gov chapter 1

• Functions of Government

• Govs create order, security, defense, public services, economix assistance and economic security

• Make rules that every1 must follow and have authority to punish those who do not

  • Prevents anarchy, a state w/out gov and laws

• Leadership

• Gov officials make decision for their ppl 

  • Decide what actions are crimes, taxes and how much to pay and who benefits from natural resources

• Can require things that ppl may not volunteer to do like taxes or serve in the military

• Public services

• Govs create schools, build sewer systems, pave roads and provide services individuals cant do on their own

• Gov services promote public health and safety such as fire departments

• Officials inspect meat sold in markets and enforce housing codes

• State govs pass laws that require drivers to pass a drivers test b4 a license is issued

• National Security

• Gov must protect ppl against attack but another country or by terrorists

• Some state govs have informal relations with other nations to increase trade or cultural exchange

  • National gov can place limitations on those relations

• Economy

• Govs protect economic security of their ppl

  • Negotiate trade deals w/ other countries and try to protect businesses that are important to their own economy 

  • Stimulate the economic growth by encouraging trade and regulating use of natural resources

  • Enforce contracts between businesses and manage banks

• Might intervene in other nations economy to promote nations security

  • Marshall plan to help european nations rebuild their economies to prevent communists revolutions

• Govs provide assistance to ppl in need like food stamps or rent control

• Nation, State, & Country

• Nation is a sizeable group of ppl who believe themselves united by common bonds of race, language, custom or religion

  • Kurds consider themselves a nation but don't have their own country

• State is a political community that occupies a definite territory and has an organized gov

  • The word state likely came from aristotle who believed a state was the territory of a ton and the surrounding area where face to face communication was possible and ppl could be reasonably governed

• Country has same definition of state

  • Country and state both have sovereignty, the gov makes and enforces its own kaws w/out approval from any other authority.

• Essential Feature of a state

• Population: states must have ppl to govern

• Territory: establish boundaries

• Sovereignty: state has supreme and absolute authority w/in its boundaries

• Gov: some1 must be in charge to make and enforce laws

• Origins of state

• Evolutionary theory: evolved from the fam where heads of families has authority over the group

  • Extended families might include hundreds of ppl

  • Eventually gov was created bc extended families needed more organization

• Force theory: ppl needed to cooperate to survive but only organized when some1 took control

  •  Strongest leaders used violence/ threats to control ppl and get work done

  • State emerges when every1 in an area was under control by a person/ a group

• Divine right theory: idea that certain ppl were chosen by god/gods to rule 

  • State exist to serve the demands of Gods

  • To oppose a monarch was to oppose god/gods and was sinful

• Social contract theory: ppl enter a contract w/ others to give up some freedoms to ultimately gain more

  • Tomas hobbes wrote that ppl surrendered their freedom to the state and received order and security instead

  • John locke claims ppl had natural rights and a social contract was made between a ppl and a gov to preserve those rights

• Systems of government

• All govs, reflect their societies history and culture

• All societies organize their govs to carry outs important functions

• Unitary system

• Gives all key powers to the central gov

  • Only powers given to state/ local govs have been given by the central gov 

• EX: Japan, France, Bolivia

• Confederate system

• Loose union of indep. And sovereign states

  • Weak central gov w/ 4 indep states that maintain authority, especially over budgets

• Federal system

• Divides power of gov between national and state/ provincial govs

  • Shares power among diff levels of government while having a more centralized power

  • Each level can make their own laws and cause confusion

• EX: USA, Brazil

• Constitutions

• Is a written plan that provides rules for gov

  • Sets out ideals that ppl bounded by the constitution believe in 

  • Establish the basic structure of gov and defines govs powers and duties

  • Provides the supreme law of the country

• The united states constitution of 1787 is the oldest constitution used today

• Constitutional govs

• Limited govs where a constitution places clear, recognized limits on the powers of those who govern

  • Country must operate by their constitution to be considered a constitution gov

    • China has a constitution about basic rights, freedoms and duties of citizens but violates those rights

• Constitutional gov may amend their constitution to all things they didn't amount for at the time of writing

• Authoritarian Govs

• Leadership controls all aspects of its citizens’ economic and social lives

  •  Sometimes referred to as totalitarian states like HItler’s Nazi Germany and Stalin’s Soviet Russia

  • Dictatorships is where 1 person has all of the control 

  • Oligarchy get power from their wealth, social position and or military power

• May pretend to appear democratic be holding “elections” with 1 candidate or are fake

• Few freedoms and press/media is typically controlled by the gov

• Monarchy

• 1 person, usually a king/queen, has great power

  • Usually sanctioned by religion

• Used feudalism where nobles offer protection and land to subject in return for service

• Monarchies could be authoritarian or could be limited by tradition/laws/constitutions

• Swaziland is still a monarchy where political parties are banned and protesters/ reformers are targeted

• Constitutional monarchies still exist in Great Britain, Japan, Sweden and the Netherlands but are ceremonial

• Democratic Govs

• Democracy comes from Greek word demus means “the ppl” and kratia meaning “rule”

  • Direct democracy is a gov where ppl vote directly on issues

    • Practically in small societies only where ppl can gather to discuss 

  • Indirect democracy is where ppl elect representatives and give them the responsibility to make laws and vote on gov issues

    • Works in larger settings

    • If elected officials fail to respond to interests can be voted out of office/ legally removed from office

• Originally, either male citizens/ landowners could only vote 

  • Eventually extended to workers, minorities and women

• Democracy is most likely to succeed when individuals are educated

• Principles of Democracy

• Citizen participation: participation is a duty and not a right

  • Being informed, debating issues, voting, attending community meetings, military service, jury duty, paying taxes are all example of participation

• Regular free and fair elections: officials should be elected free and fair elections

  • There should be no obstacles/ intimidation during an election

• Accepting the results of the election: assuming free and fair elections, rejecting results violates democracy

  • Democracy depends on the peaceful transfer of power from 1 set of leaders to the next

• Rule of law: every1 must obey the law

  • Must be held accountable if they violate it

• Majority rule w/ minority rights: ppl should be concerned w/ the tyranny of the majority

  • If the majority try to destroy the rights of the minority, they also destroy democracy

• Accountability: elected and appointed officials are responsible for their election

  • Should be held accountable to their ppl

  •  Must perform duties for their ppl not for themselves or their friends

• Transparence: ppl must be aware of the actions gov is taking

  • Press and ppl should be able to get info abt what decisions are made, by whom and why

• Limited gov and bill of rights: list of citizen’s rights and freedoms 

  • Limited gov power and explains guaranteed rights

• Control of the abuse of power: structure gov to limit powers of gov officials

  • Check and balances allow other branches to control each other 

• Economic freedom: private ownership of property 

  • Ppl allowed to choose their own work and make their own choices

• Equality: all individuals should be valued equally and free of unreasonable discrimination 

  • All are equal b4 the law and should have some protection of the law

  • individual/ human rights respect the dignity of all ppl

• Independent judiciary: court system should be fair and impartial

  • Should be free to act w/out influence/ control of executive and legislative branches

• Competing political parties: groups of ppl w/ common interests to challenge others

• Economics

• Study of how ppl/ nations use limited resources to satisfy unlimited wants

  • Govs use regulation to control/ allocate resources

• Some govs exert total control over the economy and others have very little control

• Economic Systems

• Economic systems include traditional, market command, mixed economies

• Each system must ask

  • What and how much should be produced?

  • How should goods and services be produced?

  • Who gets the goods and services that are produced?

• Traditional economy

• Economic decisions made according to customs

  • Usually based on agriculture, hunting/  gathering/ fishing

  • Barter instead of money

• Capitalism 

• Economic system that emphasizes private ownership of the factors of production, freedom of choice, and individual incentives

  •  In pure capitalism, the gov does not interfere w/ wages, prices what producers make, business operations and means no regulations

• Theory of capitalism was created by Adam smith

  • Suggested laissez-faire “to let alone” the “invisible hand” guiding the market

• Competition determines which sellers succeed and reasonable prices as consumers compete over limited products

• Free enterprise in the USA

• USA is a leading example of a capitalist system where gov plays a role

  • US society recognizes the value of individual initiative

    • Each person knows what's best for themselves

• US gov regulates many aspects of the economy

  • Minimum age, price fixing, minimum wage, monopolies, etc

• Socialism

• Economic system where gov plays a significant role in the economy but doesn't completely control it

  • Own most land, basic industries and other means of production that gov uses to determine the use of resources

• Gov provides extensive social services like health care and welfare for its ppl to create equal distribution of wealth

• Early socialism

• industrial revolution caused great suffering to workers who worked long hours and still starved

• Wealthy ppl were making so much profit and was economically unfair

  • Some believed only revolution would solve economic balance

  • Others worked to gradually bring change to workers

  • Others built ideal communities called communes where all ppl share in all things

• Democratic socialism

• Citizens have basic human rights

• More gov involvement in key industries like defense, energy, transportation and telecommunications 

• Gov makes decisions for the benefit of the ppl 

• Communism 

• Gov makes all decisions and hands them down

• Gov owns everything and not private property

• Usually controls media and communications

• Karl Marx believed that proletariat, workers would overthrow the bourgeoisie, the capitalists that controlled the means of production

• MIxed economies

• Combine elements of capitalism and socialism

• Mexico is primarily a capitalist but gov owns all natural resources

• United states’ gov used to have a small role until early 1900s 

  •  Became the single largest buyer of goods and services

  • More involved in regulating industries to protect consumer health and product safety

  • Great depression led to programs to provide basic economic society like social security

    • Also began to manage labor, environment and financial institutions

• Our political heritage

• Majority of colonists were Christians and derived ideas from biblical laws

  • Law should apply equally to all ppl, even kings

  • Set rules for fair trails

• American revolution led to limited and representative gov

• Limited government

• Started in England by limiting king's powers w/ Magna Carta

  • Recognized right of unjust punishment and levying taxes w/out consent, principles of gov

• English bill of rights limited kings rule to consent of parliament to tax, suspend laws or maintain army 

  • Ppl can petition gov, fair/speedy trial by jury of peers, not cruel/unusual punishments and excessive fine/bail

• Representative gov

• Colonists believed in electing delegates to make laws and conduct gov

  • John Locke contributed natural rights of life, liberty and property 

    • Social contract w/ gov that gave ppl the right to overthrow the gov

  • Jean- Jacques Rousseau believed in property, rights, freedom of speech and religion

    • Social contract where ppl work together to preserve their rights on gov

  • Charles-Louis de Montesquieu supported separating powers of gov

• Colonial govs

• Had a governor (usually appointed by the king), legislature (party elected) and a court system

  • Property qualifications for voting but land was cheap and abundant

• 9 of 13 colonies has an official established church and were religious intolerant

• Even though colonists owed allegiance to Britain , they established practices that became a key part of the future gov

• Written constitutions

• Mayflower compact of the pilgrims was the 1st colonial plan for self-gov establishing Massachusetts Bay colony

  • Agreed to choose their own leaders, make own laws and govern themselves

• Colonists in Connecticut created the 1st constitutional/charter called the Fundamental orders of Connecticut

  • Gave ppl the right between governor, judges, and representatives to make laws

• Other English colonies followed and made their own charters 

  • Divided the power between governor, legislative, assembly and courts

• Colonial legislatures

• Colonists rejected the king as the head of the church and especially Puritans established freedom to organize churches and congregation choosing ministers

  • Believed church members should elect their gov

  • Massachusetts Puritans forced leaders to allow each town to elect 2 members to the general court  (colony’s legislature)

• Legislature bodies became dominant

  • Rapidly growing colonies needed new laws to control distribution of land, lay out plans for public buildings, build roads and ferrier 

  • Set up school and courts

• Became training grounds for political leaders of who wrote the Declaration of Independence and US Constitution

• Colonies on their Own

• news/orders took 2 months or more to travel across the Atlantic Ocean

  • Only governors and colonial legislatures were in a position to deal w/ problems 

• Colonists became used to govern themselves

• French and Indian war and crowning of King George III changed that

• French and Indian War

• Britain sent troops to fight the French and their native American allies

• While Britain won, the war was expensive

  • Had to maintain an army in the colonies to defend against Indian rebellions 

• British believed colonists had an obligation to pay war debts since it was fought in their defense

• Taxes

• King George III levied taxes on tea, sugar, glass, paper, and other products

  • Stamp Act of 1765 was a tax on legal docs, pamphlets, newspapers, dice and playing cards

• Stamp act was eventually repealed but other taxes placed on colonists

• 1773, colonists dressed as Mohawk Indians dumped 342 chests of tea causing the Boston tea party

  • Harsh new British policies were enacted against the colonists

• Unity

• Colonists thought of themselves as British subjects

• Each colony was unique and colonists also thought of themselves as Virginians or new Yorkers, etc

• United hostility towards the British led colonists to think of themselves as Americans

• Sent petitions to the king arguing only colonial legislatures could tax directly like the stamp act

• 1st continental Congress

• September 5,1774 delegates from every colony except Georgia met in Philadelphia 

• Colonial leaders proposed an embargo and boycott on British goods

• April 19,1775 British redcoats and colonial minutemen clashed at Lexington and concord

  • Considered to be the 1st battle of revolutionary war

• 2nd continental congress

• Met w/in 3 weeks of Lexington and concord

• Immediately assumed the powers of a central gov

• Chose john Hancock as president to raise funds for an army

• Organized an army and navy and plans to issue money

  • Made George Washington the commander of the army

• Purchased supplies, negotiated treaties and rallied support for the colonists’ causes

• Declaring Independence

• April 1776, w/ the war almost a year old, the colonists had yet to declare war

• June 1776, Richard Henry Lee proposed the united colonies should be free and independent states

• Thomas Jefferson wrote the declaration of independence

  • Issued on July 4,1776

  • John Hancock was the 1st sign w/ all 56 delegates signing 

• Key parts of the declaration

• Preamble set out natural rights

• Right of ppl to resist illegitimate gov/ change abolish it

• Listed grievances, complaints and violations against colonial rights at George III

• State constitutions

• 2 months b4 the declaration, congress asked colonies to adopt written constitutions

  •  10 did by end of 1776

• Most had bill of rights and the ppl as the sore source of authority

• States saw themselves as independent and sovereign to no higher authority

9.11 USA Patriot Act

• Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001

  • House 357 yeas to 66 nays

  • Senate 98 yeas 1 nay

• Casualties

• 19 hijackers

• 2977 civilians killed

  • 2606 at world trade centers

  • 125 at Pentagon

• 1140 ppl who live nearby have been diagnosed with cancers

• 1400 9/11 1st responders have died since

• 4809 coalition troops died in Iraq (we went to war)

  • 4491 Americans KIA 

  • 31952 Americans WIA

• 2372 KIA and 20320 WIA in Afghanistan

• 150k-1 mil Iraqis killed violently

• USA Patriotic Act

• Intelligence gathering and sharing by executive branch agencies

• Widened authority on tapping suspects phones

• Gov can now share grand jury testimony and proceedings

• Detain illegal immigrants for longer periods

• Monitor emails

• Gov was bulk collecting phone and internet data (PRISM) 

• Muslim communities targeted (Ground Zero Mosque)

  • Pros: 

• Prevent future attacks

• Catch criminals easier

• Cooperation between gov agencies

• Cons:

• Violates free speech

• Unclear results 

• Infringes on bill of rights

• USA Freedom Act

• Uniting and Strengthening America by Fulfilling Rights and Ensuring Effective Discipline Over Monitoring Act of 2015

• Articles of Confed.

• While a committee of the 2nd continental congress worked on the declaration, another committee chaired by John Dicksinson worked to form the gov after independence

• Created a confederation, league of friendship, where states had significant independence and a strong gov

  • Essentially a set of rules abt what the national gov could and couldn't do

• No national court system

• No president/ king

• Unicameral, single chamber legislative

  • Each state could send 2-7 delegates but had to vote as a unite

• Congress could only do what was listen in the articles and states could do everything and not specifically mentioned

• Problems of Confed

• War debts of $40mil to foreign powers and unpaid american soldiers after the revolutionary war

• Ppl saw themselves as Virginians or wtv state they were from rather than Americans

• States had diff currencies making trade difficult 

  • Charges tariffs on imported goods

• Independent trade agreements w/ countries created conflict among states

• Most states ignored requests from congress to fund national gov and repay war debts

  • sOme states had a lot of debt 

  • Other states had paid off their debt but didn't want to help other states pay off their debts

• Weak national gov

• Congress could do little if states refused to provide money

• No standing army

•  No power to regulate trade

•  Issued paper money that was worthless

•  Few laws passed since it required 9/13 states to ratify

• Achievements

• Signed peace treaty with Britain recognized American independence

  • Acquired more land from the Atlantic to the Mississippi and Canada to northern Florida

• Set up departments of foreign affairs, war, Marine, and the treasury under their own permanent secretary

  • Set precedent for creation of cabinet departments under the constitution

• Fair and consistent policy for setting/ developing lands west of the Appalachian mountains

  • Land ordinance of 1785 allowed gov to survey/ divide the northwest territory into equal parts

    • Sections sold at auction providing revenue

  • Northwest ordinance of 1787 allowed territories to appoint governor, judges, elect legislatures, and achieve statehood when reaching certain population levels

• Shays rebellion 

• Massachusetts raised taxes to pay states war debt causing farmers to lose land or get sent to debtors prison

• On 1786, armed groups of farmers marched to courts to shut them down and prevent foreclosure hearings

  • Daniel shays, former captain of the revolutionary army, led the group that caused Massachusetts’ supreme court 

    • Began moving to federal arsenal

  • Massachusetts militia stopped the rebellion but had already spread to other seas

• Some states require creditors to forgive or excuse debts aging creditors 

• Farmers thought gov seemed irresponsible to the will of the ppl

• Move to Revise the Articles

• 1787, a few months after shays rebellion, delegates met to propose changed to the articles of confed

  • Tried to help regulate trade and make national gov more effective

• A few months of debate led to the abandonment of the articles of confederation

• Decided to create a new gov w/ a new guiding doc, the constitution

• Constitutional Convention 

• 1787, 55 delegates met to create a new gov

• Gouverneur Morris wrote the final draft of the constitution

  • James Madison was the author of the basic plan 

    • Madison’s careful notes are a major source of info abt the conventions work

• No press/ public allowed so delegates could speak freely in private

• Supported a limited, national gov divide among legislative executive and judicial branches

• All agreed they should strengthen the national gov

• Limited power of states to coin money

• Virginia Plan

• Virginians delegation came up with a strong national legislature w/ 2 chambers

  • Lower elected by the ppl and upper chosen by the lower chamber

    • Legislatures would vary depending on the population of state

• Legislature could bar- state laws that were unconstitutional

• Strong executive and national judiciary would be elected by the national legislature

• Small states did not like this plan because of less representation

• New Jersey Plan

• Small state delegates’ counter plan had a unicameral legislature w/ 1 vote per state

• Nation would continue as a confederation of sovereign states

• Congress would be strengthened by the power to impose taxes and regulate trade

• Weak executive of more than 1 person elected by congress

• National judiciary w/ limited power would be chosen by the executive

• Large states did not like the plan because of less representation

• Connecticut Compromise

• A.k.a Great compromise, suggested a bicameral legislature

  • House of representatives based on state’s population and senate w/ 2 members from each state

• Congress would impose taxes and all laws regarding taxing and spending start in the House

• Electoral college has voters from each state select electors to choose the president

• 4 year terms were agreed upon to limit presidents 

• Disputes over salary

• Delegates mostly opposed slavery but knew the constitution would never pass if they banned slavery

• Constitution doesn't say slave/ slavery anywhere in it 

• ⅗ compromise was bc southern states wanted slaves to count for representation in congress but not for taxes

  • ⅗ of all states counted for representation and taxation

• Congress allowed to control foreign trade and interstate commerce but not tax exports 

• Slave trade allowed until 1808

• Federalists and Anti- Federalists

• Federalists favored the constitution 

  • Wrote federalist papers in support of it 

• Anti- federalists opposed the new constitution

  • Called the doc extralegal since it was not sanctioned by law

    • Convention was only meant revise the Articles of Confederation

  • Argued constitution took important state powers

  • Needed a bill of rights to protect against a strong national gov

• Ratification

• Promise of bill of rights led many to favor the constitution

• 9 outta 13 states ratified it for it to start working 

• George Washington was elected as president and john Adams as vice president

• Voters elected senators and representatives

• March 4, 1789, congress met for the 1st time in federal hall in nyc as a temporary capital

• James Madison introduced 12 amendments and congress ratified 10 of them creating the bill of rights

• maintaining order

• Govs try and control conflict by placing limits on what individuals are permitted to do

  • Usually provide a domestic security face (police/ national guard) to enforce laws and keep peace

• Govs provide courts and other ways to resolve conflicts

  • Punish those that break laws

• Order allows citizens to plan for the future, get educated, raise a family, and live ordinary lives