Types of GovernmentAnd Their Purpose

Versions of “Social Contract Theory”

• Thomas Hobbes:

• “Every man is against every man...and the life of man is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.”

• Ergo, give power to a king to:

• Enforce laws

• Punish criminals

• Defend people from invasion

• Some rights sacrificed for law and order

Versions of “Social Contract Theory”

• John Locke

• “Life, liberty, and the enjoyment of personal property”

•Government exists to guarantee “natural rights”

•Power goes to the people

•No restrictions on citizens without their consent

Expectations For Government

• Protect

• People from each other and outsiders

• Individual rights and liberties

• Provide public goods and services

• Parks, monuments, environmental regulations, anti-monopoly policies, commerce, infrastructure, welfare...

Types of Rule•Democracy

• rule by many

•Oligarchy

• rule by few

•Autocracy

• rule by one

Political Ideologies• Conservatism

• Support gradual change in society

• Nostalgic gaze

• Wants limited change in society

• Liberalism

• Locke: “natural rights of man”

• Freedom of religion, press, speech

Political Ideologies (beliefs)

•Conservative (USA)• Opposed to:

• Government intervention in the economy

• Government sponsored social programs

• Support:

• Government intervention to uphold issues of morality

• Strong military

• Balanced budget

• Limited taxation

Political Ideologies (beliefs)

•Liberal (USA)• Opposed to:

• Government interference with personal morals or activities

• Expansion of military

• Support

• Government intervention in economy

• Government sponsored social programs

• Environmental regulation and protection

Political Ideologies (beliefs)

• Libertarian

• Accept Locke’s emphasis on basic natural rights, and Adam Smiths’s free market ideas (laissez-faire)

• Very limited government (defense, provide liberties, free trade)

Political Ideologies (beliefs)•Socialist

•Democratic Socialism (Germany, Canada, France, Scandinavia)

•Support democracy

•Support gov’t regulation and ownership of major industries

•Support regulation of production and distribution

•Support gov’t planning to protect citizens’ welfare

Political Ideologies (beliefs)

• Totalitarian Socialism--Communism (China, North Korea, former USSR)

• Support gov’t regulation and ownership of industry

• Gov’t controls wealth and all aspects of economy

Classification of Political Systems

• Anarchy (Somalia 1990s - today)

• Absence of government

• Theocracy (Iran (sort-of), Puritans in colonial New England)

• Control of governance by a religion, church, and / or clergy. Church law above civil law.

• Pure / Direct Democracy (ancient Athens)

• Direct citizen participation in daily governance

• Representative Democracy / Republicanism (USA)

• Election of government officials to manage state and represent will of people

Classification of Political Systems

• Absolute Monarchy (Louis XIV)

• Government by a monarch with absolute power descending from God (divine right of kings)

• Constitutional Monarchy (Great Britain)

• Government with a monarchy usually limited by a constitution

• Dictatorship (Mr. Miller’s class, Gaddafi in Libya)

• Single leader rule by force with no consent of the governed