Unit 1 Chapter 1-Principles of Government

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Unit 1Chapter 1-Principles of Government
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What is Government?

• Institution through which a society makes and
  enforces its public policies and laws
• Man is by nature a political animal-Aristotle
• Public Policies
• All things government decides to do
• Taxation, defense, education, crime,
• health care, working conditions etc.

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Kinds of Power

• Legislative
• Power to make law and frame public policies
• Executive
• Power to execute, enforce, and administer law
• Judicial
• Power to interpret laws
• Powers may be held by a single person or small
  group and majority of people
• Powers are outlined in a countrys constitution

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The State

• What is a state?
• Body of people, living in a defined territory,
  organized politically, and with the power to make
  and enforce law without the consent of any higher
  authority
• More than 190 states in the world

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Characteristics of a State

• Four Characteristics
• Population must have people
• Territory Must have land with recognized
  boundaries
• Sovereignty Has supreme and absolute power
  within its own territory
• Government Every state has a Government

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Theories on Govt Development

• 1-Force
• military
• 2-Evolutionary
• Starts with familyclan---tribe
• 3-Divine Right
• god given right to rule
• 4-Social Contract
• John Locke

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What does Govt do for us?

• 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

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What does Govt do for us?

• 6 Functions
• 1) Perfect Union unionstrength
• 2) Establish Justice law must be reasonable,
  fair and impartial
• equal justice for all
• 3) Domestic Tranquility need order, need Govt
• 4) Common Defense must protect and defend our
  nation
• 5) Promote General Welfare Benefit the citizens
• 6) Secure the Blessings of Liberty
• You can only be free if I am free--Darrow

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Forms of Government

• No two governments are alike
• Various ways to classify Governments
• Who can participate in governing process
• Geographic distribution of power
• Relationship between lawmaking and executive

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Forms of Government Cont.Who can participate?

• Democracy
• Political authority rests with people
• Government of the people, by the people, for the
  people Lincoln
• Direct Democracy
• will of people is translated into law directly by
  the people (mass meetings)

• Indirect/ Representative Democracy
• Small group of people chosen by the people act as
  their representative and express the popular will

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Forms of Government Cont.Who can participate?

• Dictatorship
• Political authority rests with one person or a
  small group
• Oldest form of government
• Very few admit they are a dictator

• Autocracy
• Single person holds unlimited power
• Oligarchy
• Small group of people

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Forms of Government Cont.Geographic Distribution

• Unitary Government- centralized Govt
• Great Britain
• Federal Government- powers divided between
  central and local governments
• United States
• Confederate Government- alliance of independent
  states
• European Union, Colonies

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Geographic Distribution
Confederate Government
Unitary
Federal Government
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Forms of Government Cont.Relationship between
Legislative and Executive Branches

• Presidential (US)
• Separation of Powers
• Branches are independent
• Fixed Terms
• Powers are written in the Constitution
• Parliamentary
• Executive is made up of prime minister cabinet
• Parliament includes executive
• No terms
• No checks and balances
• Majority of world is parliamentary

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Democracy is..
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Political Cartoon 1 Title democracy
Artist Petar Pismestrovic, Kleine Zeitung,
Austria Date February 2, 2005
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Political Cartoon 2 Title Meaning of
Democracy
Artist Larry Wright, The Detroit News
Date February 1, 2005
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Political Cartoon 3 Title Democracy Shuttle

Artist Stephane Peray, Thailand Date
August 10, 2005
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Characteristics of Democracy
Majority rule
Govt. by and for the people
Everyone equal under the law
DEMOCRACY
Elected representatives carry out the peoples
will
Rights of the individual protected
Freedom
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Democracy is .

• a system of government in which the people rule
  either directly or through elected representatives

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Direct Democracy

• A form of democracy in
• which the people as a
• whole make direct
• decisions, rather than
• having those decisions
• made for them by
• elected
• representatives

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Examples of Direct Democracy

• referendum - the practice of submitting a law to
  a popular vote at election time. The law may be
  proposed by a voter's initiative or by the
  legislature

• Should District 128 raise taxes?
• Yes No

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Examples of Direct Democracy

• recall - A procedure whereby the voters can vote
  to remove an elected official from office

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Representative Democracy

• People elect individuals to represent their views
  at local, state and national levels
• Public Policies (laws) are made by officials who
  are selected by voters
• Held accountable by elections

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American Concept of Democracy

• Importance of the Individual
• Equality of all individuals
• Majority Rule, Minority Rights
• Necessity of Compromise
• Individual Freedom

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Fortunate Sonrecorded by Creedence Clearwater
Revival (1969)

• It ain't me, it ain't me,I ain't no fortunate
  one, no.Yeh, some folks inherit star spangled
  eyes,ooh, they send you down to war, Lord,And
  when you ask them, how much should we give,oh,
  they only answer, more, more, more, yoh,It
  ain't me, it ain't me,I ain't no military
  son,It ain't me, it ain't me,I ain't no
  fortunate one,It ain't me, it ain't me,I ain't
  no fortunate one, no no no,It ain't me, it ain't
  me,I ain't no fortunate son, no no no,

• Some folks are born made to wave the flag,
• ooh, they're red, white and blue.
• And when the band plays "Hail To The Chief",
• oh, they point the cannon at you, Lord,It ain't
  me, it ain't me,I ain't no senator's son,It
  ain't me, it ain't me,I ain't no fortunate one,
  no,
• Some folks are born silver spoon in hand,Lord,
  don't they help themselves, oh.But when the
  taxman come to the door,Lord, the house look a
  like a rummage sale, yes,It ain't me, it ain't
  me,I ain't no millionaire's son.