What is Government What is Government l Purpose

What is Government?

What is Government? l Purpose ¡Enforce Public Policies (what are they? ) ¡Security v. Freedom l Characteristics ¡ 3 Branches l. Legislative l. Executive l. Judicial • Most bound by a constitution

State l What is a state? ¡A body of people, living in a defined territory, organized politically and with the power to make and enforce law without the consent of any higher authority. l Nation v. Country

Characteristic of a State l Population l Territory l Sovereignty l Government

Origins of Government l Force Theory l Evolutionary Theory l Divine Right Theory l Social Contract

Classifying Governments 1. Who can participate? 2. The geographic distribution of governmental power within the state 3. The relationship between the legislative and executive branches of government

Who can participate? l Democracy l Despotism ¡Autocracy ¡Oligarchy

Who can participate? Democracy l Supreme political authority rests w/ people l People hold sovereign power and government is conducted only by & with the consent of the people l “government of the people, by the people and for the people. ” –Abraham Lincoln

Who can participate? Democracy l Direct- (pure democracy)- people themselves create the policies ¡Practical for small communities l Indirect- (representative democracy)group of people are chosen to represent specific populations

Who can participate? Democracy

Who can participate? Despotism l Those who’s rule cannot be held responsible to the will of the people l Oldest and most common throughout history ¡Autocracy ¡Oligarchy l Totalitarian l Usually gain power through force

Geographic Distribution of Power l Unitary Government l Federal Government l Confederate Government

Geographic Distribution of Power Unitary Government l Centralized l Great Britain—Parliament ¡Local Governments only to relieve burden of menial tasks l Doesn’t mean Dictatorship!!!

Geographic Distribution of Power Federal Government l Division of Power l Ex: USA, Australia, Canada, Mexico, Germany, Switzerland, India and 20+ others

Geographic Distribution of Power Confederate Government l Alliance of independent states l Ex: USA Between 1781 -1789, EU

Relationship between Legislative and Executive Branches l Presidential Government (USA, France) ¡Executive and legislative branches of the Government are separate ¡Independent ¡Equal l Parliamentary (Great Britain, India) ¡Executive is the leader of the majority party

Types of Government l Anarchy l Democracy l Autocracy l Monarchy l Dictatorship l Oligarchy l Stratocracy l Theocracy l Plutocracy

Positives and Negatives of Government