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Principles of Government

Principles of Government. Chapter 1 Section 1. Section 1. What Is the State?. A state is a political community in a precise territory. A state has sovereignty meaning that its government makes and enforces its own laws without approval from any other authority.

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Principles of Government

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  1. Principles of Government Chapter 1 Section 1

  2. Section 1 What Is the State? • A state is a political community in a precise territory. • A state has sovereignty meaning that its government makes and enforces its own laws without approval from any other authority. • A nationrefers to a sizable group of people united by common race, language, custom or religion.

  3. Section 1 What Is the State? (cont.) • Countries in which the territories of both the state and nation coincide are referred to as nation-states.

  4. Section 1 Essential Features of a State • The four essential features of a state include: • population—the people • territory—established boundaries • sovereignty—supreme and absolute authority within its boundaries • government—central institution United States Acquisitions

  5. Section 1 Essential Features of a State (cont.) • States where people share a consensus, or agreement, about basic beliefs and values have the most stable governments. • Governmentis the institution through which a state: • maintains social order; • provides public services; and • enforces decisions that are binding on all its residents.

  6. Section 1 Origins of the State • Scholars have constructed theories to explain the origins of state. • Evolutionary Theory • The state evolved from the family. • The head of the primitive family served as government authority.

  7. Section 1 Origins of the State (cont.) • Force Theory • The state was born of force, or the need to resist an enemy. • A state emerged when everyone in an area was brought under the authority of one person or group. • Divine Right Theory • Certain people are chosen by a god or gods to rule.

  8. Section 1 Origins of the State (cont.) • Divine right describes European monarchs in the 1600s and 1700s who proclaimed their right to rule came from God alone. • Social Contract Theory • Thomas Hobbes promoted the idea of a social contractin which people surrendered their freedom to the state, but in return they received order and security.

  9. Section 1 Origins of the State (cont.) • John Locke believed that in a state of nature, men and women had certain natural rights: • life, • liberty, and • property. • Locke’s social contract was made between the people and a government that promised to preserve these natural rights.

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