Chapter IPeople and Government

Four Essential Features of The State

• Population– The people that make up the State– Populations can be either homogenous or

heterogeneous• Territory

– An area with fixed boundaries– Can change because of war, purchase, annexation

• Sovereignty– Absolute authority, within its territorial boundaries

• Government– Maintains order, provides services, enforces decisions

– CIA World Factbook

State vs. Country?

• State and country generally have the same meaning

– Political community– definite boundaries– Sovereignty – freedom to make rules and

laws without getting approval from another– independent government

Section –IPrinciples of Government

• How many countries are there in the world today?

• The answer…

• 200 is probably the best current answer to the question.

Why is there not an exact number?

• There are dozens of territories and colonies that are sometimes erroneously called "countries" but don't count at all– Bermuda– Puerto Rico– Greenland– Northern Ireland– Scotland– they're not fully independent countries

So, are PA and NY countries?

• Not exactly

• Political divisions in the United States are called states because:

• When the colonies banded together to fight the British, they thought of themselves as independent countries.

Population

• Race –

• Ethnicity –

• Nationality

Race

• A group of people identified as distinct from other groups because of supposed physical or genetic traits

• Most biologists and anthropologists do not recognize race as a biologically valid classification.

Ethnicity

• a socially defined category of people who identify with each other based on common ancestral, social, cultural or national experience

Nationality

• is the legal relationship between a person and a state

DNA Discussion Project

• DNA Discussion Project

Theories of the Origin of the State

Theories of the Origin of the State

•Evolution –Evolved from the family

Theories of the Origin of the State

•Force•Submit authority to a ruling force

Theories of the Origin of the State

• Divine Right• Rulers were chosen by god

Theories of the Origin of the State

• Social Contract Theory• People gave Gov't power in return for

safety• A government of “rules” not “rulers”

Locke vs. Hobbes

• Hobbes – “state of nature” world without gov’t, “nasty, brutish, short”

• Locke – “life, liberty, and property”

The Purposes of Government

• Maintain Social Order– Courts– Pay Taxes– Makes laws

The Purposes of Government

• Provide Essential Public Services– School– Police and Fire Services– FDA– Construction of Highways

The Purposes of Government

• National Security– Armed Services– Alliances or Treaties– United Nations– CIA

Control the Nations Economy

• Capitalism• Socialism• Communism• Make Economic Decisions

– Money Supply– Currency– Interest Rate– Banking– Taxes