This document discusses why people should care about power, politics, and government. It notes that Americans have historically been distrustful of authority and government due to experiences like British rule prior to the Revolutionary War. It also notes that three-fourths of Americans today say they can only trust the government some of the time. Government exists to maintain order, protect people and property, and provide public goods, but to do so it needs powers of coercion and revenue collection. Understanding these concepts of power, politics, and government is important.

1. Essential Question – Unit One
Why should you care about
power, politics and government ?

2. The United States of America was born in an explosion of
rebellion and mistrust against authority.
In the late 1700s many American colonists had lost faith in
the British Monarchy’s (government) ability to rule them.
government: institutions and officials organized to make and
carry out public policy.
Mistrust of the government did not end
with the American victory against the
British in the Revolutionary War.
It continues to this day!1.1
authority: the legal right and power to give orders and
enforce rules.

3. In 2011, more than a thousand Americans were asked this question in an
opinion poll .
“How much of the time do you think you can
trust the government to do what is right?”
 Just about always
 Most of the time
 Only some of the time
Three fourths answered, "only some of the time”
Is there a reason why some people have the
attitude that the government cannot be trusted?
Is government at its best, in the words of Thomas Paine,
“a necessary evil”?
1.1

4. Is mistrust of government related to who has the
power?
power: the ability to make others behave as they might not
otherwise choose to.
The power to rule can be gained—or lost—in many ways.
The stories of many countries throughout history are filled
with violent overthrows of one government or another and
the unending fight for power.
However, the history of the United States
Government involves mostly peaceful
transfers of power.
1.2

5. What is power, and how is it used?
Power is a difficult concept to define. The
sociologist Max Weber defined power as "the
possibility of forcing one’s will upon other
people.
The one thing all countries have in common is
that they have leaders (kings, emperors
Presidents, etc.) who have the power to rule.
Where do leaders get their
power from?
1.2

6. Whatever its source, the
power to rule can be used for
both positive or negative
purposes.
Governments throughout the ages have
relied on a combination of sources of
power.
1.2
Where does the government get its power?

7. What is abuse of power?
abuse of power: the misuse of authority for
harmful, unethical, or illegal ends.
• Thomas Paine said that British rule of the
colonies was “a long and violent abuse of
power.”
• In his view, “a thirst for absolute power is the
natural disease of the monarchy. “
1.2

8. How is power related to authority?
People with the right to use power are said to have authority.
Authority - power or right to command or make final decisions.
Authority to rule is sometimes given through tradition.
For example, parents have authority over their children. Religious
leaders have authority over their congregations.
In government, authority to rule is given through formal authority.
formal authority: power to give orders and enforce rules that has
been defined in a legal or official way.
The source of their formal authority might be a constitution, a
contract, or another legal document.
Can you think of examples of people with
formal authority?
School principals, teachers, judges, police
officers and presidents.1.2

9. What gives a ruler legitimacy?
legitimacy: A person or law that is accepted as an authority.
• Leaders whose power and authority are accepted by the
people they govern are said to have legitimacy.
• Legitimacy rises and falls depending on the willingness of
those being led to follow those doing the leading.
• In the 1500s, powerful European monarchs proclaimed a
doctrine of legitimacy, known as the divine right of kings.
Divine Right of the King: idea that European monarchs had a
God-given right to rule and deserved absolute power.
1.2

10. • The English philosophers Thomas Hobbes and John
Locke introduced the social-contract theory of
government.
Social Contract theory – legitimacy of a
government comes from an unwritten contract
between the ruler and the ruled.
The people agree to obey a ruler in exchange for the ruler’s
promise to protect their rights.
A ruler who breaks this contract by abusing power loses
legitimacy and should be removed from power.
1.2
Besides for the Divine Right of Kings
what gives a ruler legitimacy?

11. What is the purpose of our government?
Foundations of government include:
1. Maintaining public order
2. Protecting life and property
3. Providing public goods (something that everyone has a right to
use and can not be used up)
– Examples roads, schools, libraries, parks
1.3

12. What powers must a government
have to maintain itself?
1. Coercion refers to the various ways in which
government can use its power to force citizens
to behave in certain ways.
– military, police, the courts, and the prison system
2. Revenue Collection – money needed to provide
security and pay for public goods. They get that
money from the people they govern or control.
For example: taxes
1.3

13. Who should rule?
(few or many)
1.1
Government takes many forms.
2,000 years ago an ancient Greek
philosopher Aristotle (father of
political science) thought that a
government led by one ruler may
lead to an abuse of power.
He said, “rule by the well-
intentioned many would suit most
societies.” He called this kind of
government a polity.
Aristotle's’ writings influenced
the thinking of the founders of
the United States.

14. Modern Thoughts on Government
• nation-state: an independent country in which the
people share a common culture and language
All nation-states share these four characteristics:
1. Territorial integrity - occupies a specific geographic
territory, with internationally recognized boundaries.
2. Stable population - has people living permanently
within its boundaries.
3. Code of laws - people of a nation-state agree to live
under a common legal system.
4. National sovereignty - independent and self-
governing.
1.3
Is the United States a nation- state?

15. Which political games do people
play?
Politicians and citizens who engage in political
activity to gain something, are all involved in the
“game of politics.”
1.4

16. 1.1
A
B
C
D
E
1 Horse Trading
2 ______ Walkout
3 ______ Power Struggling
4 _____ Demolition Derby
5 _______Civil Disobedience
Matching Political Games
D
A
E
C
B

17. Throughout our history, Americans have tended to be distrustful
of power, government, and politics.
• Power - ability to make people act in ways they might not
otherwise choose to act. The power to influence others
comes from many sources, ranging from formal authority to
coercion. It can be used for both good and evil.
• Government - people organize governments to keep order
and provide public goods, such as roads and national defense.
To accomplish this, governments must have a way to coerce
the population and to get revenue from it.
• Politics When people work to influence the decisions made
by groups, they are involved in political activity.
1
Why should you care about power, politics and government?
(Summary)