Notes Outline
Unit 1 – Lesson 1: The Principles of Government
What is Government?
● Government is among the oldest of all ____________________________.
● Its origins are lost in mists of time.
● The earliest known governments date from around ______________ in ancient
________________ and ________________.
● The Greek philosopher Aristotle observed more than 2,300 years ago that “man is
by nature a ___________________________.”
● Many terms and concepts of government originated in ancient __________ and
__________.
● Such as: _____________, _____________, and ____________.
Government
● Government is
● What are some examples of public policies?
● The list of public policy issues is nearly endless.
● Governments must have ___________ in order to make and carry out public
policies.
● Every government has three basic kinds of power:
1. Legislative Power –
2. Executive Power –
3. Judicial Power –
Constitutions
● These powers of government are often outlined in a country’s
__________________.
● A constitution is
● It is a plan that provides
______________________________________________.
● The U.S. Constitution is the oldest written constitution still in use. What does this
imply about the stability of governments in the world?
Purposes of Constitutions
1.
2.
3.
● Constitutions may be ___________ or ____________. Thus, all governments
have a constitution in the sense that they have some plan for organizing and
operating government.
● The term Constitutional Government has a special meaning, however.
● A Constitutional Government has a constitution which places clearly recognized
__________ on the _____________ of the government.
● This is also called a ______________________________.
● Unlimited Governments –
● China does not have a Constitutional government.
Constitutions are important but incomplete guides.
1.
2.
The State
Today there are more than ________ states in the world. This has _________ from 50
years ago.
● People often call a state a “nation” or a “country.”
● However, the word nation is
●
The word country is
●
The most popular political communities in the world today are called ____________.
A State is a political community that has these four characteristics:
1.
2.
3.
4.
The largest State based on population is:
The largest State based on territory is:
The smallest state based on population and territory is:
Theories of the Origin of the State
How did the state or government come to be?
No one knows why people created the earliest governments. Scholars have constructed
some theories.
1) Evolutionary Theory -
2) Force Theory-
3) Divine Right Theory-
4) Social Contract-
The Social Contract Theory States:
1.
2.
3.
Nearly a century later the American colonies revolted against King George III, supported
by the political philosophy of natural rights Locke had written.
The Purpose of Government
Today governments serve several major purposes:
1)
2)
3)
4)