Principles of Government Man is by nature a political animal; it is his nature to live in a state. Aristotle (335 B.C.) Man is by nature a political animal; it is his nature to live in a state. Aristotle (335 B.C.)

What?  Is the institution through which a society makes and enforces its public policies  Power - who has it?  Legislative, executive and judicial powers  State - describes the legal entity of a political unit  Nation - ethnic  Country - geographic place  Is the institution through which a society makes and enforces its public policies  Power - who has it?  Legislative, executive and judicial powers  State - describes the legal entity of a political unit  Nation - ethnic  Country - geographic place

Characteristic of a state (independent political unit)  Population - large or small must be inhabited  Territory - must have land with known and recognized borders  Sovereignty - political authority to act independently, neither subordinate nor responsible to any other authority  Government - the mechanism through which a state makes and enforces its policies  Population - large or small must be inhabited  Territory - must have land with known and recognized borders  Sovereignty - political authority to act independently, neither subordinate nor responsible to any other authority  Government - the mechanism through which a state makes and enforces its policies

Why?  Necessary for order and harmony  Provide education  Guard public health, protect consumers  Protect the environment  Pave streets, regulate traffic  Punish criminals, respond to fires  Care for elderly, poor  Peace and security  Protect against terrorist attacks and other threats from abroad  Necessary for order and harmony  Provide education  Guard public health, protect consumers  Protect the environment  Pave streets, regulate traffic  Punish criminals, respond to fires  Care for elderly, poor  Peace and security  Protect against terrorist attacks and other threats from abroad

Origins of the State  Four theories that bring together the four characteristics  Force Theory - individual or group claimed a territory and forced the population to submit  Evolutionary Theory - population formed out of primitive families and the heads of families became the government  Divine Right - God created the state and chose those who rule territory  Four theories that bring together the four characteristics  Force Theory - individual or group claimed a territory and forced the population to submit  Evolutionary Theory - population formed out of primitive families and the heads of families became the government  Divine Right - God created the state and chose those who rule territory

Social Contract Theory Population gives up power to promote the well-being of all  State of Nature  No government  Thomas Hobbes (1651)  Do as you please, survival of the fittest  Life is solitary, poor nasty, brutish, and short  Social contract - give up rights for order  First theory in which people voluntarily took part in creating a state  State of Nature  No government  Thomas Hobbes (1651)  Do as you please, survival of the fittest  Life is solitary, poor nasty, brutish, and short  Social contract - give up rights for order  First theory in which people voluntarily took part in creating a state

State of Nature  John Locke (1680)  More optimistic view of people, some are just more self-interested  Social Contract: People agree to obey a government in return for protection of their “natural rights” (life, liberty, and property) ALL individuals  Remarkable impact on political thinkers of the 18th century  Previous: rights were for the privileged, superior (divine right)  John Locke (1680)  More optimistic view of people, some are just more self-interested  Social Contract: People agree to obey a government in return for protection of their “natural rights” (life, liberty, and property) ALL individuals  Remarkable impact on political thinkers of the 18th century  Previous: rights were for the privileged, superior (divine right)

Government  Thomas Jefferson - Unalienable rights  Virginia Declaration of Rights  Declaration of Independence  A government can not exist until it has been created - people and institutions with authority to establish and enforce public policies.  Thomas Jefferson - Unalienable rights  Virginia Declaration of Rights  Declaration of Independence  A government can not exist until it has been created - people and institutions with authority to establish and enforce public policies.

Government  To make policy you need:  Authority - the right to make decisions that others will follow.  Umpire to baseball  Teacher to grades  Neither to license vehicles or make people pay taxes  Power - the ability to make people accept the rules (punishments or rewards)  To make policy you need:  Authority - the right to make decisions that others will follow.  Umpire to baseball  Teacher to grades  Neither to license vehicles or make people pay taxes  Power - the ability to make people accept the rules (punishments or rewards)

Continued  Legitimacy - people accept its authority and its right to lead.  A government with enough power can exist for a while, usually by force, even if the people do not accept it. But legitimacy is necessary if the government is to be stable, effective, and lasting.  Consent of the governed -DEMOCRACY  Legitimacy - people accept its authority and its right to lead.  A government with enough power can exist for a while, usually by force, even if the people do not accept it. But legitimacy is necessary if the government is to be stable, effective, and lasting.  Consent of the governed -DEMOCRACY

Forms of Government  Autocracy - Monarchy, Dictatorship  Oligarchy - Communism (political party)  Democracy - Direct, Representative  Rule of Law - no person, no matter how important is above the law.  John Adams - we have “a government of laws, and not of men”  Autocracy - Monarchy, Dictatorship  Oligarchy - Communism (political party)  Democracy - Direct, Representative  Rule of Law - no person, no matter how important is above the law.  John Adams - we have “a government of laws, and not of men”

Distribution of Power  Unitary - all powers held by the government belong to a single, central agency  Creates local units of government for convenience, have only powers central govt. gives them.  Most governments in the world are Unitary  Unitary - all powers held by the government belong to a single, central agency  Creates local units of government for convenience, have only powers central govt. gives them.  Most governments in the world are Unitary

Distribution of Power  Confederate - an alliance of independent states with a central organization having the power to handle only those matters that the member states have assigned it  Rare in the world  EU  First U.S. government  Confederate - an alliance of independent states with a central organization having the power to handle only those matters that the member states have assigned it  Rare in the world  EU  First U.S. government

Distribution of Power  Federal - powers of government are divided between a central government and several local governments  Change can’t be made by either acting alone and both levels act directly on the people  United States and now many others  Federal - powers of government are divided between a central government and several local governments  Change can’t be made by either acting alone and both levels act directly on the people  United States and now many others

Distribution of Powers  Presidential - features a separation of powers between the executive and the legislative brances. They are independent of one another and coequal  Parliamentary - the executive branch is made up of the prime minister and it’s cabinet who are themselves members of the legislative branch. More power in the legislatvie branch  Presidential - features a separation of powers between the executive and the legislative brances. They are independent of one another and coequal  Parliamentary - the executive branch is made up of the prime minister and it’s cabinet who are themselves members of the legislative branch. More power in the legislatvie branch

Purpose of Government  Form an ideology  Beliefs and Goals  Thus creating POLITICS  Form an ideology  Beliefs and Goals  Thus creating POLITICS