Government Flashcards
Aristotle
The one that said government and leaders should be split into numbers
Authoritarian Governments
Values order and control over personal freedom
AUTOCRACY Rule by: Oldest: Several forms- Totalitarian Dictatorship: Monarchy: Absolute Monarchy: Constitutional Monarchy:
One Most common Single leader King, Queen, emperor Complete control Shared with legislatures
Constitution
“We the people”
How we are governed
Republic
Example of limited government
DEMOCRACY Rule by: People hold: Direct vs. Representative Another name for democracy:
The people Sovereign Power Direct: people direct laws themselves Representative: elect representatives to make laws and the people abide by then Republic
Declaration of Independence
Example of limited government
John Locke
Supported democracy
People naturally given rights to life, liberty and property
To preserve rights gave power to government
Unalienable rights
John Locke
Rights that cannot be taken away from you
Equal Rights
John Locke
Belief that all persons regardless of sex, race, ethnicity etc. have the same rights as everyone else
Limited government
John Locke & Thomas Hobbes
Does not have absolute authority
Consent of the governed
John Locke
Governments gain their authority from their people, it isn’t legitimate if the people don’t give their consent
Natural rights
John Locke
Life liberty and property
OLIGARCHY
Rule by:
Derives power from various sources:
Many times =
Small # of people
Wealth, Military power, social position and religion
= communist countries
Purposes of government
Maintain social order
Provide public services
Provide national security
Make economic decisions
Republic
Ruled by elected leader
Vote for leader
State
Political community that is in a specific territory and has an organized government with the power to make and enforce laws without approval of any higher authority
Theories of the origin of the state
Evolutionary
Force
Divine right
Social contract (Hobbes & Locke)
Theories of the origin of the state
Evolutionary
Head of family
Hunter and gatherer societies
Large extended families needed more order
Theories of the origin of the state
Force
Early civilization
People brought under authority of one person/group
Large civil works projects
Theories of the origin of the state
Divine rights
Early civilizations up to recent times
Descendants of gods or chosen by gods
To oppose a monarch is to oppose god
Theories of the origin of the state
Social contract
Hobbes
Dictatorship
In nature no government resists
Need government to protect from eachother
people surrender to state to maintain order
Protect citizens who could not rebel
Theories of the origin of the state
Social contract
Locke
Democracy
Naturally given rights
Life liberty property
If failed to preserve rights people could rebel
Thomas Hobbes
State of nature
How humans would act with no government
Savage selfishness
Thomas Hobbes
State of war
In nature people were always at war w one another
Do anything they pleased and in constant fear
Essential features of state
Population
Territory
Sovereignty
Government
Essential features of state
Population
People living in a state
Essential features of state
Territory
Established boundaries
Essential features of state
Sovereignty
Supreme/absolute authority within territory
Essential features of state
Government
Used to maintain social order, provide public service and enforce decisions
