American Government Unit 1 Test – Flashcards

According to Lock, Hobbes and Montesquieu, the state exists to serve "the will of the people".

In a democracy, the will of the majority cannot be used to deprive the rights of a member of a minority group.

Key ideas of the Declaration of Independence: - people have natural rights - government can only exists with the will of the people's permission - people may change or abolish the government

Magna Carta English Bill of Rights Petition of Rights

In a Unitary Government, all key powers are given to the central government.

A Federal Government is a type of government with a division of power between central and local government. The central government has authority over the state and local governments.

A confederation is a type of government where the power is equal between both the central and local governments.

The Rule of Law is that laws apply to all people even government officials.

An oligarchy is a type of dictatorship rules by a small group of people.

A government is an institution through which a society carries out its public policies.

The social contract theory says there is an agreeement between the government and it's people. In American, the consititution serves as a contract.

The Characterisitics of a State: 1) Population - a state must have people. 2) Territory - a state must have land. 3) Sovereignty - every state has supreme and absolute power within its territory. 4) Government - every state is politically organized.

The Charactertistics of the Social Contract Theory - the state is created voluntarily by free people - the power of government is limited by the people - government powers are granted by the people

The majority of the Declaration of Indepedence is a list of complaints of the wrongs bestowed on the colonists by England.

The concept of limited government means that the government must operate within certain bounds set by the people.

In a presidential government the executive and legislative branches of government are separate and independent of one another and coequal. Checks and Balances maintain the overall balance of power in this type of government.

In a parliamentary government the executive branch is comprised of a prime minister and his cabinet. The Parliament (Legislative) is the more powerful branch, therefore, prolonged conflict and deadlock are less likely to occur between the executive and legislative branches.

God created the state and royal birth line.

Government by a single person having unlimited power; despotism (domination through threat of punishment and violence)