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A great way to study for tests! Cheers--Albania with Coach and Sam

UNIT 1

Role of Government

ROLE OF GOVERNMENT

SECTION 1: GOVERNMENT AND THE PUBLIC GOOD

What is Government?—5 components

Government: an institution with the power to make and enforce rules and regulations for a group of people

Rules apply to everyone with the political unit (state)

Sovereignty: the exclusive right of an independent state to reign supreme and base absolute power over a geographic region and its people

Laws: rules created or recognized by government

Public policy: what government decides to do or not do; government laws, rules, or expenditures

Origins of Government In past—kings and queens receive power from

God Legitimacy: rightful authority any government

has over its citizens 1600’s: Thomas Hobbes’ social contract

People give up individual sovereignty to the state; in exchange, the state provides peace and order

John Locke: government gets its power from the people Natural rights: government should protect natural

rights of people; if not, people should revolt OR Basic rights the government can not deny

Thomas Hobbes—social contract theory

John Locke—Natural rights

YOUTUBE VIDEO: DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HOBBES AND LOCKE

Video

5 Functions of Government

1. Maintainin

g order

• Enforce laws that protect safety and security of people and property

• Protect people from unfair business practice• Hiring/firing laws based of race, gender,

religion• Regulate commerce and trade

• Protect from foreign invasion

2. Providing services

• Build roads• Inspects food and medicine• Mail• Assists needy• Builds schools

5 Functions of Government

3. Resolving conflict

• politics: the process by which people participating in gov. express opinions about what gov. should or should not do

• court system

4. Promoting

Values

• values: basic principles by which people act and live their lives• gov. helps promote values by passing laws and setting policies

5. The Public Good

• the public interest or the well-being of society as a whole• good gov. pursues policies for the good of the people• what is the common good??? All people have different views and

gov. tries to figure it out

ROLE OF GOVERNMENT

Section 2: Forms of Government

Forms of Government

Forms of Governmen

t

Monarchies

Democracies

Dictatorships

Theocracies

Form of Government

Definition Source of Authority

Monarchy a. Absolute: King/queen has absolute powerb. Constitutional: King/queen power limited by a

Constitution

Birth/Passed down

Democracy a. Presidential: 1. Executive and legislative branches are separate of each

other2. Chief executive is the president3. Executive and legislative branches are chosen in

separate elections

b. Parliamentary:1. Chief executive is prime minister2. Executive is chose by the legislative branch (parliament)

The people /elections

Dictatorship

Power is with 1 or a small group of people Force/secret police/no rights to the people

Theocracy Political power in hands of religious leader Religion

Countries and their form of government

CIA World Factbook

Power Among Levels of Government

Unitary System central gov. holds all power local gov. has no power

Federal System National, state, and local gov. share powers

Confederate System Each state is represented in a central

organization Central gov. carries out policies made by

reps

ROLE OF GOVERNMENT

Section 3: Democracy

Forms of Democracy Direct democracy

Laws are made directly by all citizens Representative democracy

People elect representatives to make decisions

US gov is representative democracy

Benefits of Democracy1. Allowing

Choice• Free Elections• Free Speech2. Recognizing Individual Worth

• All citizens are valued• People have opportunity to succeed or fail

3. Promote Respect for Law• If citizens participate in gov, they will respect the laws• Citizens can challenge the fairness of a law

4. Protecting Minority Rights• Majority rules• Minority rights are respected

5. Promoting the Public Good• If all citizens participate, decisions will be made to promote the

public good