What is a country?. Government If it didn’t exist, we would have to invent it. Government is an institution and their systems that rule a country and.

What is a country?

Government• If it didn’t exist, we would have to invent it.

• Government is an institution and their systems that rule a country and its people.

Features of a country(state/nation-state)

• Population– The most stable governments exist when the people

share common ideas and beliefs.

• Territory– States/countries must have established boundaries.

• Sovereignty– The country must have supreme and absolute authority

over its territorial boundaries.

• Government– Every state has some form of and system of rules and

laws

Government

• “If men were angels, no government would be necessary”

Agree Disagree

Government

• Government

• If it didn’t exist, we would have to invent it.

• Government is an institution and their systems that rule a country and its people.

Origins of the State

• The Force Theory: the theory that the state was born of force—when all the people of an area were brought under the authority of one person or group

• Evolution Theory: the theory that the state evolved from the family

• Divine Right Theory: the belief that certain people are either descended from gods or chosen by gods to rule

• Social Contract Theory: theory that by contract, people surrender to the state the power needed to maintain order and the state, in turn, agrees to protect its citizens

The Force Theory

• A State was born by force

Primal man decided to force his will and rule on others

Evolutionary Theory

• The state gradually developed from primal families

Divine Right Theory

• The belief that the rule of king was God-Given and naturally perpetuated by the nobility

Social Contract Theory

• Agreement among individuals to unite and form a society in which members are governed by a set of rules.

Theories• Thomas Hobbes• Said people are violent

and disorderly and selfish• The government maintains

order without every man for himself

• People give up their rights in order to be safe.They have no right to rebel.

• The need a social contract- government where people act on their own self interest to keep them in control

• John Locke• Said people are moral and

reasonable• Government protects our

natural rights of life, liberty, and property

• People have natural rights and may overthrow the government that does not protect their rights.

• Government with consent of the people is the foundation of democracy.

Locke and Hobbes

John Locke

Thomas Hobbes

What is Purpose of Government?

• Public policies are in short all those things a government decides to do.

• Taxation

• Defense

• Environment

• Education

• Crime

• Civil rights

• Health Care

• Transportation

• Working Conditions

Maintain Social Order

• People need government to maintain social order because they have not yet discovered a way to live in groups without conflict.

Provide Public Service

• One of the important purposes of government is to provided essential services that make community life possible and promote the general welfare.– Sewer system – couldn’t do

that on your on

– Highways

– Firefighters

– Food inspectors

Provide for National Security

• Another task of government is to protect the people against attacks by other states

• This also includes maintaining positive relationships with foreign nations.

Make Economic Decisions

• Governments often use their power to reduce the conflict between the rich and the poor by intervening in the economic system.