1. Government and the State What is Government? The State Major Political Ideas The Purpose of Government

2. Why Study Government? Crash Course: Why study Gov't?

3. What is Government? Government is the institution through which a society makes and enforces its public policies. Government is made up of those people who exercise its power, all those who have authority and control over people. Public policies are all of the many goals that government pursues in all of the many areas of human affairs in which it is involved. Taxes Defense Education Crime Healthcare Transportation Environment Civil Rights Working conditions

4. Three Kinds of Power Governments must have power in order to make and carry out public policies. Power is the ability to command or prevent action, the ability to achieve a desired end. Every government exercises 3 basic kinds of power Legislative Power- the power to make law and to frame public policies Executive power- the power to execute, enforce, and administer law Judicial power- the power to interpret laws, to determine their meaning, and to settle disputes that arise within the society. Constitution- the powers of government are usually outlined in a countries constitution. The constitution is the body of fundamental laws setting out the principles, structures, and processes of a government.

5. Forms of Government Dictatorship- a form of government in which the leader has absolute power and authority. Democracy- form of government in which the supreme authority rests with the people. Historical context- evidence of government in ancient Egypt. Aristotle, ancient Greek philosopher, claimed "man is by nature a political animal."

6. Political vs Government Politics is a process, while government is an institution. Politics is the process by which a society decides how power and resources will be distributed within that society. It enables a society to decide who will reap the benefits, and who will pay the costs, of its public policies.

7. The State State (a nation, country)- a body of people, living in a defined territory, organized politically (that is, with a government), and with the power to make and enforce law without the consent of any higher authority. 196 states in the world today. Nation- strictly is an ethnic term, referring to races or other large groups of people Country- geographic term, referring to a particular place, region, or area of land.

8. Four Characteristics of a State Population Territory Sovereignty Government

9. Population A country must have a population of people. Size does not matter when addressing the existence of a state. Small and large populated states exist. San Marino (27,000) vs The People's Republic of China 1.357 billion www.census.gov/popclockwww.census.gov/popclock The population of a state may or may not be homogeneous- members of a group who share customs, a common language, and ethnic background.

10. Territory Territory- land with known and recognized boundaries. San Marino (less than 24 square miles) vs Russia (6.6 million square miles) Comparison: US 3,787,425 square miles

11. Sovereignty Sovereign- every state is sovereign, having supreme power within its own territory; neither subordinate nor responsible to any other authority. Can decide its own foreign and domestic policies. Sovereign state can determine its form of government Sovereignty is the characteristic that distinguishes the state from all other, lesser political units.

12. Government The institution that society makes and enforces its public policies. A government is the agency through which the state exerts its will and works to accomplish its goals. Government includes the machinery and the personnel by which the state is ruled. Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679)- according to Hobbes, without government there would be "continual fear and danger of violent death and life (would be) solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short."

13. Political Ideology-Theories of State The Force Theory The Evolutionary Theory The Divine Right Theory The Social Contract Theory

14. The Force Theory The state is born of force, by one person or a small group claiming control over an area and forcing all within it to submit to that person's or group's rule. After the rule was established, all the basic elements of the state existed- population, territory, sovereignty, and government.

15. The Evolutionary Theory Natural development out of the early family. The head of the primitive family was essentially the ruler and thus the first stage in political development. The original family evolved over time becoming a network of related families, a clan. The clan-the tribe. When the tribe turned to agriculture and gave up its nomadic ways, tying itself to the land, the state was born.

16. The Divine Right Theory the primary belief in the Western world from the fifteenth through the eighteen centuries. God created the state and that God had given those of royal birth a "divine right" to rule. The people were bound to obey their ruler as they would God; opposition to "the divine right of kings" was both treason and mortal sin. The free thought and enlightenment ideas of present-day democracy began as a challenge to the theory of divine right. Ancient Civilizations- Chinese, Egyptian, Aztec, Mayan Japanese emperor (1945)

17. The Social Contract Theory Most significant theory for the origin of the state Seventeenth & Eighteenth century- Thomas Hobbes, James Harrington (1611-1677), and John Locke (1632-1704) in England and Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) in France Thomas Hobbes- humans existed in a "state of nature," without government or superior powers. They were also free in the state of nature because no authority existed to protect one person from the aggressive actions of another. They overcame this by agreeing with one another to create a state. By contract, people within a given area agreed to give up to the state as much power as was needed to promote the safety and well-being of all. the members of the state created a government to exercise the powers they had voluntarily given to the state.

18. The Purpose of Government Form a More Perfect Union Establish Justice Insure Domestic Tranquility Provide for the common Defense Promote the General Welfare Secure the Blessings of Liberty

19. Form a More Perfect Union Historical context of 1780s Articles of Confederation The Constitution 1787- (good read on this is The Quartet by Joseph Ellis)

20. Establish Justice Evolution of Justice as a concept Justice is the law, in both its content and its administration, must be reasonable, fair, and impartial. Do we have “equal justice for all” “Injustice anywhere, is a threat to justice everywhere.” -M.L.K. Jr.

21. Insure Domestic Tranquility Order is essential to the success of any government. Anarchy- without government, law, or order.

22. Common Defense Foreign Enemies Foreign Policies Ensure the security of the United States

23. Promote General Welfare Government serves the citizens Environmental policy Public education

24. Secure the Blessings of Liberty “the God who gave us life gave us liberty at the same time” –Thomas Jefferson “They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” – Benjamin Franklin “You can only be free if I am free.” – Clarence Darrow Each generation must learn their rights and liberties that they may understand them and be willing to stand up for them when necessary. Patriotism: “the love of one’s country; the passion which aims to serve one’s country, either in defending it from invasion, or by protecting its rights and maintaining its laws and institutions in vigor and purity.”