Do Now: Why is government essential to the existence of human beings in a civilized society?

Government Public policy Legislative power Executive power Judicial power Constitution Dictatorship Democracy State sovereign

Define Government and the basic powers every government holds.

Describe the four characteristics of the state.

Consider the reaction of both Paine and Hobbes to a government “of the people, for the people and by the people.”

Government is the institution through which society makes and enforces its public policies.

Made up of those who exercise its powers. Example of Governments: Dictatorship – one person has the

authority to exercise powers Democracy – supreme authority rests

with the people.

All of those things the government decides to do.

Examples:-taxation-defense-education-crime

Legislative: Power to make and law and to frame public policy

Executive: Power to executive, enforce and administer

Judicial: Interpret laws, determine the meaning of laws, settle disputes

Outlines the powers of government A constitution is a body o fundamental laws

setting out the principles structures and processes of government.

1. Popular Sovereignty: The people are sovereign, they establish and the government and grant it its powers. Since the government receives its powers from the people it can only govern with their consent.

2. Limited Government: Government has only as much power as the people give it. Much of Consitution consists of specific limitations on government power.Neither the government not any official is “above the law” and can overstep consitutional bounds.

3. Separation of Powers: Government power is divided among the three branches of government. Intended to prevent the misuse of power by any of the three branches of government.

4. Checks and Balances: Extends the restrictions established by the separation of powers. Each branch has the authority to restrict the powers of the other two in order to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful.

5. Judicial Review: Federal Courts and ultimately the Supreme Court have the power to review government actions and evaluate whether they are Constitutional.

6. Federalism: Division of power between a central government and regional (local, state) governments. Sharing of power intended to ensure that the central government is powerful enough to be effect without infringing on State’s rights. Also allows individual States to deal with local problems – so long as their actions are constitutional.

A body of people, living in a defined territory, organized politically (that is with a government), and with the power to make and enforce law without the consent of any higher authority.

The state is a legal entity.

1. Sovereignty: Every state is sovereign. It has a supreme and absolute power within its own territory

2. Territory: A state must have territory, which is land with known and necessary boundaries.

Compare to: Nation – an ethnic term, referring to races of large

groups of people Country – a geographic term, referring to a

particular area of land3. Population4. Government: Every state is politically organized.

Government is that agency through which the state works to accomplish its goals.

Paine considers government necessary evil created as a result of man’s inherent wickedness. Consider Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) opinion, government is necessary to avoid the “war of every man against every man.” Without government there would be “continual fear and danger of violent death and life would be solitary, nasty, brutish and short.” Do you agree? What do you think Pain and Hobbes would think of the principle of popular sovereignty and that the powers of the government must be based on the consent of the governed?