Principles of Government

1.1 – Government and the State

Government is the institution through which society makes and enforces its public policies.

The need for security One of the original purposes of

government is the maintenance of security or order.

Definition of Order: A state of peace and security.

Maintaining order by protecting members of society from violence and crimeactivity.

Every government has to have authority, that is, the right and power to enforce its decisions and compel obedience.

When authority is accepted, we say it has legitimacy.

Definition of Legitimacy: popular acceptance of the right and power of a government to exercise authority.

Monty Python

Quick Discussion

Turn to a person sitting next to you and apply the idea of legitimacy to your life. (Example: Who are you more likely to

listen to about cleaning your room? Your parents or your waiter at Applebee's?)

2-3 minutes and I’ll call on people to share.

Federal GovernmentFederal Government

• Located in Washington D.C.

• Makes, interprets, and enforces laws for the entire nation.

Each state has its own and separate Each state has its own and separate government. Legislatures make laws and government. Legislatures make laws and the governors are the executivesthe governors are the executives

State Capitol of Virginia

State Government

Local GovernmentLocal Government Local governments are governed by city Local governments are governed by city

council members and the city mayor.council members and the city mayor. Local governments also include positions like Local governments also include positions like

county commissioners, city clerk and school county commissioners, city clerk and school boards members. These are all elected boards members. These are all elected officials. officials.

Trenton, MI City Trenton, MI City HallHall

•The U.S. Federal Government has and exercises three basic kinds of power:

House of Representatives Senate

•The power to make law and to frame public policies

•The power to execute, enforce, and administer law. The power resides with the President of the United States.

9 Supreme Court Justices total

•The power to interpret laws

•To determine laws meanings

•To settle disputes that arise within a society.

Quick Discussion

With the same person you discussed with last time, discuss what the differences are between LEVELS of government vs. BRANCHES of government.You have 1-2 minutes and I’ll call on people to

share out.

•In popular usage, a state is often called a “nation” or a “country”.In popular usage, a state is often called a “nation” or a “country”.

•Population-Population- To be a state, it must contain a population of To be a state, it must contain a population of people.people.

•Territory-Territory- A state must have land, with known and recognized A state must have land, with known and recognized boundaries. boundaries.

•Sovereignty-Sovereignty- It must have supreme and absolute power within It must have supreme and absolute power within its own territory. its own territory.

•Government-Government- Each state must have a government Each state must have a government

The 4 Origins of the State

The Force Theory – The state was born from the result of force. A person or small group claims control over and area and forced all within it to submit to that person’s or group’s rule.

The Evolutionary Theory – The state developed naturally out of the early family. Nomadic families got bigger and bigger, and they essentially become a tribe that gave up its nomadic ways and tied itself to the land.

The 4 Origins of the State

The Divine Right Theory – God created the state & God had given those of royal birth a “divine right” to rule. For example, the Aztec and Mayan civilizations were based on this theory.

The Social Contract Theory – The state arose out of a voluntary act of free people and exists only to serve the will of people. Philosophers such as John Locke and Thomas Hobbes developed this theory.

•Form a more perfect UnionForm a more perfect Union

•Establish JusticeEstablish Justice

•Insure Domestic TranquilityInsure Domestic Tranquility

•Promote General WelfarePromote General Welfare

•Secure LibertySecure Liberty

•Common DefenseCommon Defense

So now we should understand the purpose,

role, and powers of government.

Now, we’ll focus on types of governments…

1.2 – Forms of Government

How do we classify governments?

“Who can participate in the governing process”

“What is the geographic distribution of governmental power within the state”

“What is the relationship between the legislative and executive branches of government”

•A system of government in which political authority is vested in the people. Derived from the Greek words demos (“the people”) and kratos (“authority”)

•A Democratic Republic is based on popular sovereignty, the concept that ultimate political authority is based on the will of the people, rather than with a king or a monarch.

•Popular Sovereignty: People hold the ultimate power over government

• There are two types of democracies• Representative- A form of government in

which representatives elected by the people make and enforce laws and policies.

• Direct- A system of government in which political decisions are made by the people directly, rather than by their elected representatives

Quick Discussion

With the same person, identify which type of Democracy the U.S. practices. What are the strengths or

weaknesses with each? 3-4 minutes. I’ll call on people to

share.

Representative Democracies

•A radical faction that broke away from the socialist movement.

•Abolished capitalism

•Instituted socialism through a dictatorship

•Government controls all enterprises.

•Replaced free markets by central planning

One ruler controls every aspect of life and is not responsible to the will of the people.

All dictatorships are authoritarian, and modern dictatorships have tended to be totalitarian. The lesser of the two evils is authoritarian.

Types of Dictatorships:Oligarchy - Power to rule is held by a small group of

self-appointed elite

Autocracy - Single person holds unlimited power

•A political system that denies popular participation in government and exercise complete power over nearly every part of every day life.

Present day example of Totalitarian regime: North Korea

Fascism

An ideology that promotes nationalism and unites behind an absolute ruler. Most famous example was Nazi Germany.

•Absolute Monarchy- King/Queen truly controls the government

•Monarchy- A political system in which power in passed from generation to generation through blood

Constitutional Monarchy- Citizens elect members of parliament

British Parliament in session.

Sovereignty rests with the people as represented by parliament

Parliament in Session vs You Lie!

Relationship Between Legislative and Executive Branches

Presidential Government: The two branches are co-equal and independent President is chosen independently of the

legislature Parliamentary Government:

Executive branch is made up of the prime minister or premier, and that official’s cabinet.

The executive is chosen by the legislature, and subject to its direct control.

Monarchies Around the World

Red: Absolute MonarchyOrange: Semi-Constitutional MonarchyDark Green: Constitutional MonarchyLight Green: Personal Union with Constitutional MonarchyPink: Sub-State level monarchy

Who is truly “free”?

FreePartly FreeNot Free

The Cow System:http://www.sjgames.com/illuminati/politics.html

PURE SOCIALISM: You have two cows. The government takes them and puts them in a barn with everyone else's cows. You have to take care of all of the cows. The government gives you as much milk as you need.

FASCISM: You have two cows. The government takes both, hires you to take care of them and sells you the milk.

PURE COMMUNISM: You have two cows. Your neighbors help you take care of them, and you all share the milk. RUSSIAN COMMUNISM: You have two cows. You have to take

care of them, but the government takes all the milk. CAMBODIAN COMMUNISM: You have two cows. The

government takes both of them and shoots you DICTATORSHIP: You have two cows. The government takes both

and drafts you.

Now we know the different types of government around the world and how we classify them

Now: Basic Concepts of Democracy – 1.3

Geographic Distribution of Power Unitary Government – A centralized government

where all powers held by the government belong to a single, central agency. This does not imply a dictatorship.

Federal Government – The powers of government are divided between a central government and several local governments. Sound familiar?

Confederate Government – An alliance of independent states. Very rare today, the EU is close.

5 Basic Concepts of a Democracy1. Worth of the Individual

2. Equality of All People

3. Majority Rule, Minority Rights

4. Compromise

5. Individual Freedom (but not anarchy!)

Apply this to the United States. Do we fulfill the 5 basic concepts of democracy? Why or not?

Democracy and the Free Enterprise

• Our economic system is a free enterprise system:– A system characterized by the private ownership

of capital goods, investments made by private decision and success/failure determined by competition in the free market

– Law of Supply & Demand governs much of our economy

Government’s Role in our Economy

• Our government does participate in our economy though. It serves to:– Protect the public and to preserve private

enterprise– Regulations? Good or bad?– A economy that exists with a considerable amount

of government regulation and promotion is called a mixed economy.

Internet and Democracy

• The internet should inform more of us!• It has drastically altered how campaigns are

run• Could we ever see electronic voting?