CHAPTER1 SECTION 1Principles of Government

ARISTOTLE A scholar in ancient

Greece, was one of the first students of government.

STATE

NATION Any sizeable group

of people who are united by common bonds of race, language, custom, tradition, and sometimes religion.

ESSENTIAL FEATURES OF A STATEPopulation The nature of a states population affects

its stabilityTerritory States have established boundaries which may

change as a result of war, negotiations, and purchase.

Sovereignty The key characteristic of a state; political sovereignty means the state has supreme and absolute authority w/in its territorial boundaries

Government The institution through which the state maintains social order, provides public services, and enforces decisions that are binding on all people living w/in the state.

SOCIAL CONTRACT THEORY

One of the first to theorize on the social contract.

Thomas Hobbes John Locke

Wrote that people were naturally endowed with the right to life, liberty, and property.

Evolutionary Theory; the

state evolved from the family

PURPOSES OF GOVERNMENT Maintain social order Provide public service Provide national security Make economic decisions

CHAPTER 1 SECTION 2THE FORMATION OF GOVERNMENT The relationship b/w a nation’s national

government and its smaller government divisions can be described as either unitary or federal.

Unitary; gives all key powers to the national or central government. (ex. Great Britain, Italy, and France)

Federal system; divides the powers b/w the national gov’t and state gov’t. Confederac

yLoose

union of independent states

CONSTITUTIONS AND GOVERNMENTA constitution is a plan that

provides the rules for government. Purposes

It sets out ideals that the people bound by the constitution believe and share.

It establishes the basic structure of government and defines the government’s powers and duties

It provides the supreme law of the country.

*U.S. Constitution (1787) oldest written constitution still serving a nation today*

CONT’D

Constitutional government; a government in which a constitution has authority to place clearly recognized limits on the powers of those who govern. (limited government)

Constitutions are incomplete guides to how a country is actually governed.

Most constitutions contain a statement that sets forth the goals and purposes to be served by the government; preamble.

CONT’D The main body of a constitution sets

out the plan for government. Usually divided into parts called articles and

sectionsThe U.S. Const. has 7 articles and 21

sections.

Constitutions provide the supreme law for statesConstitutional law; involves the

interpretation and application of the constitution.

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT The effort to control or influence the conduct

and policies of government is called politics.

Governing In A Complex WorldBecause of great inequalities among countries, the world today is full of contrasts.

Industrialized nations; generally have large industries and advanced technology.

Developing nations are only beginning to develop industrially.

PARI

CHAPTER 1 SECTION 3 Governments can be classified in many ways;

based on a key question: Who governs the state?

Aristotle’s 3 Types of Government Autocracy; rule by one person Oligarchy; rule by a few persons Democracy; rule by many persons

AUTOCRACY Power in the hands of a single individual Oldest and one of the most common forms of

government Totalitarian dictatorship; ideas of a single

leader is glorified & gov’t seeks to control all aspects of social and economic life. (take power by force)

Monarchy; king, queen or emperor exercise extreme power in gov’t (inherit their powers) Absolute monarchs Constitutional monarchs

OLIGARCHY Derives power from

wealth, military power, social position, or a combination. (sometimes religion) Ex. Communist

countries such as China; leaders in the party and the armed forces control the country.

DEMOCRACY Key idea; people hold sovereign power

Direct democracy; people govern themselves by voting on issues individually as citizens.

Representative democracy; the people elect representatives and give them the responsibility and power to make laws and conduct government.

Republic; voters are the source of the government’s authority. Requires citizen participation.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A DEMOCRACY Individual liberty Majority Rule with Minority Rights

Laws enacted will represent majority, but protect minority rights

Free Elections Everyone’s vote carries the same weight. “one

person one vote” Competing Political Parties

Political party; a group of individuals with broad common interests who organize to nominate candidates for office.

THE SOIL OF DEMOCRACYDemocratic government is more likely to succeed in countries which to some degree meet five general criteria. Active Citizen Participation A Favorable Economy

Free enterprise; the opportunity to control one’s economic decisions.

Widespread Education Strong Civil Society

Civil society; a complex network of groups that exist independently of government.

A Social Consensus

SECTION 4: ECONOMIC THEORIES Selling advertising, providing a service or

product to meet a demand, paying wages and taxes—these are economic activities

Economics; the study of human efforts to satisfy seemingly unlimited wants through the use of limited resources.

People in every nation must decide how these resources are to be used.

Governments generally regulate this economic activity.

THE ROLE OF ECONOMIC SYSTEMS All economic systems must make three

economic decisions.1) What to produce2) How to produce3) For Whom to produce

*Each major economic system in the world answers these questions differently*

CAPITALISM Freedom of choice and individual

incentives for workers, investors, consumers, and business enterprises is emphasized

Characteristics of Pure Capitalism Private ownership/control of property and

economic resources Free enterprise Competition among businesses Freedom of choice Possibility of profit

ORIGINS OF CAPITALISM Major changes in the economic organization

of Europe began w/ the opening of trade routes to the east in the thirteenth century.

Free market; buyers and sellers free to make unlimited economic decisions in the market place.

CONT’D In 1776, Adam Smith, a

Scottish philosopher and economist, provided a philosophy for capitalism.

Laissez-faire; a French term meaning “to let alone”—government should keep its hands off the economy.

Free Enterprise in the U.S. Govt’s main purpose to preserve the free market.

Government Influence Largest buyer of goods and services in the

country Meat inspection act/pure food and drug act The Great Depression

Mixed-Market Economy; an economy in which free enterprise is combined w/ and supported by the government decisions in the market place.

SOCIALISM Government owns the basic means of

production, determines the use of resources, distributes the products and wages and provides social services such has education, health care, and welfare.

3 Main Goals Distribution of wealth equally among people. Society’s control of all major decisions about

production Public ownership of land

DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISM People have some control over government

trade through free elections but government owns basic means of production.

COMMUNISM Karl Marx (1818-1883), socialist who

advocated violent revolution Bourgeoisie; or capitalist, own the means of

production Proletariat; workers, who produce goods

Believed that capitalists were a ruling class because they used their economic power to force their will on the workers.

All human history as class struggle Encouraged revolution.

CONT’D Communism; one class, property held in

common, no need for government. Command economy; government controls

factors of production (what, how, for whom to produce).

State owns land, resources, banks, and transportation and controls mass communication.