Government Unit 1: Foundations of American Government – Flashcards
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This is NOT a theory of the origin of the state. divine right theory social contract theory ruler's right theory evolutionary theory
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ruler's right theory
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American colonies declared their independence based on: Aristotle's theory of the polis the Aztecs divine right theory John Locke's political writings consensus of the population
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John Locke's political writings
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Abraham Lincoln said one of the most important purposes of government is to: provide essential services attack other states control people control individual economic decisions
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provide essential services
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This statement in the Constitution sets forth the goals and purposes to be served by the government: prologue preamble preface prelude
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preamble
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You are taking part in this when you ask people to vote for school levies: constitutional law confederacy politics constitutional interpretations
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politics
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The United States is an example of: a unitary government an industrialized nation a confederacy a developing nation
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an industrialized nation
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Totalitarian dictatorship is a form of this type of government: autocracy oligarchy democracy republic
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autocracy
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This is NOT needed for democracy to prosper: a social consensus: an uneducated public a civil society free enterprise
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an uneducated public
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A loose union of independent states is called a: federal system constitutional law confederacy unitary system
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confederacy
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What states have the most stable governments?
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states where the population shares general political and social consensuses
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What are the 4 theories of origin of the state?
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Evolutionary Theory Force Theory Divine Right Theory Social Contract Theory
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Explain the Evolutionary Theory.
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The belief that the state evolved from the family.
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Explain the Force Theory.
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The belief that government emerged when all the people of one area were under authority of one person or group.
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Explain the Divine Right Theory.
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The belief that a god or gods chose people to rule.
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Explain the Social Contract Theory.
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The belief that the origin of the state was in social contract. Thomas Hobbes was the first to theorize on the Social Contract.
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What are the 4 main purposes of government?
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Maintain social order, provide public services, provide national security and common defense, and to provide for and control the economic system.
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What are two types of government systems?
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Unitary and Federal System.
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What is the Unitary Government System?
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This system gives all key powers to the national or central government.
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What is the Federal Government System?
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This system divides the powers of government between the national government and state or provincial governments.
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What several major purposes do constitutions serve?
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Constitutions set out ideals that the people bound by the constitution believe in and share, establishes the basic structure of government and defines it's powers and duties, and provides supreme law for the country.
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When was the US Constitution drawn up?
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1787. It is also the oldest constitution still serving a nation today.
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Are constitutions complete guides on how to run a country?
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Nope. They are incomplete guides.
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What does the preamble state?
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It states the goals and purposes to be served by the government.
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How is the main body of the Constitution divided?
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It is divided into articles and sections.
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How many articles and sections does the Constitution contain?
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7 articles containing 21 sections.
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What are the 3 major types of government?
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Autocracy, oligarchy, democracy.
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The original 13 colonies were established and governed by West Africa Germany England France
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England
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Charles I signed this document that stopped collection of taxes without Parliament's consent. Magna Carta English Bill of Rights Petition of Right Mayflower Compact
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Petition of Right
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The first legislature in America was the Jamestown House of Legislature Virginia House of Legislature American Legislature English House of Legislature
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Virginia House of Legislature
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What did the Magna Carta provide?
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It provided the basis for the principle of limited governments.
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What did the Magna Carta state?
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Certain taxes could not be levied without popular consent.
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After dissolving Parliament, when did Charles I finally call Parliament back into session?
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1628
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When did Parliament remove James ii from the throne?
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1688 during the Glorious Revolution.
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After removing James ii, who did Parliament crown in his place?
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William iii and Mary ii.
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What does the English Parliament consist of?
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An upper chamber called the House of Lords which included members of the aristocracy, and a lower chamber called the House of Commons which included commoners.
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This term means a state has supreme and absolute authority within its territorial boundaries. consensus sovereignty social contract democracy
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sovereignty
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This is the institution through which the state maintains social order sovereignty republic politics government
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government
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Defining the extent and limits of government power and rights of citizens is the purpose of a federal system an unitary system politics constitutional law
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constitutional law
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This plan provides the rules for government. constitution confederacy preamble politics
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constitution
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As in a dictatorship, these governments usually suppress political opposition. republics constitutional monarchy oligarchies democracies
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oligarchies
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The United Sates has this form of government. representative democracy monarchy direct democracy constitutional republic
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representative democracy
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In which form of government do individuals have the most freedom. autocracy monarchy democracy oligarchy
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democracy
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Adam Smith provided a philosophy for this type of economic system. communism mixed-marked socialism free market
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free market
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In this type of economy, the government owns the basic means of production. socialism free market laissez-faire capitalism
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socialism
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Karl Marx believed that under this economic system one class would evolve. free market communism socialism capitalism
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communism
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In the eyes of the British, the American colonies existed for this reason. economic benefit or Britain soldiers for the British Crown passage to the Asian world
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economic benefit or Britain
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The colonists remained loyal to Britain in exchange for some self-rule and low taxes protection from the French money for traded goods
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protection from the French
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This man argued against monarchy as a form of government in the pamphlet Common Sense. Thomas Paine Samuel Adams Thomas Jefferson John Hancock
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Thomas Paine
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Shays' Rebellion was caused by this problem. government interference control of passports the Northwest Ordinance economic depression
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economic depression
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According to the Articles of Confederation, this power was granted to Congress. to regulate trade to enforce laws to amend the Articles of Confederation to levy taxes
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to amend the Articles of Confederation
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This caused many Americans to agree to a strong national government. the Philadelphia convention Shays's Rebellion the Annapolis convention
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Shays's Rebellion
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A government in which people elect delegates to make laws is a limited government an autocratic government a representative government
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a representative government
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Dividing the powers of the government as the colonial charters did is called separation of powers legislative government limited government government of petitions
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separation of powers
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The Declaration of Independence founded government on principles of strong central government arbitrary power taxation without representation human liberty and consent of the governed
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human liberty and consent of the governed
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The fundamental reason the colonists revolted was because of government suppression of Locke's writings without representation passing the Quartering Act
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without representation
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According to the Articles of Confederation, this was the main purpose of Congress. interrupting laws unifying the executive branch foreign affairs and defense enforcing laws
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foreign affairs and defense
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This was an argument of the Antifederalists. for a Bill of Rights for the Ohio Plan against a Bill of Rights
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for a Bill of Rights
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This man's writings influenced the American revolutionaries. Adam Smith John Locke Karl Marx Abraham Lincoln
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John Locke
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Signed by the Pilgrims in 1620, this item was the first American government document. Mayflower Compact Constitution Petition of Rights Magna Carta
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Mayflower Compact
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This concept is the basis of the Constitution. popular sovereignty Supreme Court justice Congressional powers executive privelege
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popular sovereignty
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These powers belong to both the national and the state governments reserved powers delegated powers concurrent powers implied powers
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concurrent powers
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The Magna Carta was important because it was America's first legislature separated church and state established a limited government gave power to the colonies
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established a limited government
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This man was known as the father of the Constitution. Thomas Jefferson George Washington James Adams James Madison
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James Madison
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The national government's control of immigration is an example of concurrent powers inherent powers expressed powers delegated powers
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inherent
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The first 10 amendments are called the Bill of Rights Constitution preamble enumerated articles
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Bill of Rights
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This system divides the power between the state and national governments socialist unitary federal communist
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federal
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The anti-Federalists opposed the Constitution because they thought it gave the federal government too much power provided no way to change the Constitution gave the state governments too much power gave the people too much power
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gave the federal government too much power
