The Study of Government
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Aristotle was one of
the first to study
government.
It was from Greece
and Rome that we get
many government
terms
- i.e. Politic,
democracy, republic
The State
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The term state and country mean the same thing
State: a political community that occupies a defined
territory, has an organized gov't that makes and
enforce laws free from any higher authority
State, what does it mean to you?
The State
Why do we think of states the way we do?
The 13 original colonies, when separating from Britain,
considered themselves individual countries
The term United States means “united countries”
Remains a term for political units in the U.S.
The State
Nation: any sizable group of people that are united by
common bonds
-I.E. race, language, custom, religion etc.
Usually the boundaries of a nation are the same as a
state/country
-This is where we get the reference of the nation-state
Nations exists with in the boundaries of a state/country
- i.e. Palestine, French speaking Canadians, Native
Americans, areas in African, etc
Features of the State
There are four elements that a state consists of:
- population, territory, sovereignty, and government
Population
The basic element of the
state: the group that inhabit
an area
Stable populations have a
consensus / general beliefs
Territory
The area inside the est.
boundaries of a state
This can result in diplomatic
tensions or war
A state's boundaries can
change over time
Sovereignty
A key characteristic of a state
A state has absolute authority within its territorial
boundaries
- make laws, shape foreign policy, etc.
In theory, no sovereign state can tell another what to
do
In practice, economically and militarily stronger
nations have more power
Government
Every state has some type
of government
Institution that maintains
social order, provides public
services, and enforces the
polices that people are to
live by
Origins of the State
Where did the idea of the state or government come
from?
- There are many theories, but no clear answer.
The Theories
There are four main theories we will look at…
1. Evolutionary Theory
2. Force Theory
3. Divine Right Theory
4. Social Contract Theory
Evolutionary Theory
Believe the state
emerged from the family
The family head acted
as its govt
- Could be hundreds of
people w/t extended
family
Based on the Bible’s
Old Testament, referring
to Abraham’s family
Force Theory
Early civilizations people
built walled cities and
leaders had soldiers who
fought wars
Force theory says gov’t
emerged when one person/
group took control by use of
power
Divine Right Theory
Idea that the gods chose
the rulers: Divine Right
1400’s, monarchs said their
right to rule came from God
People thought God made
the state and rulers
Subjects did not oppose
because it would be treason
and sin
Social Contract Theory
In the 1600’s the idea of divine right was questioned
Hobbes, an English philosopher, thought that the
state was a social contract
Social contract means by agreement, people
surrender to the state the power needed to maintain
order
In turn, the state protects the citizens and the
agreement cannot be broken
Social Contract Theory
John Locke, another English philosopher, went further with
social contract
He felt men were naturally endowed with the right to life, liberty
and property (natural rights)
To preserve their rights that contract power to the gov’t, who
protects them
Locke said if the gov’t didn’t protect them, or infringed on them,
citizens could break the agreement
About a century later, the American colonies embraced the
idea of natural rights and broke from England and King George
III
Social Contract Theory
Purpose of Government
1. Maintain social order
2. Provide public services
3. Provide national security / common defense
4. Help regulate the economic system
Purposes of Government
Gov’ts gain power through two means, legitimate or
coercive
Power given through consent of the people and
citizens willing to obey the gov’t
Coercive force is used in the second method to gain
power
- use police, judicial system, military, fines, or
imprisonment to make people obey
Maintaining Social Order
Based on social contract, govt is needed to for
stability
Conflict is part of living in groups, and the govt
provides methods to resolve / prevent
Government makes laws, enforcement, and est.
courts
Conflict is restricted because govt limits what people
can do (law and order)
Providing Public Services
Gov’t provides services
individuals cannot do
- I.E. Build / maintain
roads, sewers
Gov’t promotes public
safety and health
- I.E. Food quality
standards, health codes,
driver's test
National Security
Gov’t is to protect its people
against attack
This has become
increasingly difficult
- nukes, satellites, terrorism
• Govt handles relations with
other states
- treaties, trade agreements,
informal relations
Economic Decisions
Countries vary in the economic opportunities they can provide
No state can provide every desire or need
Material scarcity and economic gap are main sources of
conflict
Gov'ts try and reduce these causes to prevent civil unrest
Gov'ts also intervene in other nation's economic affairs
- provide aid, embargoes
Gov'ts pass laws regulating econ environment
- provide a currency, distribute benefits/subsidies, tax breaks
Gov'ts goals, stimulate growth, control inflation, promote trade,
and regulate uses of natural resources
Forming Government
• Gov’ts of each nation are unique based on
the country’s development
• Gov’ts can be organized in various ways
• Large countries have multiple levels to
government
• IE: National, State, City, Town, etc.
Government Systems
The basic ways national
governments interact with
lower levels
1.
Unitary System
2.
Federal System
3.
Confederacy
Unitary System
All major powers belong
to the central gov’t
Multiple levels can exist
but are created by central
gov’t
Lower levels have limited
power
IE: Britain, France, Italy
Confederacy
political union: an alliance
of people, states, or parties
for a common purpose
Has a weak federal gov’t
and strong state govts
- 13 Colonies,
Confederate States
of American
Federal System
Powers are divided
between gov’t levels
Each level has sovereignty
in some area
U.S. developed this system
with 13 colonies after
confederate failed
Constitutions
• A plan for gov’t that serves several functions
1. Sets forth ideals that citizens share and
believe
2. Establishes gov’t structure and defines
gov’ts powers and duties
3. Provides the supreme law of the land
Constitutions
• Can be written or unwritten
• U.S. has oldest written constitution
• All gov’ts have a constitution or plan for their
gov’t
• A constitutional gov’t is one that clear limits are
set on the gov’ts powers (Limited Gov’t)
• If a nation has a constitution, it does not mean
they’re constitutional gov’ts
Constitutions
They are incomplete
guides
Can’t include
every single law
or custom
Not all gov’ts
follow the rules
set forth by their
constitution
IE: China
Constitutions
A statement of the goals
the gov’t should strive for
These goals are called the
preamble
U.S. Preamble
“We the people of the United States, In Order to
form a more perfect Union, establish Justice,
insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the
common defense, promote the general Welfare,
and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves
and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this
Constitution for the United States of America.”
Preamble to the Constitution, 1787
Constitutions
The framework of gov’t
Sets up parts of gov’t
Describes relationship
between gov’t levels
Sets rules for amending
Highest law in the land
The interpretation and
application of the
Constitution is known
as constitutional law
Politics and Government
Politics is the effort to
influence and control
gov’t
People take part in
politics because they
know it can influence
their life
People make demands
on gov’t through
groups and
organizations
Politics provides a way
to manage societal
Governing Today
The world is complex,
thus so is gov’t
Major inequalities exist
between states that are
industrialized or
developing
Nations are becoming
more interdependent
Nations have economic,
political, and social ties
Governing Today
Organizations like the
E.U., N.A.F.T.A., and
the U.N. link nations
together
Non-state
international groups
as well
Political movements
(PLO), Multi-national
corporations (BP),
International
organizations
Types of Governments
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Governments generally fall into one of three classification.
1. Autocracy
2. Oligarchy
3. Democracy
Autocracy
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In an autocracy power of
rule are in the hands of an
individual.
Totalitarian dictatorship
and absolute monarchs are
some examples.
In a dictatorship an
individual and their group
rule.
A monarchy has a king,
queen, or emperor rule.
Oligarchy
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Oligarchy refers to any
government where a small
group holds power.
The groups power comes
from wealth, military
power, social or religious
position.
Democracy
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Democracy is any gov't
where rule is by the
people.
-Direct democracy, people
vote directly on issues.
-Representative democracy,
people elect
representatives to make
decisions.
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A republic fits under
democracy, and voters
hold sovereign power.
Characteristics of Democracy
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Individual liberty exists, so
individuals have equal
opportunity to pursue their
talents.
Majority rule prompts
government action while
minority rights are still
protected.
Free elections, one person one
vote, and free expression of
views.
Political Parties are present and
are groups that have common
interest, and promote candidates
Democracy
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Democracy can be hard to maintain, and general contains five
elements.
Citizen participation is key. Citizens need to be willing take part
in civic life.
A strong economy with a strong middle class, and more
economic autonomy(free enterprise), is important.
Having an educated public.
Strong civil society, where a variety of groups can access gov't to
share views / opinions.
A social consensus, where people adherer to similar values,
allows for democracy to occur.
Economics
• Economics: the study of human
efforts to satisfy needs and wants
through limited resources
• Employment, wages, taxes,
spending, production, and
distribution are important
concepts
• Resources: natural resources
land, minerals, water; human
factors- skill, knowledge, etc.
The Role of Economic
• Gov’ts around the world operate in different economic
systems, but all make three major choices:
1. What and how much should be produced?
2. How goods and services should be produced?
3. Who gets these goods and services?
• Each major system answers them differently
Capitalism
• At one end of the economic spectrum
• Freedom of choices, individual incentives for workers, investors,
consumers,& encourages enterprise
• Gov’t allows free individual choice to guide economic
production/decisions (free market)
• True Capitalism’s five elements
1. Private ownership of property and resources
2. Free enterprise
3. Business competition
4. Freedom of choice
5. possibility of profit
Capitalism
• Adam Smith in 1776, wrote
The Wealth of Nations, applied
idea of laissez-faire
• Laissez- faire means let alone,
hands off
• Gov’t should create an
environment for free market,
otherwise, stay out of economy
Capitalism
• No nation is purely capitalist
• U.S. leading example of a capitalist nation & gov’t has a role
• Gov’ts role has increased- largest consumer of goods, regulations on
food/drug production, labor management, regulations on pollution
and banking
• Gov’t also provides social security, welfare, unemployment, etc.
• Considered a mixed-economy where gov’t makes economic
decisions but free and fair public interest remains
Socialism
• Gov’t owns basic means of
production and distributes/ controls
wages, products, and services
• Socialism has three goals:
1. Distribute wealth and economic
opportunity equally
2. Society controls economic
decisions through gov’t
3. Public (gov’t) ownership of most
land and production means
Socialism
• Domestic Socialism :socialism
trying to operate with a
democratic gov’t
• Citizens have basic rights and
input by voting
• Gov’t still owns means of
production and controls
economic decisions
• Opponents feel this reduces
initiative, increases taxes and
gov’t size, and can lead to
dictatorship
Communism
• Introduced by a German thinker, Karl Marx
• A socialist who supported violent revolution
• Felt capitalism would collapse and presented ideas in the Communist
Manifesto(1848) and Das Kapital (1867)
• He divided industrialized society into two groups
-Bourgeoisie: capitalists, owners of production
-Proletariat: workers, producers of the goods
• Felt that the capitalist ruling class forced others to work at subsistence
levels
• Marx saw human history as a class struggle and the capitalist would control
all wealth
• He felt that workers would rise in revolution to take control of all means
Communism
• With revolt, communism
would emerge with a single
class and property held
commonly
• No need for gov’t
• In communist nations today all
economic decisions done by
gov’t (command economy)
• The gov’t owns everything
economically and all mass
communication
Communism
• Communist nations have
developed own styles
• No economic freedom exists,
gov’t decides what and how
much is produced
• No political freedom exists
• Adequate living standards are
not met
• Some nations are trying to
balance change to prevent
revolt