ecogov: 1.1 government and the state

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1.1 GOVERNMENT AND THE STATE

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AMERICAN HISTORY IIMR. HOOD28 AUGUST 2013

1.1 GOVERNMENT AND THE STATE

AMERICAN HISTORY IIMR. HOOD`S NOTES28 AUGUST 2013

WHY IT MATTERS

GOVERNMENT IS ESSENTIAL TO THE EXISTANCE OF HUMAN BEINGS

IN A CIVILIZED SOCIETY.

WHAT ANY PARTICULAR GOVERNMENT IS LIKE AND WHAT THAT GOVERNMENT DOES

HAVE AN EXTRAORDINARY IMPACT ON THE LIVES OF ALL PEOPLE WHO

LIVE WITHIN ITS REACH.

INTRODUCTION

G O V E R N M E N T AFFECTS

YOU!

IN AN UNCOUNTABLE NUMBER OF

VERY IMPORTANT WAYS

WHAT WOULD YOUR LIFE BE LIKE WITHOUT

GOVERNMENT?

WHO WOULD PROTECT US?

IF GOVERNMENT DID NOT

EXIST…

…WE WOULD HAVE TO INVENT IT

OBJECTIVE 1DEFINE GOVERNMENT

AND THE BASIC POWERS EVERY

GOVERNMENT HOLDS

GOVERNMENT: INSTITUTION THROUGH WHICH A SOCIETY MAKES + ENFORCES ITS

PUBLIC POLICIES

GOVERNMENT IS MADE UP OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO EXERCISE

POWERS

ALL THOSE WHO HAVE AUTHORITY

+ CONTROL OVER PEOPLE

PUBLIC POLICIES: ARE ALL OF THOSE THINGS A GOVERNMENT

DECIDES TO DO

TAXATION, DEFENSE, EDUCATION, CRIME, HEALTH,

TRANSPORTATION, ENVIRONMENT, CIVIL RIGHT, WORKING CONDITIONS…

THE LIST OF PUBLIC POLICY ISSUES IS NEARLY ENDLESS

GOVERNMENTS MUST HAVE POWER TO MAKE + CARRY OUT PUBLIC

POLICIES

EVERY GOVERNMENT HAS THREE BASIC KINDS OF

POWER

1 – LEGISLATIVE POWER

POWER TO MAKE LAW AND TO FRAME PUBLIC POLICIES

2 – EXECUTIVE POWER

THE POWER TO EXECUTE, ENFORCE, + ADMINISTER LAW

3 – JUDICIAL POWER

THE POWER TO INTERPRET LAWS,

DETERMINE THEIR MEANING, SETTLE DISPUTES

POWERS OFTEN OUTLINED IN A COUNTRY`S CONSTITUTION

CONSTITUTION IS THE BODY OF FUNDAMENTAL LAW SETTING

OUT…

…PRINCIPLES, STRUCTURES, AND PROCESSES OF A

GOVERNMENT

ULTIMATE RESPONSIBILITY OF POWERS CAN BE HELD

BY…

(A) SINGLE PERSON

OR A SMALL GROUP

RULER IS NOT RESPONSIBLE TO THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE

THIS IS CALLED

A D I C T A T O R S H I P

OR (B) HELD BY THE PEOPLE

SUPREME AUTHORITY RESTS WITH THE

PEOPLE

THIS IS CALLED

A D E M O C R A C Y

GOVERNMENT + POLITICS

ARE VERY DIFFERENT THINGS

GOVERNMENT IS AN INSTITUTION

POLITICS IS A PROCESS

OBJECTIVE 2DESCRIBE THE FOUR

DEFINING CHARACTERS OF THE

STATE

THE STATE CAN BE DEFINED BY FOUR CHARACTERISTICS

1 - POPULATION

THE STATE MUST HAVE PEOPLE

BUT SIZE IS NOT IMPORTANT

VATICAN CITY1000

CHINA1.3 BILLION

2 - TERRITORY

MUST HAVE LAND WITH RECOGNISED

BOUNDARIES

3 - SOVEREIGNTY

SUPREME + ABSOLUTE POWER TO DECIDE OWN FOREIGN + DOMESTIC

POLICIES

4 - GOVERNMENT

MUST BE

POLITICALLY O R G A N I Z E D

OBJECTIVE 3IDENTIFY FOUR THEORIES THAT

ATTEMPT TO EXPLAIN THE ORIGINS OF THE

STATE

MANY HAVE PONDERED ORIGIN

OF STATE

THERE ARE FOUR WIDELY ACCEPTED

THEORIES

1 – THE FORCE THEORY

POWER TAKEN BY FORCE

2 – THE EVOLUTIONARY THEORY

DEVELOPED NATURALLY FROM FAMILY

3 – DIVINE RIGHT THEORY

GOD CREATED STATE + CHOSE RULERS

4 – THE SOCIAL CONTRACT THEORY

A VOLUNTARY ACT OF FREE PEOPLE

OBJECTIVE 4UNDERSTAND THE

PURPOSE OF GOVERNMENT IN THE UNITED STATES AND THEIR COUNTRIES

WHAT DOES

GOVERNMENT DO?

IN THE USA THE CONSTITUTION

READS…

FORM A MORE

PERFECT UNION

ESTABLISH JUSTICE

INSURE DOMESTIC TRANQUILITY

PROVIDE FOR COMMON

DEFENSE

PROMOTE GENERAL WELFARE

SECURE THE BLESSINGS OF

LIBERTY