What Is Government?

1
What Is Government?

• The institution through which the state maintains
  social order, provides public services, and
  enforces binding decisions on citizens.
• How is government involved in your life?
• What signs of government do you see everyday?

2

• Why do you think governments began?
• What were some of the reasons for having a
  government on your island?
• Public policies are the decisions and laws that a
  government makes in a particular area of public
  concern.

3
State or state?

• A State with a capital S is a State in the
  United States of America.
• A state with a lower case s is what most people
  call a country or nation.

4
Four characteristics of a state

• Population - The people share a political and
  social consensus.
• Which state has the smallest population?
• Vatican City 789 people (not a UN member)
• or
• Monaco 32,410 people

5
Located in the middle of Rome. It is the home of
the Pope, clergy, nuns, priests, and the Swiss
Guard.
Vatican City
6
Monaco has more millionaires per capita than any
other country in the world.
7
Four characteristics of a state

• Largest population
• Peoples Republic of China (1,315,000,000)

8
Four characteristics of a state

• 2. Territory - boundaries can change through
  war, negotiation, or purchase.
• Vatican City .17 square miles (108.7 acres)
• Monaco 1.95 square miles (481.9 acres)

9
Four characteristics of a state

• 1. Population
• 2. Territory
• Largest in area Russia (7 million square miles)

10
Four characteristics of a state

• 1. Population
• 2. Territory
• 3. Sovereignty
• Supreme
• and
• absolute
• power

11
Four characteristics of a state

• Population
• Territory
• Sovereignty
• Government
• How the state maintains order, provides public
  services, and enforces its decisions.

12
Origin of the state

• Evolutionary theory
• heads of families were the government until they
  needed more organization
• Force theory
• all the people of one area were forced to accept
  the authority of one person or group

13
Origin of the state

• Divine right theory
• God or gods chose certain people to rule

• Social contract theory
• without authority people are nasty and brutish
  to each other so people surrendered to the state
  the power needed to maintain order. People give
  the state power and in return, the state protects
  its citizens.

14
Purposes of Government

• 1.    Maintaining Social Order provide ways of
  resolving conflict make and enforce laws
• 2.    Providing Public Services provide the
  essential services that make community life
  possible and promote the general welfare
• 3.    Providing National Security protect the
  people against attack by other states or from
  threats such as terrorism
• 4. Making Economic Decisions bridge the gap
  between rich and poor to prevent civil war
  decide on a money system can influence every
  individuals economic decisions