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PRINCIPLES OF GOVERNMENT

Government and the State

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WHAT IS GOVERNMENT?

• Government: the political and administrative institutions of a society, the institution found in every civilized society that passes, administers and enforces the laws that control the society.

• Examples:

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Sovereign State -

a body of people, occupying a defined territory, organized politically and having power to make and enforce law without consent of a higher authority.

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At least 90% of political conflict has historically revolved around

the questions of:

• Who has the power/responsibility and who doesn’t?

• How much government is necessary?

• NBC-ANN CURRY-SOMALIA

• Today that conflict continues . . . . . .

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Political Philosophies

Background:

• Greek thought and Roman-Classical Republicanism

•, Age of Enlightenment, Humanism-Modern Liberalism

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Origins

• Force theory-war

• Evolutionary-family

• Divine Right-God made me King

(China called this?)

• Social Contract-constitution

• GO TO FORMS OF GOVERNMENT VIDEO

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Natural Rights Theory

• Man in state of nature has all rights possible.

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Social Contract Theory

An agreement to create a state.The surrender of power to the state to promote safety.

• People are source of power

• People give consent to government to rule

• Government provides protection of natural rights

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Thomas Hobbes - English - (1588-1679) Leviathan 1651,

Political theory-issues of freedom and authorityA. Man in a state of nature

state of war (fear)

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B. Man in a political state

• power surrendered to ruler

• man has no right to resist

• the ruler answers to no one

• if your ruler is overthrown, you give loyalty to the new ruler

• A brutal , oppressive government is better than a “state of nature”

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John Locke - English - (1632-1704) Two Treatises on

Civil Government 1690

A. Man in a state of nature•man is bound by natural law•can be discovered through reason and logic•READING IN YOUR TEXTBOOK-PAGE 806.

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B. Man in a political state (the social contract)

• contract between man and their government

• government created to serve its subjects

• Limited government and sovereinty of the people

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John Locke cont.

• government cannot violate natural law or contract broken. Subjects no longer bound.

• Right of Revolution !!

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Jean Jacques Rousseau - French - (1712-1778) The Social Contract 1762

considered the “Greatest Prophet of the Democratic Revolution.”

• A. Man in a state of nature

• man good, society corrupts

• men have two instincts: self preservation and compassion

• there are two types of inequality: natural and political

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Rousseau cont.

• Majority rules - no minority rights - no limited government

• The general will is always best. Individuality would destroy society.

• Direct or pure democracy only.• Majoritarian

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Montesquieu

• (1689-1755) in 1748 wrote • The Spirit of Laws• He believed in a separation of powers in

the government• 3 branches: legislative, executive, and

judicial• He opposed the idea of power in the

hands of one person.

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THE PRINCE BY NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI

• CUT TO VIDEO STREAMING

• IN FAVORITES

• LEADERSHIP

• CREATE A GOVERNMENT ACTIVITY

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“We hold these truths to be self evident; that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it.”

Declaration of Independence

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Characteristics of American Democracy

1.popular consent

2.popular sovereignty

3.majority rule

4.individualism

5.equality

6.personal liberty

7.________________

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GovernmentTypes of States and Other

Political Units

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POLITICAL SYSTEMS

• A society’s political system includes all the formal and informal ways the society goes about determining who will have political authority, how much they will have and how and for what purposes it will be exercised.

STRUCTURES OF GOVERNMENT OR

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION

OF POWER• UNITARY

• FEDERAL

• CONFEDERAL OR CONFEDERATE

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Unitary States

• States where the majority of decisions are made by the central government

Saudi Arabia is a unitary state. Religion and strong government provide dual uniting forces.

Image from www.bbc.co.uk

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Democratic Unitary States

• Culture, tradition. Or homogeneous population bind together

• Only unitary by the mandate of the people

• Parliamentary democracies may be unitary

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Highly Centralized Unitary States

• Very tight State control– Totalitarian or

dictatorship

• Unitary by design and enforcement

• Often powered by the ideal of the Nation-State

North Korean propaganda poster

Image from www.north-korea.narod.ru

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• Totalitarian-a political regime based on subordination of the individual to the state and strict control of all aspects of life by coercive means.

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Federal States

• States where decisions are split between the central government and more local divisions

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Confederal States• Groups of smaller

states try to band together to create greater unity and power

• Difficult to gain agreements on representation, economics, capital

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CLASSIFICATION OF GOVERNMENT BY THE

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE EXECUTIVE AND

LEGISLATIVE BRANCHES

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CLASSIFICATION OF GOVERNMENT BY THE

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE EXECUTIVE AND

LEGISLATIVE BRANCHES

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COMPARISON OF

• PRESIDENTIAL• Selection of chief

executive, single executive

• Fixed term of office• Separation of powers• Set time for elections•

• PARLIAMENTARY• Plural executive, Prime

Minister and cabinet

• No fixed term• No separation of

powers • No set time for elections

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• http://www.parliament.uk/education/online-resources/videos/youve-got-the-power/ygtp-voting-1/

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CLASSIFICATION OF GOVERNMENT BY NUMBER

WHO CAN PARTICIPATEFLASH-BLADE RUNNER

• DICTATORSHIP

• Can be based on an individual

• Or an ideology

• Authoritarian-complete obedience to an authority, concentration of political power in an authority not responsible to the people.

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Democracy

• Pure or Direct

• Representative

• Majority rule

• Minority rights

• Popular sovereignty

• Response to constituents

Economics: The Creation Economics: The Creation and Distribution of and Distribution of

WealthWealth

Economics: Use of scarce resources to produce goods/services, distribute them

among competing groups/individuals• Land

• Labor

• Capital

• Entrepreneurship

• Knowledge

Capitalism• Private Property• Profit/Ownership• Freedom of Competition• Freedom of Choice• SHOW VIDEO-THE ROAD TO

PROSPERITY WITH QUESTIONS

Communism• COMMAND ECONOMY• Public Ownership

• Central Planning/Controlled Economy

Karl Marx

• Bourgeoisie v. Proletariat• Class Struggle • 6 steps to theory:• Economic Interpretation of History• Surplus Value Theory (Labor Theory of Value)• Class Struggle• Overthrow of the Bourgeoisie ( can be violent)• Dictatorship of the Proletariat, but with the ultimate

goal of a classless society• Establishment of Communism “each work according to

their ability, receive according to their needs.

Socialism

• Private & Public Ownership

• Some Choices are Limited• Creates Social Equality &

Equality of Results

U.S. Government Economic Tools

• Monetary Policy- management of money supply

• Fiscal Policy- management of taxes and government expenditures

• National Debt http://www.brillig.com/debt_clock/