Foundations of GovernmentChapter 1

Essential Question

•What are the purposes of government?

Purposes and Origins of Government

• Most people do not desire to live in chaos or turmoil

• Order is created by legitimate and functioning governments• Leadership, order, defense, security, public service,

economic assistance

Purposes and Origins of Government

• Providing Leadership• Government officials set priorities and make

all sorts of decisions on behalf of the people• They can require that people do things they

might not do voluntarily, such as pay taxes or serve in the army

• Without leadership, no one can be in charge….anarchy

Purposes and Origins of Government

• Maintaining Order• Conflict is an inescapable part of life.• placing limits on what individuals are

permitted to do• Without government, civilized life would

be impossible

Purposes and Origins of Government

• Providing Public Service• Governments create schools, build sewer

systems, pave roads, and provide other services that individuals cannot or would not do on their own

Purposes and Origins of Government

• Providing National Security• protect the people against attack by

another country or by terrorists• complex and demanding task

Purposes and Origins of Government

• Economic Security and Economic Assistance• Governments negotiate trade deals with

other countries and they try to protect businesses that are important to their own economies.• Governments can provide assistance to

people in need.

Turn and Talk

• Turn and Talk means to turn to a partner or two and elaborate on the following question

• The founding fathers had to make extremely important decisions regarding the type of government the new country would have.

• What information would you use to support why they chose democracy with all of the other types of governments throughout the world?

Purposes and Origins of Government

• Origins (Theories) of the State• Evolutionary Theory• Evolved from the family• Clans, tribes, etc.

Purposes and Origins of Government

• Origins (Theories) of the State• Force Theory• States emerged when people needed to

cooperate to survive but could only become organized when one or more people took control

Purposes and Origins of Government

• Origins (Theories) of the State• Divine Right Theory• certain people are chosen by a god or gods to

rule is a very old theory

Purposes and Origins of Government

• Origins (Theories) of the State• Social Contract Theory• Some people believe states exist to protect

and to serve their people.

Types of Government

•Lesson 2

Types of Government

• What principles guide different types of government?

• The United States and many other countries around the world are democracies. What does the idea of democracy mean to you?

• What do you think are the most important characteristics of a democratic form of government? List them in order of importance.

Types of Government

• Guided Question• How is a federal system of government

different from a unitary or confederate one?

Types of Government

• Unitary System• All key powers to the central government• Only powers that states or local government

have are those expressly given to them by the central government.

• Less power given to localities• Japan, France, and Bolivia

Types of Government

• Confederate System• What we were first under Articles• A loose union of independent and sovereign

states• Tremendous power given to states• Very rare today• Federated States of Micronesia

Types of Government

• Federal System• Divides the powers of government between the

national and state or provincial government• On a smaller scale, individual states in the United

States may have their own structure of government

• Maryland gives its counties much more authority to make their own decisions than most states.• Brazil

Types of Government

• Question• How is a constitutional government different

than a country without a constitution?

Types of Government

• Constitution• No matter what type of government you have,

you need a constitution• plan that provides the rules for government• Purposes• (1) it sets out ideals that the people bound by the

constitution believe in and share• (2) it establishes the basic structure of government

and defines the government’s powers and duties • (3) it provides the supreme law for the country.

Types of Government

• Constitutional Government• constitution has authority to place clearly recognized

limits on the powers of those who govern. • Constitutions are important but incomplete guides to

how a country is actually governed.• 2 reasons• First, no written constitution can possibly spell out

all the laws, customs, and ideas that grow up around the document.

Types of Government

• Constitutional Government• 2 reasons• Second, a constitution does not always reflect actual

government practice. • China, for example, has a written constitution

filled with statements about the basic rights, freedoms, and duties of citizens. Yet, the Chinese government does not uphold many of those rights and freedoms.

Types of Government

• Major Types of Government• Authoritarian Governments

• characterized by leadership that controls all aspects of its citizens’ economic and social lives• sometimes referred to as totalitarian states

because the government has total control.

Types of Government

• Major Types of Government• Authoritarian Governments

• appear to have democratic features. • opponents to the current leaders are

persecuted.• few, if any, political freedoms • use ruthless force or the threat of force to

maintain order.

Types of Government

• Major Types of Government• Oligarchy

• derive their power from their wealth, social position, military power, or a combination of these factors. • When a few rule• Dictatorships and Monarchs can be classified

here as well.

Types of Government

• Major Types of Government• Democratic Governments • rule is by the people.• either through representatives or directly. • Republics

• democracy that does not have a monarch in charge

Discussion Question

•Turn and Talk•What principles are central to democracies? 

Types of Government

• Principles of Democracy• While no democracy is a perfect democracy,

there are certain principles that guide them.

Types of Government

• What are the Principles of Democracy• Citizen Participation • Regular Free and Fair Elections • Accepting the Results of Elections • The Rule of Law • Majority Rule with Minority Rights • Accountability • Transparency • Limited Government and a Bill of Rights • Control of the Abuse of Power

Types of Government

• What are the Principles of Democracy• Economic Freedom• Equality• Individual or Human Rights• Independent Judiciary • Competing Political Parties

Types of Government

• Your job………

• Grab a text book from the cupboard and look up each of these principles and briefly describe each• These must be placed into your notes!!!!• Lesson 2

The Role of Government in Economic Systems

•Lesson 3

The Role of Government in Economic Systems

• Essential Question……

What is the role of government in different types of economic systems?

• When is the last time you wanted to buy something you could not afford? Do you know people who can buy it and whatever else they want? How did they get enough money to buy it? Did they work hard? Did they save? Has their family always had plenty of money, going back for generations?  

• Now think about your needs instead of your wants. Can you or your family afford to pay for your basic needs like food, shelter, and clothing? Do you think the government has a responsibility to make sure you have all you need? Write a personal reflection answering these questions.

The Role of Government in Economic Systems

• Essential Question……

What are the basic factors of every economy?

The Role of Government in Economic Systems

• The Government’s Role• In every society, governments guide economies• Some allow free use of resources• Others use regulation to allocate resources

The Role of Government in Economic Systems

• The Government’s Role• Governments can exert almost total control

over their economies or very little control. Either way, governments play significant roles in the economic lives of their people. 

The Role of Government in Economic Systems

• Economic systems are classified in two ways• how economies actually work. • the political ideology that is connected to an

economy. • capitalism, socialism, and communism.

The Role of Government in Economic Systems

• Capitalism, Communism, Socialism• All different economic systems

• Capitalism has five characteristics: private ownership and control of property and economic resources, free enterprise, competition, freedom of choice, and the possibility of profits.

• Communism uses a command economy

The Role of Government in Economic Systems

• Capitalism, Communism, Socialism• the government decides how much to produce,

what to produce, and how to distribute the goods and services produced.

• Today only a handful of communist states exist in the world. North Korea is one.

The Role of Government in Economic Systems

• Socialism• economic system in which the government

plays a significant role in the economy, but it does not completely control it.

• Under socialism, government planners determine the use of resources and distribute the products and wages.

• government also provides extensive social services such as education, health care, and welfare for its people.

The Role of Government in Economic Systems

• Socialism• The goal of socialism is an equal distribution

of wealth.