Hey! What do you
know about this
thing called
“the state” …?
The state? You
mean like
Alabama, Texas,
Ohio, etc.?
No, no. I mean
something bigger
than that…
Well, let’s see
what this lesson is
all about. Maybe
it’ll help you out…
OH! Cool…
The State
a body of people,
living in a defined space,
with the power to make and enforce
laws without having to check with
any higher authority,
and with an
organization to do this.
The State
You can tell from the
definition that there are four
key features of a state…
What are they?
Population
Territory
a body of
people,
living in a
defined space,
Sovereignty
Government
with the power to make
and enforce laws without
having to check with any
higher authority,
and with an
organization to
make and enforce
laws.
That’s us!
Population
Definition: People who are the
members or citizens of a state
 The size of the population doesn’t matter
 Population has a big influence on the type of
government chosen by the state:
• Is the population rural or urban?
• What do people do for jobs?
• Do people get along or disagree on
basic issues?
Sovereignty
WAIT!
Where did the word
“SOVEREIGNTY”
come from?
Sovereignty
Don’t worry guys!
“Sovereignty” is just a big
word that means a state
has the ability to rule
within its border as it
chooses…
Sovereignty
That’s
SOVEREIGNTY!
Oh! Ok, cool…
Sovereignty
Definition: the ability to rule
absolutely within a given territory
Because of sovereignty…
 states can set their own foreign policy
and agendas.
 states are all equal in theory, but in
reality that isn’t always the case.
Territory
Definition: the area in which
a state’s rule applies
 A state must have set boundaries, but they are not
always agreed on.
 Boundaries are formed and can change in four ways:
• war – people win or lose territory
• negotiation – people agree to trade territory
• Physical boundaries-desert, mountain, water
• purchase – states can buy territory from other
states
Government
Definition: the organization that
makes and enforces the laws
 Government has many roles that
all involve making public policy, but
there are four main ways their
governing affects the public…
Public policy is the
laws and rules that
affect the public!
That’s us!
Government
Definition: the organization that
makes and enforces the laws
 Government has many roles that
all involve making public policy, but
there are four main ways their
governing affects the public…
• Keeping Order
• Protecting the Country
• Providing Services
• Making Economic Decisions
That’s us!
Keeping Order
 Making and enforcing
laws is all a part of keeping
order in society
 Structures like the
police force and court
system are in place to
enforce the laws and
settle disputes
Protecting the
Country
 The government is
responsible for defending
the territory of the state
 Security organizations like the Department of
Homeland Security and the Department of
Defense are established to protect citizens
Protecting the
Country
 The government is
responsible for defending
the territory of the state
 Security organizations like the Department of
Homeland Security and the Department of
Defense are established to protect citizens
 Treaties and alliances are formed with other
countries to help keep our citizens safe
Providing Services
 The government is
responsible for providing
basic services…
Libraries
Road Repair
Providing Services
 The government is
responsible for providing
basic services…
 Programs for people who need help:
• help buying food
• welfare
• medical services
 Programs to keep people safe:
• medicine
• food
• buildings
Making Economic
Decisions
 The government makes
decisions every day about
how it spends money
 The government also makes decisions about
how our economy is going to function
 Most public policy set by the government has to
do with how money is spent!!
So by that definition
of state…
…the United States
is just one big
state!
Figure It Out!
Is the United States
just one big state?
 Does it have a population?
YES
NO
 Does it have a territory?
YES
NO
 Does it have sovereignty?
YES
NO
 Does it have government?
YES
NO
Figure It Out!
What about “states” like
Connecticut or Georgia? Are
they states?
 Do they have a population?
YES
NO
 Do they have a territory?
YES
NO
 Do they have sovereignty?
YES
NO
 Do they have government?
YES
NO
They can’t make laws
that go against the U.S.
Constitution…
They have a
higher authority
above them!
Figure It Out!
Oops! I forgot. What four things
does the government do?
ORDER
 Keeps _________
COUNTRY
 Protects the __________
SERVICES
 Provides ___________
ECONOMIC
 Makes___________
decisions
THUMBS UP or THUMBS DOWN
If there are less than 30,000
people it can’t be
considered a state.
THUMBS UP or THUMBS DOWN
THUMBS UP or THUMBS DOWN
The boundaries of a
territory can change.
THUMBS UP or THUMBS DOWN
THUMBS UP or THUMBS DOWN
Sovereignty means that you
have to check with
someone above you.
THUMBS UP or THUMBS DOWN
THUMBS UP or THUMBS DOWN
Government only exists to
keep order and provide
security.
THUMBS UP or THUMBS DOWN
THUMBS UP or THUMBS DOWN
The 50 states that make up the
USA are not considered
independent states
internationally.
THUMBS UP or THUMBS DOWN
Great job, kiddos!
Thanks for all
your help!