1. Copyright, 2000 © Prentice Hall Magruder’s American Government C H A P T E R 1 Principles of Government

2. Principles of Government C H A P T E R 1 Principles of Government SECTION 1Government and the State SECTION 2Forms of Government SECTION 3Basic Concepts of Democracy

3. Section 1 Government and the State Government is the institution through which society creates and enforces public policy. Public Policy are all of those things a government decides to do.

4. Public Policies in America… Taxation Taxation National Defense National Defense Education Education Crime Crime Health Care Health Care Transportation Transportation Environment Environment Civil Rights Civil Rights Business Practices Business Practices Working Conditions Working Conditions

5. The State is a body of people living in a defined area with a government and the power to govern themselves.

6. There are 4 characteristics of a State: 1) Population: a State must have people. 2) Territory: a State must have land with clear, recognized boundaries. 3) Sovereignty: every State is sovereign, meaning it has supreme and absolute power within its own territory. 4) Government: every State must be politically organized.

7. There are four major theories about the origin of the State: 1) 1) Force Theory: forceful takeover of authority by a person or group. 2) 2) Evolutionary Theory: natural outgrowth of family systems through increasingly large and complex societies. 3) 3) Divine Right Theory: a god or gods created the state. 4) 4) Social Contract Theory: humans organized to form States to insure their own survival.

8. What are the purposes of government? To Form a More Perfect Union… To Establish Justice… To Insure Domestic Tranquility… To Provide for the Common Defense… To Promote the General Welfare… To Secure the Blessings of Liberty…

9. The purpose of the American government is to serve the citizens of the United States.

10. S E C T I O N 2 Forms of Government

11. Governments can be classified by one or more of their basic features: Governments can be classified by one or more of their basic features: 1) Geographic distribution of power. 2) Relationship between the Legislative and Executive branches. 3) Number of persons participating in the governmental process.

12. Geographic distribution of power consists of three basic forms: Geographic distribution of power consists of three basic forms: 1) Unitary Government – all powers held by a single central agency. 2) Federal Government - all powers divided by central and local governments. 3) Confederation – an alliance of independent States.

13. Unitary Government Ex: Great Britain – a single organ (Parliament) holds all of the power of the British government. Local governments do exist, but only to relieve Parliament of burdens it could perform only with difficulty and inconvenience. At any time, Parliament could dissolve all agencies of local government.

14. Unitary Government Most governments in the world are unitary in form.

15. Federal Government An authority superior to both the central and local governments makes the division of power on a geographic basis, and that division cannot be changed by either the national or local levels acting alone. Ex: United States

16. Confederation A Confederate structure makes it possible for the several States to cooperate in matters of common concern and also retain their separate identities There is only one Confederation existing in the world today: the Commonwealth of Independent States in the former Soviet Union.

17. Confederation In our own history, the United States under the Articles of Confederation (1781-1789) and the Confederate States of America (1861-1865) are also examples of a Confederation.

18. Government may take a Presidential or Parliamentary form. 1) Presidential: each branch is independent and coequal. 2) Parliamentary: the Executive branch consists of members from the Legislative branch.

19. Features a separation of powers between the Legislative (law-making) and Executive (law-enforcing) branches. Features a separation of powers between the Legislative (law-making) and Executive (law-enforcing) branches. Usually, as in the United States, a written constitution provides for the separation of powers between branches of government. Usually, as in the United States, a written constitution provides for the separation of powers between branches of government.

20. Prime Minister and his cabinet are “the government”. The Prime Minister selects his cabinet, but Parliament selects the Prime Minister. Prime Minister and his cabinet are “the government”. The Prime Minister selects his cabinet, but Parliament selects the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister and his cabinet stay in office only as long as their policies and administration have the confidence of a majority of Parliament. The Prime Minister and his cabinet stay in office only as long as their policies and administration have the confidence of a majority of Parliament. If a “Vote of No Confidence” occurs, the government must resign its office. If a “Vote of No Confidence” occurs, the government must resign its office.

21. Government can be classified by the percentage of citizens who can participate. 1) Dictatorship: not accountable to the people. 2) Democracy: people hold authority, directly or through representatives.

22. All dictatorships are authoritarian (governmental systems in which those in power hold absolute and unchallengeable authority over the people). All dictatorships are authoritarian (governmental systems in which those in power hold absolute and unchallengeable authority over the people). Modern-day dictatorships tend to be totalitarian as well (they exercise dictatorial, or authoritarian, power over nearly every aspect of human affairs, and their power embraces all (the totality of) matters of human concern. Modern-day dictatorships tend to be totalitarian as well (they exercise dictatorial, or authoritarian, power over nearly every aspect of human affairs, and their power embraces all (the totality of) matters of human concern.

23. Typically, dictatorial regimes are militaristic in character, usually gaining power by force and holding many of the major posts in the government. Typically, dictatorial regimes are militaristic in character, usually gaining power by force and holding many of the major posts in the government.

24. Direct Democracy – exists where the will of the people is translated into public policy (law) directly by the people themselves, in mass meetings. Direct Democracy – exists where the will of the people is translated into public policy (law) directly by the people themselves, in mass meetings. Direct Democracy does not exist anywhere on the national level in the world today. Direct Democracy does not exist anywhere on the national level in the world today.

25. Representative Democracy – a small group of persons chosen by the people to act as their representatives expresses the popular will. Representative Democracy – a small group of persons chosen by the people to act as their representatives expresses the popular will. Representative Democracy is government by popular consent— government with the consent of the governed. Representative Democracy is government by popular consent— government with the consent of the governed.