Government
A Brief Overview
1. Influences on American
Democracy: AGE OF
ENLIGHTENMENT

Enlightenment philosophers
-- rational, humanistic and skeptical of
conventional authority
-- reflected on the spirit of scientific and
technological discovery of the 1500 and 1600s
-- observed the world around them
-- emphasized the power of _________________
Age of Enlightenment

State of nature--no higher authority to check
mankind’s natural liberty
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No government people would live in constant fear
and warfare with each other
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Social Contract is voluntarily agreed upon by people
to give up some of their freedom and power to a
single ruler, who in turn protects the safety and wellbeing of all
John Locke believed that the government was to
protect the rights of life, liberty and property, the
right to enjoy the fruits of their labors--Power came
from the people
Age of Enlightenment in United
States
 If
the government betrayed
the social contract and
oppressed its citizens, it was
no longer a legitimate
authority
Enlightenment in the United
States
 People
had the right to
overthrow a tyranny
(absolute and unjust
government) that violated
their natural rights
Enlightenment in the United
States
 The new government that
formed in the United States
was in many ways a grand
experiment in which the
political and philosophical
ideas of the Enlightenment
were put into action
2. MAGNA CARTA

1215 Magna Carta King of England forced to
sign this document that limited his power.

Resulted from nobles wanting more rights

The King had to consult with the barons before
raising taxes.
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King acknowledged that the nobles had certain
rights--trial by jury, and king could not take their
life without just cause.
Magna Carta set limited government
3. ENGLISH POLITICAL
TRADITION
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England:
debating the issues of balance between
order and freedom
ensure that justice is fair with popular
participation and nature of sovereignty
The 13 colonies that fought were settled
and governed by people from England
4. DISTANCE FROM HOME
COUNTRY: Colonies in America
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Far from the monarchy
Colonists had considerable _control_
government
Some colonies, structure of government was
established back in England by those who
paid for the colony, others the settlers
decided.
Pilgrims --Mayflower Compact, a social
contract.
Each colony had to sign an agreement with
the English government outlining its basic
rules, called _Charters.
Six Foundations of American
Democracy

People must accept the principle of majority rule

Political rights of minorities must be protected

Citizens must agree to a system of rule of law
Six Foundations of American
Democracy
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Free exchange of _opinions and ideas
must not be restricted
All citizens must be equal before the law
Government exists to serve the people,
because it gets its power from the people
WHAT ABOUT THE REST OF
THE WORLD??
Today’s Political Map
Government Terms

__Autocracy_: rule of the one

__Oligarchy _: rule of the few

__Democracy__: rule of the many

__Anarchy____: no government
Monarchy: 2 Types

Monarchy: Absolute Monarchy:
hereditary, tradition outweighs desire
among citizens. Tonga, Saudi Arabia,
Brunei, Oman, Qatar
Constitutional Monarchy
Most ceremonial: Norway,
Bahamas,
Australia, Denmark
Democracy

_Democracy: Direct, Presidential,
Parliamentary, Multi-party/Presidential,
Presidential Regimes and Non-Party:
predominant system of rule in the world
for the past 50 years. Roots in Greece
and Rome.
Democracy

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According to the United Nations, the rights
and freedoms of citizens are limited in
more than half of the world
The practice of democracy, even though it
is claimed by the majority of nations,
varies greatly around the world
Roots of Democracy
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_Direct Democracy__is the most basic form
Citizens participate directly in the decision-making
process by voting on laws and policies
This works best in small, geographically compact
communities, where citizens gather in one area
Common in the city-states of ancient Greece
_Switzerland____ is the strongest example of a direct
democracy
Town Meetings in New England
About half of the states in the United States allow for
ballots that have new ideas
Direct Democracy

Closest to Direct Democracy today is
Switzerland
Parliamentary Government
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English model
Chief Executive is the _prime minister or Premier
chosen by the legislature
Prime Minister responsible to the _legislature__
Prime Ministers or Premiers do not have a
_fixed___ term of office because they are not
elected
Presidential and Parliamentary
Democracy

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_Legislature_ is elected and a_Chief
Executive
_Chief Executive is in charge of executing
or putting the law into use that has been
passed by the legislature
Chief Executive in the United States is the
__President_, chosen independently of the
legislature (presidential government)
Presidential Democracy

Presidential democracy there are
representatives, but a separate_ election
held by popular vote to select a president.
U. S (_First Constitutional Republic_),
Russian Federation, Mexico, South Korea
Parliamentary Democracy

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a) __Parliamentary Democracy_relies
upon the election of representatives from
each voting region to form a governing
body
Party which holds the _majority_is in
control and its leader becomes the prime
minister. India, Germany, Japan, Great
Britain, Norway, Iraq
Multi-Party Democracy

b) __Multi Party_______: France,
Taiwan, Indonesia
Presidential Regime Democracy

d) Presidential Regime: Stronger
Executive: Angola, Zimbabwe
Non-Party Democracy

e) Non-Party: No political parties :
Uganda, Micronesia
Military Rule

Military Rule: usually a result of a
national emergency such as a coup, civil
war or riot, where control of the country
was assumed by the armed forces, usually
not long lasting. Sudan
Single Party

Single Party: Dictatorship, Communism,
many are completely secular. China,
Vietnam, Syria, Cuba, Libya
Theocracy

_Theocracy government in the name of
religion. Iran, Vatican City
Countries in Transition
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_Transitional Rule_: Afghanistan,
Somalia, Liberia, Bahrain, Egypt
It is estimated that there are 1,600 to
2,000 stateless nations today such as
Palestine, Chechens, Catalans, Scots, etc.
Government
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Governments around the world are always
in transition
Influenced by economics, geography,
political stability and outside interests
Government stability dependent on
welfare of the population and security
Countries with transitional governments
are unstable
Libya will soon be in this category