Ch. 1
Section 1
Government of the People, by the
People, for the People
What is Civics?

Civics is the study of the rights and duties of citizens.

The concept of citizenship dates back as far as 2500 years ago in
ancient Greece and Rome.

Citizens were only men who owned property

Today, most people are citizens of the country they live in.

It is give and take though, citizens agree to accept the
government’s authority in exchange for rights and protections
The Need for Government

A government is the ruling authority for a community. It has
the power to make and enforce laws for its members.

Thomas Hobbes in 1651 wrote “Leviathan” in which he
explained why people needed government.

Hobbes claimed that without government, human beings would
compete for territory, resources, and power.

Fighting would be common, and survival would depend on
strength and cunning.
The Need for Government (cont.)

Hobbes believed in a “social contract” between people
and government.

People exchange their individual liberty for group safety
and social order.

Hobbes believed that we as a people need to move
away from the notion of a state of nature where only
the strong survive in a freedom of chaos
The Need for Government (cont.)

John Locke accepted the idea of a social contract between ruler
and the ruled but believed that people only gave up some of
their individual rights.

People kept the right to live, own property, and enjoy liberty.

Rulers were expected to uphold these rights

A ruler who violated those rights broke the social contract.
The Need for Government (cont.)

Locke believed that government existed for one
purpose: protect the people’s rights.

Any ruler who denied the people their basic rights was
considered a tyrant.

This would mean they could be justly overthrown.
The Functions of Government

1.
Governments are meant to provide 4 functions
for the people:
Keep order
make laws to prevent conflicts and to settle
conflicts that do arise; enforce laws and
establish courts to punish violators
The Functions of Government
(cont.)
2.
Provide Security
defend citizens and their land from enemies (foreign
and domestic); sets up branches of the armed forces
and government agencies that actively search for
sources of trouble.
The Functions of Government
(cont.)
3.
Provide services
create and manage libraries, schools, hospitals, parks,
and recreation centers; keep the public safe and
healthy
ex. Welfare programs, job training, fire dept, FDA,
government inspection (elevators, amusement parks)
The Functions of Government
(cont.)
4.
Guide the community
formulate public policy, or course of government
action to achieve community goals
what steps must be taken to strengthen national
security? What is our budget for the fiscal year for
the state?
Ex. Creating a budget; conducting foreign relations
with our allies. (what benefits our citizens)
Democratic Government

The foundations of democracy, government in which the
people rule, began in the Greek city of Athens.

Athens had a direct democracy, all citizens met to debate
government matters and vote firsthand.

In our society this would be impractical because of our
population size. The U.S. has a representative democracy. We
choose smaller groups to represent us, make laws, and govern on
our behalf. (Senate, House of Reps.)
Democratic Government (cont.)

What makes our government a democracy is the fact that we
have free and open elections.

But what makes our elections free and fair:
1. Everyone’s vote carries the same weight,
“one person, one vote”
2. All candidates have the right to express their
views freely to the public
3. legal voting requirements are kept to a minimum
4. Citizens vote freely on a secret ballot, without fearing
punishment for their decision.
Democratic Government (cont.)

Citizens also agree that when differences of opinion
arise, we will abide by what most people want (majority
rule).

The majority however, must respect the rights of those
in the minority.
5 Fundamental Principles of
American Democracy
1.
Rule of Law
all people, even those who govern are bound by the law
2.
Limited government
government may do only what the people give it the power to
do.
3.
Consent of the governed
citizens are the source of the governments power
5 Fundamental Principles of
American Democracy (cont.)
4.
Individual rights
In an American democracy, individual rights are
protected by the government
5.
Representative government
people elect government leaders to make the laws and
govern on their behalf