What is government?
The institution through which a society makes and enforces its public policies
Why was American government established?
To provide citizens with political freedom
What are the four purposes of government?
maintain social order provide public services provide national security make economic decisions
What does it mean to maintain social order?
Having a system of laws and basic rights for all people to keep order and discipline among citizens.
What does it mean to provide public services?
Services provided by the government to the citizens to promote public welfare -ex: trash removal, public parks, transit systems
What does it mean to provide national security?
Government provides its citizens with services to protect them. -ex: military, police
What does it mean to provide for/control economic system?
The government distributes financial benefits to the citizens to stimulate economic growth -ex: farm subsidies/tax benefits & control inflation/encourage trade
What are the three perspectives of government?
philosophical (why does the government exist) practical (is the government giving me what i want) economic (is the government giving us money)
What is a state?
an area organized into a political unit and ruled by an established government that has control over its internal and foreign affairs
Evolutionary theory
primitive family leads to a clan, clan leads to a tribe, tribe gives up nomadic behavior
Divine right theory
God created the state and that God had given those of royal birth a "divine right" to rule
Social contract theory
The belief that people are free and equal by natural right, and that this in turn requires that all people give their consent to be governed; espoused by John Locke and influential in the writing of the declaration of independence.
What are characteristics of a state?
population, territory, sovereignty, government
What are public policies?
things a government decides to do
What is power?
the ability of actor A to make actor B comply with actor A's intentions
What is authority
the right to use power (Granted by: law, states, constitution)
What is legitimacy
a characteristic that makes institutions that grant authority have a legal right to do so.
unitary government
A centralized government in which all government powers belong to a single, central agency -ex: audia arabia
confederation government
A loose union of independent states with weakened central government
federal government
A form of government in which powers are divided between a central government and several local governments.
autocratic government
Government in which a single ruler or group has unlimited power.
oligarchic government
government that is ruled by a few
democratic government
a system of government in which power rests with the citizens of the country
parliamentary government
A system where legislative and executive functions are combined in a legislature called a parliament; prime minister with administers
presidential government
a government in which the executive and legislative branches are separate and coequal
who elects executive branch
electoral college --> people
who elects legislative branch
people
who elects judicial branch
president
Ancient Greeks and Roman's impact on government
Democracy in Ancient Greece and republic in Ancient Rome
Ancient Greece democracy
government by the people/people participate directly in decision making through voting on issues
Ancient Rome republic
A form of government in which people elect representatives to govern them
English government influence
Magna Carta 1215 Parliament English Bill of Rights 1689
enlightened thinkers
Thinkers apply reason and scientific ideas to government
Philosophers
One who searches for wisdom and knowledge -Ex: John Locke, Jean Jacques Rousseau, Baron de Montesquieu
What did John Locke do?
Protected people's rights; pioneered the ideas of natural law, social contract, religious toleration, and the right to revolution
What did Jean Jacques Rousseau do?
Social Contract: explained that government is based on the idea of popular sovereignty; people give up some freedom in favor of needs of the majority
What did Baron de Montesquieu do?
discussed separation of powers + checks and balances as well as limited government
What is the Articles of Confederation?
The articles of confederation was an agreement between the 13 colonies that serves as America's first form of government. WEAK
Why did the Articles of Confederation fail?
The document placed too many limits on governmental power. -ex: Gave only one vote per state, despite their size, Congress couldn't impose taxes, Congress couldn't regulate interstate commerce
Great Compromise
agreement providing a dual system of congressional representation
bill of rights
The first ten amendments to the Constitution guaranteeing personal freedoms