I. Principles of Government
A. The State
1. culture 2. State – a political community, that has a
defined territory, with an organized government
that makes an enforces laws without the
approval of any higher authority.
3. Government – the entity that makes and
enfoces laws.
4. Sovereignty – The Key characteristic of a
state…the highest, absolute authority
I. Principles of Government (cont.)
B. Essential features of a state
1. population – a state's people
2. territory – established boundaries
a. war
b. purchase
c. negotiation
3. government –
Every state has some form of government.
4. sovereignty –
The key characteristic of a state.
I. Principles of Government (cont.)
C. Origins of the state
1. Philosophical influence on the development of
the United States government
a. ancient Greeks
b. ancient Romans
c. John Locke
d. Charles-Louis Montesquieu
e. Niccolò Machiavelli
f. Jean Jacques Rousseau
g. William Blackstone
I. Principles of Government (cont.)
C. Origins of the state
2. Theories
a. evolutionary –
(family – clan – tribe – nation - state)
b. force – a single leader or group overpowers an area
c. divine right – (ex: Egyptians, Aztecs, Europe)
"…the figure of God's majesty, His captain, steward,
deputy-elect, Anointed, crowned,…" (Richard II, 4.1)
I. Principles of Government (cont.)
2. Theories
d. The Social Contract Theory (Enlightenment Thinkers)
“by contract, people surrender to the state the power to
maintain social order and protections.”
D. Classifying Governments (con’t.)
1. Who can participate?
a. autocracy – rule by a single leader
The oldest and historically most common form of
government.
ex: past – Ancient Egypt, Rome, Iraq, Japan,
Middle Ages Europe, Nazi Germany
today – Saudi Arabia, Syria, North Korea
Types:
1. dictatorship –
FORCE /military coupe
2. monarchy –
hereditary bloodline
absolute monarch – supreme and absolute power
C. Classifying Governments (con’t.)
1. Who can participate? (cont.)
b. democracy – rule by the people
1. direct democracy – citizens decide everything
Ex: ancient Greece, small town meetings
2. republic (rep. democracy) – citizens elect
representatives to conduct government business
Ex: Australia, Great Britain, Ireland & United States
3. Constitution – the fundamental plan for the rules in
which governments are structured.
•constitutional monarch – shared/little power
Ex: Great Britain, Sweden, Japan
D. Classifying Governments (con’t.)
1. Who can participate? (cont.)
c. oligarchy – rule by a small group
ex: China, Vietnam, Laos, former Soviet Union
D. Classifying Governments (con’t.)
1. Who can participate?(cont.)
d. theocracy – rule by religious leaders
ex: Iran, The Vatican, Sudan, Yemen
17th Century Massachusetts
D. Classifying Governments (con’t.)
2. Geographical distribution of power.
a. Unitaryone central power
b. Federaldivided levels
c. Confederate –
loose union of independent states
D. Classifying Governments (con’t.)
3. Relationship Between Legislative and
Executive Branches.
D. Classifying Governments (con’t.)
State
Who can participate?
Where is the power?
What is the
relationship between
the legislative and
executive branches?
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Cambodia
Iran
Laos
Kuwait
Malaysia
Nigeria
Switzerland
United
Arab
Emirates
Yemen
D. Classifying Governments (con’t.)
4. ECONOMIC SYSTEMS CH. 23
a. capitalism: private ownership, competition
b. socialism: = distribution of wealth
c. communism: state owns means of
d.
production, classless society
mixed economy: private ownership with
government regulations. US
E. The “Soil of Democracy”
5 characteristics
of when
a democracy
works best.
1. Favorable Economy
There is NO extreme
poverty OR wealth:
strong, vibrant, productive
middle class
2. Informed
“If a nation
expects to be
ignorant and
free, in a state
of civilization,
it expects what
never was and
never will be.”
- President Thomas Jefferson
2. Informed
(cont.)
Have a basic understanding about:
3. A Strong Civil Society
Orgs. outside the government.
Ex: Religious groups, volunteer
organizations – local churches, Red
Cross, United Way, Humane Society.
4. A Social Consensus
people believe in democracy
5. Active Citizen
Participation
public must
take part
AFTER THE CONSTITUTIONAL
CONVENTION, A WOMAN CAME UP TO
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN AND ASKED:
“What kind of government have you
given us, Dr. Franklin? A republic or a
monarchy?”
Franklin’s reply:
“A republic madam,
if you can keep it.”
II. Historical Implications
A. Significant Charters
1. Magna Carta (1215) – laid the foundations for
constitutional government. Only applied to
nobles.
a. due process: “legal judgment of his peers”
b. “No tax unless by the common counsel”
c. private property protection
II. Historical Implications
A. Significant Charters
2. Petition of Right (1628) –severely limits the
King’s power.
a. no taxes w/o Parliament’s consent
b. no imprisonment w/o just cause
c. no housing troops in private homes
w/o permission
d. no martial law unless country is at war
II. Historical Implications
A. Significant Charters
3. English Bill of Rights (1688) – set clear limits on what a ruler
could and could not do.
a. Limits on Monarchs:
1. NO divine right to rule.
2. Must have Parliament’s consent to:
a. suspend laws
b. levy taxes
c. maintain an army
3. cannot interfere w/ parliamentary elections or
debates.
b. The people’s rights:
1. petition the government
2. fair and speedy trial by a jury of peers
3. NO cruel and unusual punishment
Important English Documents
The way our government works today
can be traced to important documents
in history:
II. Historical Implications
B. The Coming of Independence
1. Colonies existed for the economic
benefit of GB.
2. Colonies stayed loyal in return for:
a. self rule
b. protection from the French (Canada)
3. French and Indian War (1754 -1763)
4. 1760 – George III assumes the
throne.
III. Historical Implications
B. The Coming of Independence
5. Stamp Act (1765)
1st direct tax on colonies
6. Stamp Act Congress (1765)
only colonial legislatures can pass
direct taxes
II. Historical Implications
B. The Coming of Independence
7. The Boston “Massacre” 1770
8. Boston Tea Party 1773
9. Coercive/Intolerable Acts (1773) –
retaliation of colonial protests.
Closed Boston Harbor and
withdrew Massachusetts‘ power to
self-govern.
II. Historical Implications
B. The Coming of Independence
10. FIRST CONTINENTAL CONGRESS (1774) –
a. embargo – an agreement prohibiting trade on
British goods. British reacted by adopting stronger
measures.
b. “shot heard around the world” – 1st battle of the
REVOLUTIONARY WAR at Lexington & Concord April 19,
1775.
II. Historical Implications
C. The Declaration of Independence
1. SECOND CONTINENTAL CONGRESS
(1775) – governing body during the
Revolutionary War.
2. JOHN LOCKE’S WRITINGS: the
“textbook of the American Revolution.”
 If gov’t abused its pwr, Social Contract
is breakable
 Life, liberty and property
 Consent of the governed (people)
II. Historical Implications
C. The Declaration of Independence
3. COMMON SENSE (Jan. 1776) – Public
divide over independence was bitter.
Thomas Paine’s poetic best seller turned
support toward independence.
II. Historical Implications
C. The Declaration of Independence
4. DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE – draft
written by Thomas Jefferson. No government at this
time had been founded on human liberty principles and
the consent of the governed.
II. Historical Implications
D. The Article of Confederation
“a firm league of friendship” among the States.
1. Government under the Articles
a. powers: foreign affairs &
defense…all other powers went
to the individual states
b. Shays Rebellion
c. The Annapolis Convention
II. Historical Implications
E. The Constitutional Convention
1. Historical Facts
a. May 25, 1787
b. 55 delegates from 12 states
c. James Madison – “The Father of the
Constitution”
d. closed to the public
II. Historical Implications
E. The Constitutional Convention
2. Connecticut
Compromise
a. legislature (bicameral)
1. lower house (House of Representatives) –
based on population
2. upper house (Senate) – Equal representation (2)
b. executive branch – electoral college
c. judicial branch – appointed by the president;
confirmed by the Senate
II. Historical Implications
The Constitutional Convention
3. Ratification (June 21, 1788) – required
9 of 13 states
a. Federalists – favored the Constitution.

anarchy or political disorder

promised to add a Bill of Rights
b. Anti-federalists – opposed the Constitution.

drafted in secrecy

took powers from the states

lacked a Bill of Rights
Promise of Bill of Rights turned favor towards
the Constitution