Characteristics of a State
State:
political unit with the power to make and enforce laws over a
group of people living within a clearly defined territory
4 Characteristics:
•Population—Must have people; number does not matter
•Territory—Must have clearly defined and recognized borders
•Government—issues and enforces rules for the people living within its
territory; government must be recognized from within and by other nation
states in the international community
•Sovereignty—Must have supreme power to act within its territory and to
control its external affairs
What Is Government?
Government:
is made up of the formal institutions and processes through
which decisions are made for a group
of people.
Three main components:
People: elected officials & public servants who carry out gov.
business
Power:
Legislative to make laws; Executive to carry out laws; Judicial
to interpret laws
Policy: Decision made by government in pursuit of a goal; can be a
law, a gov. program, or a set of gov. actions
The Classic Forms of Government
Monarchy
-led by king or queen; inherit power
-most common form of rule in world history; rare
today (Jordan & Saudi Arab.)
-example of an autocracy (pwr. in one person’s
hands)
-constitutional monarchy: most common monarchy
today; limited power (UK); figureheads
“Power tends to corrupt and absolute power tends to corrupt absolutely”
Lord Acton
-One person or a small group of people hold unlimited
power over government
Dictatorship
1
2
3
-maintain power by force
-Totalitarian governments dominate all aspects of life
-Oligarchy rule by a few
-113 million murdered
-Theocracy- rule by a small group of religious leaders
(Iran)
Democracy
”rule by the people” (majority rule)
-Direct democracy-ancient Greece (small pop.)
-Republic: Representative democracy (large pop.)
-Most common form of government today
Organizing National Power
Unitary System
(U.K.)
-most common system used in the world today
-Sovereignty rests in a single national government
-local gov. can exist—but can be overruled or
abolished by natl. gov.
Federal System
(U.S.)
-power over people & land divided between natl.
gov. & regional (state) gov.
-neither level can be abolished or operate
completely independently
Confederal
System
(European Union)
-Uncommon today
-independent states govern their own people &
land while maintaining a weak central gov.
-only responsible for functions important to
group of states (trade & defense)
Organizing National Power
Under which system does the regional governments have the most power?
Under which system does the central government have the most power?
Under which system is power shared among the regional governments?
Answer these questions
1. Why is it easier to pass laws with a parliamentary
System?
2. How does the Presidential system prevent the
president from abusing his power?
3. Why is it more difficult to pass laws in a Presidential
system?
4. Why is gridlock less of a problem in parliamentary
systems?
Answer these questions—you may use your notes & textbook.
1. What are 4 characteristics of nation-states?
2. Identify the 5 functions of government.
3. What are the classic forms of government?
4. What was the most common form of government in the
past?
5. What is the most common form of government today?
Political Systems
Democracy
What is the most
common form of
Government in the world
today?
Most Democracies
are divided into two
Political Systems
Presidential System
Presidential (U.S.)
Parliamentary (U.K.)
-President is head of state & the
executive branch
-President’s power is balanced by
legislative branch (each have checks
on pwr.)
-Disadvantages: This leads to gridlock
Parliamentary
System
-Executive and legislative branches
are one entity
-parliament is elected directly by the
people
-Prime Minister is picked by majority
party in parliament
-Advantages: less gridlock & easier to
pass laws
-Disadvantage: voting public don’t
directly elect Prime Minister