American gov – Flashcards
Flashcard maker : Owen Clarke
Republic=
Representative democracy
Limited government means that the power of
Elected officials has limits
Under the rule of law
Everyone, including government officials, must abide by the laws
The idea of the social contract is that a government is only legitimate if it has
Consent of the governed
Philosophers like john Locke argued that all humans
Have the natural rights of life, liberty, and property
In an indirect democracy, major laws and rules are made by
Elected representatives
Which of the following is an ex of government affecting citizens daily lives?
Julie gets a speeding ticket from police
Which of the following is an example of government affecting citizens daily lives?
Voting booths are set up at a library
Which of the following is an example of government affecting citizens daily lives?
A new on-ramp to the highway is under construction
Juan is not a legal citizeb , but he has permission to live and work in the united states through
A visa and may not run for elected positions
Thanlina wishes to become a U.S. citizen. Which of the following is true
She must be a legal resident for five years before she can apply vkt naturalization
The purpose of naturalization process is to provide a means to
non-citizens to become legal citizens with all related rights and responsibilities
Many Americans are concerned that the naturalization process is to
slow to discourage illegal immigration
Which of the following is a true statement about the United States
Americans worry about immigrants’ rights and disagree on policies for illegal immigration
The naturalization in the United States
usually takes months
Declaration of Independence reflects the principle of
natural rights of life, liberty, and property, using them in part to justify the document
“The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States.”—Declaration of Independence
The “injuries and usurpations” described in this quote are the colonists’=
The “injuries and usurpations” described in this quote are the colonists’=
proof that the king violated the principles of limited government, social contract, and natural rights
The Articles of Conferdation
created a weak central government, reflecting early American leaders’ fear of tyranny
ARTICLE II
“Each state retains its sovereignty, freedom, and independence, and every power, jurisdiction, and right, which is not by this Confederation expressly delegated to the United States, in Congress assembled.”—Articles of Confederation
“Each state retains its sovereignty, freedom, and independence, and every power, jurisdiction, and right, which is not by this Confederation expressly delegated to the United States, in Congress assembled.”—Articles of Confederation
Which of the following principles of American democracy does this quote best represent?
federalism
The U.S. Constitution is based on several principles of American democracy. Is the principle “separation of powers” among those evident in the document?
Yes, it is shown because the first three articles describe the three branches of government.
In the U.S. Constitution, the principle of democracy is
reflected because the people can elect their leaders and petition the government
An example of an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that shows the principle of federalism is how the
10th Amendment reserves rights to the states not assigned to the national government
Which of the following is a true statement about the Constitution?
It distributes power among three branches of government.
“Security and stability cannot be maintained through a confederation of individual, sovereign states.”
Which of the following best describes this quote?
It represents the perspective of a Federalist, arguing for a strong centralized government
“A democratic government is based on majority rule of the people. This would be impossible under the large republic proposed by the Constitution.”
Which of the following best describes this quote?
It represents the perspective of an Anti-Federalist, arguing for a stronger role for the states.
“It is evident that each department should have a will of its own; and consequently should be so constituted that the members of each should have as little agency as possible in the appointment of the members of the others.”-Federalist No. 51
Which of the following principles of American government
Separation of powers
“New States may be admitted by the Congress into this Union; but no new State shall be formed or erected within the Jurisdiction of any other State; nor any State be formed by the Junction of two or more States, or Parts of States, without the Consent of the Legislatures of the States concerned as well as of the Congress.”-U.S. Constitution
Which of the following is true based on this quote?
The power to make new states is a delegated power
Setting up courts is an example of
a concurrent power
An expressed power is a power
delegated to the national government
“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”
Which of the following possible court cases could be argued under the terms of the quote above?
a person shoots and kills someone who broke into the family’s home
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”—First Amendment, U.S. Constitution
Which of the following possible court cases could be argued under the terms of the quote above?
a person sues the city for denying a permit to hold a holiday parade
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
Which of the following possible court cases could legitimately be argued under the terms of the quote above?
A person appeals a conviction for disturbing the peace by holding a protest sign each day outside city hall.
Which of the following best explains why people do not have unlimited First Amendment rights?
Certain types of speech could infringe on others’ rights or public safety.
Which of the following explains why Americans do not have unlimited rights?
Sometimes individual rights conflict with the rights of others or threaten public safety.
What can the legislative branch do if the president vetoes a bill?
It can override the veto with a two-thirds vote of both houses of Congress.
When lawmakers compare multiple potential public policy solutions, they
focus on minimizing costs while maximizing the benefits
Which of the following quotes from the Constitution describes the House of Representatives?
“The…shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States.”
Comparing the costs in time and resources with the benefits is an important step in
analyzing the effectiveness of a public policy
Which of the following quotes from the Constitution describes the Senate?
“The…shall chose their other Officers, and also a President pro tempore, in the absence of the Vice President, or when he shall exercise the Office of President of the United States.”
Which of the following quotes from the U.S. Constitution describes the requirements to be president?
“a natural born Citizen, have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States”
When a Cabinet member makes a recommendation to the president, the president
has no obligation to follow their guidance
A bureaucratic organization that functions mostly without executive or legislative control is known as
an independent regulatory agency
Political parties, interest groups, and the media all provide a way for
individuals to monitor and influence government
One way individuals can increase their individual influence on public policy is to
become an active member of a political party or interest group
Why would a political party avoid associating with an interest group that holds radical principles?
so they can gain the support of as many voters as possible and get their members into office
Which of the following is a true statement related to changes in the American media?
As the types of media increase, the information and opportunities for influencing politics increase.
“Candidate Alonzo has worked as a school volunteer and with disabled children locally, which makes her a perfect fit for the School Board.”
In this quote, the reporter did not let the public know that Candidate Alonzo has never had a career in the field of education. The reporter uses
omission to support Alonzo
Which of the following makes a true statement about the Electoral College?
Electoral votes are awarded and the president is usually chosen based on the popular vote in each state
Decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court
are final and may not be appealed
50. “We’re providing more funding for our schools-a 36 percent increase since 2001. We are requiring higher standards. We are regularly testing every child on the fundamentals.”-President George W. Bush, 2004 State of the Union Address
“For less than one percent of what our nation spends on education each year, we’ve convinced nearly every state in the country to raise their standards for teaching and learning — the first time that’s happened in a generation.”-President Barack Obama, 2012 State of the Union Address
Based on the quotes above, it is reasonable to assume that
President Obama considers earlier efforts in reforming education to be unsuccessful
Which of the following is true about U.S. Supreme Court justices?
They are appointed by the president, approved by the Senate, and may serve for life.
Trials in the judiciary system divide into two main types—
civil law and criminal law
A supreme court has jurisdiction on a case when the case has been
heard by a court of appeal and there is a legitimate constitutional question
Which of the following types of cases would have to begin in a state-level court?
disputes arising from accidental damage to property
Which type of court would hear the appeal of a state-level supreme decision?
U.S. Supreme Court
Judicial review describes the power of the
judicial branch established by the case Marbury v. Madison to determine whether a law is acceptable under the Constitution
The decision of the U.S. Supreme Court on a constitutional issue is
final unless overturned by a constitutional amendment or new court decision
“The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.” This quote is from the
19th Amendment and protects the right of women to vote
The process of judicial review applies to
specific cases and controversies requested
The minority opinion of a decided case
expresses the justification for a dissenting opinion of one or more judges
Judges are expected to base their decisions on the
interpretation of law, independent from elected officials
The role of a judge is different from other federal officials because a judge
bases decisions on the law while other officials base decisions on the will of the people
Sue and Tim are arguing about the value of appointing rather than electing federal judges. Tim says they are appointed because they need to be independent. What does he mean?
Judges do not depend on voter will to keep their jobs. If that were the case, then judges would make decisions based on popular will rather than interpretations of law
The 14th amendment has continued to extend civil liberties because the
courts have interpreted it in many cases to mean that state governments must also guarantee certain rights
Which is true about the relationship between the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th amendment to the U.S. Constitution?
The 13th Amendment expanded the freedom of the Emancipation Proclamation to more people.
Which of the following cases sets a precedent that segregation laws were unconstitutional in the United States?
Brown v. Board of Education
A country with a government based on democracy would
conduct regular elections to select representative officials
A country with a government described as an oligarchy would
be run by a small group of leaders with similar political views
The United States and Mexico are
working together to stop the drug cartels and trafficking of illegal drugs
Which foreign policy position is reflected in the working relationship between the United States and Mexico to fight the illegal drug trade?
Diplomacy
Following World War II, Israel and Palestine have
accused each other of human rights violations
The Military Commissions Act of 2006 established that people defined as
“unlawful enemy combatants” would have fewer civil rights than other accused persons
Events such as the Nanking Massacre and Japanese-American internment
solidified a country’s right to act to protect its own security
Sue and Tim are arguing about the value of appointing rather than electing federal judges. Sue says the judges should be elected. Which of the following statements supports her position?
Judges are representatives of the people in government just like other officials and should represent majority will
