Government is a Myth
What is the state? The state is a concept. There is no physical person or
object to which we can assign the label "government". Government is an idea.
The physical manifestation of this idea is the network of people and
institutions which enforce this idea upon the people.
The state is a myth. The myth goes something like, "because people are
incapable of making rational decisions, a small group of people must be given
control over the decisions of everyone else." It is self-contradictory, and
yet billions of people the world over have bought into this myth. It is
frighteningly reminiscent of the _doublethink_ of Orwell's 1984. Doublethink
means the holding of two contradictory external opinions with no internal
conflict between the two. A perfect example is, "If left alone, people will
not make rational decisions" [but] "A government can make rational decisions
for everyone". The reason these two thoughts never clash in the minds of
millions is because many people don't make the essential connection: that the
government is made ...
was created to make sure the sovereign power of the states was protected. The state
We often wonder about the importance of government. Is it necessary? Does it really benefit society? The answer is yes. Many countries have diverse forms of government such as totalitarian, monarchy, theocracy, and much more. The United States of America specifically runs a democratic type of government. A democratic government gives power to the people. Citizens over the age of eighteen are allowed to elect leaders based on their individual opinions through voting rights. The main purpose of the American government is, to protect people’s inalienable rights to life, liberty, property, and the pursuit of happiness as our Founding Fathers intended.
The United States Constitution begins with the simple phrase “We the People”. Yet, with three simple words, the ideology it stands for has shaped the entire country (O’Connor et al., 2011). The short phrase signifies that the document, and thus, the government, is based upon the people themselves. The Constitution reflects the culture and ideologies of its citizens. Similarly, state constitutions reflect the people, albeit in a more specific locality. The key differences between the United States Constitution and that of local states are due to the distinctions between the scope and characteristics of the people they govern.
States does not in any way limit the structure of the political system to two
First of all, The World State takes away individuality and forces its people, through conditioning, to conform to the society’s motto of Community, Identity, and Stability. The most effective way the World State conditions its people is through
No, not at all deceived, just not well informed. America’s government refrains itself from telling the population the entire truth considering major contemporary political issues, which ultimately leads to confusion as to what rumors are true and which aren’t, due to the suspicious actions that America’s speakers take.
The matrix, unlike the ideology of the "real," is explicitly defined along Althusserian lines as an ISA. Althusser identifies ISAs as "a certain number of realities which present themselves to the immediate observer" (Althusser 73). Just as the "machine" of the state is taken literally, ideology as "reality" is taken literally. Any discussion of the ISA must include both a brief discussion of the State and Althusser's use of the term "ideology." For him, the State "has no meaning except as a function of State power" and as such, "the State is the repressive State apparatus" (71-72). The State Apparatus (SA) is in turn comprised of the Repressive State Apparatus and the Ideological State Apparatus. The RSA will be discussed in further detail later, but to understand how the matrix serves as an ISA, a brief discussion of ideology is called for.
- the main function of the state is to protect the rights of the citizens
State government plays an integral part in the political system from allowing citizens to have multiple access points to influence policy to providing grants to improve communities. Local governments are a part of that state government which couldn’t function without the role that local communities contribute. State governments give their residents an opportunity to feel connected and influential in the policy making process. If America was only governed at the national level and not the federal level then the interests of the everyday citizen could not be heard. It would be more like a class system where only the elite had access to influence the policy makers. They also provide services that the federal government may not feel the need to implement yet or just to see how it works out within the states. “It was states that designed the first family leave legislation giving workers ti...
States’ rights may be defined as “the prerogative power of a state to exercise its inherent authority.”(Written by Fredrick D. Drake and Lynn R. Nelson-States Rights and American Federalism.)
According to realist view ordering principle of the international system is based on anarchy. There is no higher authority other than the states themselves to check and balance their actions. Consequently, nation-states are the main players in this system. In other words, sovereignty inheres in states, because there is not a higher ruling body in the international system. This is known as state centrism. Survival is an obligation continuing to be sovereign. On the other hand, sovereignty is the characteristic feature of states and its meaning is strongly tied to use of force. According to the most of the realist variants, states are “black boxes”; the determinative factor is states’ observable behavior, not their leaders’ characteristics, their decision making processes or their government systems.
Government effects my life everyday in a vast variety of ways. From the quality of the milk that I drink in the morning, to the license and Insurance I need to drive my vehicle to school and work. Government also effects the taxes that are deducted from my salary. The government uses this money to protect consumers and provide services for the public amongst many other things.
The essay “States” is a great piece of literature that tries to convey a message important to society. Although, at first, it seemed as if analyzing this piece would be an easy job it was not easy at all. One has to read within and against the grain to understand Said. That is why I would like to thank Prof. Griffin, and my classmates Mariia and Fan for giving me their different insights on Said.
Firstly, the state is an important component in the concept of realism. An independent state can be defined as a clear cut territory, under the jurisdiction of supreme government with sovereignty and a permanent population (Jackson, Sorensen 2013: 4). Hobbes claims that, states are the major actors in global, it seeks self-interest and survival; it operates in anarchy, so they emphasize self-help (Heywood 2011: 14).
To examine what state formation is and how it has occurred the logical route seems to assess from where they have evolved. The notion of the state is a relatively recent concept, for example in 1555 there existed only two national states, England and France. With otherwise the existence of disorganised and corrupt empires, federations and protectorates. It appears states have formed despite the many obstacles facing their development. Not only did the challenges of securing territory exist but ri...