2. 1 st lecture – US History and Government

6. I. Maintain order II. Provide public goods III. Protect property

7. John Locke a political theorist argues that government is created to escape the state of nature (a time of no order where neighbor fights neighbor for life, liberty and property). As a result, crops are not planted, science is not developed, trade does not occur Function of Government I: Maintain Order

8. What are public goods? Pick a public good and in your group figure out how it should be paid for? Function of Government II: Develop Public Goods

9. Problem: the free rider How do we make people pay for facilities (roads, parks, schools) that are available to everyone but still have to be paid for? Solution: Government

10. How do we know who owns what? More important than it sounds – why maintain a home if it can be taken away? Why create a business that can be shut down at any time? Government creates rules (sometimes elaborate) to protect who owns what Function of Government III: Protect Property

11. Purpose of Government News Clippings Due: September 11 and 14 HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT #1