Flashcards About Government Unit 1
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What is Government?
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The institution through which a society makes and enforces its public policies
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What is Public Policies?
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Any course of government directed toward a national goal
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What is Sovereignty?
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The political authority to act independently
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What is Democracy?
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Form of government where supreme authority rests with The People
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What is Dictatorship?
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Unlimited power and responsibility is held by one person or a small group
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What is Autocracy?
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One person holds all power
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What is Oligarchy?
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Small group holds all power
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What is Confederation?
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Two or more independent states join together to achieve a common goal
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What is Totalitarianism?
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Attempt to reshape the state, the people, and the society totally, to conform to an idea or plan
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What is Republic?
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Citizens exercising their political control through elected representatives
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What is a Constitution?
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Body of laws that sets out a government's structure, principles, and processes
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In which type of government does one person rule?
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Dictatoryship
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By definition, a state must have a body of people with a defined territory and what?
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Sovereign government
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All dictatorships are what?
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Authoritarian
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The government of The United States is what?
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Federal government
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In a democracy, supreme authority belongs to who?
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The people
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A unitary system of government is characterized by what.
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A single central power
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Which of the following must accompany majority rule in the American concept of democracy?
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People are supreme authority
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In a presidential government...
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Divides power throughout the branches
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The economy of The United States is best described as what?
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Mixed economy
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In a Representative government...
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The government serve the people
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What is the Magna Carta?
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It limits the power of the king
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What was the first National Government of the United States?
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Second continental congress
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What was the plan of government during the war for independence?
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Articles of confederation
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Each of the states constitutions written during the Revolution provided for what?
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To provide a principle of popular sovereignty
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The government formed by the articles of confederation can best be described as what?
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Firm league of friendship
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What did the Virginia plan call for?
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Three separate branches of government
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What legislature did the Connecticut Compromise create?
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Two houses: House with equal representation, and house based off of population
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How many states did it take to ratify the constitution?
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9/13
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Who won the debate over ratifying the constitution?
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Federalists
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What is the Force Theory?
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One person or small group forces control on all to submit to their rule
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What is the Evolutionary Theory?
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The state evolves naturally out of the early family
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What is the Divine Right Theory?
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God has given those of royal birth a divine right
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What is the Social Contract Theory?
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Voluntary act of free people to give up their power for their well-being
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What is the Virginia Plan?
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Bicameral legislature- representation based off of population
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What is the New Jersey Plan?
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Unicameral congress- equal representation for states
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What is the Constitutional Compromise?
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Bicameral congress, one segment with equal representation and one with population representatives
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What is Popular Sovereignty?
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All government belongs to the people
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Example of Checks and Balances.
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Power divided between federal and state government
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Which principle of government favors three independent branches?
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Federalism
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What are the first Ten Amendments called?
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The Bill of Rights
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Number of Formal Amendments is...
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27
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The method of formally amending the constitutions follows the principle of what?
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Federalism
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Which method of amending has been used for all but one formal amendment?
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Congress proposes/state legislature ratifies
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Congress can informally amend the Constitution by what?
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Passing laws
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Example of informal amendment by executive action?
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President issues executive order
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Presidential appointment of the Supreme Court Justices is an example of what?
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Informal Amendment
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What is the Constitutional Division of Powers?
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Separate National and State governments
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Powers shared by national and state governments are called what?
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Concurrent Powers
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Reserved Powers belong to whom?
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The States
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The process of admitting a new State begins with what?
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The area's residents asking Congress for admission
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A new State may not be created by what?
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The territory of an existing State without its permission
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The National government giving land to States to sell to fund State Universities is an example of what?
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Grant-In-Aid Program
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Which kind of Grant-In-Aid program has to be applied for?
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Project Grants
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Which part of the Constitutions stops State discrimination?
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The Privileges and Immunities Clause
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States must honor each others' laws and court decisions according to what?
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Full Faith and Credit Clause
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The legal process by which a State officer will return a criminal of another State to said State is what?
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Extradition
