Foundations of American Government

Chapter 1

Four Main Purposes of Government

• • • • Maintain Social Order Provide National Security Provide Publix Services Make Economic Decisions

How do various theories explain the origin of government?

• • • •

Governments evolved Emerged under a single authority Were chosen by Gods Were formed through a social contract

Vocabulary •

State – identifies a political community that that occupies a definite territory and has an organized government with power to make and enforce laws without approval of higher authority.

• • Example – United States One of 200 States in the World

Nation • •

Describes an independent state or nation.

Any sizable group of people who are united by common bonds (race, language, customs, traditions).

• Note Exceptions…a little confusing!

• Nation-state term – describes two different nations within a state (France) • Canada – a nation with different states

Consensus •

Population – the most obvious essential for a state is people

•

Stability – population that shares a general political and socials consensus (

or agreement

) about basic beliefs, have stable governments

Territory • •

A state has established boundaries US – boundaries are the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans & Mexico/Canada.

•

Territories come from War or Negotiations, see map on page 7 for examples.

• Virgin Islands, Guam

Sovereignty • •

Sovereignty is a key characteristic of a state.

Political Sovereignty – state has supreme and absolute authority within its territorial boundaries.

• Complete Independence • • Supreme/absolute authority to make laws shape foreign policy Note – no state has the right to interfere with the internal affairs of another state.

Theories

• • • • Evolutionary – state evolved from family, then extended family – organizing along the way Force – all the people of an area were brought under the authority of one person or group.

Divine Right – God or gods have chosen certain people to rule.

Social Contract – supported the writings of philosophers, believing in the origin of a state was in a social contract.

•

“are implied agreements by which people form and maintain a social order.”

Comparing Thomas Hobbes and John Locke - Social Contract Theory •

Thomas Hobbes and John Locke both believed that people surrendered to the state the power needed to maintain order, but Locke believed that people had the right to break that contract when government failed to preserve the rights of people. Hobbes did not believe that right

Government Systems

• • Unitary System – gives all key powers to the national or central government.

Create state, provincial or local governments with limited sovereignty • Great Britain • • Italy France • • • Federal System divides the powers of government between national, state or provincial government.

US – developed a federal system after the 13 colonies became states.

Confederacy – a loose union of independent states.

Constitutions and Government •

Constitution – a plan that provided the rules for government.

• Sets Ideals • • Sets basic structure Provides Supreme Law

•

Constitution Government – a constitution that has authority to place clearly recognized limits on the powers who govern.

Other Constitution terms • • •

Preamble – statement that sets forth the goals and purpose.

Framework – main body of constitution divided into parts called articles and sections.

Constitutional law – interpretation and application of the constitution.

•

Supreme Law for all states

Politics •

The effort to control or influence the conduct and policies of government.

• Importance • Conflicts of society are managed • Peaceful way to compete with each other • Key matters can be solved

Industrialized Nations •

About 20 state are known as this • US, Japan, Canada, Australia, France • • • Large Industry Advanced Technology Overall comfortable way of life

Developing Nations • •

Only beginning to develop Industrially Approx 100 countries • Starvation, disease, political turmoil are a way of life • • • A fraction of income per person compared to other countries Examples – South Africa (parts) & Southeast Asia (parts) Newly Industrialized –Mexico, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Algeria, Kenya

Major Types of Government

• • Autocracy – Any system of government in which the power and authority rule in the hands of a single individual • Oldest and most common form Totalitarian Dictatorship – ideas of a single leader are glorified.

• Hitler – Germany (1933-1945) • Mussolini – Italy (1922-1943) In this dictatorship, gov’t is not responsible to the people, the people lack the power to limit their rulers

Monarchy

• • Another form of Autocracy King, Queen or Emperor – exercise supreme powers of government • • Absolute Monarchy – complete and unlimited power to rule their people.

• King of Saudi Arabia (rare now – common in the 1400 1700’s) Constitutional Monarchs – share governmental powers with elected legislatures or just ceremonial leaders

Oligarchy •

Any system of government in which a small group holds power.

• • • • Derives power from wealth, military power, social position or a combo of all.

Sometimes Religion Communist Countries – China Leaders and armed forces control the government.

Democracy •

Any system of government in which rule is by the people.

• • Key idea is people hold sovereign power.

“Gov’t of the people, by the people, and for the people” Abraham Lincoln

Democracy – 2 Forms • •

Representative – people elect representatives and give them responsibility and power to make laws and conduct government.

• Practiced in cities and states • Republic – voters are the source of the governments authority Direct – people govern themselves by voting on issues individually as citizens • No country today uses this

Characteristics of Democracy

• • Individual Liberty • Equal opportunity Majority Rule with Minority Rights • Respect for minority rights

Economic Theories •

Economics –can be defined as the study of human efforts to satisfy seemingly unlimited wants through the use of limited resources.

• • Resources – natural materials (land, water, minerals and trees) Not enough resources available therefore we must decide how these resources are to be used.

Capitalism •

• • • • 5 Main Characteristics • Private ownership and control of property and economic resources Free Enterprise Competition among businesses Freedom of Choice The possibility of Profits

Origins of Capitalism

• • • Gradually developed People can work for economic gain Wealth should be used aggressively • Free Market – buyers and sellers are free to make unlimited economic decisions in the marketplace Competition – plays a key role.

Laissez faire – to let alone .

Government should keep hands off the economy.

Governmental Influence • •

Increasing since the 1900’s Protects the consumer • Meat Inspection Act • Pure Food and Drug act

•

Great Depression – 1930’s • • • Social Security set up Social Programs Public Corporations set up

Mixed Market Economies •

Free enterprise combined with support by government agencies in the marketplace.

• This is what the American Economy is.

• • • Rooted deeply in idea of individual initiative Respects right of all persons to own private property Recognizes freedom to make economics choices is part of the freedom of political choice.

Socialism • •

The government owns the basic means of production, determines the use of their sources, distributes products and provides services.

3 Goals • Distribution of wealth equally among people • • Society’s control through its gov’t, of all major decisions about production Public ownership of most land, factories, and other means of production

Democratic Socialism •

The Socialists who believed in peaceful changes wanted to work with in the democratic political system to improve economic conditions.

•

Government owns basic means of production and makes most democratic decisions • Tanzania, Denmark, Norway & Sweden

Communism •

Karl Marx – German writer who was socialist, published his ideas in a pamphlet – “The Communist Manifesto”