Intro to Governments
What is government? The method used to organize a society The method used to establish order The method used to lay down laws in a society The method used to maintain safety within a society
The purpose of government Thomas Hobbes A society without a government is “solitary, poor, brutish, and short” John Locke A world without a government is in a state of freedom and equality
Common government terms Leader Who is in charge? Can be a single person or a group Congress Usually passes laws Also called Parliament, Senate, Legislature, etc
Monarchy: Leadership Head of state is hereditary position King/emperor/duke Job is to take care of people, protect the kingdom, final judge between people Constitutional monarch must obey the laws like any other citizen King Henry VIII – Tudor dynasty Queen Elizabeth II – House of Windsor
Monarchy: Role of the People To pay taxes (support the country) To obey the king In a constitutional monarchy, the people elect representatives to run the government
Monarchy: Military Support the monarch Protect the king and kingdom The ruler is the commander of the military King of Tonga Alexander, Emperor of Greece
Monarchy: Decision Making Absolute monarchy - ruler makes all decisions Constitutional monarchy – ruler is a symbol but has almost no power Voters elect a legislature to make decisions Louis XIV of France crowning his grandson the king of Spain Current emperor of Japan
Democracy: Leadership President/Prime Minister Power is usually split between executive and legislative branches Parliament, Diet, Assembly, Congress, etc Ensures that decisions made by the people are carried out Ex-US President Barack Obama England’s PM Theresa May US President Donald Trump Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak
Democracy: People Majority rules, but the individual is protected Elect representatives in free elections Tell representatives what they want done Pay taxes to benefit society as a whole Serve in military when asked Woman voting in India Man voting in US Man voting in Afghanistan
Democracy: Military Protect the people from outside invasion Are commanded by the executive branch but limited by the legislative branch Italian Military Ethiopian Military Israeli Military
Democracy: Decision Making US Congress in session All people have the right to vote on issues Free elections of representatives Representatives vote on issues in Congress majority rule (mostly) Representatives make decisions based on the best interests of the people Japanese Parliament in session
Dictatorship: Leadership Committee of Public Safety – France Power is consolidated in the hands of one person or small group of people Ruler(s) take control in a crisis to keep the state from falling apart Ability to monopolize political power without constitutional limits Abdel Fattah el-Sisi – Egypt
Dictatorship: People Heil Hitler salute - Germany People are expected to obey those laws without question Have little to no participation in the government Libyan Protestors - 2011
Dictatorship: Military Iraqi military under Saddam Hussein Usually very large Almost always is key to overthrowing old ruler(s) and putting in new ruler(s) New ruler(s) generally ensure obedience through military force Military force applied inward rather than outward Spanish military under Francisco Franco
Dictatorship: Decision Making Polling station in Uganda No free elections No political or civil rights guaranteed Ruler makes all laws Little to no input from legislature (usually just agrees to what dictator wants) Vassily Efanov – An Unforgettable Meeting (with Mussolini)
Hobbes and Locke Connection Explain whether or not Hobbes would like this form of government and why (choose one) Explain whether or not Rousseau/Locke would like this form of government and why (choose one)