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?
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