Do Now

•What are the four main purposes of government?

4 Essential Features of a State1. Population2. Territory3. Sovereignty4. Government

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

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

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

Government

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

4 Purposes of Government 1. Maintain social order 2. Provide public services 3. Provide for national security and

common defense 4. Provide for and control economic

system

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

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

▫Examples:

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

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

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

Formation of Governments

Government Systems

•Relationship btwn the national government and smaller divisions can be described as▫Unitary ▫Federal

Unitary System

•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

Federal System

•Divides the powers of government between the national government and state government

•USA•Canada •Mexico•Australia •India

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

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

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

Constitutional Law

•The interpretation and application of the constitution

•Concerned with defining the extent and limits of government power and rights of citizens

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

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

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

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

Types of Government

Who governs the state?•Comes from ideas of Aristotle

•All government belong to one of three major groups▫Autocracy▫Oligarchy▫Democracy

Autocracy•Rule by one person

•Oldest and most common form of government

•Most autocrats have maintained position by inheritance or military or police power

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Economic Theories

Economics

•The science that deals with the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services

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

Capitalism

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

5 Characteristics of Capitalism

•1. Private ownership

•2. Free enterprise

•3. Competition among businesses

•4. Freedom of choice

•5. Possibility of profits

Free Market

•Economic system in which buyers and sellers make free choices in the marketplace

Laissez-faire

•Philosophy that government should keep its hands off the economy

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

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

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

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