1. What is the State?
“He who has the power to take part in the deliberative or judicial administration of any state is said by us to be a citizen of that state.”
-Politics II, Aristotle

2. Greeks 1st serious students of politics and government
Aristotle- Greek philosopher
State = Greek city-state = territory of a town and its surrounding area where face-to-face communication was possible.

3. State = Nation = Country
State: A political community in a precise territory
Nation: sizable group of people who believe themselves united by common bonds of race, language, custom, or religion
Nation-state: the territories of both the nation and the state coincide.

4. Features of a State Population: people
Territory: established boundaries
U.S. territorial boundaries are the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, and recognized borders with its two continental neighbors, Canada and Mexico
Sovereignty: state has supreme and absolute authority within its boundaries. It has complete independence and power to make laws, foreign policy, and determine its course of action
Government: the institution through which a state maintains social order, provides public services, and enforces decisions that are binding on all its residents

5. Origin of the State Evolutionary Theory: State evolved from the family
Force Theory: early people cooperated to survive. The state emerged when everyone in an area was brought under the authority of one person or group
Divine Right Theory: European monarchs ( s) who proclaimed that their right to rule came from God. To oppose the monarch = opposing God = treason = sin
Social Contract Theory:
Thomas Hobbes: in a state of nature life would be “nasty, brutish, and short”
Social Contract: people surrender freedom to the state in return for order and security
John Locke: in a state of nature people had certain natural rights, “life, liberty, and property”
Social contract: contract between gov’t and people that promised to preserve natural rights and if gov’t did not do so, people are justified in rebelling

6. Activity: Create a visual representation of the State
Must include the 4 features of a state
Sovereignty
Population
Territory
Government

7. Introducing Government in America
Chapter 1

8. Government Definition: This definition leads to two basic questions:
The institutions and processes through which public policies are made for society.
This definition leads to two basic questions:
How should we govern?
What should government do?

9. National governments throughout the world perform the following functions:
Provide security and defense: protect people against attack by other states or threats such as terrorism, as well as handle day-to-day relations with other nations
Provide public services: provide services that no one person could provide
Preserve social order: “law and order”- provide ways of resolving conflicts among people- limit what individuals are permitted to do
Provide for economy/collect taxes: make choices that distribute benefits and services among citizens.
Socialize the young: indoctrinate youth with national pride and teach civic duties

10. “The legitimate object of government, is to do for a community of people, whateber they need to have done, but cannot do, at all, or can not so well do, for themselves in their separate, and individual capacities. In all that people can individually do for themselves, government ought not to interfere.”
-- Abraham Lincoln, 1854

11. Activity: Identify four major purposes of government and give and example of each
1. Provide public service
education
2. Provide security
Military; national guard
3. Socialize the youth
Education; teaching national songs
4. Preserve social order
Law enforcement ; national guard
5. Provide for economy
Collect taxes

12. Politics Definition: Also consider Lasswell’s definition:
The process by which we select our governmental leaders and what policies these leaders produce. Politics produces authoritative decisions about public issues.
Also consider Lasswell’s definition:
Who gets what, when and how.

13. Politics = “Who gets what, when, and how.”
Who = voters, candidates, groups, parties
What = substance of politics and government
Benefits, such as medical care for elderly
Burdens, such as new taxes
How = how people participate in politics
Voting, supporting, compromising, lobbying, etc.

14. The Policymaking System
The process by which policy comes into being and evolves over time.
The six items are hyperlinked to their own slide. A return button is also on the slide.
Figure 1.3

15. People
Interests
Problems
Concerns

16. Linkage Institutions Political Parties Elections
News & Entertainment Media
Interest Groups

17. Policy Agenda Political Issues
These are the “whats” that the various people want taken care of.
Items at the top of the policy agenda are taken care of first.
It may take years to get an item on the policy agenda, and then several more years to get it acted on.

18. Policymaking Institutions
Legislature (Congress)
Executive (President)
Courts (Federal and State)
Bureaucracies (Federal and State)

19. Policy Expenditures of money Raising or lowering taxes
New laws or regulations
Non-decisions (gridlock)

20. People Impacts of policies: Does it solve the problem?
Does it create more problems?

21. Types of Government Systems
Unitary System: gives all key powers to the central government
Federal System: divides the powers of government between the national and state or provincial government - each level of gov’t has sovereignty in some areas.
Confederation: loose union of independent states

22. Constitution A plan that provides the rules for government
Sets out ideals that the people bound by the constitution believe in and share
Est. the basic structure of gov’t, defines its powers and duties
Provides the supreme law for the country
May be written or unwritten
U.S. const. is the oldest written const. still serving a nation today

23. Constitutional Gov’t
A gov’t in which a const. has authority to place clearly recognized limits on the powers of those who govern
Constitutional government = limited government
Guide only
Does not always reflect actual gov’t practices

24. Preamble Statement of goals and purposes that the gov’t will serve
“We the people of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, 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.”
-- Preamble to the Constitution, 1787

25. Major Types of Government
Autocracy
System of gov’t in which one person has all the authority and power to rule
Dynastic kings and emperors who exercised personal rule and maintained their power through army and police powers
Czars of Russia
Monarchy
one person has great power: king, queen, or emperor inherits the throne and heads the state
Monarch’s power has often been limited in some way by tradition or law
Medieval kings consulted w/council of nobles
Dictatorship
single ruler who rules by force and by dictate alone. No support is found in custom or religion for a dictatorship
Totalitarianism
special type of single-ruler gov’t where the ruler attempts to control the total society
Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin tried to control civil society completely, not just gov’t institutions
Oligarchy
Any system of gov’t in which a small group holds power
derive their power from wealth, social position, military power, or combo
China’s Communist leaders, Japan late 1800s
Democracy
system of government in which rule is by the people, either through representatives or directly
Republic
head of state is not a king or queen, and voters elect representatives to run the nation’s gov’t

26. Ideal Democratic Process
Equality in voting- “One person, one vote” and voting must be representative
Effective participation- citizens must have adequate and equal opportunities to express their preferences throughout the decision-making process
Enlightened understanding- marketplace of ideas; free speech and free press is a must!
Citizen control of the agenda- citizens should have a collective right to control the gov’t’s policy agenda
Inclusion- gov’t must include and extend rights to all those who are subject to its laws

27. Theories of U.S. Democracy…
Pluralist Theory
A theory of government and policies emphasizing that politics is mainly a competition among groups, each one pressing for its own preferred policies.
Groups will work together
Public interest will prevail

28. Theories of U.S. Democracy…
Elite and Class Theory
A theory of government and politics contending that societies are divided along class lines and that an upper-class elite will rule, regardless of the formal niceties of governmental organization.
Not all groups are equal
Policies benefit those with money / power

29. Theories of U.S. Democracy…
Hyperpluralism
A theory of government and politics contending that groups are so strong that government is weakened.
Exaggerated / perverted form of pluralism
Confusing / contradictory policies
Gridlock- inability to act at all

30. Challenges to Democracy
Increased Technical Expertise
Limited Participation in Government
Escalating Campaign Costs
Diverse Political Interests

31. Questions About Democracy
Are the people knowledgeable- and do they apply what they know?
Do interest groups help the process, or do they get in the way?
Do political parties offer clear consistent choices for voters?
Does the President & Congress work in the best interests of ALL the people?

32. Questions about the Scope of Government
How big a role does the Constitution say should be played by the federal government?
Does a bigger, more involved (active) government limit the people’s freedoms?
Do we need a bigger, more involved government to protect our freedoms?

33. Questions about the Scope of Government, continued…
Do competing political parties make for better policies?
Do more interest groups create a bigger government?
Does the media help control the size and policies government?

34. Questions about the Scope of Government, continued…
Can the president control the government, or has it gotten too big?
Can Congress respond to the needs of the people, or just to the interest groups?
Do members of Congress expand government by seeking to be re-elected?

35. Questions about the Scope of Government, continued…
Do the federal courts overstep their bounds and intrude on the powers of other branches of government?
Are the federal agencies too large and unresponsive to the public they are supposed to serve?