Government and the State
Section One
Government is the institution
through which a society makes
and enforces its public
policies—all those things a
government decides to do.
0 Every government has three kinds of power:
0 legislative power, or the power to establish
law
0 executive power, or the power to carry out
the law
0 judicial power, or the power to interpret
laws and settle disputes.
0 These powers are often outlined in a
constitution—the body of laws that sets out a
government’s structure, principles, and
processes.
In a dictatorship, one person
or a small group may
exercise all the powers of
government.
In a democracy, supreme
authority over government
rests with the people.
The world’s dominant political
unit is the state—a body of
people living in a defined
territory, often called a nation
or country.
Four Characteristics of a State:
Population
A state must have people,
the number of which does
not directly relate to its
existence.
Sovereignty
Every state is sovereign. It
has supreme and absolute
power within its own
territory and decides its own
foreign and domestic
policies.
Territory
A state must be comprised
of land—territory with known
and recognized boundaries.
Government
Every state has a
government — that is, it is
politically organized.
Again, every state has a
sovereign government, or one
with absolute power.
What brought about the state
as institution to govern the
people?
There are four main theories
that address the answer to this
question.
First, The Force Theory
explains that the state was
born when a person or a small
group claimed control over an
area and forced all within to
submit to rule.
Next, The Evolutionary Theory
gave the explanation of family
structure leading to
government following the
pattern of leadership.
The third concept is The
Divine Right Theory stated
that God created the state and
gave those of royal blood the
right to rule.
Finally, The Social Contract
Theory explains that
government is developed as
the people trade freedom for
protection and the meeting of
individual needs.
The Preamble to the U.S.
Constitution describes the
goals of the United States’
Federal Government.
“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union,
establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common
defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to
ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the
United States of America.”
It says that government should
form a more perfect union, or
keep the States working
together; establish justice;
ensure domestic tranquility, or
keep order; provide for the
common defense; promote the
general welfare; and secure
the blessings of liberty.
Forms of Government
Section Two
Government may be classified
in three ways.
The first is defined by who
may participate in the
government.
0 In a democracy, supreme political authority rests
with the people.
0 All dictatorships are authoritarian, meaning that
the ruler holds absolute authority over the
people.
0 A dictatorship may be totalitarian, meaning
that the rulers control nearly every aspect of
human affairs.
0 Dictatorships may also be an autocracy—in
which one person holds unlimited political
power—or an oligarchy—in which a small elite
holds the power to rule.
The second classification is
defined by where government
power is held.
0 In a unitary government, a single, central
agency holds all government powers.
0 In a federal government, a central
government and several local governments
share governmental powers in a division of
powers.
0 The Constitution divides power between
the National Government and the States,
so the United States is a federal
government.
A federal system is different
from a confederation, which is
an alliance of independent
states.
The third type of classification
describes the relationship
between the legislative and
executive branches of
government.
A presidential government
divides, or shares, power
between the branches, while a
parliamentary government
focuses power on the
legislative branch.
In the parliamentary
government, the executive
branch is chosen by and
subject to the legislative
branch.
Basic Concepts of
Democracy
Section Three
0 The American “concept of democracy” rests
on five basic notions:
0 Each individual has worth.
0 All individuals are equal.
0 The majority of the people rules, but the
majority must respect the rights of any
minority.
0 Compromise is necessary.
0 Each individual must have the widest
possible degree of freedom.
0 The American commitment to freedom is evident in the
nation’s economic system. It is often referred to as free
enterprise.
0 The free enterprise system is based on private ownership,
individual initiative, profit, and competition. Also known as
capitalism, this system does not rely on the government to
make economic decisions.
0 Instead of government, free enterprise relies on individuals
making those decisions through the law of supply and
demand.
0 The law of supply and demand states that when supplies of
goods and services become plentiful, prices then to drop;
when supplies become scarcer, prices tend to rise.
0 The American economic system is most accurately called a
mixed economy because the United States government does
play a role in the economy by regulating and promoting it.
End
Chapter One