Objectives:
•Define government and the basic powers every government holds.
•Describe characteristics of the states.
•Understand purpose of government in the United States.
•Compare and contrast Democracy and Dictatorship theories.
What is Government?
Government is: The institute which society uses to make and enforce laws, which
is made up of people to exercise the power
a. Public Policy – All those things the government decides to do (i.e.
Tax, defense, education, etc.)
b. Who decides? What power does the government have?
1. Legislative- Law and policy makers
2. Executive – Execute, enforce, and administer laws
3. Judicial – Interprets the law, determines the true meaning
Define State – Body of people living in a defined territory that are
organized politically and have the authority to make laws without the
permission of a higher power.
a.
Aspects of a state – Nation
1.
2.
3.
4.
Population – People to support the government and run the government
Territory – Land with recognized boundaries
Sovereignty – Supreme and absolute power over territory
Government – Politically organized
Is Government necessary?
“The war of everyman against everyman” Thomas Hobbes
Without government – Fear violence, poor, brutal, short
What is the purpose of government? (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.
What is the purpose of the government?
A. Form a perfect union – United we are strong ( unlike Articles of
Confederation)
B. Establish Justice – Laws and administration, must be reasonable, fair
C. Insure domestic tranquility – Order – Keep the peace is the prime
function
D. Provide for the common defense
E. Promote general welfare – Servants of the citizen (do what they can
for the people)
F. Secure the blessings of liberty – Freedom - not absolute
Where is the power located? How is it distributed?
A. Unitary government – Single agency has all of the power. Will create
lower government but only for convenience
B. Federal government – Powers of the government are divided between
central and local. Both create laws on their own
C. Confederation – Alliance of independent states ( help the state keep
their separate identities).