Introduction to Government and Forms of Government

a powerpoint of revolutionary proportions!!!

Group Talk

Brainstorm: >>> list types of governments that you know or have heard

of.

Q: Is there one form of government that is better than all others, or does it depend on the situation? (make an argument)

What is government?

Definition- Institution through which a society makes and enforces its public policies.

What is the “state” in which a government exists?

A body of people, living in a defined territory, organized politically.

It has the power to make and enforce law without the consent of any higher authority.

Must have (1) population, (2) territory, (3) sovereignty and a form of (4) government.

What is political power?

Power is the ability of one person to get another person to act according to their intentions.

Who will hold government office?

What will (US federal) government do ? (what

actions will it take?)

Mary Fallin –Current Governor of Oklahoma!!!

More about Political Power

People who use political power may or may not have the authority to do so.

Authority is the right to use power. Formal authority is the right to exercise power that is vested in a government office (i.e. president, senator, federal judge…).

Legitimacy is political

authority conferred by law or

by a state/national constitution.

(i.e. U.S. Constitution).

Division(Separation) of Powers

3 Ways to Classify Forms of Government

(1) Who can participate in government?

(2) Where is government power geographically located?

(3) Who rules?

(1) Who Can Participate?

2 Basic Forms to consider: Democracy

Compromise

Dictatorship

Is there any truth to this?

(b) Dictatorship

“Oldest,” most common

form of government Rulers are not held

responsible to the will of the people Autocracy – single person holds unlimited power Oligarchy – the power to rule is held by a small,

usually self-appointed elite

Examples: Fascist Italy (1922-1943), Nazi Germany (1933-1945), Soviet Union (1917-late 1980s), People’s Republic of China (1949 to present)

(2) Who has the power?

Where is it located geographically?

3 basic forms of

government: (a) Unitary (b) Federal (c) Confederation

Why do people go to Washington D.C. to march?

(a) Unitary Government: Centrally Located

Centralized Government – all powers held by government belong to a single, central (national) agency

Local units of government are only created at the convenience of the national government and lack real power

Example: Britain’s parliament!!!

(b) Federal Government: Divide it Up!

Powers are divided between a …

central government

AND

Several state and local

governments.

Greatest Example: USA! USA! USA!

Other Examples: Australia, Canada,

Mexico, Switzerland, Germany, India

(world’s largest)…

(c) Confederate Government: Totally Weak!

Alliance of independent states CG has Limited powers that states

assignRare today Kind of Example: European Union (1993-present) - Free trade, common currency (except stubborn Brits), and attempts to coordinate members’ foreign and defense policies American Examples: U.S. under the Articles of Confederation (1781-1789) and the Confederate States of America (1861-1865)

Location of Power: Geography

“***Central***

LocalState

**States** **States**

Central

**Central**

**State**

**Local****Local**

**State**

(3) Who rules?

Is it…

(a) the legislative (parliamentary) or

(b) the executive (presidential)?

(b) Parliamentary Government

Executive branch = prime minister/premier + cabinet =All are members of the legislative branch(parliament) So, they perform both functions. Prime minister is leader of the majority party and is thus chosen

by the legislature, and subject to its direct control Executive remains in office as long as they have support of

parliamentary majority “Vote of no confidence” causes prime minister to resign then a

new government must be formed! Example: Britain /most other democracies

+++Advantages - Avoids conflict and deadlock of presidential governments

(a) Presidential Government Separation of powers between

the executive and legislative branches = independent, coequal

Chief executive (president) is chosen independently of legislature (Citizens VOTE), holds office for fixed term, and has some independent powers

Separation of powers is usually spelled out in a written constitution .

Branches can block other branches (Cks/Balances)

The Roman Republic: 1st Senate!

Open forum debate. Political Elite Council of 500 included

the poor. US Senate patterned

after ****Representative

lawmaking***. Ben Franklin “Gentlemen,

we have ourselves a Republic.”

Roman Republic: Best society promotes “the common good”. Common good achieved by good citizens. Citizens must share 3 characteristics: 1) Civic virtue 2) public education 3)small, uniform communitiesNatural Rights necessary for citizens to govern themselves included : right to

vote; freedom to assemble, and open debate.

Roman Empire: The Senate

Was the Republic truly Representative of the people???

Athenian Demokratis Peaks 400 BC

All freedmen are citizens.

Any citizens could attend Assembly, introduce laws, speak or vote (suffrage).

“Polis” = city state

The Philosophers:

Socrates (469-399 BC)

Plato (429-347 BC)

Aristotle(384-322 BC)

The Polis (city-state)

Developed in many places into 2 levels: (1) the Acropolis (high city) featuring great marble temples

dedicated to different gods and goddesses (2) Flatter ground below lay the walled main city with its

marketplace, theatre, public buildings, and homes Small city-states helped citizens (free male landowners) share a

sense of responsibility

The Acropolis at Athens…

today

the Acropolis at Athens… today

Philosophers: Lovers of Wisdom

Rational thinking (logic) to understand the universe

Debated morality, ethics, and the best kind of government…

3 significant philosophers:1. Socrates

2. Plato

3. Aristotle

Socrates

• “The unexamined life is not worth living”

Socratic Dialogue Questioned assumptions,

accepted values At 70, put on trial for

“corrupting city’s youth and failing to respect gods” by jury of 501 citizens

Accepted death penalty of drinking poisonous hemlock

Died for his beliefs

Plato The Republic sets up his ideal

of Just Society Rejected democracy (mob rule)

b/c of excesses (i.e. Socrates death)

State should regulate every aspect of citizens’ life in their best interest

3 classes (first 2 are guardian classes):

Workers (produce necessities) Soldiers (defend state) Philosophers (to rule in best

interest) Philosopher-King with Ultimate

Authority Men and women equal in some

sense State child care, no families

Aristotle One of brightest students at

Plato’s Academy. Studied there

for 20 yrs until Plato’s death.

Most often quoted Greek philosopher

His work was the basis for the Scientific method used today.

Opened the Lyceum , rivaled Plato’s Academy.

Came close to summarizing all the knowledge up to his time.

(a) Democracy

Popular sovereignty supreme political authority lies

with the people; the people are sovereign

Athenian Democracy DEMOS= People KRATOS= Rule

2 types of Democracy: Direct- (Polis/Greece) Representative(Republican)

Rome >> Founders later called it rule by

“Philosopher Kings” (Intellectual rulers).

Classical Influences on the Founding fathers

Roman RepublicRepresentative RepublicVirtuous Citizens

Senate

Open Forum

Vigorous DebateProblem: Slavery/ Inequality

Ancient Greek(Athenian) Direct DemocracyPopular sovereignty

Philosopher kings

Plato, Aristotle, Socrates

Suffrage

ReferendumProblem: Lack of Diversity, size

Greek Demokratis /Roman Republic

Why Ancient Greece? Why Ancient Rome? (1) They have

written history (2) Founders

looked to Ancient Greece in writing Constitution

(3)Founders liked idea of scholars as leaders “philosopher kings”.

(1) They promote civic virtue. Favor rep. govt- natural rights.

(2) Founders looked to Rome to construct Legislature.

(3) Founders like public education, the common good, a moral society supports a stable gov’t.

What kind of government did the Framers prefer?

The Framers of the Constitution strongly favored representative government. Republic Why?

They thought most citizens did

not have the time, information, interest, or expertise to make reasonable choices among competing policy positions!

Is a direct democracy

impractical today?

(larger population ,but internet…)

Am Stu Stops Here….

Who REALLY has the power in a Democracy ? (unofficial

answer)

How is political power distributed in the U.S.’s representative democracy? 4 Popular Theories:

(1) Marxist View (2) Power Elitist View (3) Bureaucratic View (4) Pluralist View

(a) Marxist View Even Democratic governments

merely reflect(mirror) underlying

Economic forces. IOW- Moneymakers

call the shots. Capitalists (bourgeoise) and workers

(proletariat) contend for power.(Class wars) Who really rules?: For Capitalists - “big

business” and “multinational corporations”

Q:Any evidence of this in US today????

Marxist View

What is this cartoon saying?

What would Marxists think about this

cartoon?

(b) Power Elite View

Who really rules?: A few top leaders, mostly outside of government and enjoy great advantages in wealth, status, or organizational position – thus, corporate leaders, top military officials, handful of elected officials... A democratic Oligarchy?

Sociologist C. Wright Mills

(c) Bureaucratic View

Who really rules?: Appointed officials - career government workers (bureaucrats) exercise vast power by deciding how to translate public laws into administrative actions.

Bureaucrats do not simply implement public policies, but they effectively make them as suits their own ideas and interests.

Sociologist Max Weber

(d) Pluralist View(No conspiracy, just conflicting interests…)

While pluralist theorists do not go so far as to say that resources are distributed equally (on a majoritarian basis), they DO assert that competition among all affected interests shapes public policy.

The End