1. Unit 1 What is Government?

2. Government
The institution through which a society makes and enforces its public policies

3. Four Essential Features of a State:
The State
A body of people , living in a defined territory, organized politically, and with the power to make and enforce law without the consent of a higher authority
Four Essential Features of a State:
Population
Government
Territory
Sovereignty

4. Nation
Any sizable group of people who are united by common bonds of race, language, custom, tradition, and, sometimes religion.
Nation-State
A country in which the territory of the state, and a cultural nation of people are in the same place.

5. Public Policies
All of the things that a government decides to do.

6. Examples of Public Policy
Defense
Taxation
Education
Crime Control
Health Care
Transportation
Environment
Civil Rights
Working Conditions

7. Have power to make and implement public policy
Governments
Have power to make and implement public policy

8. Every government consists of three basic powers
Legislative
Executive
Judicial
The power to create laws
The power to enforce laws
The power to interpret laws, to settle disputes that arise within a society.

9. A governments power is often outlined in a country’s constitution

10. Constitution
A body of fundamental laws setting out the principles, structures, and processes of a government

11. Four Theories on the Origin of the State
Evolutionary Theory
State evolved over time
Divine Right Theory
God made the state
Force Theory
Took over the state by force
Social Contract Theory
Unwritten contract, people
give up rights for
protection from the state

12. The Social Contract Thomas Hobbes John Locke
- man is essentially _______ and must be _____________ by government
EVIL
CONTROLLED
John Locke
- man is essentially good, and governments allow people to act together as a _______ to accomplish more ______
TEAM
WORK

13. Philosophers
Montesquieu – spirit of laws, idea of separation of powers
Blackstone – theory of common law
Rousseau – freedom, equality, and justice for all…politics and morality should be separated

14. Six Goals of our Constitution
We the people
of the United States, in Order to
form a
more perfect
Union,
establish justice,
insure
domestic tranquility,
provide for the
common defense,
promote the general welfare,
and
secure
the blessings of
liberty
to ourselves
and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.