1. What are the four main purposes of government?
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What are the four main purposes of government?

2. 4 Essential Features of a State
Population
Territory
Sovereignty
Government

3. Population Nature of a state’s population affects its stability
States that have a general political and social consensus about basic beliefs have the most stable gov’ts
Population also affects politics through mobility
Shifts in population from different regions can affect representation

4. Territory A state has established boundaries
Can change as a result of war, negotiations or purchase
Exact location or shape of political boundaries is often source of conflict among states

5. Sovereignty
Political sovereignty-state has supreme & absolute authority within boundaries
Complete independence to make laws, shape foreign policy & determine own course of action
Every state is considered sovereign with equal legal rights-but states with great economic strength and military have more powers

6. Government Government- institution through which state:
Maintains social order
Provides public services
Enforces decisions that are binding on all people

7. 4 Purposes of Government
Maintain social order
Provide public services
Provide for national security and common defense
Provide for and control economic system

8. Maintaining Social Order
Governments provide ways of resolving conflicts among group members- laws
Require people to pay taxes or serve in army
Provide court structure to help solve disagreements in an orderly manner
Limitations on what people can do

9. Providing Public Services
Provide essential services that make community life possible & promote general welfare
Examples:
Make and enforce laws that promote public health and safety

10. Providing National Security
Protect people against attack by other other states or threats- terrorism
Constitution gives gov’t exclusive power to make treaties with other nations
Gov’t also provides economic security through trade agreements with other countries

11. Making Economic Decisions
Countries with wide gap btwn rich and poor may cause civil unrest or revolution
SO gov’t use power to reduce friction by intervening in the economic system (domestic & international)
Example: after WWII- $ to thwart communism
Gov’ts pass laws that determine and control the economic environment

12. Making Economic Decisions cont…
Also make choices that distribute benefits and public services among citizens
Example: paying farmers for growing crops
Gov’t try to stimulate economic growth and stability through:
Controlling inflation
Encouraging trade
Regulating the development of natural resources

13. Formation of Governments

14. Government Systems
Relationship btwn the national government and smaller divisions can be described as
Unitary
Federal

15. Unitary System Great Britain France Italy
Gives all key powers to the national or central government
Central government creates state, provincial or other local governments and gives them limited sovereignty
Great Britain
France
Italy

16. Federal System
Divides the powers of government between the national government and state government
USA
Canada
Mexico
Australia
India

17. Constitution A plan that provides the rules for government
Sets out ideals that people bound by the const believe in and share
Establishes basic structure of gov’t and defines the gov’t powers and duties
Provides supreme law for the country

18. Constitutional Government
Gov’t in which a constitution has authority to place clearly recognized limits on the powers of those who govern
AKA: limited government

19. Why constitutions are incomplete guides
No written constitution can spell out all the laws, customs and ideas that grow up around the document itself
Ex: FDR elected 4 times until 22nd Amendment
Const does not always reflect the actual practice of gov’t in a country
China

20. Constitutional Law
The interpretation and application of the constitution
Concerned with defining the extent and limits of government power and rights of citizens

21. Politics
Effort to control or influence the conduct and policies of government
Through politics conflicts in society are managed
As people seek rewards and benefits , politics provides them with a way to compete with one another

22. Governing in the 21st century
Industrialized nations: generally large industries and advanced technology
Developing nations: just beginning to develop industrially
Starvation, political turmoil and disease
Africa and Southeast Asia

23. Interdependence
Nations must interact or depend on one another- economically and/or politically
NAFTA- N. American Free Trade Agreement
Affects developing nations too-become dependent on industrialized ones economic, medical and natural disaster aid

24. Nonstate International Groups
Groups that are not states but play an important role in international politics
1. Political movements (national liberation organizations)
Example: PLO- Palestine Liberation Organization
2. Multinational corporations
Examples: GM, Nabisco, BP, Sony
3. International organizations
Examples: UN

25. Types of Government

26. Who governs the state? Comes from ideas of Aristotle
All government belong to one of three major groups
Autocracy
Oligarchy
Democracy

27. Autocracy Rule by one person Oldest and most common form of government
Most autocrats have maintained position by inheritance or military or police power

28. Forms of Autocracy
Totalitarian dictatorship-ideas of single leader glorified & gov’t controls social and economic life
Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin
Monarchy- king, queen or emperor exercises supreme power of gov’t
Absolute monarchy-complete and unlimited power
Constitutional monarchy- share power with elected legislature or serve as figurehead

29. Oligarchy Any system of gov’t in which small group holds power
Power comes from wealth, military, social position or combination of these
Both dictatorships and oligarchies may try to give appearance of control- example: election but only offer one candidate OR legislatures that approve decisions already made by leader

30. Democracy System in which rule is by the people
Key idea- people hold sovereign power
Direct democracy- people govern themselves by voting on issues individually as citizens
Representative democracy-people elect reps and give them power to make laws and conduct gov’t

31. Characteristics of Democracy
Individual Liberty- people be as free as possible to develop own capacities. Gov’t works to promote equality & equal opportunity.
Majority Rule with Minority Rights- people accept decisions made by the majority of voters. BUT constitution ensures rights of minority protected

32. Characteristics of Democracy
Free elections- Give people the chance to choose their leaders and voice opinion on various issues.
Ensure public officials pay attention to people’s wishes
Free elections means:
Every vote carries same weight
Candidates have right to freely express views
Citizens can help candidates
Legal requirements to a minimum (age, citizenship)
Citizens may vote freely by secret ballot

33. Characteristics of Democracy
Competing Political Parties
Political Party
Group of individuals with broad common interest- organize candidates for office
Win elections
Conduct gov’t
Determine public policy
Competing parties give voters a choice & help simplify and focus attention on key issues

34. 5 Criteria for Citizen’s Quality of Life
Active Citizen Participation
Vote, serve on jury, run for office
A favorable economy
Free enterprise-opportunity to control your own economic decisions
Widespread Education

35. 5 Criteria for Citizen’s Quality of Life
Strong Civil Society
Voluntary associations that give citizens ways to make views known & participate in democracy
Red Cross, Humane Society, NRA
Social Consensus
People accept democratic values such as individual liberty and equality for all

36. Economic Theories

37. Economics
The science that deals with the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services

38. 3 Major Decisions of Economic Systems
1. What and how much should be produced.
2. How goods and services should be produced.
3. Who gets the goods and services that are produced.
Each economic system in the world answer these questions differently

39. Capitalism
Economic system providing free choice and individual incentive for workers, investors, consumers and business enterprises.

40. 5 Characteristics of Capitalism
1. Private ownership
2. Free enterprise
3. Competition among businesses
4. Freedom of choice
5. Possibility of profits

41. Free Market
Economic system in which buyers and sellers make free choices in the marketplace

42. Laissez-faire
Philosophy that government should keep its hands off the economy

43. What is a free enterprise economy?
Sellers own businesses- produce goods/services
Buyers pay for goods/services they believe best fit their needs
Question of what to produce is determined in the marketplace by the actions of buyers and sellers- NOT government

44. Communism
Economic system in which the central government directs all major economic decisions

45. Command Economy
Economic system in which the government controls factors of production
In communist countries state owns the land, natural resources, industry, banks, transportation, newspaper, television, radio and movies

46. Question
Capitalism
Communism
What to produce?
Market determines--if it will sell, it will be made.
Government councils decide what to produce depending on what they see as a need of all the people
Who produces it?
Market determines--if an entrepreneur decides to make the product to make a profit, the entrepreneur will produce it
Government councils decide which government owned factories produce the goods they decide to make
For who is it produced?
Market determines--if the consumer can afford it, the entrepreneur will produce it for the consumer
Government councils decide which citizens get which goods