at least ours- What does each really mean? Does America accomplish these?) Form a More Perfect Union Establish Justice Insure Domestic Tranquility Provide for the Common Defense Promote the General Welfare Secure the Blessing of Liberty
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Read Section 1: Government and the State ◦Have them answer the two questions
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Forms of Government I can ◦Classify governments according to three sets of characteristics ◦Define systems of government based on who can participate ◦Identify different ways that power can be distributed, geographically, within a state ◦Describe a government by how power is distributed between the executive branch and legislative branch
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http://www.youtube.com/watc h?v=dOOTKA0aGI0&feature=pl ayer_embedded http://www.youtube.com/watc h?v=dOOTKA0aGI0&feature=pl ayer_embedded
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Who Can Participate? Democracy Autocracy ◦Dictatorship Oligarchy
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Current Autocrats
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What an oligarchy might look like.
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Geographic Distribution of Power Unitary Federal Confederate
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Relationship Between Legislative and Execute Branches Presidential System Parliamentary System
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What are the differences? Which is better?
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Think-pair-share the three views of the presidency.
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Basic Concepts of Democracy I can ◦Understand the foundations of democracy ◦Analyze the connections between democracy and the free enterprise system ◦Identify the role of the Internet in a democracy
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What does this image say about democracy? Do you agree?
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Basic Notions of Democracy A recognition of the fundamental worth and dignity of every person A respect for the equality of all persons A faith in majority rule and an insistence upon minority rights An acceptance of the necessity of compromise An insistence upon the widest possible degree of individual freedom
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What Hart Adds to This Definition Control over government decision about policy is constitutionally vested in elected officials Elected officials are chosen in frequent and fairly conducted elections Practically all adults have the right to vote Practically all adults have the right to run for elective office Citizens should have the rights to express themselves without danger of severe punishment Citizens have a right to seek out alternative sources of information Citizens have the right to form relatively independent associations or organizations Popularly elected officials cannot be overridden by unelected officials The polity must be self-governing
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What does this say about democracy? Do you agree? Solutions?
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