Role of Government

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Role of Government
CHAPTER 1

• Section 1 Government and the Public Good
• Section 2 Forms of Government
• Section 3 Foundations of Democracy

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Section 1 Government and the Public Good

• Objectives
• What is government, and why is it important?
• How have some philosophers described the nature
  and purpose of the state?
• What functions does government perform?
• How does government promote the public good?

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Section 1 Government and the Public Good

• The meaning and importance of government
• Government is an institution with the power to
  make and enforce rules for a group of people.
• It is important because it creates and enforces
  laws to protect and promote the public good.

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Origins of State

• Evolutionary Theory gt The primitive family, where
  one person was the head of family. Then many
  other families joined to form clans, out of clans
  came tribes. Nomadic ways were dropped and
  settled into one designated territory.
• Force Theory gt one person or small group took
  control of territory and forced inhabitants to
  adhere to rule.
• Divine-Right Theory gt God created the state.
  Those of royal birth had divine right to rule.
  Their will was the will of God. To disobey was
  treason and also a mortal sin.
• Social Contract Theory gt

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Section 1Government and the Public Good

• Descriptions of the nature and purpose of the
  state
• Early philosophers
• Rulers receive their authority to govern from
  God, called the divine right of Kings.
• Thomas Hobbes (Leviathan)
• The people create the state through a social
  contract.
• The people surrender their individual sovereignty
  to the state in exchange for peace and order
  provided by the state. (Hussein)
• John Locke (Two Treaties on Government)
• The power of the government comes from the people
  governed.
• Governments role is to protect peoples natural
  rights.
• Concepts popular sovereignty, limited gov., and
  individual rights

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Section 1Government and the Public Good

• Functions of government
• Maintaining order gt preserving life and
  protecting property
• Promoting Public Good gt benefits and services
  that are available to everyone. (Education,
  sanitation, parks, housing)
• Promote Equality gt government confronted by
  paradox of poverty among the plenty. (European
  countries pioneered programs for poor.
• Cradle to the grave gt Guaranteed income,
  Health Care

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Section 1 Government and the Public Good

• How the government serves the public good
• The government makes policies that address a wide
  range of interests.

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Section 2 Forms of Government

• Objectives
• In what ways are monarchies, republics, and
  dictatorships different from one another?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of
  unitary, federal, and confederal systems?
• What are the major advantages and disadvantages
  of presidential and parliamentary forms of
  government?

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Section 2 Forms of Government

• Differences among monarchies, republics, and
  dictatorships
• monarchies power is based on inheritance
  (Constitutional,Absolute)
• republicsrepresentatives are chosen by the
  people (Democracy)
• dictatorshipscontrol is in the hands of a single
  person or small group

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Section 2 Forms of Government

• Types of government systems
• unitaryall legal power is held by the central
  government
• federallegal powers are shared among national,
  state, and local governments
• confederalindependent states join together to
  accomplish common goals without a central
  government

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Section 2 Forms of Government

• Differences between presidential and
  parliamentary forms of government
• Presidential
• The legislative and executive branches remain
  separate and independent of each other.
• The executive branch is headed by a president,
  who is chosen independently of the legislature
  and acts as head of state.
• Parliamentary
• The executive branch is headed by a prime
  minister, who is chosen by the legislature.
• The chief executive and head of state are
  separate offices.

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Section 3 Foundations of Democracy

• Objectives
• What are the major principles of democracy?
• What is the difference between direct democracy
  and representative democracy?

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Section 3 Foundations of Democracy

• Principles of democracy
• allowing choice (Education,Schools,Consumer
  Products, Representatives)
• recognizing individual worth (Dem. Allows people
  to take responsibility for their success and
  failures )
• promoting respect for the law (because of
  participation, people have a responsibility to
  protect the laws. )
• protecting minority rights (Liberal Dem.
  Political Rights that cannot be abolished )
• promoting the public good (Recognizing the above
  is key for this principle to happen. Policies
  that address a wide range of interests.)

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Section 3 Foundations of Democracy

• Difference between direct democracy and
  representative democracy
• direct democracycitizens make and vote on laws
  (Town Meetings gt majority rules) Doesnt work
  very well with large populations
• representative democracycitizens elect
  representatives to make laws and run the
  government

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Chapter Wrap-Up

• 1. How is government authority distributed in
  unitary, federal, and confederal systems?
• 2. What is legitimacy and where does a government
  get it?
• 3. What is the source of authority in a monarchy?
  in a democratic republic? in a dictatorship?

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Chapter Wrap-Up

• 4. How does feudalism differ from an absolute
  monarchy? from a constitutional monarchy?
• 5. What is the difference between direct
  democracy and representative democracy?
• 6. Why is it important that democracy gives
  people the opportunity to make choices? Does
  equality of opportunity mean the same thing as
  equality of results? Why or why not?