CHAPTER ONE WHAT IS GOVERNMENT?. PUBLIC POLICIES All of the things a government decides to do or...
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Transcript of CHAPTER ONE WHAT IS GOVERNMENT?. PUBLIC POLICIES All of the things a government decides to do or...
Dictatorship v. democracy
Who holds the power? How are leaders chosen? To whom are leaders
responsible/accountable?
Dictatorships v. democracy
Who holds the power? Who makes decisions? How are leaders
chosen? To whom is leadership
accountable?
The state is
A body of people, living in a defined space, with the power to make and enforce laws and an organization to do this.
Define the state by knowing its four characteristics:
Population
Definition: people who are members or citizens of a state
Size of population doesn’t matter
Population has a big influence on the type of government chosen by the state
Territory
Definition: the area in which a state’s rule applies
Must have set boundaries, but they are not always agreed upon
Boundaries can change bywarnegotiationpurchase
Sovereignty
Definition: the ability to rule absolutely within a given territory
Because of sovereignty states can set foreign policy and agenda
Sovereignty makes all states equal in theory, but in reality this isn’t always the case
Government
Government has many roles that all involve making public policy, but that are four main ways their governing affects the public: Keeping order Protecting the country Providing services Making economic decisions
By this definition of THE STATE,which of the following is “ a state?”
New York City?The United States?Texas?China?
True or False
The 50 States that make up the United States are not considered independent states internationally.
Divine Right Theory People believe that
God created the state and gave its leaders the right to rule; dominant in Western world through the mid-18th c.
Social Contract Theory People give up to
the state as much power as needed to promote the safety and well-being for all.
Philosophers : John Locke, James Harrington, Jean Jacques Rousseau,Hobbes
PURPOSES OF GOVERNMENT
Listed in the Preamble to the Constitution
Constitution – the law of the land; the basis for our gov’t
Classical Republic : small group of elected leaders make decisions for the electorate
Greek city-states and Roman republic
FORMS OF GOVERNMENT
Who Can Participate
Geographic Distribution of Power
Relationship between the Legislative and Executive Branches
FORMS OF GOVERNMENT
Who Can Participate
Geographic Distribution of Power
Relationship between the Legislative and Executive Branches
Democracy
Dictatorship
FORMS OF GOVERNMENT
Who Can Participate
Geographic Distribution of Power
Relationship between the Legislative and Executive Branches
Democracy
Dictatorship
Unitary
Confederate
Federal
FORMS OF GOVERNMENT
Who Can Participate
Geographic Distribution of Power
Relationship between the Legislative and Executive Branches
Democracy
Dictatorship
Unitary
Confederate
Federal
Presidential
Parliamentary
FORMS OF GOVERNMENT
Who Can Participate
Geographic Distribution of Power
Relationship between the Legislative and Executive Branches
Democracy
Dictatorship
Unitary
Confederate
Federal
Presidential
Parliamentary
Direct Democracy – purest form, all people vote
Indirect Democracy – representatives are chosen to vote.
FORMS OF GOVERNMENT
Who Can Participate
Geographic Distribution of Power
Relationship between the Legislative and Executive Branches
Democracy
Dictatorship
Unitary
Confederate
Federal
Presidential
Parliamentary
Direct Democracy – purest form, all people vote
Indirect Democracy – representatives are chosen to vote.
Autocracy – single personOligarchy – small group (elite)All are authoritarian
Modern dictatorships are totalitarian
FORMS OF GOVERNMENT
Who Can Participate
Geographic Distribution of Power
Relationship between the Legislative and Executive Branches
Democracy
Dictatorship
Unitary
Confederate
Federal
Presidential
Parliamentary
Direct Democracy – purest form, all people vote
Indirect Democracy – representatives are chosen to vote.
Autocracy – single personOligarchy – small group (elite)All are authoritarian
Modern dictatorships are totalitarian
One central government agency
Alliance of independent states.
Power divided between central and local agencies
FORMS OF GOVERNMENT
Who Can Participate
Geographic Distribution of Power
Relationship between the Legislative and Executive Branches
Democracy
Dictatorship
Unitary
Confederate
Federal
Presidential
Parliamentary
Direct Democracy – purest form, all people vote
Indirect Democracy – representatives are chosen to vote.
Autocracy – single personOligarchy – small group (elite)All are authoritarian
Modern dictatorships are totalitarian
One central government agency
Alliance of independent states.
Power divided between central and local agencies
Two branches are separate and coequal. Chief Executive is President chosen independently for a fixed term.
Executive branch made up of Prime Minister and cabinet who are members of legislative branch, the Parliament, as long still in favor.
American Concept of Democracy rests on:
The worth of the individual All have it
regardless of station
Equality of all persons “All men are
created equal..” –Thomas Jefferson
Opportunity and before the law
Majority rule with minority rights Room for error Majority can’t be left
unchecked Must hear criticism,
arguments and suggestions Necessity of compromise
Blending and adjusting competing views
Essential to make policy “More than one way to skin a
cat” – Mark Twain
Individual freedom Do as you please
with limits “The rights of every
man are diminished when the rights of one man are threatened.” – John F. Kennedy
Free Enterprise = Capitalism
The American economic system. Does not rely on the government to
answer what, how, how many or for whom regarding items being produced.
Works through system of Supply and Demand
When supplies of goods and services increase, prices drop and less is produced
When supplies are scarce, prices will rise and more will be made
Mixed Economy
Free enterprise with some government intervention
Regulations Protecting the public FDA Anti-pollution laws OSHA Zoning ordinances Building codes