Chapter 1 PRINCIPLES OF GOVERNMENT Section 1 Government

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Chapter 1 – PRINCIPLES OF GOVERNMENT Section 1 Government & the State

Chapter 1 – PRINCIPLES OF GOVERNMENT Section 1 Government & the State

Guiding Question: • What is government and what is its purpose? Essential Question for

Guiding Question: • What is government and what is its purpose? Essential Question for Unit 1: What should be the goals of government? Essential Question for Chapter 1: Is government necessary?

Objectives: Define government and the basic powers every government holds. Describe the 4 defining

Objectives: Define government and the basic powers every government holds. Describe the 4 defining characteristics of a state. Identify 4 theories that attempt to explain the origin of the state. Understand the purpose of government in the US & other countries.

In Brief: • Government enables a society to protect the peace and carry out

In Brief: • Government enables a society to protect the peace and carry out its policies. • A state, not to be confused with one of the 50 states of the US, is a land with a people, defined territory, and sovereign government. • Several theories attempt to explain the origin of the state. Among these theories, the political philosophy of John Locke had the most profound impact on the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution. • The goals of the Federal Government are described in the Preamble of the Constitution.

FACTS: • Society makes & enforces public policies through the institution of government. •

FACTS: • Society makes & enforces public policies through the institution of government. • A state has a population, a defined territory, sovereignty, and a government. • Basic concepts of American government evolved from the Social Contract Theory. • The Preamble of the Constitution established the basic goals of democracy.

Enduring Understandings: • Government affects our daily lives by maintaining civil society, safeguarding rights,

Enduring Understandings: • Government affects our daily lives by maintaining civil society, safeguarding rights, and preventing anarchy. • Liberty is not absolute; One person’s freedom cannot infringe on the rights of others.

Terms to Know • Government - The institution through which a society makes and

Terms to Know • Government - The institution through which a society makes and enforces its public policies. • Public Policy - All the many goals that a government pursues in all of the many areas of human affairs in which it is involved. • Legislative Power - The power to make a law and to frame public policies. • Executive Power - The power to execute, enforce, and administer law. • Judicial Power - The power to interpret laws, to determine their meaning, and to settle disputes within the society.

Terms to Know (Continued) • Constitution - The body of fundamental laws setting out

Terms to Know (Continued) • Constitution - The body of fundamental laws setting out the principles, structures, and processes of a government. • Dictatorship - A form of government in which the leader has absolute power and authority. • Democracy - A form of government in which the supreme authority rests with the people. • State - A body of people living in a defined territory who have a government with the power to make and enforce law without the consent of any higher authority. • Sovereign - Having supreme power within one’s own territory; neither subordinate nor responsible to any other authority.

What is the difference between a government & a state? • Government is the

What is the difference between a government & a state? • Government is the institution through which society creates and enforces public policy. • A state is a body of people living in defined area with a government and the power to govern themselves.

Purpose of American Government: • To serve the citizens of the United States

Purpose of American Government: • To serve the citizens of the United States

Characteristics of a State • a) POPULATION • Large or small, every state must

Characteristics of a State • a) POPULATION • Large or small, every state must be inhabited (have a population). • b) TERRITORY • Every state must have land with known and recognized borders. • c) SOVEREIGNTY • The state has absolute power within its territory. It can decide its own foreign & domestic policies. • d) GOVERNMENT • Government is the mechanism through which a state makes and enforces its policies.

How did the state come to be? (4 Theories on the Origin of the

How did the state come to be? (4 Theories on the Origin of the State) • Force - An individual or group claimed control over a territory and forced the population to submit. In this way, the state became sovereign, and those in control formed a government. • Evolutionary - A population formed out of primitive families. The heads of those families became the government. When those families settled in one territory and claimed it as their own, they became a sovereign state. • Divine Right of Kings - God created the state, making it sovereign. The government is made up of those chose by God to rule a certain territory. The people (population) must obey their ruler. • Social Contract - A population in a given place (territory) gave up as much power to a government as needed to promote the well-being of all. In doing so, they created a sovereign state.

Constitution Principles & the Enlightenment • The Constitution was a product of the Enlightenment.

Constitution Principles & the Enlightenment • The Constitution was a product of the Enlightenment. • 17 th and 18 th Century intellectual movement • Science over religion • Emphasis on reason • Questioned authoritarian rule • Considered new ways to govern through natural rights & democracy. • Social contract with the governed conflicted with divine right of kings philosophy.

Constitution Principles & the Enlightenment (Continued) • Colonists brought Enlightenment ideas to America. •

Constitution Principles & the Enlightenment (Continued) • Colonists brought Enlightenment ideas to America. • Declaration of Independence & American Revolution • Enlightenment ideas put into practice for the first time • These ideas became the basic principles of the Constitution.

Constitution Principles: • Individual rights • Popular sovereignty • Limited government • Separation of

Constitution Principles: • Individual rights • Popular sovereignty • Limited government • Separation of Powers • Checks & balances

6 Purposes of Government for the United States • To form a more perfect

6 Purposes of Government for the United States • To form a more perfect union • To establish justice • To insure domestic tranquility • To provide for the common defense • To promote the general welfare • To secure blessings of liberty