Chapter 1 Flashcards
What is the solution to problems of man?
Government
Major Problems Faced By Man
- Survival
2. Getting along with society
Define: Government
An institution through which society resolves conflicts allocates resources
Define: Allocates
Divides
Define: Politics
A process whereby collective decisions are made
Basic Principles Of Government
- Government is the only legitimate institution that can exert force
- Government can obtain compliance through consent or force
- Individuals must lose freedom under a government
Common Assumptions About Government
- Public officials operate within the law
- Government decisions are responsive to public need
- Public officials are accountable
- Government belongs to the people
Define: State (Nation State)
Body of people living in a defined territory, organized politically and having the power to make and enforce law without the consent of a higher authority
To Be A State You Must Have
- Population
- Territory
- Government
- Sovereignty: Must have supreme power within borders
Problem of Government (Democracy)
How to balance individual freedom against the collective good of all citizens
Factors That Influence Government
- Nationalism
- Religion
- Private property
- Popular culture
- Education
- Participation and Cooperation
Origins Of The State
- Force Theory
- Evolutionary Theory
- Divine Theory
- Social Contract Theory
Unitary
All power is in a centralized agency
Confederate
A league of sovereign states grouped around a central government (usually this government is weak)
Federal
Power is divided by a written constitution between a central and regional government
