What is Government?

1. What is Government?

2. Government is an institution created by the people to make and enforce public policies. • -Duties of a Gov’t: • a) Provides defense • b) Provides education • c) Guards the public health • d) Economic Stability e) Protects the environment f) Keeps law and order Provides goods and services for individuals • Gov’t must have Power, so to command or • prevent actions to achieve desired goals.

3. Gov’ts should have three basic powers: • Legislative power - to make laws • Executive power - to enforce/administer laws • Judicial power – to interpret/meaning laws

4. The responsibility can be held by a single • person, by small group or Majority of the • people. • Gov’ts can be traced back as far back as • the Ancient Egyptians, 2,300 years ago. • There are over 190 States{another name for • Country or Nation} in the world. Ancient Egypt

5. ______ is a term that represents the • physical geography. • _______ is a legal entity{existence} term. • _______ is the ethnic term{referring to the • people or races}. Country State Nation I’m Canadian A A! Nation State Country

6. There are four basiccharacteristics • to be a country: • 1) Population – Smallest: San Marino 27thousand • …Largest: China 1.3 Billion. • 2) Territory – Smallest: San Marino 24 square • miles…Largest: Russia 6.6 million sq miles. • 3) Sovereignty – Having power within its own • territory. • 4) Government – agency which • exerts the states will and goals.

7. -Forming of Governments- • A Government’s job is to create order, without it • there could be Anarchy. English philosopher, Thomas Hobbssaid, “The war of every man against every man”. • Anarchy, a state of lawlessness or political • disorder due to the absence of governmental authority. (This can happen after a civil war in a country, when a government has been destroyed and rival groups are fighting to take its place. ) • Thomas • Hobbs

8. There are Four theories of how Gov’t formed: • The Force theory– one person or small group claimed a control over a territory and forced all to summit to their rule. • The Evolution theory– Gov’t grew out of family. A head of the family rules his and extended families in a clan. • Divine Right theory– God gave them a royal birth right to rule. • Social Contract theory – Gov’t is given the power to rule by the people for the people to serve the people’s needs. You may rule now!

9. Social Contracts

10. -The Social Contract- • Long ago, Peoplecreated governments to • protect their individual rights. • The government’s authority arises from the consent of • the people. • There was a contract between citizens and their • government: • Government agreed to protect the individual’s rights. • The citizen agreed to abide by government’s laws. • Both sides had to keep up their part of the deal. • If government deprives people of their rights, the people have the right to overthrow the government and Rebel. • The Following Philosopher's ideas helped spark the • American Revolution.

11. -Jean Jacques Rousseau-A Swiss Philosopher • His book the Social Contract, He • believed that the natural state of • humans was to be free. • That civilization corrupts people’s • natural goodness. • A Gov't is created by a contract • amongthe people and receives it • power from them. Lets vote already

12. -John Locke-An English Philosopher • His book the Two Treaties on Government , • People have the Natural Rights • to Life, Liberty, and Property. • Gov'tis created to protect the • peoples natural rights.Can • rebel if gov’t doesn’t protect • their rights.

13. -Baron de Montesquieu- A French Philosopher • His book the Spirit of the Laws, wrote against the • abuses of Absolutism. • He liked the balance of powers in Gov’t with • separate branches.= • Separation of powers: kept any one group from • taking over- checks and balances.

14. Thomas Hobbes -Thomas Hobbes- An English Philosopher. • His book the Leviathan, It discussed the perfect gov’t . • All humans are naturally selfish and wicked and we need to hand over rights to a gov’tand get order in return: a social contract • Absolute monarchy: the best govt. because it had power to impose order and demand obedience • People retained the right only to maintain their lives.

15. Classifying Governments

16. No two governments are exactly alike, but • are the product of: • (1) Who can participate (2) Geographic distribution of power (3) The relationship between lawmaking body and law execution branch. Classifying Governments

17. Aristotle –a Political scientist- he studied governments and politics of ancient Greece – he classified Gov’ts by the number of people who have power. Should I wear underwear or not?

18. -Three Basic Governments- Monarchy - Government ruled by one. – Government ruled by a few. – Government ruled by the people. Oligarchy Democracy Who Said that? • -Democracy- • - It comes from the Greekwords Demos, • “The people” and Kratia, “ Rule”. • The people hold the Sovereign power and give • the gov’t their consent to rule. Democracy Oligarchy Monarchy

19. Democracy can be direct{a pure form of • Democracy} or indirect: • – mass meeting allow people to set laws directly(Ancient Greece). • – is a representative gov’t, where a few are chosen to govern(America). • Republic – a government where the power rests in the hands of the citizens' entitled to vote – Representatives are chosen directly or indirectly. Direct Indirect See that they voted for me Nope ME!!

20. The American concept of democracy rests on these basic notions: • A recognition of the fundamental • worth and dignity of every person. (2) A respect for the equality of all persons. (3) A faith in majority rule and an insistence upon minority rights (4) An acceptance of the necessity of compromise. (5) An insistence upon the widest possible degree of individual freedom.

21. -Monarchs and Dictatorship- • Autocracymeans a single person holds unlimited • power. • Monarchy- has a king or queen who sometimes has absolute power. Power is passed through the family. • Dictators-Those who rule are not held • accountable to the people (Anti-RULE OF LAW). • Rule of Law – Gov’t and its officials are subjected • to the laws and are not above the law. • .

22. They hold unlimited and absolute power. • Totalitarian Power-complete control over • everyday life. • There usually are elections, buy they are • controlled by the gov’t • They can have a Law making body, but usually • are puppets of the dictator. • They gain power by force and rule by force • and fear. • Oligarchy • Greek, olígosmeaning "a few", and archo, meaning "to rule or to command“. • Throughout history, oligarchies have been tyrannical{unjustly cruel, harsh}.

23. -Geographic distribution of power- • Countries are large areas so power is usually • distribute to help govern. • Unitary Gov’t– all power is in a single • Central/National agency. Local power is only what the National power allows them(Great Britain). - Federal Gov’t- Power is divided between a Central/National gov’t. Each is given their own Powers and the division can’t be changed by either alone(Australia). • Confederation Gov’t– an alliance of independent • states/countries working together. limited power is given to a token gov’t (America’s first Gov’t - “Articles of Confederation”)

24. -Relationships between branches of Government- • Countries need laws to be made and • laws to be put into practice. -Presidential Gov’t- the lawmaking branch and law execution branch are equal, but are independent from each other. Each branch usually has powers to block actions by the other(America). - Parliamentary Gov’t– The law making branch picks a Prime Minister or premier. If the Prime minister gets a “vote of no confidence” they can remove from office by the lawmaking branch, Parliament. It allows for short term conflict between Lawmakers and Execution body(Japan, England).

25. 1609 - Native tobacco is first planted and harvested in Virginia by colonists. Tobacco becomes an export staple for Virginia. 1619 - Twenty Africansare brought by a Dutch ship to Jamestown for sale as servants, marking the beginning of slaveryin Colonial America. 1620 - November 9, the shop Mayflowerlands at Cape Cod, Massachusetts(Pilgrims} and starts the settlement of Plymouth. Create Americas first written government, The Mayflower Compact. 1756 - The French and Indian War, England declares war on France, known in Europe as the Seven Year's War, ends with the Treaty of Paris 1763. 1492– Columbus finds the New World {Americas}. 1499 - Italian navigator, Amerigo Vespucci, sights the coast of South America during a voyage of discovery for Spain. 1507 - The name "America" is first used in a geography book referring to the New World with AmerigoVespucci getting credit. 1565 - St. Augustine(Florida) founded by the Spanish. 1588- In Europe, the defeat of the Spanish Armada by the English results in Great Britain replacing Spain as the dominant world 1607 -Jamestown is founded in Virginia by the English colonists. Capt. John Smith is captured by Native American Chief Powhatan and saved from death by the chief's daughter, Pocahontas. The Original 13 Colonies

26. Early Americas History

27. Steps to Democracy- • America’s Gov’t did not form overnight; its • roots grewout of the history Great Britain. • England 1215, King John is forced the sign the Magna Carta,a document that limited the powers of • the king and created a limited Representative • gov’t{a Gov’t that serves the will of the people}. • England 1621, Charles I is forced to sign the • Petition of Rights, a document that limited “divine right” monarch’s must obey laws. • England 1689, Monarchs William and Mary were • forced to sign the English Bill of Rights, which • protects some individual personal freedoms. Magna my butt Got me too Johnny Trial by jury No cruel punishment Search and seizure Due process No excessive bail /fines Freedom of speech Private property Right to bear arms Freedom of press Right to petition Freedom of religion They got us too Mary

28. -American Colonial Gov’ts- • England’s colony in America stretched • thousands of miles across the Atlantic. • The king’s control was limited do the long • distance proximity, so colonists were allowed • to set up a limited self gov’t for 125 years. • All colonies needed a Charter, a written • grant of authority by the King. England

29. There were three types of Colonial Gov’ts: • Self-governing Charter, Two colonies were allowed to vote in their own leaders • Royal Colonieswere under direct control of the king. The governor and council members was picket by the king to run the colony. • Proprietary Colonies,the King grants a person(s) land and they can gov’t as they please. They were gov’t very similar to the royal colonies, but the proprietors pick the governor and council members. • Parliament • King • Governors • Advisory Council

30. - An American Revolution- • By 1760 King George III starts to deal with • the colonies more firmly. Needing more • money because of the French and • Indian war, the king implements stricter • laws on trade and new taxes. American Revolution (1770-1776)

31. Although the colonists still feel like loyal British • subjects, they do not believe that Parliament • (Like America’s Congress) has a right to control • their local affairs. • The Colonists official declared their • Independence July 4th 1776. All my subjects must pay! They won’t pay their Taxes King can kiss my

32. The Declaration of Independence was drafted • by Thomas Jefferson and a committee • of 4 others; John Adams, Ben Franklin, • Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston. • The Purpose of the Declaration was to • explain and justify the reasons for becoming • a new nation. • People have the natural rights, to “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness”. • A Government gets its power from the people. • If a gov’t fails the people, then the people have the right to abolish it.

33. Shortly after the official break with England a confederation was set up to govern the newly freed Colonies, The Confederate States of America. • The American Revolution ends with theTreaty of Paris,September 3, 1783. The Americans were represented by Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and John Jay. The terms called for Great Britain to recognize American Independence, remove British troops from American soil and to give America all the territory between the Mississippi River and the Allegheny Mountains too.