features of a state/purposes of the government Flashcards
What are the features of a state?
Population, territory, sovereignty, and government
What is population?
A body of people
What is territory?
Living in a defined space
What is the sovereignty for?
With the power to make and enforce laws without having to check with any higher authority
What is the government for?
And with an organization to do this
What are the 4 roles of the government?
Protect the country, help citizens, keep order, and make laws
What are the four theories of how governments came into existence?
The evolutionary theory, the force theory, the divine right theory, and the social contract theory
What is the evolutionary theory?
As the extended family grew in size, the elders became the governing body of that society
What is the force theory?
Those who were stronger and/or had the backing of a military brought areas under their control by force and thus became the government
What is the divine right theory?
The people in some societies believed that their leaders (Kings, Emperors, etc.) were chosen by God so by obeying these leaders they were obeying God.
What is the social contract theory?
The people saw the brutality of life w/out laws, so they agreed to create a government and accepted the government’s authority over them. In exchange, the people expected the government to protect them.
When and where did democratic government first develop?
Many historians believed that democracy first developed in Ancient Athens approximately 508 BC
What is the difference between a state and a nation?
State: a political community that
occupies a definite territory, has an
organized government, and has
sovereignty (has supreme & absolute
authority w/in its territorial boundaries)
Nation: a sizeable group of people
that share common bonds of race,
language, customs, and religion
