Chapter 3.4 Forms of Government

1. Chapter 3.4Forms of Government EQ: What is the purpose of government?

2. The Importance of Government Keep Order & Provide Security • Conflicts are human nature • Laws are “rules of conduct” • The enforcement of laws: • Offers a sense of order • Provides conflict resolution (solutions) between people or groups • Protects citizens’ rights • Provides national and local security • FBI, CIA, SWAT, military, local police

3. Public Health Protecting and improving the health of communities through education, promotion of healthy lifestyles, and research for disease and injury prevention Surgeon General of the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services Department of Agriculture American Hospital Association Waste Management Epidemiologists Behavior scientists Mental health researchers Microbiologists Dentists/hygienists Pharmacists, doctors, nurses Environmental health officers Health inspectors Nutritionists Veterinarians Examples: Disease Detectives: Food Inspector (You Tube) Food Inspector Checks GR Farmers Market (You Tube) Government Services

4. Public Safety Protecting citizens and keeping them safe Dept of Homeland Security Crime Stoppers Animal Control Dept of Motor Vehicles State and County Police Emergency Management Fire, Rescue, 911, HAZMAT Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Emergency Alert Systems (AMBER Alerts) National Weather Service Government Services

5. Public Welfare Dept of Public Welfare Improves the quality of life for U.S. citizens Public libraries, schools, and parks Mental health and substance abuse programs Medical assistance programs Youth agencies and juvenile probation Foster care, adoption, child protective services Legal assistance for the poor Veteran’s benefits Americans with Disabilities Act Disaster declarations and assistance College tuition assistance (Financial Aid) Government Services

6. Guiding the Community • Public policy– the decisions and actions a government takes to solve problems in the community • Ex: Protect consumers from unsafe products • Financial planning for collecting and spending government resources • Manage relations with neighboring countries • Trade and travel for the benefit of mutual citizens • Shared resources (fisheries, oil refineries) • Support from outside attack

7. Levels of Government • Federal (National) Government • Highest level of authority over citizens • Makes and enforces laws for the entire country • Sets up basic rules for citizenship • State Government • Must parallel federal laws • Laws for marriage, schools, elections • Public health and safety • Local Government • Serves towns, cities, and counties • Closest level to citizens • Emergency services • Public services

8. Democratic Governments • Democratic Government • Direct Democracy (Ancient Athens) • Representative Government (Modern) • Citizens choose a group of people to represent them, make laws, and govern on their behalf • Republic vs. Constitutional monarchy • President, Prime Minister, King/Queen • Limited by a country’s constitution and laws • Individual rights are protected by the rules of the law • Majority rule

9. Authoritarian GovernmentsPower is held by a person or a group not accountable to the people • Autocracy • Absolute monarchies with unlimited power • Power is officially without limits • Dictatorship • Dictators typically come into power by use of force (overthrowing an existing government to seize power) • Rely on police and military to stay in power • No election option or “fixed” elections • People do not have freedom • Can be jailed for criticizing the government • Forbidden from forming opposition groups

10. Totalitarian Governments • Common form of government run by dictatorships • Government controls almost all aspect of people’s lives • Leaders can ban any efforts to oppose them • Take away individual freedoms; tells people what they can or can not believe and what groups they can or can not join • Often have a strict ideology, a strict idea about life and society

11. Totalitarian Regimes • Nazism • Adolf Hitler (Germany); 1933-1945 • Used propaganda and biased media to create personality cults • Symbol was the Swastika • Based on Mein Kumpf, an autobiographical rulebook • Called for the revival of the Aryan race and blamed the Jews for Germany’s troubles • Focus on racial biology, population policy, culture, geography, and physical fitness • Could be considered a fascist regime • 11 million people killed during the Holocaust • Ended with World War II • Nuremberg Trials 1945-46 either executed all Nazi political figures or gave them life sentences

12. Fascism • Benito Mussolini (Italy) • Glorification of the state and total subordination of the individual to it • Social Darwinism – “survival of the fittest” • Human rights are often ignored when they go against the “needs” of the state • Leader image is that of “hero” or “Superman” • Soldiers and military are glamorized • Police given limitless power to enforce laws • Government controls prices and wages • Public identification of enemies and scapegoats • Media is controlled and censored • Obsession with national security • Create public “fear” to “motivate” the masses into compliance • Religion and government are intertwined • Open hostility toward intellectuals, higher education, and academia • Rampant corruption and fraudulent elections

13. Communism (Marxism) • Joseph Stalin (Soviet Union) • Founded on the principles of Karl Marx in 1848 • Government controlled education and labor • Government ownership of transportation • Government ownership of agriculture and factories • Central banking system • No private property or property rights allowed • Heavy income taxes on everyone • No rights to inheritance • Recognized as an extreme branch of Socialism • Today’s Communist countries are: • China, Cuba, North Korea, Vietnam, and Laos

14. Cow-isms • Communism - If you have 2 cows, you give them to the government, who then gives you some milk. • Socialism - You have two cows. The government takes them and puts them in a barn with everyone else's cows. You have to take care of all the cows. The government gives you as much milk as you need. • Fascism - If you have 2 cows, you keep the cows but give the milk to the government, who then sells you the milk at a high price. • Nazism - If you have 2 cows, the government arrests you and keeps the cows.

15. Systems of Government • Federal • Power is divided among a national government and smaller self-governing political units (such as states) • Federal government cannot take power from the smaller units (protected by a constitution) • Examples: United States, Germany, Brazil, India • Central • Central government is supreme • Smaller administrative units carry out some of its functions • Not protected by a constitution • Can be dissolved by the central government at any time • Examples: France, Great Britain, Japan

16. End of Chapter 3