US Government Chapter 1 Foundations of American Government

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US GovernmentChapter 1Foundations of American
Government

• Section 1
• Principles of Government

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I. Government and State

• What is Government
• 1. Government Institution through which a
  society makes and enforces its public policies
• 2. Public Policies what government decides to
  do
• a. Income tax
• b. Minimum Wage
• c. Armed Forces
• d. Protecting environment

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• Powers of Government
• a. Legislatures make laws
• b. Executives enforce laws
• c. Judges apply laws to court cases
• 4. Government systems date back to Ancient Egypt
  and 6th century

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B. The State

• Body of people, living in a defined territory,
  organized politically (under a government),
  having the power to make and enforce law without
  the consent of any higher authority
• Over 180 states in the world
• a. Population, territory, sovereignty,
  government

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• Population
• a. Size of population does not matter
• 1.) San Marino 22,000 people (Near Italy)
• 2.) China over 1 billion
• Territory
• a. State must have land
• b. Recognized boundaries
• 1. San Marino 24 sq/mi
• 2. Russia 7 million sq/mi
• 3. US 3.7 million sq/mi
• Sovereignty
• a. Supreme power within own territory
• b. Decide own foreign and domestic policies
• 1. US States are not international states
• Government
• a. Machinery and personnel by which a state is
  ruled

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C. Origins of the State

• Four Theories
• a. Force Theory
• 1. One person or group claimed control over an
  area and forced all within to submit to them
• 2. All elements of state were present

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• Evolutionary Theory
• 1.) modeled after family structure
• 2.) Family -gt Clan -gt tribe -gt tribe becomes
  agricultural (nomadic ways end) -gt State is born
• Divine Right Theory
• 1.) widely accepted 15th-18th Century
• 2.) State created by God
• 3.) Royalty given divine right
• a.) obey as a God

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d. Social Contract Theory

• 1.) Theory developed in 17th 18th centuries
• a.) John Locke
• b.) James Harrington
• c.) Thomas Hobbes
• d.) Jean Rousseau
• 2.) Agree to give up certain freedoms to promote
  the well being of all
• 3.) popular sovereignty, limited government and
  individual rights
• a.) help shape US Gov system

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D. Purpose of the Constitution

• Found in the Preamble to the Constitution
• a. To form a more perfect union
• 1.) Articles of Confederation created a loose
  friendship of states
• 2.) Constitution created a strong union
• a.) in unity there is strength

• 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

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• Establish Justice
• 1.) Thomas Jefferson The most sacred of
  government duties
• 2.) Law must be reasonable, fair and impartial
  in content and administration
• To Insure Domestic Tranquility
• 1.) Keep order in society
• 2.) James Madison, Federalist No. 51, If men
  were angels no government would be necessary

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• To provide for the common defense
• 1.) Defense from foreign enemies
• To promote the General Welfare
• 1.) Public schools, air, water, food
• To secure the Blessings of Liberty
• 1.) Thomas Jefferson, The God who gave us life
  gave us liberty at the same time.
• 2.) our duty to vigilantly defend freedom