WHAT IS GOVERNMENT??

“Without society and government, we would live in a state of nature, where we each have unlimited natural freedoms. The downside of this general autonomy is that it includes the “right to all things” and thus the freedom to harm all who threaten one’s own self-preservation; there are no positive rights, only laws of nature and an endless “war of all against all.” In other words, anyone in the state of nature can do anything he likes to anyone else. To avoid this, free men by social contract establish a political community or civil society in which each gain civil rights in return for subjecting to civil law or to political authority, a government.”

What is this quote saying or mean???

KEY TERM

Government: the institution through which the state maintains social order, provides public services, and enforces decisions that are binding on all people living within the state.

The “State” and the Purposes of Government

SO who has governments?.....

KEY TERM

STATES have governments!

A state is a political community that occupies a definite territory and has an organized government with the power to make and enforce laws without

approval from any higher authority.

Example: The United States/Mexico/England

The word “country” is often used instead of the word state

FYIBefore the thirteen British colonies decided to join

together to be called “The United States,” each colony or “state” (as we think of today) thought of

itself as its own country.

Nations

Key Term

A nation is any sizable group of people who are united by common bonds of race, language, custom, tradition and sometimes religion.

Usually territorial boundaries are the same for states and nations but not always.

Example: Quebec in the “state” of Canada

QuebecQuebec lies within the “state” of Canada but they consider themselves their own nation. (This area in Canada is united

by many French speaking Catholics who follow French culture rather than follow the non-Catholic, English speaking

Canadian majority.

Types of Nations

Types of Nations Developing Nation

Often called 3rd world countriesThey often have a reduced chance of life, major

social problems, often changing leaders, & quality of life is not good.

Emerging NationOne that is slowly becoming more developed.

Industrialized NationHAS the necessary pieces of a successful nation

○ Highly developed industries in manufacturing, technology, etc., as well as goods, services, and trade.

Essential Features of a State

Essential Feature #1

Population

People

States where the population shares a general agreement about basic beliefs

have the most stable governments.

Essential Feature #2

Territory

Established boundaries

Example: The United States boundaries are the Atlantic/Pacific oceans, Canada and

Mexico.

A state’s boundaries may change overtime due to war, expansion, etc.

Example- Territory

Essential Feature #3Sovereignty

The state has supreme and absolute authority within its territorial boundaries.

Complete independence and power to make laws, shape foreign policy and determine its own course of action.

Purposes of Government

Purpose #1

Maintain Social Order

Back to social contract theory!

Governments provide ways of resolving conflicts among group members.

Provides order to a “state of chaos.”

Purpose #2Provide Public Services

Essential services that make community life possible and promote the general

welfare that individuals could not do on their own.

Example: Government build sewer systems/Public health and safety laws

Purpose #3

Provide National Security

Protect the people against attack by other states or from threats such as terrorism.

Purpose #4

Make Economic Decisions

Material scarcity is often the cause of conflict in society. Governments try to

reduce this conflict by intervening in the economic system.