This document discusses the key features of states and governments. It defines the four essential features of a state as population, territory, sovereignty, and government. It notes that a state and country generally have the same meaning, referring to a political community with definite boundaries and independent sovereignty. The document also discusses theories on the origin of the state, such as evolving from the family, force, divine right, and social contract theory. It outlines the main purposes of government as maintaining social order, providing public services, ensuring national security, and controlling the nation's economy.

1. Chapter I
People and Government

2. Four Essential Features of
The State
• Population
– The people that make up the State
– Populations can be either homogenous or
heterogeneous
• Territory
– An area with fixed boundaries
– Can change because of war, purchase, annexation
• Sovereignty
– Absolute authority, within its territorial boundaries
• Government
– Maintains order, provides services, enforces decisions
– CIA World Factbook

3. State vs. Country?
• State and country generally have the
same meaning
– Political community
– definite boundaries
– Sovereignty – freedom to make rules and
laws without getting approval from another
– independent government

4. Section –I
Principles of Government
• How many countries are there in the world
today?
• The answer…
• 200 is probably the best current answer to
the question.

5. Why is there not an exact number?
• There are dozens of territories and
colonies that are sometimes erroneously
called "countries" but don't count at all
– Bermuda
– Puerto Rico
– Greenland
– Northern Ireland
– Scotland
– they're not fully independent countries

6. So, are PA and NY countries?
• Not exactly
• Political divisions in the United States are
called states because:
• When the colonies banded together to
fight the British, they thought of
themselves as independent countries.

7. Population
• Race –
• Ethnicity –
• Nationality

8. Race
• A group of people identified as distinct
from other groups because of supposed
physical or genetic traits
• Most biologists and anthropologists do not
recognize race as a biologically valid
classification.

9. Ethnicity
• a socially defined category of people who
identify with each other based on common
ancestral, social, cultural or national
experience

10. Nationality
• is the legal relationship between a person
and a state

11. DNA Discussion Project
• DNA Discussion Project

13. Theories of the Origin of the
State

14. Theories of the Origin of the
State
•Evolution
–Evolved from the
family

15. Theories of the Origin of the
State
•Force
•Submit authority to a
ruling force

16. Theories of the Origin of the
State
•Divine Right
•Rulers were chosen by
god

17. Theories of the Origin of the
State
•Social Contract Theory
• People gave Gov't power in return for
safety
• A government of “rules” not “rulers”

18. Locke vs. Hobbes
• Hobbes – “state of nature” world without
gov’t, “nasty, brutish, short”
• Locke – “life, liberty, and property”

19. The Purposes of Government
• Maintain Social Order
– Courts
– Pay Taxes
– Makes laws

20. The Purposes of Government
• Provide Essential Public Services
– School
– Police and Fire Services
– FDA
– Construction of Highways

21. The Purposes of Government
• National Security
– Armed Services
– Alliances or Treaties
– United Nations
– CIA

22. Control the Nations Economy
• Capitalism
• Socialism
• Communism
• Make Economic Decisions
– Money Supply
– Currency
– Interest Rate
– Banking
– Taxes