Government and the Government and the StateState

1:11:1

How Is Government Involved In How Is Government Involved In Your Life?Your Life?

Is Government involved in your life?Is Government involved in your life? If so, how much?If so, how much?

What is democracy?What is democracy? Three things to know:Three things to know:

The purpose of governmentThe purpose of government The major forms of governmentThe major forms of government The major concepts of governmentThe major concepts of government

What is government?What is government?

Government – The institution through which a Government – The institution through which a society makes and enforces public policiessociety makes and enforces public policies

Public Policy – All of the things a gov’t decides to doPublic Policy – All of the things a gov’t decides to do TaxationTaxation DefenseDefense EducationEducation ...and on and on and on and on and on...and on and on and on and on and on

A Brief History of GovernmentA Brief History of Government

Government systems Government systems have been around as have been around as long as humanslong as humans

A Brief History of GovernmentA Brief History of Government

Aristotle – Greek Aristotle – Greek philosopherphilosopher

““Man is by nature a Man is by nature a political animal”political animal”

The StateThe State

State – A body of people, living in a defined State – A body of people, living in a defined territory, organized politically, and able to territory, organized politically, and able to make and enforce lawsmake and enforce laws 4 Parts to a State4 Parts to a State

PopulationPopulation TerritoryTerritory SovereigntySovereignty GovernmentGovernment

PopulationPopulation

Varies from state to stateVaries from state to state Clearly, to have a state, you must have peopleClearly, to have a state, you must have people

TerritoryTerritory

Land with recognized boundariesLand with recognized boundaries Varies from state to stateVaries from state to state

United States – 3.7 Million Sq. MilesUnited States – 3.7 Million Sq. Miles USSR – 6.6 Million Sq. MilesUSSR – 6.6 Million Sq. Miles San Marino – 24 Sq. MilesSan Marino – 24 Sq. Miles

SovereigntySovereignty

Every state is sovereignEvery state is sovereign It has supreme and absolute power within its It has supreme and absolute power within its

boundariesboundaries It can make its own policies, decide its own It can make its own policies, decide its own

futurefuture Determine its own form of Gov’tDetermine its own form of Gov’t

SovereigntySovereignty

States within the United States are not States within the United States are not sovereign sovereign

Whomever holds the power in a state is of Whomever holds the power in a state is of extreme importanceextreme importance

Determines what kind of Gov’t you will haveDetermines what kind of Gov’t you will have

GovernmentGovernment

Government consists of the machinery and the Government consists of the machinery and the personnel by which the state is ruledpersonnel by which the state is ruled

Every state is politically organizedEvery state is politically organized Many different forms of Gov’tMany different forms of Gov’t

The power to rule can be enforced many different waysThe power to rule can be enforced many different ways

Origins of the StateOrigins of the State

Four Theories:Four Theories: Force TheoryForce Theory Evolutionary TheoryEvolutionary Theory Divine Right TheoryDivine Right Theory Social Contract TheorySocial Contract Theory

Force TheoryForce Theory

Theorists believe the Theorists believe the state may have been state may have been born through forceborn through force

One person or a group One person or a group claimed control of an area claimed control of an area and forced people to abide and forced people to abide by their ruleby their rule

Evolutionary TheoryEvolutionary Theory

Primitive Family – The head of the household Primitive Family – The head of the household ruled over the family >ruled over the family >

Clan – The original family has Clan – The original family has offspring and eventually the connected families offspring and eventually the connected families become a clan >become a clan >

Tribe – The clan abandons its Tribe – The clan abandons its nomadic ways and the state is bornnomadic ways and the state is born

Divine Right TheoryDivine Right Theory

The state is created by God, who in turn has The state is created by God, who in turn has bestowed upon royalty a “divine right” to rulebestowed upon royalty a “divine right” to rule Subjects are bound to obey their ruler as they Subjects are bound to obey their ruler as they

would Godwould God Present day democracy was / is a challenge to Present day democracy was / is a challenge to

Divine RightDivine Right Many civilizations used this theory to Many civilizations used this theory to

determine government systemsdetermine government systems

Social Contract TheorySocial Contract Theory

Significant to the American political systemSignificant to the American political system Developed in France in the 17Developed in France in the 17thth and 18 and 18thth centuries centuries The building blocks of democracyThe building blocks of democracy

Social ContractSocial Contract

Thomas Hobbes:Thomas Hobbes:

““state of nature”state of nature”

““nasty, brutish, nasty, brutish, and short”and short”

only the strongest only the strongest survivedsurvived

Social ContractSocial Contract

Humans overcame this lifestyle by agreeing to Humans overcame this lifestyle by agreeing to form the stateform the state Giving up to get Giving up to get

The people had, by contract, giving up some of their rights in The people had, by contract, giving up some of their rights in return for stable and agreeable governmentreturn for stable and agreeable government

Contract = ConstitutionContract = Constitution

The state arose out of a voluntary act of free The state arose out of a voluntary act of free people people

Social ContractSocial Contract

3 Things Social Contract Theory Says:3 Things Social Contract Theory Says: 1. State exists only to serve the will of the people1. State exists only to serve the will of the people 2. The people are the sole source of political power2. The people are the sole source of political power 3. The people are free to give or take power away3. The people are free to give or take power away

Social Contract ConceptsSocial Contract Concepts

Popular SovereigntyPopular Sovereignty Limited GovernmentLimited Government Individual RightsIndividual Rights

The Purpose of GovernmentThe Purpose of Government

Preamble of the ConstitutionPreamble of the Constitution To Form a More Perfect UnionTo Form a More Perfect Union

Linking people together, power in numbersLinking people together, power in numbers

To Establish JusticeTo Establish Justice The law must be reasonable, fair, and impartialThe law must be reasonable, fair, and impartial

To Insure Domestic TranquilityTo Insure Domestic Tranquility Keeping the peace at homeKeeping the peace at home

Purpose of GovernmentPurpose of Government

To Provide For the Common DefenseTo Provide For the Common Defense Defending against foreign nationsDefending against foreign nations

To Promote the General WelfareTo Promote the General Welfare Tasks the government performs for your benefitTasks the government performs for your benefit

To Secure the Blessings of LibertyTo Secure the Blessings of Liberty No person can be free to do what he or she pleasesNo person can be free to do what he or she pleases

““You can only be free, if I am free.”You can only be free, if I am free.”- -

Clarence DarrowClarence Darrow

““Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty”Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty”- T. - T.

JeffersonJefferson

The Best Laid Plans Are Flexible The Best Laid Plans Are Flexible

It is up to each new generation to abide by and It is up to each new generation to abide by and grow with and upon these beliefsgrow with and upon these beliefs

The Constitution was made to stretchThe Constitution was made to stretch