Government & Politics

In the beginning…

Definitions…

• Government: The institutions, people, and processes by which a nation-state or political unit is ruled and its public policy created and administered.

• Politics: The science or process of governing.

• Law: A rule of conduct or action that is binding for all and enforced by the government.

Purposes

1. Solves Conflict

2. Provides Public Service

3. National Security and Common Defense.

4. Goals for Public Policy.

5. Preserves the Culture.

Where did they come from?

1. Force Theory- The strong will rule.

2. Divine Right Theory- God chooses the ruler, they rule as god.

3. Evolutionary Theory- Come from early families, tribes, groups…

4. Social Contract Theory- Locke, Give some control to gain some benefit.

Types

Autocracy- One centralized ruler

Monarchy, Theocracy, Dictatorship, Oligarchy

Democracy- Popular Sovereignty.

direct, representative, Presidential,

Parliamentary, Constitutional

The State

Many people get the terms “state” and “nation” confused… You will know the difference

A state is a body of people, living in a definedterritory and organized politically. Like?

A nation is a group of people who sharethe same heritage, culture or history.No defined territory. Like?

Can Wisconsin become a state?

Do the Palestinians have their own state?

What would you consider the smallest state in the world?

Origins of the state

A person or group forced controlover an area and people

The Evolution Theory

States originated in the family.Start with single family and thenexpanded.

Why is this a populartheory? What do youknow about the originsof man and civilizations?

God gave individuals orgroups the right to rule

4. The Social Contract Theory

People agreed to give up power to the state in return for the state’s service tothe general well-being of the people.

John LockeThomas Hobbes

Necessary Evil• Government is needed for

society to function.• Government is bad and

should be LIMITED.• Individual

freedoms are the priority.

Positive Good•Government is more than a punisher…it is a promoter of the common good.

•Government does for the community what individuals cannot do for themselves.

•Government is not just needed, it is desired. It protects us from ourselves, and provides us with safety and security.

Unnecessary Evil

• The eventual goal of the people is to get rid of government altogether.

• Government can not help but exploit the people.

• Communism…everyone works for the good of society

THE PURPOSE OF OUR GOV’T AS OUTLINED IN THE PREAMBLE OF THE

CONSTITUTION

1. To form a more perfect Union

In union, there is greater strength

2. To establish justice

The law should be administered fairly,reasonably and impartially

3. To Insure Domestic Tranquility

Without order, peoplewould live in anarchy

4. Provide for the Common Defense

A State’s securitydepends on a wise defenseand sound foreign policies

5. To promote the General Welfare

To provide services and laws to protect everyone

6. To Secure the Blessings of Liberty

To protect everyone’sfreedom

Adolph Hitler

Benito Mussolini

Power is seized and kept by force to be ruled by one.

Dictatorship

Junta: Group of Generals Lead

Pinochet ruled Chile after a military coup in 1973

Dictatorship• Most common

form of government in history

• Can you think of some PRESENT- day dictatorships?

Saddam Hussein

Rules with personal preferences (arbitrarily).

Louis XIV

Power to rule is generally passed down from the king to his eldest son (or if there is no son, to the queen or the eldest daughter).

To which theoryregarding the originsof the state is this form of governmentrelated?

What do you know about this person?How did she become queen?Does she really have power?

Queen Elizabeth II

Constitution of a country in which God is regarded as the sole sovereign and the laws are seen as divine commands

Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini

Leaders are carefully selected and controlled from within the ranks.

Mao Zedong

Government by the people

exercised either directly

or through elected representatives.

Forms of GovernmentWho has the power?

Power is held in a single, central agency

This does NOT necessarily mean dictatorship

Can you think of examples?

Power is divided betweena central government andseveral local governments

Around 26 countries have a federalgovernment including…

3. Confederate Government

The central government haslimited power with the mostimportant authority reserved for member states

Only one in the world…and it is no longer effective

Remember this flag?

Who can participate in government?

In a democracy, the people hold the powerand give the government the authority torule over them…

What is the differencebetween direct democracyand representative democracy? In the USA?

Tony Blair

Legislative and executive branches of government are combined.

What you may do…

•You may vote when you are 18.

•You may have a trial by jury.

What you may not do?

•You may not park in a fire lane.

•You may not steal.

•You may not murder.

What you must do?

•You must have a driver’s license to drive a car.

•The police must have a warrant to search your property.

•You must register for the draft.

How did we get here?

A brief history of our government.

Great Political Theorists

From Plato to Marx and back again…

Plato• 427-347 BCE• The very essence of

government is determined by the people who compose it.

• People do not have the brains to make decisions for a whole country.

• Each person should know their role…ruler, fighter, and producers

Aristotle• 384-322 BCE• Monarchy, aristocracy,

and constitutional democracy.

• Monarchy is the best• Poor must have some

voice. • There can be no

extremes of wealth and poverty.

Niccolo Machiavelli

• 1469-1527• Power is the only goal

of government• Good and bad are

relative to the situation.

• A good leader is ruthless, crafty, ambitious, and devious.

Thomas Hobbes• 1588-1679• Witnessed times of

chaos, Revolution• Government was a

civilizing force.• Governments must rule

over people because people are equal and in competition

John Locke• 1632-1704• People are reasonable

and rational• Laws are supreme and

must be enforced equally

• A true democratic government is a government by consent of the people.

• The more communication the less need for revolution.

Baron de Montesquieu

• 1689-1755• The best government

has three separate parts that represent each part of society.

• Human reason and morality are the LAW.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

• 1712-1778• The people have

ALL the power and it is unalienable!

• The Social Contract• People need to

serve the state.

Edmund Burke• 1729-1797• Went against ideas

of Locke and Rousseau

• People should NOT be given power.

• The wealthy, aristocrat is the only person capable and prepared to rule!

Karl Marx• 1818-1898• The people are the

only ones capable of ruling! (The Proletariat/worker)

• Revolution will overthrow the bourgeoisie (wealthy).

• Workers of the world unite!– V.I. Lenin– Mao Zedong

English Influence• Limited Government

& Representative Government

• Magna Carta (1215): Limits power and first effort to assert natural rights.

• English Bill of Rights (1688): Established certain basic rights for all British Citizens.

• Articles of Confederation– Confederate– No tax, No

judicial system.– Ineffective!

•The Constitution

•Federal System

•Separation of Powers

•Three Branches

•Checks and Balances

•Limited Government

•Popular Sovereignty

Now what?