People and Government Glynn County School System人民和政府格林县学校系统.pptxVIP

People and Government Chapter 1 Principles of Government Section 1 Basic Questions What is the proper function of government? What form of government serves best? Where or why did government originate? Is government really necessary? What does government have to do with my life? Origins of Government Many terms and concepts of government originated in ancient Greece and Rome. Aristotle, a scholar in ancient Greece, was one of the first students of government Politics Democracy Republic (all terms that originated in ancient Greece) What is a State? A state is a political community that occupies a definite territory and has an organized government with the power to make and enforce laws without approval from any higher authority The term country has basically the same meaning as the term state. The term state comes from the Latin word that means “to stand.” The United States is one of more than 160 states in the world today. What is a Nation? A nation is any sizable group of people who are united by common bonds or race, language, custom, tradition and sometimes, religion. The term nation is often used to describe an independent state or country. Four Essential Features of a State Population Territory Sovereignty Government States where the population shares a general political and social consensus (agreement) about basic beliefs have the most stable governments. The mobility of the population often leads to a shift in political power. A state has established boundaries (territory) that sometimes change as a result of war, negotiations or purchase. Four Essential Features of a State Population Territory Sovereignty Government The key characteristic of a state is sovereignty. Political sovereignty means that the state has supreme and absolute authority within its territorial boundaries. In theory, no state has the right to interfere with the internal affairs of another state. In reality, states with great economic strength and military capabilities