Section 1 Focus What is government ? What are the major characteristics of a state ? What are the...
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Transcript of Section 1 Focus What is government ? What are the major characteristics of a state ? What are the...
Foundations of Government
Foundations of Government
Section 1 Focus• What is government?• What are the major characteristics of a state?• What are the major functions of government?• What theories of rule have been put forth to explain
government?
The Purposes of Government
Foundations of Government
“Government is not the solution to our problems. Government is the problem.”
Ronald Reagan
• Do you agree with this?• Why do many Americans
dislike “the government?”• Could society exist without
government?
Foundations of Government
Section 1 at a GlanceGovernment
The formal structures and institutions through which decisions are made for a group of people.
Foundations of Government
What Is Government?
Three main components of government
• People—Elected officials with authority and control over others; public servants who carry out day-to-day governmental business.
• Power— To make and enforce laws, to settle disputes and protect rights.
• Policy— Actions by the government in pursuit of a goal.
Foundations of Government
What makes the United States (or any other country) “one nation?”
Characteristics of a State
Foundations of Government
What makes the United States (or any other country) “one nation?”
Characteristics of a State
• Population• Territory• Government• Sovereignty
Foundations of Government
State: political unit with the power to make and enforce laws over a group of people living within a clearly defined territory
Characteristics of a State
Characteristics:• Population—Must have people; number does not matter• Territory—Must have clearly defined and recognized borders• Government—Must have a government that issues and enforces
rules for the people living within its territory; government must be recognized from within and by other nation states in the international community
• Sovereignty—Must have supreme power to act within its territory and to control its external affairs
Foundations of Government
Origins of the state
How did government begin in human society?
Foundations of Government
Origins of the State
The force theory states that one person or a small group took control of an area and forced all within it to submit to that person’s or group’s rule.
Foundations of Government
Origins of the State
The evolutionary theory argues that the state evolved naturally out of the early family.
Foundations of Government
Origins of the State
The theory of divine right holds that God created the state and that God gives those of royal birth a “divine right” to rule.
Foundations of Government
Origins of the State The social contract theory argues that
the state arose out of a voluntary act of free people.
Foundations of Government
What if…?
Foundations of Government
Ensure National Security• Guard its territory and its
people against external threats
• Create and maintain national defense forces including military personnel, weaponry, and operations, as well as peacekeeping missions
• Maintain good relations with other nations (diplomacy)
Functions of Government
Foundations of Government
Maintain Order• Laws help maintain order and
protect rights, property, and lives• Must have clear rules for
unacceptable behavior and consequences
• Different societies have different ideas about lawful behavior and appropriate punishment
• Must have the ability to identify and punish wrongdoers
Functions of Government
Foundations of Government
Resolve Conflict• Conflicts are resolved
through the justice system.• People and groups try to
influence government decisions through politics.
Foundations of Government
Provide Services• People pay taxes to fund
services such as parks, mail, and education
• Public goods include clean water, parks, and roads; restricted services may include medical care, high schools, and public housing
Foundations of Government
Provide for the Public Good
• Taking actions that benefit the people.
• Definitions of “public” and “public good” change over time.
• What is “good” for one group of people is often not “good” for another group.
• These questions are addressed through the political process
Foundations of Government
Section 2 Focus• What are the classic forms of government?
• How is national power organized differently in unitary, federal and confederal systems?
The Forms of Government
Foundations of Government
Section 2 Focus• What are the classic forms of government?• How is national power organized differently in unitary,
federal, and confederal systems?• In what ways do presidential and parliamentary systems
differ?
Forms of Government
Foundations of Government
Foundations of Government
Monarchy• Government is headed by one
person with supreme authority• In absolute monarchy, powers are
unlimited and unchecked• Constitutional monarchy most
common form today– Monarch is ceremonial head of
state– Real power belongs to another
part of the government
Dictatorship• One person, or a small group of
people, holds unlimited power• Power is maintained by force• Most dictators head authoritarian or
totalitarian regimes• An oligarchy is led by a small
group of people• Dictatorships can be secular or
theocracies
The Classic Forms
Foundations of Government
Democracy• “Rule by the people”• In a pure democracy, the people make major government decisions through
a process of majority rule.• In a direct democracy, such as Athens, citizens meet regularly to discuss
issues and vote for leaders.• Athens was actually an elite-based system.• In a republic, the people elect representatives to make decisions on their
behalf.• In a representative democracy, the people are the source of authority.
– Elected representatives closely follow the wishes of the people– Elections are free and fair– Everyone can participate equally in the political process
Foundations of Government
Foundations of Government
National power• Consists of a number of smaller
administrative units• Control can be centralized or
spread across geographic regions
Federal systems• Divides power between a national
government and smaller regional governments
• Levels act independently, but cannot abolish or reorganize the other level
Unitary systems• Sovereignty rests in a single,
national government with ultimate authority
• Has the power to change or abolish local governments
Confederal systems • Independent states join forces in a
central government• States delegate limited powers to
the central government for common interests
Organizing National Power
Foundations of Government
Section 3 Focus• Why are the ideals of liberty, equality and self-government
important to American democracy?
• What are the basic principles of American democracy?
• Why is the free-enterprise system important to American democracy?
Democracy the United States
Foundations of Government
• Ideal—Conception of something in its most perfect form
• Core ideals of American democracy—Liberty, equality, self-government
• Used from the beginning of our republic
• Recorded in our nation’s founding documents
• Still guide our government
Basic Principles of American Democracy
Foundations of Government
Liberty• Ability of people to act and think as they choose.
• Choices must do no harm to the liberty or well-being of others.
• Freedom from government control.
• Freedom to exercise citizens’ rights guaranteed under the Constitution
Core Ideals of American Democracy
Foundations of Government
Equality • All people possess a fundamental, moral worth.
• Their worth entitles them to fair treatment and equal opportunity.
• Equality must be balanced with liberty to avoid despotism
Core Ideals of American Democracy
Foundations of Government
Self-Government • All people can rule themselves and do so as political equals.
• People are the ultimate source of government authority.
• Governments derive their powers from the consent of the governed.
• People have a right to revolt against a government that has lost their consent.
Core Ideals of American Democracy
Foundations of Government
Worth of the Individual • People can reach their highest
potential if they are free to pursue their own path in life.
• Democracy values individual freedom, personal responsibility, self-reliance, and individual achievement.
Principles of American Democracy
Foundations of Government
Rule of Law• “A government of laws, not of
men”
• Everyone in society – even government leaders -- is bound by the law.
• The Constitution is the fundamental law which limits the power of government.
Principles of American Democracy
Foundations of Government
Majority Rule, Minority Rights
• Decision making by majority rule, balanced by minority rights
• Individual rights are protected under a liberal democracy
Principles of American Democracy
Foundations of Government
Compromise• Ability of two opposing groups to give up some demands and
reach agreement.• Necessary to keep the political process moving
Principles of American Democracy
Foundations of Government
Citizen Participation• Citizens must be informed about public issues• There are many ways to participate peacefully, respectfully, and with
tolerance
Principles of American Democracy
Foundations of Government
Identify the concept of democracy that matches each newspaper headline.
• Worth of the individual• Rule of law.• Majority rule, minority
rights.• Need for compromise• Citizen participation
House, Senate reach agreement on health care reform bill
Leaders of the House of Representatives and Senate finally settled the differences in two proposals to overhaul the nation’s health care system.
#1
Foundations of Government
African-American couple wins lawsuitBill and Mary Jones were awarded $100,000 in circuit court after a judge ruled against a real estate agent who deliberately kept them from seeing homes for sale in a white neighborhood.
#2
Identify the concept of democracy that matches each newspaper headline.
• Worth of the individual• Rule of law.• Majority rule, minority
rights.• Need for compromise• Citizen participation
Foundations of Government
Gay/lesbian march considered successful
Leaders of the gay/lesbian community declared Saturday’s “March for Marriage” a success.
#3 Identify the concept of democracy that matches each newspaper headline.
• Worth of the individual• Rule of law.• Majority rule, minority
rights.• Need for compromise• Citizen participation
Foundations of Government
Identify the concept of democracy that matches each newspaper headline.
• Worth of the individual• Rule of law.• Majority rule, minority
rights.• Need for compromise• Citizen participation
School forced to accommodate disabled student
The three-story Looville High School will be required to install a new elevator so that a wheelchair-using student can attend classes in the top floor science labs.
#4
Foundations of Government
Identify the concept of democracy that matches each newspaper headline.
• Worth of the individual• Rule of law.• Majority rule, minority
rights.• Need for compromise• Citizen participation
Officials announce location of new landfill
After nearly two years of negotiating, Staunton and Augusta County officials have decided to locate the new landfill in Ft. Defiance, adjacent to the high school property.
#5
Foundations of Government
Identify the concept of democracy that matches each newspaper headline.
• Worth of the individual• Rule of law.• Majority rule, minority
rights.• Need for compromise• Citizen participation
Half-way house to open in Hill Street neighborhood
Despite the loud objections of many residents, a city judge ruled that a half-way house for convicted felons has a legal right to operate at the planned location on Hill Street.
#6
Foundations of Government
Identify the concept of democracy that matches each newspaper headline.
• Worth of the individual• Rule of law.• Majority rule, minority
rights.• Need for compromise• Citizen participation
5th grade girl organizes backpack driveSara Smith, a local 5th grader, has worked with her Girl Scout troop to get over 100 backpacks filled with school supplies donated for needy children.
#7
Foundations of Government
Identify the concept of democracy that matches each newspaper headline.
• Worth of the individual• Rule of law.• Majority rule, minority
rights.• Need for compromise• Citizen participation
Labor union allowed to protestA federal judge ruled that labor union members must be permitted to protest on the sidewalk outside the factory where they work.
#8
Foundations of Government
Identify the concept of democracy that matches each newspaper headline.
• Worth of the individual• Rule of law.• Majority rule, minority
rights.• Need for compromise• Citizen participation
Community outraged over judge’s rulingAfter complaints by several Jewish students, Terryville High School cheerleaders will no longer be allowed to display banners with gospel verses at football games.
#9
Foundations of Government
Identify the concept of democracy that matches each newspaper headline.
• Worth of the individual• Rule of law.• Majority rule, minority
rights.• Need for compromise• Citizen participation
Augusta County supervisors, school board, settle on teacher salaries
County supervisors and the school board finally reached a deal on the size of teacher raises for next year.
#10
Foundations of Government
Free Enterprise Economic System• Ensures economic freedom
• Free enterprise allows both people and businesses to make their own economic choices
• Key to preserving other freedoms and to allowing people to build wealth, thereby empowering them to limit governmental power
• Where the government’s role in the economy is minimal, economic freedoms thrive. Where the government plays a major role in the economy, people may have fewer economic freedoms.