Chapter 1 Flashcards
Citizen
A public person who takes an active part in community public affairs.
Citizenship
A public person who takes a much larger active part in not only the community, but state and national public affairs.
Political Knowledg
Knowledge attained through activities such as city council meetings, jury service, political rallies, voting, letter writing, and joining a political action committee.
Government
Institutions and procedures by which people are ruled.
What are the three basic forms of government?
Totalitarian, authoritarian, and democracy.
Totalitarian
All power is held by one person, very little freedom, very violent. Examples: Nazi Germany, North Korea, Soviet Union.
Authoritarian
All power held by national government. The government could be controlled by one political party. Little freedom, very violent. Examples: Mexico (1929-2000), Taiwan (1949-1996), South Korea (1950-1987).
Democracy
Power is shared between branches of government, political parties, and other institutions. More personal freedom, much less violence, they have constitutions.
What are the three branches of U.S. Government?
Judicial (supreme court), executive (president), and legislative (congress, senate, house).
Constitution
A document that defines and limits the power of government. Essentially, what government can do and how it can do it.
Athenian Participatory Democracy
All male adult citizens were expected to assemble together and create laws, government, etc. Everyone eligible participated in the political process.
Roman Republic
A small group of wealthy citizens who owned land, slaves, and businesses had the right to assemble together to create laws, government, etc. They were a minority exercising their political power as a majority (they had the majority of the land, wealth, etc).
