1. Objective
SWBAT describe the four purposes of government and their
importance in creating a functional society in order to explain what
life would be like without government.
•Maryland law requires that an individual must wear a
helmet when riding on, or driving a motorcycle. What is
the purpose of this law?
A. to decrease the sale of motorcycles
B. to prevent crashes involving motorcycles
C. to protect motorcycle riders from possible injuries
D. to increase the sales of protective gear for
motorcycle riders
Warm-Up
Answer and give me a sentence explaining your choice.
4. Government
• the institution through which the state maintains
social order, provides public services, and enforces
binding decisions on citizens.
• Characteristics
1. has one or more leaders that ensure it exists
2. there is no government without people (the
governed)
• Ex: The United States Government
• Non-Ex: Chaos; people stealing, looting, and killing
in order to survive
5. Social Order
• a set of linked social structures, social institutions
and social practices which conserve, maintain and
enforce "normal" ways of relating and behaving
• Characteristics
1. the type of government decides the “normal” ways of
behaving.
2. enforced through binding laws or agreements.
• Ex: Having to raise your hand in class
• Non-Ex: Everybody talking whenever they want to
6. Public Service
• services provided by the government to the public
with the purpose of enhancing the general well-
being, or welfare, of individuals, communities, and
states.
• Characteristics
1. provide people with items that they could not have
on their own
2. includes the enforcement of laws
• Ex: Welfare checks and road services
• Non-Ex: A police officer not following the laws
7. National Security
• maintain the survival of the nation through the use of
economic, military and political power, as well as
working with foreign countries.
• Characteristics
1. can protect people from harm and terrorism
2. includes creating good relationships with other
countries
• Ex: Having a navy defend the seas surrounding a
country
• Non-Ex: Having an alarm on all houses in a country
8. Economic Decisions
• financial decisions made in order to prevent conflict,
ensure well-being of the state, and make sure basic
needs of the people are met.
• Characteristics
1. includes taxing people
2. includes payments and public services
• Ex: Deciding how and where to build roads /
Budgets
• Non-Ex: Spending tax dollars on personal items.
9. Purposes of Government
• Government provides social order
• People need government to protect them
from themselves and others.
• Government prevents conflict and dispute.
• Creates laws and gives people an orderly way
of settling issues.
• Stop signs and stoplights are an example of social
order.
10. Purposes of Government
• Government provides public services
• Can do for people what an individual cannot
alone.
• Promotes the general welfare through projects
that serve the community.
• Promotes the general welfare by enforcing laws
that promote safety and health.
• State legislators pass laws that ban talking on the cell
phone while driving.
11. Purposes of Government
• Government provides national security
• Protects individuals within a society from outside
harm.
• Promotes positive relationships with other
countries through trade and treaties.
• Prevents attacks through the use of military
intelligence.
• Preventing terrorist attacks
12. Purposes of Government
• Government makes economic decisions
• Government can use this power to ensure basic
needs of all are met.
• Decide how to tax individuals in order to
provide public services, such as roads.
• Directs the economic growth of cities and
number of jobs in a community.
• Plan how and where cities should grow in order to
promote the well-being of citizens.
13. Guided Practice
1. Social Order
1. Make a list of AT LEAST
5 every-day examples for
each purpose of
government.
2. In 4 sentences, explain
why one of your examples
is important for having
government.
Relate your answer to the
purpose of government you
are working on.
1. Stop signs
2. Police Officers
3. Speed Limits
4. Cross walks
5. Laws
6. Courts
We need to have laws in order to maintain social
order, because if we didn’t people would do
whatever they wanted to.
If people did what they wanted to, then we would
always have to hide our things and watch our backs.
If we have to spend all of our time watching our
backs, we could never do anything fun.
This is because they would try to take our things.
14. Guided Practice
1. Social Order
3. In 4 sentences, explain
what life would be like if
government did NOT
provide the service you
gave in your example.Focus
on the purpose of
government that you are
currently working on.
If we did not have laws, then the world would be
a scary place.
I would be fearful because I could be shot, or
killed because somebody just felt like doing that
to me.
Laws prevent most people from hurting others,
because they know they will have to go to jail
and suffer consequences.
Without consequences, the world would be a
chaotic place that I would not want to live in.
Therefore, we need government.
