Principles of
Government
Government
Mr. Biddle
Aristotle

Scholar in ancient
Greece.
 First to study Gov’t
 He studied the
Greek Polis
 Many Gov’t terms
come from Ancient
Rome and Greece
– Politics,
Democracy,
Republic
The State (Government)

The word state comes from a form of the
Latin word “stare,” which means “to stand.”
 Today a state is:
1. A political community that occupies a
defined territory
2. Has an organized Gov’t
3. Makes laws w/o approval from a higher
power.
(US States answer to a Federal Gov’t)
The State (Government)

Nation- any sizable
group of people who
are united by
common bonds of
Race, Language,
customs, traditions,
and sometimes
religion.
Essential Features of a State
1.
2.
3.
4.
Population
Territory
Sovereignty
Government
Population

Effects Strength
and stability of the
Government.
– Got to have people
to make it strong
and they have to
agree to make it
stable
Territory

States have to have an established
boundaries
 Defined borders
Sovereignty

Has complete power
and authority with in
territorial boundaries
 Can’t interfere with
other states
 That why each state
has its own laws
– Seatbelt law
– Speed limit
Government

The institution
through which the
state maintains
social order,
provides public
services, and
enforces decisions
that are binding on
all people living with
in the state.
Theories of the Origin of Gov’t

Evolutionary Theory
– The State evolved from
the family
– The head of the family
served as the authority
(can have hundreds of
people)
– Ex- Abraham in the Old
Testament
– Over time the extending
families needed more
organization
Force Theory

In early civilizations
people built walled
cities to help control
flooding and for
protection.
 This banded people
together and over
time someone took
charge and
organization took
place.
Divine Right Theory

People were chosen
by God or gods and
born to rule.

Ex- Alexander the
Great
Social Contract Theory

People surrender to
the state (gov’t) to
protect themselves
from one another
and keep peace.
 For our own good
Social Contract Cont.

Thomas Hobbes
– Believed that people
were forced to stay
in contract with the
government and
couldn’t get out.
John Locke (SC Cont.)




Believed that people
were born with the right
to life, liberty, and
property.
To preserve these
rights people willingly
gave power to the
government
When gov’t fails to do
these things people are
free to break the
contract. (1688)
1776 American
Colonists used this
thought to break free of
G.B.
The Purpose of Gov’t
1.
2.
3.
4.
Maintain social order
Provide public services (sewer
systems/Healthcare)
Provide National Security (Armed
Forces)
Control Economic System (Money)
The Formation of Govt’s

1.
The relationship among the National
Government and the smaller divisions
can be described as either:
Unitary System
Gives all key powers to the National or
Central Government (Canada/GB)
The Formation of Govt’s
2.
Federal System
Divides the power between National and
State Government (US)
* Each level has sovereignty in some
areas
* Originally had a confederacy-loose
union of independent states
* When Constitution was drafted that
changed
Constitution


1.
2.
3.
Constitution- a plan that provides the
rules for government.
Purposes
Sets ideas shared by Nation
Establishes basic gov’t structure and
defines its powers and duty
Provides the Supreme Law
Constitution Cont.



US Constitution (1787) is the oldest
Constitution still being used today.
The Preamble- states the major goals of
the gov’t.
Constitutions are divided into parts called
articles and sections (have the procedures
for amending or changing the constitution)
– US has 7 articles and 21 sections
Constitution Cont.
Constitutional Law- The interpretation
and application of the Constitution.
 Politics- The effort to control or
influence the conduct and policies of
government.

– People get involved with politics to try and
achieve benefits
– There is constant struggle with what a
Gov’t should provide and shouldn’t
Nations
Industrialized Nations- A nation with
large industries and advanced
technology that provides a more
comfortable way of life than developing
nations
 Developing Nations- a nation only
beginning to develop industrially.

Types of Government

1. Autocracy
– Any system of government in which the
power and authority to rule are in the
hands of a single individual.
– Oldest and most common form of gov’t
– Power is gained through Inheritance or
ruthless military power.
Types of Government

Totalitarian Dictatorship
– The ideas of the leader
are glorified and the gov’t
seeks to control all
aspects of social and
economic life
– The gov’t is not
responsible to the
people.
– People have no power to
limit the gov’t rule.
– Ex- Hitler, Stalin
Types of Government

Monarchy
– King, Queen, or Emperor exercise the supreme
powers of Gov’t.
– Absolute Monarch- Have complete and unlimited
power to rule their people
• Rare Today (prominent 1400-1700’s)
• Ex- Napoleon
– Constitutional Monarch- Share gov’t powers with
the elected legislatures or serve as the ceremonial
leaders of their governments.
– Most constitutional monarchies employ a
parliamentary system in which the monarch may
have strictly ceremonial duties or may have
reserve powers, depending on the constitution
Napoleon
Types of Government

2. Oligarchy
– Any system of gov’t in which a small
group holds the power.
– Groups derive their power from
wealth, military power, social position,
or a combination of these.
– Ex- The Medici family of Florence
during the Renaissance (Aristocratic
Families)
– Communist Russia is said to be an
Oligarchy.
Cosimo de Medici
Types of Government

3. Democracy
– Any system of gov’t in which the rule is by
the people. (People have sovereign power)
– Comes from Greek word demos (“The
people”)
– “Government of the People, by the People,
and for the People.”
- Abe Lincoln
Forms of Democracy

Direct Democracy
– The people govern
themselves by voting
on all issues
individually as
citizens
– Typically can only
exist in small groups
or societies
Forms of Democracy

Representative Democracy (Indirect) – The
people elect representatives and give them
the responsibility and power to make laws
and conduct government.

Assembly of Reps may be called
– Council
– Legislature
– Congress (House of Representation and Senate)
– Parliament
Forms of Democracy




Republic- Voters hold sovereign power.
Elected officials exercise that power
When coming out of the Constitutional
Convention (1787) Franklin was asked
what type of government he gave the
people.
He answered, “A Republic, Madam, If you
can keep it!”
– Meaning that the people had to
participate for it to work
Characteristics of Democracy
Individual Liberty
 Majority Rule w/ Minority Rights
 Free Elections
 Competing Political Parties

Individual Liberty

Free to do anything
as long as it doesn’t
infringe on anyone
else’s freedoms
Majority Rule w/ Minority Rights
The majority votes count as long as
they don’t infringe on the minorities
rights
 The Constitution protects the minority

Free Elections
Gives people a chance to choose their
leaders and voice their opinions on
various issues
 Everyone’s free to vote
 Free to voice opinions
 Gives access to competing ideas

Competing Political Parties

Political Party -Group of individuals with
broad common interests who organize
to nominate candidates for office, win
elections, and conduct gov’t.
5 General Criteria for Democracy
1.
2.
Active citizen participation
Favorable Economy
- Free Enterprise (Control own Economic
decisions)
3.
4.
Wide Spread Education
Strong Civil Society
- Associations, economic groups, Church
organizations (exist independent of gov’t)
5.
Social Consensus
- Everyone must agree on the powers of gov’t
Economic Theories
Economics – The
study of human
efforts to satisfy
seemingly unlimited
wants through the
use of limited
resources (Land,
water, minerals, and
trees)
- Also includes
human factors such
as skills, knowledge,
and physical abilities
Economics Cont.
There are never enough resources to
produce all of the wants and services
people need.
 People must decide how to use these
limited resources.
 Normally the Government makes that
decision.

Three Major Economic Decisions
1.
2.
3.

What and how much should be
produced
How goods and services should be
produced
Who gets the goods and services
produced
These questions can be answered
differently
Three Major types of Economic
Systems
1.
2.
3.
Capitalism
Socialism
Communism
Capitalism
An Economic system providing free
choice and individual incentive for
workers, investors, consumers, and
business enterprises.
 People make their own decisions

5 Main Characteristics of
Capitalism
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Private ownership and control of
economic resources
Free Enterprise (Gov’t only maintains
Free market)
Competition among businesses
Freedom of Choice
Possibility of Profits
Adam Smith (1776)

Came up with the
idea of a Laissezfaire type gov’t.
 French for “To let
alone”
 The Gov’t is hands
off of the economy
and doesn’t interfere
Mixed-Market Economy
The U.S. is described as this
 Free Enterprise mixed with Government
decisions
 Government keeps competition Free
and fair and protects the public
interests.

Socialism

The Government owns the basic means
of production, determines the use of
resources, distributes the products and
wages, and provides social services
such as education, Healthcare, and
Welfare.
Goals of Socialism
1.
2.
3.
The distribution of wealth and
economic opportunity equally among
people
Society’s control of all major decisions
about production
Public ownership of most land, of
factories and of other means of
production.
Democratic Socialism
People have basic human rights and
have some control over the Government
through free elections and multiparty
systems.
 Government still owns the basic means
of production and makes most decisions
 Opponents feel that socialism hinders
economic growth.

Communism





Karl Marx* –
German thinker and
writer
Socialist
Believed capitalism
would fail
Advocate for violent
revolution
Published “The
Communist
Manifesto” in 1848
and “Das Kapital”
(1867)
Marx Believed

An Industrialized nation was split into
Capitalists (Bourgeoisie) and workers
(Proletariat).
 The capitalist rule the workers and don’t give
them proper compensation for their labor, b/c
capitalist keep the profits giving the workers
just enough to survive.
 He thought that eventually the workers would
rebel violently and kill the capitalist.
Communism


Communism- Overtime every class system
would evolve into one class where
everyone has all aspects of society in
common and you would have no need for
Government.
Command Economy- Those in charge
decide what to produce, how much, and
how it is distributed.
– State owns everything