Principles of Government - Chapter 1

public policies

Government is the institution through which a society makes and enforces its…

Four Characteristics of a State

Population, Territory, Government, Sovereignty

Population

A state must have people, the number of which does not directly related to its existence

Territory

A state must be compromised of land - territory with known and recognized boundaries

Government

Every state has a government - that is, it is politically organized

Sovereignty

It is supreme and absolute power within its own territory and decided its own foreign and domestic policies

The Force Theory

States that one person/small group took control of an area and forced all within it to submit to that person’s or group’s rule

The Evolutionary Theory

Argues that government evolved naturally out of the early family. The leader of the family expanded their power as the family expanded.

The Divine Right Theory

Holds that God created the government and that God gives those of royal birth a “divine right” to rule

The Social Contract Theory

Government arose out of a voluntary act of free people int he interest of protection. People agree to give up certain freedoms in order to be protected from one another.

Preamble of the Constitution

The main purposes of government are described in the…

1st Standard of Government

who can participate in the governing process

2nd Standard of Government

the geographic distribution of the governmental power within the state

3rd Standard of Government

the relationship between the legislative (lawmaking) and the executive (law-executing) branches of the government

Autocracy

Any system of government in which the power and authority to rule are in the hands of a single individual

Totalitarian Dictatorship

A single leader seeks to control all aspects of social and economic life

Monarchy

A king, queen, or emperor exercises the supreme powers of government, usually inherited

Absolute Monarchy

Monarchs have complete and unlimited power to rule their people

Constitutional Monarchy

Monarch shares government powers with elected legislature. Serves mainly as ceremonial leaders of their governments

Oligarchy

Any system of government in which a small group holds the power

Theocracy

A form of government based on religious law.

Typically ruled by a religious council such as clerics.

Laws are traditionally based on the holy books.

Punishments for violating laws are usually harsh

Democracy

Any system of government in which rule is by the people

Lincoln described it as, “government of the people, by the people, and for the people.”

Direct Democracy

The people govern themselves by voting on issues individually as citizens

No country has a government based on direct democracy

Representative Democracy

The people elect representative and give them the power to make laws and conduct government.

Considered the most efficient way to ensure the rights of individual citizen

Unitary Government

The power to govern is given to the national or central government

Confederacy

A loose organization of independent states held together by a weak central government

Federal System

The power to govern is shared between the national, state, and local levels

Presidential Government

The executive and legislative branches of the government are separate, independent of one another, and coequal.

The two branches regularly have several powers with which each can block actions by the other branch

US is the world’s leading example of presidential government

Parliamentary Government

The executive is made up of the prime minister or premier, and that official’s cabinet.

The prime minister is a member of the legislative branch, parliament.

The prime minister is chosen by the parliament and is subject to its direct control.

The majority of the governments in the world today are parliamentary.

Individual Liberty

All people are as free as possible. People have equal opportunity to develop their talents

Democracy insists on equality of opportunity, no necessarily equality of condition.

Democracy insists on equality before law

No person should be held back from reasons of race, color, culture, religion, or gender

Anarchy

The total absence of government

Majority Rules with Minority Rights

To protect from the tyranny of the majority. This is to ensure that the rights of the minority will be protected

Free Elections

Free and open elections to choose their leaders and voice their opinions on various issues

Competing Political Parties

This is to give voters choice among candidates

Free Enterprise

The population and businesses control their economic decisions