HOBBES AND LOCKE AND LEVIATHAN
A government keeps order but begins taking citizens' property whenever it wants. This philosopher would argue that the government is failing one of its main purposes.
JOHN LOCKE
Five wealthy families control the legislature, major businesses, and most important government decisions. Elections exist, but these families retain the real power.
OLIGARCHY
This term means a state has the supreme power and authority to govern itself without being controlled by another state.
SOVEREIGNTY
Ancient Athens did not rely on just one group to make decisions. Name the three main “pillars” of Athenian government and give ONE job each performed.
1. The Assembly — citizens voted directly on laws and major decisions.
2. The Council of 500 — prepared laws/issues for the Assembly and handled daily government business.
3. The Courts — citizen juries decided legal cases and helped uphold the laws.
A constitution limits a president's power, but the president ignores it, makes laws alone, and no institution can stop him. Despite having a constitution, the government is operating as this type of government
UNLIMITED GOVERNMENT
The ruler's body is literally made of individual citizens. Explain the BIG IDEA Hobbes was communicating through this symbolism
Individuals come together under a social contract to create the power and authority of the government/state
After removing the civilian government, several high-ranking military officers announce that they will govern the country until further notice.
MILITARY JUNTA
Name ALL FOUR characteristics necessary for something to qualify as a sovereign state and define them.
What are population, territory, government, and sovereignty?
A wealthy foreign-born merchant lives and works in Athens for decades but cannot participate in its political system. He belongs to this group.
METICS
This principle means government's authority ultimately comes from the people.
CONSENT OF THE GOVERNED
Hobbes and Locke both supported government, but their different views of human nature led them to disagree most strongly about this.
What is how much POWER a government should have
Country X has a president rather than a king. The president controls the courts, legislature, military, and laws without meaningful limits. Which BROAD category of government best describes it?
AUTOCRACY
A group has people, land, and a government but another country has the final authority over its decisions. It is missing this characteristic of a state.
SOVEREIGNTY
Athens used majority rule to make decisions. But imagine 60% of citizens vote for a law that takes rights away from the other 40%. What important democratic principle is missing from this decision?
PROTECTING THE MINORITY, AKA MINORITY RIGHTS
This principle divides government power among different branches
SEPARATION OF POWERS
Both Hobbes and Locke believed people make this agreement with government, although they disagreed about how much power government should have.
SOCIAL CONTRACT
A country's constitution calls it a democracy and citizens vote every four years. However, one leader can make laws, silence opponents, and ignore the legislature. What feature is MORE important than the elections when classifying this government?
WHO ACTUALLY HAS THE POWER
Factories have been dumping waste into a river. The government now requires factories to meet new environmental standards and gives penalties to those that do not.
What is making laws
Unlike the United States today, Ancient Athens could use hundreds of citizens on a single jury. Why would Athens want such a large number of jurors deciding a case and why was that number always odd?
To make it harder for one person or a small group to control or unfairly influence the decision.
Always have an outcome
Clue:
A country has elections, a constitution, and calls itself a democracy. However, one leader can ignore the constitution, control the courts, make laws without approval, and prevent anyone from challenging his decisions.
Question: What TWO questions from our unit would help you determine what type of government this country actually has?
Who actually has the power?
Is that power truly limited?
A country is experiencing violence and chaos because nobody has enough authority to enforce its laws. Which philosopher's view of the state of nature does this situation most closely support, and why?
Who is Hobbes, because he believed life without strong government would become dangerous and chaotic?
When the country's ruler dies, his oldest daughter automatically becomes the new ruler. She does not campaign or win an election. The position has been passed down through the same family for generations.
What type of government is this, and what evidence proves it?
What is a Monarchy?
Evidence: Political power is inherited through a family rather than gained through an election.
CATEGORIZE THE FOLLOWING:
1.The government creates a program that provides meals to students whose families cannot afford them.
2. Another country places new limits on goods coming from the United States. U.S. leaders meet with that country’s leaders to negotiate new trade rules
3.After a major hurricane, thousands of families lose their homes. The government provides temporary housing, food, and financial assistance while communities rebuild.
4.A new type of technology is causing problems that the country’s old rules never addressed. The government decides what people and companies will be allowed to do with the technology and what will happen if they break the new rules.
DAILY DOUBLEEEEEEE
1.HELPS CITIZENS
2. DEALS WITH OTHER COUNTRIES
3. HELPS CITIZENS
4. MAKES LAWS
Athens is famous as a democracy, but women, enslaved people, and metics could not participate politically. What major question does this raise about Athenian democracy?
Can a government truly be democratic if most people living there cannot participate?
A president's action is stopped by another branch because it violates the Constitution. This demonstrates TWO ideas from limiting government.
CHECKS AND BALANCES
RULE OF LAW