Government Test #1 Flashcards
Politics
A process, whereby collective decisions are made
Major problems faced by man and the solution to these problems?
1.survival
2.getting along with society
Solution: government
Basic Principles of Government
- It is the only legitimate institution that can exert force.
- government can obtain compliance through force
- Individuals must lose some kind of freedom under a government.
Basic objections to government
- Certain groups are neglected
- In an emergency government assumes to much power
- Citizens lose individual freedoms.
Why do we have government?
- Maintain social order
- To provide national security
- Provide for the collective good
Common assumptions about government
1, public officials operate within the law.
- Government decisions are responsive to public need.
- Public officials are accountable
- Government belong to the people
What does it take to be a state?
- population
- territory
- government
- sovreignty
What is the problem with government?
How to balance individual freedom against the collective good of all citizens
Factors that influence government
- Nationalism
- religion
- can reinforce nationalism
- can provide an ideology for conquest
- can set limits on wants - private property
- discourages riots and revolution - popular culture
- gives a sense of belonging - education
- workers are voters
- shapes peoples values - participation and cooperation
The force theory (Origins of the State)
Some people by sheer force took controll of the other people around them
Evolution Theory (Origins of the State)
Family tree grew majorly and the leader of the family evolved into the leader of a nation
Social contract theory (origins of the state)
Government started as an agreement among the people
Divine theory (origins of the state)
God has chosen a certain person to rule, or the leader of the govt is “god”. Like a pharaoh or Caesar
Geographic distribution of power
—–Unitary
All power is in a centralized agency
Geographic distribution of power
—-Confederate
- A league of sovereign states grouped around a central government.
- central govt is very weak
Geographic distribution of power
—-Federal
- Mixture of previous two
2. Power is divided by a written constitution between a central and regional government. USA
Presidential government
Executive and legislative are seperate and equal
Parliamentary government
-executive and legislative are not separate
Dictatorship
- Autocracy - One person w absolute power
2. Oligarchy - A small group has absolute power
Democracy
- Pure- everyone votes on everything, everyone has a say.
2. Republic(USA) - the people choose representatives to vote on their behalf.
Foundations of Democracy
- Every person has worth
- Equality of all people
- everyone is equal before to law. - Majority rule and Minority rights
- The necessity of compromise
- Individual freedom
3 Key Ideas of American Democracy
- Liberty
- freedoms to do what you want - Equality
- everyone is equal - Property
- people have the right for their property to be protected
