American Government Ch 1-2 Study Guide – Flashcards
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Government
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Power to make and regulate laws and maintain order Ex: democracy, socialists, communistsc dictatorship
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Citizen
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Holds both rights and responsibilities in a state Ex: U.S. citizens
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Autocracy
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rule by one person with unlimited power Ex: Hitler
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Majority Rule
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Majority right more than small group
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Delegate
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Representative from each of the 13 colonies
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Representative Government
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Government should serve the will of the people and the people have a voice Ex: America
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Legislative Branch
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Makes laws Ex: Congress
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Executive Branch
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Enforces laws Ex: President, teachers, cops
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Judicial Powers
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Interpret laws Ex: Supreme Court
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Constitution
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Fundamental laws, structure and process of governmment (written out laws) Ex: U.S. Constitution
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Dictatorship
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Ruler is not responsible for will of the people and government is not accountable for policies Ex: Hitler, Stalin
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Democracy
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Supreme authority rests with the people Ex: America
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State
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Body of people who are organized politically and can make and enforce their own laws Ex: 50 states in the U.S. and over 200 in the world
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Popular Sovereignty
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American people are the source of government power and the government can exist only with consent of the governed
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Force
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Use of force to gain power
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Divine Right
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Power given by God to the people
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Evolutionary
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One "famiky leader" like a clan of Native Americans
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Social Contract Theory
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Compromising: Give freedom to take freedom (John Locke)
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Direct Democracy
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People make changes - participation of the people
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Indirect Democracy
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Choose people to represent the people
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Limited Government
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Government is restricted in what it may do and every individual has certain rights that government cant take away - English government
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Sovereign
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Complete power in territoryto decide laws (powerful supreme) Ex: United States and Canada
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Preamble
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Introduction to the constitution; equal and distinct laws required of the people; explains what America stands for
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Oligarchy
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Power to rule by small privaleged states Ex: Ancient Greeks
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Confederation
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Alliance of independent states
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Division of Powers
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Government powers are divided on a geographic basis; basic principle of federalism - directly on the people
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Presidential Government
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Equal powers between the legislative and executive branches
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Parlimentary Government
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Executive has power: prime minister and cabinet officials
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4 Origins of State
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Force, Evolutionary, Divine Right, Social Contract Theory
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Albany Plan of Union
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creation of annual congress of delegates - 1 for each of the 13 colonies
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Stamp Act Congress
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prepared a strong protest - Declaration of Rights and Grievances; first time a number of colonies had joined to oppose the British government
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2nd Continental Congress
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1st U.S government to make decisions during the war
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Magna Carta
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"the great charter" - 1215 the first document that limits the king's power in England -the power of the monarchy was not absolute and garunteed trial by jury and due process of law to the nobility
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Maryland Toleration Act
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idea of religious freedom used in the 1st Amendment
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English Petition of Rights
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grants more rights to people: no court of troops, due process, right to a trial
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English Bill of Rights
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granting freedoms to people: first amendments, right to petition, no courting of troops
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Fundamental Orders of Connecticut
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1st written constitution in north america and helps us to establish our constitution
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John Locke - "Natural Rights"
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every citizen is garunteed 3 rights: Life, Liberty, Pursuit of Happiness
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Bicameral
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legislative body of 2 chambers
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Unicameral
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legislative body of 1 chamber
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Virginia Plan
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new government with 3 branches: legislative, executive, judicial; bicameral congress for the larger states
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New Jersey Plan
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alternative to the Virgina Plan: unicameral legislature with each state equally represented for the smaller states
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Connecticut Compromise
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"Great Compromise" congress composed of Senate (represented equally) and House (based on State's population); benefits both larger and smaller states
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3/5th Compromise
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count s slave as three-fifths of a person when determining population of state; benefits slave states
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Commerce and Slave-Trade Compromise
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protected slave holder; denied congress powers to tax the export of goods from any state and power to act on the slave trade; changed after 20 years
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Federalists
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-supporters of the ratification of the constitution 1787-1788 -strong federal govt, bill of rights not needed
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Anti-Federalists
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-opposed ratification of the constitution 1787-1788 -weak federal govt, bill of rights needed, states rights
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Articles of Confederation
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-1st constitution that was written - weak -"firm league of friendship" among states and somepower to central
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Social Contract
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people are the power to get freedom, give up freedom = compromise
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Spirit of Laws
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idea of separation of powers
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Framers
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group of delegates who drafted the U.S. constitution at the Philadelphia Convention in 1787
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Constitutional Convention
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a meeting that led to an entirely different govt one derived from a constitution
