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Role of Government

Role of Government. Chapter 1. What is Government?. Government is an institution with the power to make and enforce rules for a group of people. It establishes the rules and regulations that govern everyday life.

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Role of Government

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  1. Role of Government Chapter 1

  2. What is Government? • Government is an institution with the power to make and enforce rules for a group of people. It establishes the rules and regulations that govern everyday life. • Law is a set of rules, made and enforced by government that is binding on society. • Natural lawis the system of justice derived from nature rather than from the rules of society. • Public policiesor the plans and decisions that a government makes in a particular area of public concern.

  3. What is Government con’t?Chapter 1 section 1 • Every government needs laws in order to carry out it’s public policies. • There are 3 types of power: • Legislative power—is the power to make laws. • Executive power—is the power to enforce laws. • Judicial power—is the power to interpret laws.

  4. The State • The stateis a dominant political unit. A state has 4 major characteristics: • 1. Citizens --number of people residing in a shared area. • 2. Borders--land with shared and recognized boundaries. • 3. Sovereignty --supreme and absolute power within its own territory. • Because States like Texas or California lack sovereignty they are not considered states in the international, legal sense. • 4. Government--an institution through which society makes and enforces it public policies.

  5. Major Political Ideas • A. There are major theories (explanations) on the origin of the state: • 1. Divine right of kings--holds that God created the state and granted those of royal birth the divine right to rule. • Question: Why is it more likely that people would obey their ruler under these circumstances? • 2. Social Contract--the state was created by people agreeing to give up their unbridled power in order to promote peaceand order for all people. • The Social Contract Theory was the most influential theory on the origin of the American political system. • The 2most prominent Social Contract Theorists are: • 1. Thomas Hobbes • 2. John Locke

  6. Functions of government • 1. Maintaining Order – enforce laws that protect the safety and security of the people and property. (ie. Police, military, SEC, EPA, FDA etc.) • 2. Provides services – builds roads, inspects and approves food and medicines, delivers mail across the country, provides assistance to people with low incomes, and builds schools. • 3. Resolves conflicts – Government helps resolve conflicts by bringing people together to reach common goals through compromise. Government brings about compromise through politics. • 4. Promoting values – basic principles by which people act and live their lives. Society in the United States values equality of opportunity, respect for individual rights, a good education, health care for older people and those with low incomes, and personal responsibility.

  7. The Public Good • Public good – is another term for the public interest or the well-being of society as a whole. • How do governments determine what policies serve the public good?

  8. Forms of GovernmentChapter 1 Section 2 • Classic Forms of Government • There are 7 classic forms of government that have existed throughout human history: • Feudalism --based on the rule of local lords bound to a king through ties of loyalty. • Oligarchy --a small group of elected leaders represent the concerns of their electorate (the people who elected them). • Monarchy --king and queen hold total control over the government and military.

  9. Classic forms of government con’t • Dictator --an individual or a small elite group, have absolute, unlimited authority; there are no restraints on governmental power. • Despotism --rule by a despot, a ruler who has absolute power and uses his rule tyrannically. • Democracy --based on the protection of individual rights and freedoms and the consent of the governed. • Totalitarian --government controls all aspects of citizens’ lives.

  10. Where is the power? • 1.Unitary system —centralized government. All powers are held by the government belonging to a single, central agency. • 2.Federal system —powers of the government are divided between a central government and several local governments. Both levels have their own sets of laws, officials and agencies. • 3.Confederal system - independent states join together to accomplish common goals. There may be no central government but the members of the confederation may set up an organization to carry out agreed-upon policies.

  11. What is the relationship between the legislative and executive branches? • 1.Presidential system —the executive and legislative branches are separate, independent, and coequal. There is a system of checks and balances. • 2.Parliamentary system —the executive branch is made up of the prime minister and that official’s cabinet. The executive is chosen by the legislature and subject to direct control.

  12. Who can participate? • 1. Democracy —supreme political authority rests with the people. • Types: • (1) Direct Democracy—will of the people is translated into law by the people in mass meetings. (2) Republic —representatives chosen by the people

  13. “Basic Concepts of Democracy”Chapter 1, section 3 • The American concept of democracy is based on 5 basic ideas: • 1. Allowing choice/ Individual Freedom: • Political participation is possible because of Freedom. 2. Promoting respect for Law: • If citizens ignored laws they did not like, or if government simply did not establish laws to maintain order in society, the result would be anarchy. 3. Recognizing individual self worth: • A. Every individual is a separate and distinct being, despite their station in life. • B. Sometimes the will of one or a few people must be subordinated to the interest of many.

  14. “Basic Concepts of Democracy” con’t • 4. Promoting the Public Good • Public good is best served through policies that address a wide variety of society’s concerns rather than just a few. • 5. Protecting Minority rights • A liberal democracy is a form of democracy that protects the rights of the minority. Minority rights are political rights that cannot be abolished in a democracy even though they are held by less than half of the population. • These rights include freedom to attend a particular place of worship even if most people attend another. • Those in the majority have a responsibility to respect the views of the minority, even if they do not agree with them.

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