G OVERNMENT What is government’s purpose and how does it work to create ordered societies?

GOVERNMENTWhat is government’s purpose and how does it work to create ordered societies?

WHAT IS GOVERNMENT?

Government is the institution through which a society makes and enforces its public policies.

THE STATE

PopulationA state must have people,the number of which doesnot directly relate to itsexistence.

TerritoryA state must be comprisedof land—territory with knownand recognized boundaries.

SovereigntyEvery state is sovereign. Ithas supreme and absolutepower within its ownterritory and decides its ownforeign and domesticpolicies.

GovernmentEvery state has agovernment — that is, it ispolitically organized.

The state can be defined as having these four characteristics:

THE PURPOSE OF GOVERNMENT

The main purposes of government are described in the Preamble of the Constitution of the United States:

“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

http://www.school-house-rock.com/Prea.html

CLASSIFICATION BY WHO CAN PARTICIPATE

Democracy In a democracy, supreme

political authority rests with the people.

Dictatorship A dictatorship exists where

those who rule cannot be held responsible to the will of the people.

An autocracy is a government in which a single person holds unlimited political power.

An oligarchy is a government in which the power to rule is held by a small, usually self-appointed elite.

CLASSIFICATION BY GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION OF POWER

Unitary Government A unitary government

has all powers held by a single, central agency.

Confederate Government

A confederation is an alliance of independent states.Federal Government

A federal government is one in which the powers of government are divided between a central government and several local governments.

An authority superior to both the central and local governments makes this division of power on a geographic basis.

OTHER TYPES OF GOVERNMENT

A monarchy is a form of government in which a monarch, usually a single person, is the head of state.

In most monarchies, the monarch holds control and their position for life There are currently 31 monarchs reigning over 45 extant sovereign monarchies in the world

OTHER TYPES OF GOVERNMENTS

Theocracy is a form of government in which a God or a deity is recognized as the supreme civil ruler.

Totalitarianism is state regulation of nearly every aspect of public and private behavior.

OTHER TYPES OF GOVERNMENTS

Timocracy is state where only property owners may participate in government; or based on family and personal status

ECONOMIC SYSTEMS

COMMUNISM Is often called a collectivist ideology, which

calls for the collective, or state, ownership of land and other productive property

Karl Marx’s theory Usually utilizes a command economy

CAPITALISM

Economic system where the factors of production are controlled by the people who own and operate the businesses within the capitalistic economy

United States has a capitalistic economy

SOCIALISM

An economic and political philosophy based on the idea that the benefits of economic activity- wealth- should be equitably distributed throughout society

Socialist countries can be democracies – there is public ownership of important parts of the economy

No emphasis on competition instead emphasize cooperation and social responsibility

CONSTITUTION

Lesson Essential Questions: What are the basic principles of the

Constitution? How does the Constitution ensure the rights

of Americans?

AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE

On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence.

Between 1776 and 1777, most of the States adopted constitutions instead of charters.

THE ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION

The Articles of Confederation established “a firm league of friendship” among the States.

Powers

Congress was given the power to declare war, deal with national finance issues, and settle disputes among the States.

Obligations

The States promised to obey Congress, and to respect the laws of the other States. Most other powers were retained by each State.

WEAKNESSES OF THE ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION

No Power to Tax No Power to regulate trade No Executive or Judicial Branch

SOLUTION? FEDERALISM

Compromise (“The Great”) allowed all states to share sovereignty with national government

National government took supremacy over many matters including commerce, defense, civil liberties, etc.

State governments took supremacy over issues of great local importance including education, etc.

Federalism in America is a combination of confederal (unitary) and federal theories:

BASIC PRINCIPLES OF THE CONSTITUTION

1. Representative Government

2. Federalism3. Separation of

Powers4. Checks and

Balances

REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT

Selection of representatives in “free” and scheduled elections

Governance by the “consent of the governed”

FEDERALISM – THE AMERICAN VERSION

Division of power between national, state, and municipal governments

Compromise between dictatorial national government and independence of the states

Historically, the national government continues to gain power:Expressed Powers: “enumerated” in the

Constitution Implied Powers: “suggested” in the

Constitution Inherent Powers: certain powers which all

independent nations have; i.e. foreign policy matters

DUTIES OF THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT Guarantee territorial integrity of the states Guarantee a republican form of

government Protect each state from invasion (army) Protect against domestic violence within

states 1894 Pullman Strike 1957 Little Rock Crisis 1962 University of Mississippi 1963 University of Alabama 1992 L.A. Riots

Assist with natural disasters Congress chooses to admit new states

POWERS DENIED TO THE STATES

No coining or printing of money No tariffs No troops in peacetime No signing of treaties with other nations

without Congressional consent No slavery (13th Am.) No depriving of life, liberty, property without

due process (14th Am.) No denial of vote on basis of race (15th Am.) No denial of vote on basis of gender (19th Am.) No power to destroy the federal system (Civil

War?) No “NULLIFICATION”

POWERS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE STATES

NO ENUMERATED POWERS IN THE CONSTITUTION (10th Am – “powers not given to national government are reserved to the states”)

Education Marriage Voting Property Laws Public Safety Laws Welfare Establishment of local governments State taxes

SEPARATION OF POWERS Insures against any one branch from gaining

too much power

Different constituencies for different branches of government

Different terms of office for different branches of government

BRANCHES

Lesson Essential Questions: What are the powers of each branch and

where are they located in the constitution? How do the Checks and Balances system

limit the powers of each branch?

BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT

POWERS OF EACH BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT

http://regentsprep.org/Regents/ushisgov/themes/government/3branches.htm

ELECTORAL COLLEGE

CRITICISMS

Under the Electoral College (based on 300 million votes): A candidate can receive 86.1 million votes This is the equivalent to 28.2% of the vote The loser would get 219.4 million votes This is the equivalent to 71.8% of vote

Votes (Popular)

WinnerLoser

Electoral Votes

WinnerLoser

ELECTORAL COLLEGE

The Electoral College system was established in Article II of the Constitution and amended by the 12th Amendment

Each state gets a number of electors equal to its number of members in the U.S.