US Government
Chapter 1 Section 1-Principles of Government
Government-institution that enables society to carry out its policies & to protect its citizens
3 kinds of power
· Legislative-power to establish laws
· Executive-power to carry out the laws (enforce)
· Judicial-power to interpret the laws
Outlined in a constitution
· Can be written or unwritten
· US-written-oldest in the world, written in 1787
· Great Britain-unwritten-based on acts, customs, court decisions
Serves several major purposes
· Set out ideals
· Establishes basic structure & defines the government’s power
· Provides supreme law of the land
All governments have a constitution
People’s Republic of China-written C- although it is filled with statements about basic rights etc it does not reflect actual practice
The State-political community, legal entity
4 components
1. population-people
2. territory-defined area, usually the reason for conflict
largest Russia
smallest San Marino
3. sovereignty-state is supreme
4. government-institution that makes and enforces public policies
Chapter 1 con’t
Nation-sizeable group united by common bond-ethnic term
Race, religion, language-homogeneous
190 states today-smallest San Marino-25K people
largest China-1.25 B people
Purpose of government
- Maintain social order
- Provide public services-sewers, roads, dams, parks, food inspection
- Provide national security & a common defense-in 2000 spent 300B
- Provide control of an economic system
National currency, tax breaks for farmers (subsidies)
Origins of government
One theory-Hobbes, Locke & Rousseau
Social Contract Theory-people agreed to create a state to promote the safety & well being of all
Animals-lion pride, wild horse herds
Review Preamble & Locke’s Second Treatise
US Government
Chapter 1 Section 2-Forms of Government
Government-power can rest with one or with many
Types of Government-democracy & dictatorships
I. Dictatorships
A. Autocracy
Oldest form in history
Power in the hands of one
Most stay in power by or through inheritance or force
Several forms exist today
1. Absolute-totalitarian
Fascist Italy-Mussolini (WWII)
Nazi Germany-Hitler (WWII)
Soviet Union-Stalin (WWII)
People’s Republic of China
Iraq-Saddam Hussein
Libya-Quaddafi
2. Monarchy-rule by one
Louis XIV-France
Elizabeth I-England
a. Absolute monarchy-monarchies like this are rare today, based on divine right (Saudi Arabia)
b. Constitutional monarchy-shared powers with the legislative branch
Chapter 1 Section 2-Forms of Government-con’t
B. Oligarchy
Small groups hold power
Power comes from wealth/military/religion
Tend to grow more restrictive as time goes on
School is an oligarchy
II. Democracy
Supreme authority rests with the people
Taken from the Greeks
Demo-people Kratia-rule
Lincoln-Gettysburg address-gov’t of the people, by the people, for the people
2 types-direct & indirect
no country today has a direct democracy-small towns might-laws from town meetings
indirect or representative democracy
people elect representatives; indirect has 2 forms of leadership
1. presidential-executive & legislative branch are separate & co-equal
US leading example of; invented this form of gov’t
2. parliamentary- prime minister (executive) & cabinet are members of the legislative branch & subject to its direct control
Great Britain, Japan, Canada & a majority of today’s countries
US Government
Chapter 1, Section 3-Basic Concepts of Democracy
Democracy is not inevitable-exists because Americans believe in its basic concepts
1. recognition of the fundamental worth & dignity of every person
2. respect for equality of all persons
Jefferson- All men are created equal (Preamble)
Respect for equality not insistence on (i.e. no right to equal share of wealth)
Rather equality of opportunity & equality before the law
3. faith in majority rule & an insistence on minority rights; searches for satisfactory solutions to public problems, not always the right solution or the best but that the majority decision is more “right”.
democracy insists upon majority rule restrained by minority rights
4. acceptance of the necessity of compromise.
Necessary for 2 reasons.
1. society made up of individuals & groups- only way to make public decisions is by compromise
2. more than 2 sides to an issue- compromise is a process- majority agreement
5. an insistence upon the widest possible degree of individual freedom.
Democracy thrives on individual freedom but not complete freedom, which would lead to anarchy. Need to strike the proper balance between freedom of the individual and the rights of society as a whole
Chapter 1, Section 3-con’t
Economic Systems
I. Free Enterprise System
Based on 4 factors
1. private ownership
2. individual initiative
3. profit
4. competition
often called capitalism
2 concepts laid the foundation for capitalism
a. people will work for economic gain
b. wealth should be used aggressively (have to have money to make money)
This free market attitude introduced in the 18th century
Adam Smith-The Wealth of Nations-written in 1776-concept of “laissez faire”-let it be-people can choose without government intervention
Law of Supply & Demand
When goods & services become plentiful, prices tend to drop, when goods are scarcer, prices tend to rise
Since early 1900’s the US government has increased its influence on the economy (Great Depression)
Government is
1. the single largest buyer of goods & services
2. now more regulation of the economy (Alan Greenspan; prime rates, etc)
3. set up social security system
Chapter 1, Section 3-con’t
Today US is considered a mixed economy
II. Socialism
Government owns
1. means of production
2. use of resources
3. distribution system of products
4. provides social services (England-socialized medicine)
3 goals of socialism
-equal distribution of wealth
-control production
-public ownership of land, factories, etc
III. Communism
Karl Marx (1818-1883)
Socialist who advocated violence
Published pamphlet-1848-Communist Manifesto; followed by a book-Das Kapital
Basic beliefs
-struggle of classes-proletariat vs. bourgeoisie
-cost of product should be labor + material with no profit
-dedication to revolution-use force to overthrow noncommunist governments
-militant atheism-total dedication to the state-gave up all belief in God