GOVERNMENT AND THE PEOPLE
A government is the ruling authority for a community, or society. Any organization
that has the power to make and enforce, or carry out, laws and decisions for its
members acts as a government.
For hundreds of years, people have formed governments. The earliest Native
Americans had tribal councils. Thomas Hobbes, an English political thinker during the
1600s, believed that without government, life would be “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish,
and short.” If each of us could do just as he or she pleased, fighting probably would
be common, and survival would depend on strength and skill. Think about trying to
play basketball with no rules or referees. The game would probably be a chaotic free-
for-all. Similarly, if there were no government to make and enforce laws, we would live
in a state of confusion, violence, and fear. Government can make it possible for people
to live together peacefully and productively.
What Governments Do
The most important purpose of a government is to provide laws, or rules of
conduct. These laws help prevent conflicts between individuals, groups, or nations and
help settle any conflicts that do occur.
Provide Public Services: Governments provide many services that would not
be available otherwise. Governments create and manage libraries, schools, hospitals,
parks, and recreation centers. Government workers build and repair streets, erect
bridges, collect garbage, and deliver the mail. Many government services are aimed
at keeping the public healthy and safe. Local communities set up fire departments and
ambulance services. States license drivers and doctors. Other government agencies
protect us from dangerous medicines and spoiled food. Government inspectors check
for safety problems in everything from factories to amusement park rides.
Governments also give help to needy people. For example, in each of the 50 states,
poor families and people who are out of work can receive food, aid, or cash.
Government agencies also supply affordable housing, health care, job training, and
special programs for people with disabilities.
Guide the Community: Another function of government is to formulate public
policy, or a course of government action to achieve community goals. When
government leaders decide they want to protect consumers, for example, or
strengthen national security, they are setting public policy goals. When they pass laws
or develop guidelines to reach these goals, they are making public policy. Most public
policy decisions involve financial planning. Governments have limited amounts of
money, and they must use it wisely. Creating a budget, or a plan for collecting and
spending money, is key to the success of the community. Another part of guiding the
community is developing relations with the community’s neighbors and other
outsiders. Governments often take responsibility for communicating and cooperating
with other governments on matters of trade, travel, and military agreements for the
benefit of their citizens.
Levels of Government: Many levels of government exist, each representing a
particular collection of people. Each of the 50 states has its own government; so do
most counties, cities, and towns. The students in your school may have their own
student government.
National Government: Although each of the above is a government, when most
people talk about “the government,” they are talking about the national government—
the government of an entire country. In the United States, the national government is
made up of three branches of government. These branches are the legislative, the
executive, and the judicial branches. A national government is different from other
levels of government in two important ways. First, a national government has the
highest level of authority over its citizens. A city or state government cannot make any
laws that would go against the laws of the national government. The national
government, however, has the power to make whatever laws it feels would benefit the
country. Second, a national government provides the basic framework for citizenship.
State and Local Government: The national government makes and enforces
laws for the entire country. Each state decides matters for the people in that state. The
level of government closest to Americans is local government. Local governments
include counties, cities, and towns. Your school may have a student government, and
if you choose to belong to a club like Girl Scouts or 4-H, you respect that organization’s
governing body, too. However, state and local governments, as well as governments
of organizations, cannot take actions that go against the laws and authority of the
national government.
What a Republic? Many countries have a representative democracy instead.
The citizens choose a smaller group to represent them, make laws, and govern on
their behalf. For most Americans today, the terms representative democracy, republic,
and constitutional republic mean the same thing: a system of limited government in
which the people are the ultimate source of governmental power. The United States is
the oldest representative democracy in the world.
Constitutional Monarchy? Another kind of democracy is the constitutional
monarchy. The word monarchy describes a government with a hereditary ruler—a
king, queen, or other royal figure who inherits this position of power. In most countries
with monarchs, the power of the hereditary ruler is limited by the country’s constitution
and laws. Modern constitutional monarchies generally follow democratic practices.
The monarchs are heads of state only, presiding at ceremonies and serving as
symbols of unity. The queen of Great Britain and the emperor of Japan are two
examples of constitutional monarchs.
Democratic Principles: Abraham Lincoln described our democracy as a
“government of the people, by the people, for the people.” His words make three
important points. First, the power of the government comes from the citizens. Second,
Americans themselves, acting through their representatives, run their government.
Third, the purpose of the government is to make the United States a better place for
those who live here.
Voting and Democracy: All genuine democracies have free, fair, and
competitive elections. Everyone’s vote must carry the same weight. This principle is
often expressed in the phrase “one person, one vote.” All candidates have the right to
express their views freely to the public, and citizens are free to support any candidate
or issue. The legal requirements for voting must be kept to a minimum. For example,
our voting laws center on age, residence, and citizenship, while other factors, such as
wealth, race, and ethnic and religious background, cannot be used to restrict voting.
Finally, citizens may vote freely by secret ballot, without fearing punishment for their
voting decisions.
Voters Have Choices: Competitive elections and competing political parties are
an important element in democracies. A political party is a group of individuals with
broad, common interests who organize to support candidates for office and determine
public policy. Competing political parties give voters a choice among candidates. Also,
parties out of power serve as watchdogs of parties in power.
Majority Rule: Another principle of our democracy is majority rule. French
philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau promoted this idea in the late 1700s. According
to this principle, citizens agree that when differences of opinion arise, they will abide
by what most people want. At the same time, they respect the rights of those in the
minority. Respect for minority rights is sometimes difficult, though, especially if society
is under a great deal of stress. For example, after the terrorist attacks of 2001,
President George W. Bush realized that many Americans might turn their anger
against Muslims in the United States. He explained that Islam is a peaceful religion
and urged Americans to treat Muslim Americans fairly.
Authoritarian Government
In democratic regimes, the people rule. In authoritarian regimes, power is held
by an individual or a group not accountable to the people.
Absolute Monarchy: Until about the 1600s, monarchs were mostly absolute
monarchs. That is, they had unlimited authority to rule as they wished. Many countries
still have monarchs, but absolute monarchy is almost nonexistent today. In the Middle
East, however, the king of Saudi Arabia and the emir of Qatar might still be considered
“absolute.” Their power is technically unrestricted, although they do consult with
advisers and are constrained, or bound, by Islamic law.
Dictatorships: Another form of authoritarian government is a dictatorship.
Dictators, like absolute monarchs, exercise complete control over the state. Unlike
absolute monarchs, who usually acquire their power through inheritance, dictators
usually take power by force. At times, when a crisis situation demands a strong leader,
authorities may place them in charge. To stay in power, most dictators rely on the
police and military. They often tamper with elections or refuse to hold them. They also
limit freedoms of speech, assembly, and the press. Scores of dictators have ruled
throughout history. Those who seek only personal gain are often overthrown quickly.
With the help of the United States, Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega was
overthrown in 1989. Other dictators endure for decades. Fidel Castro led Cuba from
1959 until he retired in 2008. Saddam Hussein ruled Iraq from 1979 until he was
overthrown in 2003. Hussein was convicted of crimes against humanity and executed
in 2007.
Totalitarianism: Many dictators impose totalitarian rule on their people. In a
totalitarian state, the government’s control extends to almost all aspects of people’s
lives. Totalitarian leaders ban political opposition. They regulate what industries and
farms produce. They suppress individual freedom, dictating what people should
believe and with whom they may interact. The people lack the power to limit their
rulers. To enforce their ideology, or ideas about life and society, totalitarian leaders
control the media and use propaganda, scare tactics, and violence. Three of the most
notorious totalitarian regimes arose in the 1920s and 1930s. They were Nazi Germany
under Adolf Hitler, Fascist Italy under Benito Mussolini, and the Soviet Union under
Joseph Stalin. Today, the nations of China, Cuba, and North Korea are usually
considered totalitarian states.
