Answer these questions in a small group

1. Why is government necessary?

2. What would life be like without government?
Purpose & Origins of
Government
Essential Questions: Why do all
societies need some form of
government? How did the world’s
earliest governments originate?
A. F.
E.

B.

What does government do for us?

D.
C.
 Maintain Social Order Provides Public Services

Purpose & Functions of

Government

Provide National Security Make Economic Decisions

 Maintain Social Order Provides Public Services
Our government makes laws to
prohibit “crimes” (murder, rape,
assault, theft, etc.) and punishes those
who break them. Government also
provides courts to resolve disputes
between individuals.

Purpose & Functions of

Government

Provide National Security Make Economic Decisions

 Maintain Social Order Provides Public Services
Our government makes laws to Our government provides public roads,
prohibit “crimes” (murder, rape, bridges, sewer systems, health &
assault, theft, etc.) and punishes those safety inspectors, public education,
who break them. Government also public libraries, etc.
provides courts to resolve disputes
between individuals.

Purpose & Functions of

Government

Provide National Security Make Economic Decisions

 Maintain Social Order Provides Public Services
Our government makes laws to Our government provides public roads,
prohibit “crimes” (murder, rape, bridges, sewer systems, health &
assault, theft, etc.) and punishes those safety inspectors, public education,
who break them. Government also public libraries, etc.
provides courts to resolve disputes
between individuals.

Purpose & Functions of

Government

Provide National Security Make Economic Decisions

Our government provides a military to
protect us from attack, provides border
patrol, provides intelligence agencies
to spy for potential threats, etc.
 Maintain Social Order Provides Public Services
Our government makes laws to Our government provides public roads,
prohibit “crimes” (murder, rape, bridges, sewer systems, health &
assault, theft, etc.) and punishes those safety inspectors, public education,
who break them. Government also public libraries, etc.
provides courts to resolve disputes
between individuals.

Purpose & Functions of

Government

Provide National Security Make Economic Decisions

Our government provides a military to Our government provides a monetary
protect us from attack, provides border system (U.S. Dollars), controls interest
patrol, provides intelligence agencies rates and inflation, and provides aid to
to spy for potential threats, etc. the poor so that Americans enjoy a
high standard of living.
 Evaluate the functions of
government

Which of these functions do you feel is most

important? Why is it the most important?
(answer in one complete sentence)
 Theories on the Origins of Government
Evolutionary Theory

Force Theory

How did governments

come into existence?

Divine Right Theory

Social Contract Theory (by Thomas Hobbes)

 Theories on the Origins of Government
Evolutionary Theory
As the extended family grew in size, the elders
became the governing body of that society.

Force Theory

How did governments

come into existence?

Divine Right Theory

Social Contract Theory (by Thomas Hobbes)

 Theories on the Origins of Government
Evolutionary Theory
As the extended family grew in size, the elders
became the governing body of that society.

Force Theory
Those who were stronger and/or had the backing of a
How did governments military brought areas under their control by force and
come into existence? thus became the government.

Divine Right Theory

Social Contract Theory (by Thomas Hobbes)

 Theories on the Origins of Government
Evolutionary Theory
As the extended family grew in size, the elders
became the governing body of that society.

Force Theory
Those who were stronger and/or had the backing of a
How did governments military brought areas under their control by force and
come into existence? thus became the government.

Divine Right Theory

The people in some societies believed that their
leaders (Kings, Emperors, etc.) were chosen by God
so by obeying these leaders they were obeying God.

Social Contract Theory (by Thomas Hobbes)

 Theories on the Origins of Government
Evolutionary Theory
As the extended family grew in size, the elders
became the governing body of that society.

Force Theory
Those who were stronger and/or had the backing of a
How did governments military brought areas under their control by force and
come into existence? thus became the government.

Divine Right Theory

The people in some societies believed that their
leaders (Kings, Emperors, etc.) were chosen by God
so by obeying these leaders they were obeying God.

Social Contract Theory (by Thomas Hobbes)

The people saw the brutality of life w/out laws, so
they agreed to create a government and accepted the
government’s authority over them. In exchange, the
people expected the government to protect them.
When and where did democratic
government first develop?
 When and where did democratic
government first develop?

Many historians believe that democracy first

developed in Ancient Athens approximately 508 BC
What is the difference between a state and a nation?
State Nation
Definition – a political community that Definition – a sizeable group of people
occupies a definite territory, has an that share common bonds of race,
organized government, and has language, customs, and religion
sovereignty (has supreme & absolute
authority w/in its territorial boundaries)

*The geographic boundaries of states and nations do not always match.

What is the difference between a state and a nation?
State Nation
Definition – a political community that Definition – a sizeable group of people
occupies a definite territory, has an that share common bonds of race,
organized government, and has language, customs, and religion
sovereignty (has supreme & absolute
authority w/in its territorial boundaries)

*The geographic boundaries of states and nations do not always match.

Examples of Multi-Nation States:

Canada (English-Speaking Canadians &
French Canadians)
Iraq (Sunnis, Kurds, & Shiites)
Israel (Jews & Palestinians)
What is the difference between a state and a nation?
State Nation
Definition – a political community that Definition – a sizeable group of people
occupies a definite territory, has an that share common bonds of race,
organized government, and has language, customs, and religion
sovereignty (has supreme & absolute
authority w/in its territorial boundaries)

*The geographic boundaries of states and nations do not always match.

Examples of Nations W/out a State of

Their Own:
Kurds (live primarily in Northern Iraq &
Southeastern Turkey)
Palestinians (live in Israel)
Chechens (live in part of Russia)
 Purpose & Origins of
Government

Essential Questions: Why do all

societies need some form of
government? How did the world’s
earliest governments originate?