Role Of Government Discussion Questions Flashcards
What is government
An institution with the power to make and enforce rules for a group of people
Who does the government set rules for and what are its members called
Sets rules for citizens
What is sovereignty and how are laws made in sovereign states
Supreme power that a government has over its citizens and government makes and approves the laws
What is natural law and when does it apply
The system of justice that exists from nature and applies when government doesn’t exist
What are public policies
Plans to address certain areas of concern, most countries have thousands of laws
What was the divine right of kings
It was thought that rulers used to receive power to govern from god and it gave them the rightful government has over its citizens
What are social contracts
When you give individual sovereignty to the state to have peace and order
What are the four functions of government and examples
Maintain order - enforce laws to protect people
Provide services - provide things people can not provide themselves like roads and bridges
Resolve conflict - bring people together for common benefit, politics
Promote values - individual rights, equal opportunity, education
What is the public good and why must the government serve it
Term for public interest and well being of society as a whole and gov was created to help the public good
What are the natural rights everyone has
Life, liberty, pursuit of happiness
What were Hobbes views
People create the state by entering into a social contract
People give up individual rights to the state
State provides peace/order
Kings can not be overthrown once instituted
What were Locke’s views
Social contract creates a limited government that relies on people
Government is legitamite because people give it authority
The governments job is to secure people’s natural rights
The government can be overthrown once instituted
3 Forms of Government
Monarchies, Republic, and Dictatorship
Monarchy
Head of state is a hereditary position as King or Queen
Feudalism
Political system based on rule of local lords tied to monarchy by loyalty, if their power is reduced absolute monarchy occurs
