State versus Nation

• A state is a political community in a precise territory.

• A nation refers to a sizable group of people united by common race, language, custom or religion.

• Countries in which the territories of both the state and nation coincide are referred to as nation-states.

Four Essential Features of a State

1. population—the people

2. territory—established boundaries

3. sovereignty—supreme and absolute authority within its boundaries

4. government—central institution

United States Acquisitions

• Government is the institution through which a state:

– maintains social order;

– provides public services; and

– enforces decisions that are binding on all its residents.

Essential Features of a State (cont.)

Theories of origins of the State

1. Evolutionary Theory

– The state evolved from the family.

– The head of the primitive family served as government authority.

2. Force Theory

– The state was born of force, or the need to resist an enemy.

– A state emerged when everyone in an area was brought under the authority of one person or group.

3. Divine Right Theory

– Certain people are chosen by a god or gods to rule.

– Divine right describes European monarchs in the 1600s and 1700s.

• Social Contract Theory– Thomas Hobbes promoted the idea of a

social contract in which people surrendered their freedom to the state, but in return they received order and security.

– John Locke believed that in a state of nature, men and women had certain natural rights including the rights to:• life,• liberty, and• property.

Purposes of Government

• Four primary purposes:

1. Maintain social order2. Provide public services

3. Provide security and defense

4. Provide for the economy

Government Systems

• Two primary systems of government:

1. Unitary system

• Gives key powers to the central government.

2. Federal system

• Divides key powers between national and state government.

Constitutions and Government

• Constitution - An incomplete guide that states goals and provides a framework for governing.

• Constitutional government - limits the powers of those who govern.

• Most written constitutions describe the procedure for amending, or changing, the constitution.

Politics and Government

• Politics – The struggle to control government and manage societal conflicts that could influence the lives of individuals.

• People participate in politics to:

1. Influence what benefits and services the government supplies

2. Turn their values and beliefs into public policy.

• Politics can affect several key matters:

– Air and water quality

– Economic conditions

– Peace and war

– Citizen’s rights and freedoms

Politics and Government (cont.)

Governing in a Complex World

• Inequalities among countries can be divided into two major groups:

– Industrialized nations - Nations with large industries and advanced technology to provide a comfortable way of life.

– Developing nations - Nations that are only beginning to develop industry.

Major Types of Government

• Aristotle’s three major types of governments are:

1. Autocracy:

– One person has all authority.

– Example: A monarchy in which a king, queen or emperor inherits the throne and heads the state.

Comparing Governments

2. Oligarchy:– A small group holds power.– Oligarchs derive their power from wealth,

social position, military power or a combination of these.

– Example: Former Soviet Union

3. Democracy:

– The people govern either directly or through representatives.

– In a republic voters elect representatives.

Major Types of Government (cont.)

Characteristics of Democracy

• Four main characteristics:

1. Individual liberty • All people are as free as possible to

develop their talents.2. Majority rule with minority rights

• Elected representatives enact laws that reflect the will of the majority of lawmakers.

• The rights of the minority are respected and protected.

3. Free elections • Everyone’s vote carries the same weight.

Characteristics of Democracy (cont.)

• Citizens vote by secret ballot without coercion or fear of punishment.

4. Competing political parties.

• Rival parties make elections meaningful by giving voters a choice.

Essential Elements for a Democracy

• Five essential elements:

1. Citizen Participation

• Citizens must be willing to participate in civic life.

2. Favorable Economy• The economy must be prosperous and

distribute wealth to many members of society.

3. Widespread Education

• most people are educated.

• Civil society is made up of a network of voluntary associations—economic, political, charitable, religious, and many others that exist outside of government.

Essential Elements for a Democracy (cont.)

4. Strong Civil Society

5.Social Consensus• Most people accept democratic values

and generally agree about the purpose and limits of government.

Content Vocabulary

• economics

• capitalism

• free market

• laissez-faire

• socialism

• proletariat

• bourgeoisie

• communism

• command economy

Academic Vocabulary

• consumer

• regulation

• capacity

Reading Strategy

Create a graphic organizer like the one below to explain the five characteristics of capitalism.

A. A

B. B

C. C

A. capitalismB. socialismC. communism

Which type of economic system do you consider most limiting to the individual citizen?

A B C

0% 0%0%

The Role of Economic Systems

• Economics is the study of how limited resources are used to satisfy people’s seemingly unlimited wants.

• All economic systems answer three questions:

– What and how much should be produced?– How should goods and services be

produced?

– Who gets the goods and services that are produced?

• Economic systems of societies with more political freedom generally have less government regulation than societies with less political freedom.

The Role of Economic Systems (cont.)

A. A

B. B

C. C

An economic system must answer which question?

A. What products and services should be produced?

B. What products and services are most valuable?

C. How much should products and services cost?

A B C

0% 0%0%

Capitalism

• Capitalism has five characteristics:

– Private ownership and control of property and economic resources.

– Free enterprise

• Despite significant government regulation, the United States’ economic policies aim to preserve a free market.

• Capitalism employs a market system based on competition between buyers and sellers with an emphasis on freedom of choice and individual incentive for workers, investors, consumers and business enterprises.

• A free market places no limits on the freedom of buyers and sellers to make economic decisions.

Capitalism (cont.)

• The idea of a laissez-faire economy was advanced by Adam Smith in The Wealth of Nations.

– Laissez-faire is French for “to let alone.”

– Smith said that the actions of buyers and sellers, not the government, should determine what is produced and bought.

Capitalism (cont.)

• Mixed economies mix elements of capitalism and socialism.

A. A

B. B

C. C

Which statement is true of a laissez-faire economy?

A. Government and markets have equal control.

B. Government allows the market to determine what is produced and bought.

C. Government promotes capitalism by eliminating free trade.

A B C

0% 0%0%

Socialism

• Socialism is an economic system in which a government:

– owns the basic means of production,

– determines the use of the resources,

– distributes the products and wages, and

– provides social services such as education, health care, and welfare.

• Democratic Socialists are socialists who are committed to democracy in the political sphere but want better distribution of economic goods.

• Under this government, citizens have basic democratic rights like free speech and free elections but the government owns key industries and makes economic decisions.

Socialism (cont.)

Communism

• Communism is the economic system advanced by German philosopher Karl Marx in The Communist Manifesto.

– The proletariat: the industrial working class, concentrated in factories

– The bourgeoisie: the middle class and owners of industrial capital such as factories and land

• Marx defined three classes that emerged during the Industrial Revolution.

• Under communism, Marx predicted there would only be one class—the working class.

Communism (cont.)

– The capitalists: the ruling class with power over resources

• A command economy is one in which the government decides what to produce, how much to produce and how to distribute the goods and services that are produced.

A. A

B. B

C. C

D. D A B C D

0% 0%0%0%

In a government with a socialist economic system, the basic means of production are owned by

A. the government.B. the market.C. the working class.D. the individual.