Unit 1 – EQ1 – Forms of Government I. Principles of Government · The State – a political community with a defined territory and organized government to makeand enforcelaws · A Nation – a large group who are united by commonbond (race, language, custom, tradition, religion)
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Essential Features of a State: · Population – most obvious needis people (people’s value and movement affect the government) · Territory – needestablished boundaries. Sometimestheseare disputed and change · Sovereignty – state has supremeand absolute authority within its territory (in theory) · Government – the organized political unit that maintains social order and protects citizens
II. Typesof Governments · Limited Government - has established and respectedrestraints on their powers, such as laws and free elections. · Unlimited Government - Thosewho govern are unrestrained by laws or elections · Constitutional Government - The powers of the person or group in chargeare limited by a constitution.
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What kind of government does the United States have?
III. Examplesof Governments (and Economic Systems) · Autocracy – systemof government where power authority to rule are in the hands of a single individual · Totalitarian (Dictatorship) – the ideasof a single leader are gloried; Government seeksto control all aspects of social and economic life · Monarchies – Autocracy in which a king, queen, or emperor exercisesupremepowers of government · Democracies– Government in which the people rule (rule by the people) · Republic – Government in which voters hold sovereign power; elected representatives, responsible to the people, exercisethat power · Oligarchy – A systemof government in which a small group holds power (militarily)
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Socialism – Economic systemin which the government owns the basic meansof production, distributes the products and wages, and providessocial servicessuch as health care and welfare Communism– Economic systemin which the central government directs all major economic decisions