CHAPTER ONE

UNDERSTANDING CIVICS AND ETHICS

Chapter Contents
 The Origin of Civics and Ethical Study
Definitions (Civics, Citizenship, Ethics and Morality)
Similarities between civics and ethics,
Aim and goals of the study of the subject,
Competences of good citizens.
 The Origin and Meaning of Civics and Ethical Study
•The subject originates from the nature of human being itself
• i.e. from the natural behavior and level of interaction of human
beings.
• One basic nature of human beings related with this fact is “man is a
social animal”, whose life is closely related to each other.
•The superiority that human beings try to achieve over nature and
other living things is the result of the social bond among human
beings.
• If such bond is a requirement for the survival of human beings, then
what should be the pattern of social interaction that exist among
human beings is closely related with the subject matter of civics and
ethics
•In this regard civic and ethical study is considered as a
subject which is mainly concerned with teaching citizens
as to how they can live harmonious and peaceful life
with other citizens and
 as to how they can resolve conflicts peacefully
among themselves.
 What Civics ?
Etymologically, the term civics was derived from the Latin words
‘civis’ which means a citizen and ‘civitas’, which also means ‘city-
state’
•The two Latin words gave birth to the branch of social science
known as ‘civics’.
•Civics as a branch of social science deals with the rights and
responsibilities of citizens.
•Citizens are legal members of a politically organized community-
called state.
•The term Citizen refers to a person who has the right to be a full
member of a particular state, while the actual legal status of
membership to a state is called citizenship.
•Civics is also concerned with the study of
•political institutions such as legislatives, executive bodies,
• The purpose & functions of government and its means
of administration
•the nature of law, and the way private behavior affects
the public order and the political system
•It also studies the way government works and deals with
the rights and duties that individuals have as a citizen
and members of the state”.
•
• What is purpose of understanding the function of a gvt?

• B/c of the direct relationship between our rights and

responsibilities and the government’s duty to enforce this human
necessity.
•the actions of government have direct effect on the lives of citizens,
•Government is necessary to ensure the proper use of force.

•For this reason, it must specify objective laws and to clarify the use of
force, and it must have the ability to enforce these laws.

 The purpose of government is to protect the individual rights of its

citizens.
 people should obey the government, at the same time, have a duty to
•What is Ethics
• Etymologically, the term “ethics” was derived from a Greek words
“ethika” and “ethos”, which means a “character,” or “custom”.

• It also refers to the principles or standards of human conduct,

sometimes called morals (Latin mores, “customs”), and,
by extension, it is the study of such principles and sometimes called
moral philosophy.
• Moreover, Webster’s New World Dictionary defines “Ethics’’ as “the
study of standards of conduct and moral judgment: the system
of morals of a particular person, religion, group, etc’’.
• Ethics, as a branch of philosophy, is considered as a normative
science, because;
• it is concerned with norms of human conduct, as distinguished
from the formal sciences, such as mathematics and logic, and the
empirical sciences, such as chemistry and physics
•. More specifically, ethics is devoted to the study about what is good or bad,
what is right or wrong, what is moral or immoral in human social
settings.

• In other words ethics questions or evaluates moral principles and

thinking and provides logical and meaningful answers to them using
morality as a standard using morality as a material

•morality refers to the code of conduct one follows or the conformity of

human behavior to the established code of conduct or established socio-
cultural standards.

•Morality also refers to the effort to guide one’s conduct by reason while
giving equal weight to the interests of each individual who will be affected
by one’s Conduct.
•The origin of ethics traces back to ancient Greece during the 5th c
B.C in times of Socrates.
•During the Medieval period of Western Europeans, Ethics was
highly associated with Christianity
•. Similarly, again in other parts of the world Ethics was linked with
the religious beliefs of Buddhism, Confucius, Hinduism, and
Islam.
• It is also a fact that even presently Ethics is usually considered as
part of religion, sanctioned by religions authority in some traditional
societies.
•Therefore, Civics/citizenship and ethics/morality are interrelated terminologies and
sometimes by default people use them interchangeably to mean one instead of the other.

• However, living aside their commonalities, conceptually they are different disciplines
with their own underlined tenets and variances.

•Generally speaking, Civics and Ethics are separate fields of academic study in the social
sciences dealing with citizenship and morality respectively.

•As integrated and unified field of study however, Civics and Ethics is devoted to the
study of how the legal, political, traditional, moral and cultural rules and values govern
the relations among the individual and the state, the individual citizen and other
individuals, the individual and other social groups and one social group with the other.

•there is a strong tendency in the academic world to draw similar subject as well as scope
of study as far as Civics and Ethics is concerned.
•The Goals of Civic and Ethical Study
• The goals of teaching various subjects are normally very similar
and they are generally guided by economic, political and social
considerations.
• The goal of teaching civic and ethical study include all the aims and
objectives of education.
• The goal of civic and ethical study can be realized by the active
participation of citizens in a society. The extent an
• d intensity of citizen’s active participation reflect the realization of
the goals.
• Civic and ethical study has the following basic goals/objectives.
• Ideal Citizenship
•National Character and Patriotism
•Development of Democratic Outlook and Strengthening Democracy
•Providing Citizens with the Knowledge and Intellectual Skills
•Strengthening National and International Integration
•1. Ideal Citizenship
•An ideal citizen has the following characteristics:
•(1) Believes in equality of opportunity for all people,
•(2) Values, respects, and defends basic human rights and privileges
guaranteed by the country’s constitution,
• (3) Respects and upholds the law and its various agencies,
• (4) Understand and accepts the principle of democracy,
•(5) Puts the general welfare above his own welfare,
• (6) Freely exercises his political or democratic rights
•(7) Accepts his civic responsibilities and discharges them to the best of
his capacity,
• (8) Realizes the necessary connection of education with democracy and
so forth.
•2 National Character and Patriotism

Citizens should be prepared to sacrifice everything for

their country.
They should also be proud of their country, their
identity, cultural heritage and uphold the values of the
society.
These things can be implanted into the minds of
students at their impressionable age, in a psychological
and scientific manner.
•3 Development of Democratic Outlook and Strengthening
Democracy
•This can be realized by teaching students democratic values,
principles and cultivate them in such a way that they could
shoulder the responsibility of their country.
•4 Providing Citizens with the Knowledge and Intellectual
Skills
•appropriate knowledge and intellectual skills are very important
to monitor and influence government rules, decisions and actions
that greatly affect individual rights and without which the good of
the society cannot be materialized.
•5 Strengthening National and International Integration
•Competences of Good Citizens

•How do we acquire the knowledge and skill that enable to identify

our rights and duties as individual citizens?
•Where is the source of power that helps to ensure our rights?
• Knowledge and skills can be gained through learning and
experience while the power to master our rights might be generated
when we are organized and make institutions that safeguard our
interests.
•Any kind of participation may not be successful and bring change in
the society. What is required is informed decision and action.
• For that citizens need to have competences which include civic
knowledge, civic skills and civic attitudes. (minimum competences)
•1 Civic Knowledge
•implies general information and awareness about the social,
cultural, political, environmental, historical and economical
conditions and realities of the past and the present and also the
challenges and prospects ahead of the country.
•FOR that knowledge of history, politics (democracy, constitutions,
state and government), sociology, globalization, environment,
philosophy, and economics is very valuable.
•2 Civic Attitudes/ Disposition
•involve those character traits, or dispositions which are engrained
in the mind of citizens.
•Civic attitudes or orientations will develop once citizens acquired
civic knowledge. In order to discharge ones responsibility, for
example, community service, citizens need to develop positive
outlook and concern for the community. Altruistic qualities are
required to help the poor and vulnerable ones in the community.
•Elements may include
•Tolerance
•Open-mindedness and Civic-mindedness
•Loyalty
•3 Civic Skills
•involve skills of decision making, communication, conflict
resolution, compromise, persuasion, creativity and the like.
•Civic skills are very important to put the civic knowledge into a
good effect.
•Such skills are vital for describing, analyzing or systematizing a
certain phenomenon and also very important for problem solving.
The following can be listed in this regard:
♣ To take part in political discussions, consciousness of current
political issues, to be able to evaluate a position or decision, to
take a position or defend it
♣ To resolve conflicts in a peaceful way
Chapter Two
Understanding Society, State & Government
Definitions of Society
• The largest community of people living together. Or
• The collective existence of human begins in varying forms of
organization and relationships over a period of time in a
defined place.
• A grouping of people who live in a common environment and
have common traditions, institutions, activities, and interests.
• The totality of modes of human life, interactions, norms of
behavior and underlying structures.
• A system of relationships b/n people.
 Attributes of a Society
(1)Share common territory.
(2) Its members share common and distinct culture
(3)Society has a definite, limited space/definite
geography
(4) Members feeling of identity, oneness and
belongingness
(5) Members have a common origin and common
historical experience-they feel that they have
common destiny.
(6) Speak a common language.
(7) Social institutions and organization to sustain
the system.
 Characteristics of Society
A collection of individuals who
-Interact and communicate with each other
-Share goals and norms
-Are aware of themselves as a distinct social unit
The Sociological Perspectives
The Structural/Functional Perspective
The Conflict Perspective
Symbolic/Interactionist Perspective
 Con’t
Structural-Functionlaist Theory
Believes -
•Society is resulting from agreement
(consensus) about what is important (Values),
& how we should behave (norms) in
particular situation (roles).
 Conflict Theory
In contrast to stability and consensus, conflict
theorists:
Argus that society is the result of the
continual struggle of the social world
accordingly society is understood in terms
of conflict and competition
•Such conflict need not be violent; it can take
the form of labor negotiations, ethnic based
conflict, resource based conflict, party
politics, competition b/n religious groups for
member and so on.
 Con’t
•Conflict theory examines the ways in w/c
groups disagree, struggle for power, and
compete for scarce resources such as wealth
and prestige.

•Conflict theory has been useful in identifying

some of the inequalities within and across
families and promoting structures and values
that are less oppressive
 Inter-actionist Theory
• Society usually interact each other in d/t forms and
at d/t levels due to different reasons and purposes.
- society is the result of every day forms of social
interaction in order to understand society as a
whole.
• The interactionists perspective is sometimes
referred to as the symbolic interactions perspective,
because interactionsists see symbols as an
especially important part of human communication.
 Understanding the State
Definition:
• A set of institutions & laws w/c governs & support the government
in exercising sovereignty over the territory & its inhabitants.
• It is a political institution w/c has a an ultimate sovereign power
over the population, territory , government , institutions, etc…. of a
given geographical entity

• Synonymous with the term country & nation-state????

- Country: the geographical area juridical owned by a group of
people.
- Nation: the people who inhabited a specific area and have a
common psychological makeup.
State is a community of persons more or less
numerous,
- permanently occupying a definite portion of
territory,
- having a government of their
- enjoying freedom from external control.
State is a political community that occupies a
definite territory; having an organized
government with the authority to make and
enforce laws without the consent of a higher
authority.
 Elements/Attributes of state
(1)Population (2)Territory
A group of people living in a
bounded territory- A limited geographical
Homogeneous or territory-effectively
Heterogeneous controlled by a certain
Large or small group of people
(3)Government (4) Sovereignty
The power of a state to
A group of individuals w/c
make and enforce its own
makes, enforces, and
law and policies- has
interprets law on the
internal and external
behalf of the state
dimensions
Theories on the Origin and Devn’t of state
• How did states come into being? Is it natural or artificial?
-Two broad theories

Devine Right/Creationist Theory Evolutionary Theory

- State is created by the super - State is the result of a gradual process

natural God of change –therefore, state is the result
of growth

-Only one factor has contributed
i.e only nature
- Not one but many factors have played a
role i.e kinship, human agreement/social
contract, force, religion, economy,
political consciousness of human beings,
…
•. The Genetic Theory
• . Here the argument is that state is an eventual extension of the
family (the first unit of social development)

• (An extension family in to different social class)

• The earliest advocator of this theory is Aristotle in whose view: a
society of many families is called a village, and a village is most
naturally composed the descendants of one family, the children
and the children’s for which reason states were originally
governed by kings,… and when many villages so entirely join
themselves together as in every respect to form but one society,
that society is state.
•But the point of criticism is that it stands on social rather
than political hypothesis.
•The whole attempt is to demonstrate the process- first of
household, and then elder male ruled family, then a tribe of
persons of this family descent and finally the state.
•The Force/Conquest/Expansion Theory
• According to the force theory the state is primarily the consequence
of the forcible subjugation through long continued warfare among
primitive groups.
• That means the state is the result of wars and conflicts that have
been endemic in the history of human beings.

•From the very beginning of human history there has always been a
struggle among different social groups to achieve economic
advantages resulting in the ascendancy of some over others.

• Ultimately, these wars of conquest resulted in the occupation of

more and more territories and led to the rise of states.
•The social contract/Consent Theory
•This theory holds that the state is an artificial creation based on
voluntary agreement or contract among people.
•originated and developed in the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries.
•Its starting point is a hypothetical “State of nature” or a condition
that prevailed before the creation of the state.
•The “law of nature” (commonsense) informs man to be in
competition with others and so invade others for some gain
and other evil things. In short, life of man was solitary, nasty,
poor, brutish and short.
•So to terminate the state of nature, contract is made by the
people.
. By contract society, state and government came in to
being: a ‘common power’ is instituted that would keep all in
awe and ensure security of their life and possessions.
By doing this they established the state.
Social contract in this way is the instrument that substitutes
the state of nature with a civil (political) society.
its main purpose is to protect and safeguard people’s
inalienable rights such as the right to life, liberty and
property.
This theory was further developed in the age of revolution
in the fight against the rule of absolute monarchies.
This theory advocated popular sovereignty, limited
government and individual rights.
•However, this theory gives priority to the individual over society.
•The main problem of this theory is, therefore, that it is difficult to
reconcile the contradiction on between its individualistic premises
as the individual is born in to society and is indefinitely tied to it in
many ways.
•With its limitations in its premise, however, this theory is currently
operational in international politics.
•The major exponents of the social contract theory were the British
political thinkers Thomas Hobbes (1588- 1679) and John Locke
(1632-1704), and the French thinker Jean Jacques Rousseau
(1712- 1778).
The Marxist Theory
• Like other theories on the subject of the state, this theory takes into
account one factor, the fact of class contradictions.
•According to this theory, there was no state in the most primitive
stage of social life as there were no contending classes.
•The state arose as a matter of necessity when society was divided
into two hostile classes, each having its own interest.
•The origin of state, therefore, should be treated in the fact of class
antagonisms.
•With the invention of agriculture and creation of private property, the
dominant class came into being by virtue of being the owner of the
means of production.
•It required some authority (the state) to protect its interests that lay
in the exploration and oppression of the class having no ownership of
the means of production.
•The proponents of the Marxist theory believe that with the
historical process of disappearance of private property and
antagonistic social classes, the state will be disappeared.
• Consequently, communism an envisioned social system, where
everybody will be equal and all have whatever they want, would
prevail.
•Although its proponents and followers struggled to realize the
visions of communism neither equality for all nor fulfillment of
wants has been materialized.
 Unitary State Structure
•Definition
-Centralization of power and indivisible sovereignty
-Central government is legally supreme over sub-
national units
-Only one source of authority whatever territorial
units exist
-Absence of a constitutional based power
distribution b/n the two levels of governments
Examples:
Britain, the Netherlands, Romania, Poland, etc.
 Features of Uniterism
Supremacy of the central legislature: unicameral kind of
legislature
Absence of subsidiary sovereign bodies: sovereignty is vested in
the hands of a central government and hence sub-national bodies
are not sovereign
Re-centralization of power at the will of the central government
unilaterally: Powers that may have been decentralized to regional
bodies can be recentralized at the will of the central government
unilaterally
 Unchecked centralization of power at the center: sub-national
bodies can be reshaped, reorganized and even abolished at the will
of the central government
Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages Disadvantages
The organization is relatively simple Overburdens the national legislature

Conflict of jurisdiction is avoided Leaving distant authorities & may lack

adequate knowledge of local conditions

Duplication of civil servants and Tends to responsive local initiatives &

services interests in public affairs & impairs the
vitality of local government

Uniformity of law It restrains the self-governance & self-

determination of sub-national
bodies/units

Advantageous to a country with It facilitates the development of

relatively small area &homogenous central bureaucracy
population
•2, Federalsim
•Federal form of state structure (federal state) is the form of state
where by power is formally (constitutionally) divided between the
federal /national/ central government and sub-national
/regional/or provincial government, each of which is locally
supreme in its own sphere.
•In federal state, the legislative authority is divided between a
central or federal government and sub national government.
 Key features of federalism
The existence of dual polities- to relatively equal and
sovereign levels of governments
Written constitution
Supremacy of federal Government and Constitution
Absence of unilateral amendment of the federal
constitution
Constitutional Arbiter
Linking institutions
 Process of Federalism
• Federalism by disaggregating/Holding together
federations- the federal arrangement developed from
previously unitary state as government’s response to
alleviate threats of secession by ethnic groups.
- Eg. Ethiopia, India, Belgium, Canada and Spain.
• Federalism by aggregation/ Coming together
Federations-the federal arrangement is developed
from previously independently existing states by way
of pooling their sovereign powers to a certain domain
for the sake of goods otherwise unattainable
- Eg. USA, Switzerland, and Australia.
 Power Distribution
Exclusive Powers: Powers w/c are exclusively exercised by
the federal government
Ex. -Foreign affairs
- Currency
- defense, etc…
Concurrent/shared/common powers: powers commonly
exercised by both levels of governments
Ex. – Social matters like; education , security, health, etc…
Residual/ Reserved Powers: powers w/c are reserved to
either the federal or regional governments
 Distinction b/n Unitary & Federal Form State
Point of Differences Unitary Federal
Distribution of Powers No constitutional division Division of powers is
of powers between the specified in the
centre and the sub- constitution.
national bodies

Constitutional Status The sub-unites act as The centre and states have
agents of the centre. equal status.

Position of Judiciary The position of the The Supreme Court

Supreme Court is not so decides the disputes
important between the centre and the
states.

Constitutional Amendments process is No right to make

Amendments not that much difficult. alteration in the
boundaries unilateral
 Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages Disadvantages
-Essential to large states -Duplication of activities and
→results high financial cost

-Combines national unity and -May lead to conflicts of

local autonomy -the rights of self jurisdiction b/n national and local
government officials

-Maintains balance b/n

centrifugal (unifying) and
centripetal (integrating) forces in
a state

-Recognizes the vitality of local

governments
 Understanding Government
Definition
Groups of people who exercise political
power
Political organization comprising
individuals and institutions authorized to
formulate public policies and conduct affairs
of the state
A body/organ that administers a country
An administrative wing of the state
 Purposes/functions of Government
• Self-preservation- protect the sovereignty of the
state and its citizens from any sort of external
aggression
• Distribution of Resources
• Management of Conflicts
• Protection and Promotion of Rights of Citizens
• Protection of Property
• Regulation of the Economy
• Provision of necessary goods
•Government Structure: Vertical Vs Horizontal Arrangement
•Most significantly, there are territorial based divisions between central
or national governments and various forms of provincial, state and local
governments.
•These divisions are crucially shaped by state’s constitutional structure,
that is, by whatever it has federal or unitary systems of governments.

• Each system establishes a particular territorial distribution of

government power, thus, providing a framework within which centre-
periphery relationships can be conducted.
•Accordingly, all modern states are divided on territorial basis vertically
between central/national and periphery (regional, provincial or local)
institutions.
•The nature of such divisions varies enormously, however.
•These differences include the constitutional framework within which centre-
periphery relationships are conducted; the division of functions and
responsibilities between the levels of government; that means by which their
personnel’s are appointed and recruited, the political, economic,
administrative and other powers that the centre can use to control the
periphery, and the independence that peripheral bodies enjoy.

•On the same vein, governments are also divided horizontally among the
legislative, executive and judiciary organs.
•Vertical Arrangement/Organization
•The vertical arrangement or organization of government specifically
shows the relationship between the central/ national government and
sub national bodies or institutions such as the regional, provincial or
local bodies.
• A. The Central/ National Government:
• the levels of government that controls the overall affairs of the state.
• situated at the top of the governmental structure of any state.
• is responsible to enable the state to function as an actor on the
international or world state.
• the machinery for entering into strategic alliance, negotiating trade
agreements, gaining representation at international summit meetings,
or becoming a member of supranational bodies.
• invariably responsible for a state’s external relations, as
demonstrated by this control of the foreign, diplomatic and defence
•Some powerful reasons that strengthen the existence of central
government at the expense of sub-national institutions/bodies. Among
other things, the following includes the main arguments:
• National Unity:
• Uniformity
• Equality
• Prosperity
B. The Sub-national government:
exist always below the upper/top national government, with the
responsibility and function to control and administer all affairs of the
state in their respective regions and districts.
found in federal and non-federal systems as well as in unitary ones.
These sub-national entities are in fact the basic political organizations
for all political systems of the world.
•The essential reasons for establishing the sub-national or regional/local
governments include:
• Participation
• Responsiveness
• Legitimacy
• Liberty
• Horizontal Arrangement/ Organization
• Under modern political theory, government is understood as having three main
branches.
• These are the legislative, the executive and judiciary branches/organs.
• The Legislative Organ
• the legislature is formally supreme and appoints the executive in the case of
parliamentary systems.
• In presidential systems of governments, the legislature is considered as a power
branch, which is equal to, and independent of the executive.
• In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise
taxes and adopt the budget and other money bills.
• Consent of the legislature is also often required to ratify treaties and declare war.
•Structural Arrangements of the Legislature
•Parliaments differ in a number of respects.
•For example, their members may be elected, appointed, even selected by
inheritance, or any combination of these methods.
•When members are elected, this may be on the basis of population (in the
form of equal-size constituencies), or through regions or states.
•The size of parliaments also varies considerably.
•However, the principal structural differences between parliaments are
whether they comprise one chamber or two.
•Powers and Functions of the Legislature
•provides a link between government and the people, a channel of communication
that can both support government and help to uphold the regime, enforce government to
respond to public demands and anxieties.
Statue making/legislation.
Representation of citizenry
Control of administration
Constitutional making/ amending
Electoral and deposing functions
Financial functions
Investigative functions
• The Executive Organ
In its broadest sense, the executive is the branch of government
responsible for the implementation or enforcement of laws and policies
made by the legislature.
The executive is the irreducible core of government.
Political systems can operate without constitutions, assemblies,
judiciaries and even parties,
 but they cannot survive without an executive branch to formulate
government policy and ensure that it is implemented
• Structural Arrangements
• members of the executive have been categorized in one of two ways.
First a distinction is often drawn between the ‘chief executive’ and the
‘executive’ based on the levels of status and responsibility
• The chief executive refers to the one individual or small group (such as
a president, prime minister, or ruling junta) at the apex of the executive
structure of the political system.
• The executive is much broader term, including all the people and
organizational machinery that are below the chief executive in the
executive structure
• Second, based on recruitment, responsibility, status and political
orientations, and so on; the executive can also sub-divide between the
‘political’ executive and the ‘bureaucratic’ executive.
• This highlights the difference between politicians and civil servants, and
more broadly between politics and administration.
• Powers and Functions of the Executive
•I. The Political Executive
The task of political executive is to provide leadership.
Enforcement functions:
Formulation and execution of administrative policy:
Control of military forces:
Control of foreign relations:
Policy-making leadership:
Popular leadership:
Bureaucratic leadership:
Crisis leadership:
•ii. Bureaucratic Executive
execution and enforcement of the laws made by the legislature and the policies decided
by the political executives.
policy implementation
Administration: bureaucracy is sometimes referred to as ‘the administration’, while
the political executive is termed ‘the government’.
Policy Advice:
Articulating Interest:
Political Stability:
• The Judiciary Organ
• Adjudication: the first and for most function of the judge is to
administer justice. They hear and decide cases, such as civil, criminal
and constitutional, in the light of the argument given by the concerned
parties.
• Formulating case law:
• Protection of individual rights:
• Guardian of the constitution:
• Judicial Review:
 Forms /Types of Government
Monarchy: the oldest form of government
- Power resides in the hands of a single person
- The ruling position can be passed onto heirs
Two types of monarchy:
Traditional Monarchy: the king / Queen maintain by
claim of legitimate blood decent
-the monarch has absolute power
Constitutional Monarchy: the king/Queen is ceremonial
head of the state
-limits the monarchs control.
Dictatorship (Monocracy)
-Rule of a single leader /person
- The leader has not been elected and
may use force to keep
Control  a person holds extra
constitutional powers
-The leader is not accountable to any
popular institution.
 Con’t
Oligarchy/Aristocracy
- Rule by the few.
- hereditary social groupings set apart from the rest
of society by religion, kinship, economic status,
prestige and language  source of power
Constitutional government
- The existence of a constitution that effectively
controls the exercise of political power.
Presidential Vs Parliamentary Systems of Government
Presidential Parliamentary
President elected by the Prime Minister selected by the
citizens directly majority party/vote in the
parliament
Separation of Powers Executive Loose separation of power b/n
and Legislative is strong the legislative and executive
President and Cabinet are not branches
members of the legislature. -Prime Minister &ministers are
members of Parliament
(legislative organ)
Prime Minister + ministers are
the executive organs
 Presidential Parliamentary
Intricate system of Checks Fewer Checks & Balances
and Balances No Confidence vote
Judicial Review House of Lords may
Presidential veto delay
Congressional override of legislation for 1 year
veto Cabinet pressure on PM
Impeachment Question Hour
Senate confirmation of Tradition &
treaties and Reasonableness
Presidential appointees
Points of distinction Presidential Parliamentary

Relationship b/n Executive Separation of power Fusion of Power

and Legislative

Head of State /Government Same Person Different Persons

Term of Office/tenure Fixed (Predictable) Less Predicatable

Cabinet From outside the legislature with in the legislature

Government Coalitions Less Likely More Likely

Election of Chief-Executive Direct elected by the people Indirect elected

Legislation Independence from party Easier to pass Legislation,

party disciplined
 Advantages and Disadvantages of
parliamentary
Advantages Disadvantages

-Efficient / Quick process -Too much concentration of

power???? In the hands of the
executive organ

-Easy to create change / fulfill -Fewer interests represented

campaign promises

-More accountability to public -Change too drastic when parties

switch

-Coherent laws and policy -Legislative process more

symbolic
Advantages & Disadvantages of Presidential
Advantages Disadvantages

Separation of Powers Slow process

No branch or individual too Piecemeal Legislation

powerful

More democratic???? more Hard to create change / fulfill

interests represented; more campaign promises
compromise
Similarities & D/ces b/n Society, State &
Government
State Vs Government
State Government
-Are not different kinds- b/se -Different kinds –like monarchy,
constituted by the same dictatorship, aristocracy, etc…
elements
-Represents the common good or -Government represents the
general will of the society "partisan"

-State has a relatively permanent -Government is temporary- it can

existence come and go

-Membership of a state is -Membership in government is

compulsory (involuntary), an optional
-State is an abstract (intangible) -Government has its existence in
a concrete (realistic/tangible)
form

-State is all inclusive association -Government is part and parcel of

that encompasses all the the state
institutions of the public real and
embraces all the members of a
community

-The power of the state is original -The authority of a government is

and primary delegated and derivative
The state Vs society

Points of Distinction State Society

In terms of time -State (authority) came into -Society exists proper to
being much later than society the state-came into being
much earlier than the
state

In terms of scope -State is political pass- has its -About our r/ns and
purpose limited to the associations of all kinds- it
maintained of peace, security is a complex of mutual
law and order, etc. to the inter -course in w/c
people human beings are
involved

In terms of -Make & enforce legal order -Performs a multiplicity of

functions so that people may lead a life functions to meet multi-
of peace, security, stability fold requirements of
and honor human beings
The Ethiopian society, Government & State Formation & Nation Building in
Modern Ethiopia
The Ethiopian Society
Highly diversified terms of:
-Culture,
-Value systems,
-Traditions,
-Geo-topography,
-Economic activity,
-Language,
-Religion,
-Political views and etc……..
 The Ethiopian State
The formation of centralized statehood in Ethiopia goes back
to the end of the 19th century.
Two phasess of State formation
(I) The Making Phases (Emperor Tewodros -Emperor Menelik
II)
Emperor Tewodros (1855-1868)-

-Estblishing/creating a centralized and modernized state of

Ethiopia through abolishing the era of the princes/ “zemene
mesafnit”, avoiding (by force) separatist and rebellious
tendencies of the nobility and then making them under his
Imperial Authority.
Emperor Yohannes (1872-1889)

-Establishing/creating a centralized and modernized state of Ethiopia but with

a different policy/approach- not only by force but also through diplomacy (by
adopting the idea of controlled regionalism - or a quasi-federal or semi-federal
form of state structure.

Emperor Menelik (1889-1913)

-Establishing a modern and centralized state of Ethiopia and his state formation
process was through forceful subjugation and peaceful incorporation of
different parts of the present day Ethiopia
(II) Re-making phase
The state building process - taking place since the 2nd half of the 20th c (1960s)
to the contemporary state of Ethiopia --characterized by class and national
struggles. Includes;
(1)The 1974 revolution against the absolute monarchial regime,
(2)The thirty years armed struggle in Eritrea for ‘independence’,
(3)The 17th years struggles in different parts of Ethiopia for regime change and
(4) The ongoing struggles (post-1991).