9781422277706

comes from the Latin word gubernare , which means “to steer” or “to rule.” In an organ- ized society, government is the authority or body that controls, influences, or regulates the policies, actions, and affairs of a state. Among a state’s pri- mary goals are achieving order and providing security. Civilization has seen the rise and fall of hundreds of

Key Quote

German sociologist Max Weber (1864–1920) described a state as a government that has the right to use force to maintain control. “[A] state is a human community,” he wrote, “that (successfully) claims the monopoly of the legitimate use of physical force within a given territory.”

thousands of governments. In ancient times monarchy, or rule by one person, was common. Some monarchal governments were long-lasting regimes in which the son or daughter inher- ited the throne upon the monarch’s death. Such hereditary monarchies existed in ancient times in many parts of the world, including Africa (Egypt), the Middle East (Mesopotamia), India, and China. In some cases, the central authority was not a king but an individual who seized power and ruled by force. In early times, this government was called a tyranny . It is referred to today as a dictatorship. In other cases a small elite group held power. This form of government was an oligarchy. In monarchies and tyrannies, a single person controlled the state. In oligarchies, a small elite group was in charge. But in some ancient Greek city-states, democracy became the form of government. In these democratic governments citizens exer- cised power as voters, jurists, and members of assemblies.

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The Evolution of Government