1. WHAT IS “THE STATE”
The “state” is the dominant political unit in our world today
Def: A body of people living in a defined territory and organized under a government, who has the power to make public policy

2. WHAT IS “PUBLIC POLICY”?
Public policy is (1) all the goals a government sets and (2) all the actions a government takes to meet the needs of its citizens

3. The Massacre of European Protestants during the Reformation, 1500’s

4. Serial Killer Jeffrey Dahmer at his trial in 1991

5. Highway construction in New York State, cir. 2004

6. A couple surveying the destruction of their neighborhood following Hurricane Katrina, 2005

7. The terror attacks on the World Trade Center, 2001

8. WHAT ARE THE ELEMENTS OF A STATE?
States typically are defined by four (4) basic elements:
Population
Territory
Sovereignty
Government

9. WHAT IS “POPULATION”?
States need to have citizens in order to participate & follow its public policy
Populations can be:
Homogeneous - Citizens share common customs, language, and culture
Heterogeneous - Citizens lack common customs language, and culture

11. WHAT IS “TERRITORY”? States need defined and recognized borders
Borders help to mark areas of ownership, citizenship, and state control when dealing with other peoples or states

13. WHAT IS “SOVEREIGNTY”?
States need supreme and absolute power within its own territory
If a state lacks sovereignty, it can not make or execute effective public policy

14. WHAT IS “GOVERNMENT”?
States need government to help make and enforce public policy
Without government, the lives of citizens would be “a war of every man”

15. What are some of the major theories about how government started?
There are four (4) major theories about how government got started:
The Force Theory
The Evolution Theory
The Divine Right Theory
The Social Contract Theory

16. What are the major theories about how government was started?
The Force Theory
States were created by powerful leaders who forced people to accept their sovereignty
Historical Examples:
The Romans
Nazi Germany
Soviet Union

17. What are the major theories about how government was started?
The Evolution Theory
States grew out of family groups and placed sovereignty in the hands of the oldest and wisest
Historical Examples:
Native American tribes
Brazilian tribal societies

18. What are the major theories about how government was started?
The Divine Right Theory
God created the state and gave those of royal birth sovereignty over the state
Historical Examples:
The royal families of Europe
Chinese emperor
Aztec / Incan Societies

19. What are the major theories about how government was started?
The Social Contract Theory
The idea that citizens agreed to give up some of their freedoms so that the state could better serve their needs
Historical Examples:
The United States
Modern democracies

20. How have states used these theories to create working governments?
States have taken all of these theories into consideration when creating working governments
No two have been alike and all are different