Chapter 1: Principles of Government Flashcards
4 purposes of any government
- maintain order
- provide services to citizens
- provide for security of the nation
- provide economic stability
6 purposes of the US government (according to the preamble)
- form a more perfect union
- establish justice
- ensure domestic tranquility
- provide for the common defense
- promote the general welfare
- secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity
define the word state
a state is a body of people in a defined territory organized politically with the power to make enforced laws without the consent of any other higher authority (sovereignty)
4 essential features of a state
- population - people or citizens
- territory - land with boundaries
- sovereignty - power to rule
- government - leadership or organization
4 theories for the origin of the state
- force theory - a person or small group that have control over an area and forced all of the people in this area to submit to his rule
- evolution theory - idea that state or countries developed naturally from the early idea of family and the people have to submit to the “father’s” rule
- divine right theory - idea that a greater power or God created the state and God gave those of royal birth the “divined” right to rule
- social contract theory - people who interact and who willingly consent to be governed in order to be safe an secure
when was the constitution written
1787
what is the first part of the constitution called
preamble
what did the founding fathers want for the US
a land of liberty
what type of government does the US have
federal system/presidential system/democracy
North Korea is run by a small group of Communist Party leaders. What type of government does that country have?
dictatorship
do you think all present day monarchies are true autocracies?
no, i do not think all present day monarchies are true autocracies because an autocracy is a system of government in which supreme power is concentrated in the hands of one person and this doesn’t describe any of today’s monarchies
an institution through which society makes and enforces its public policies
government
a group of people who live in a defined territory that is organized politically
state
three types of government systems (geographic distribution)
- unitary system - all power belongs to the central government with a central agency
- federal system - power is shared between 2 or more levels
- confederation - union or alliance of independent states
two types of government systems (according to relationship between legislative and executive branches)
- parliamentary government
2. presidential government
three types of government systems (according to the number of people who can participate)
- autocracy - ruled by 1
- oligarchy - ruled by a few
- democracy - ruled by many
in a democracy, sovereign power is held by
the people
in a dictatorship, sovereign power is held by
the dictator
in a democracy, those who rule are responsible to
the people
in a dictatorship, those who rule are responsible to
no one, only the dictator
in a democracy, power is gained by
elections
in a dictatorship, power is gained by
force
a government in which a single person holds unlimited power
autocracy
a government in which the executive and legislative branches are separate and coequal
presidential government
a government in which the power is divided between a central government and other local governments
federal government
a government in which a small, usually self-appointed, group has the power to rule
oligarchy
a government in which all power belongs to a central agency
unitary government
an alliance of independent states
confederation
structuring a government so that power is shared by a central and several local governments
division of powers
a government in which members of the executive branch are also members of the legislative branch and are subject to the legislature’s direct control
parliamentary government
true or false: in a unitary government, political authority rests in the hands of both central and local governments
false (this is a federal government)
true or false: dictatorships exercise limited authority over the people
false (total authority)
true or false: the united states federal government is an example of a direct democracy
false (it is an indirect democracy)
a typical way for a dictators to gain power is by
force
in a democracy, sovereignty is located with
the people
examples of industrialized nations
united states, japan, france, great britain, canada, australia
examples of newly industrialized nations
mexico, south korea, argentina, china
examples of developing nations
cambodia, el salvador, chile, ethiopia, and somalia
interdependence
when one nation relies on another nation for one or more things while the other nation relies on that nation for something else
6 basic concepts of democracy
- fundamental worth of individual people
- the equality of people
- majority rule with minority rights
- necessity of compromise
- individual freedom
what are the four factors underlying the free enterprise system
private ownership, individual initiative, profit, competition
how does the law of supply and demand operate
when supplies of goods and services are plentiful, the prices drop but when they are scarce, prices start rising
what is a mixed economy
contains private enterprise and government regulation
true/false: in a democracy, the interests of the few must be elevated above the interests of the many
false
true/false: in a democracy, the majority is not always expected to have the right answer
true
true/false: the free enterprise system is an economic system, not a political system
true
true/false: compromise is vital in decision making process of a democracy
true
which of the following is NOT a basic concept of democracy
rights of the minority are not respected
which of the following is a justification for taxation in a democracy
the government must be able to provide services for its citizens
what are the roles of government in a mixed economy
regulation and promotion
6 words to describe US economy
- capitalism
- market
- mixed
- mixed market
- free enterprise
- laissez-faire
example of a unitary system
cuba
example of a federal system
united states
example of a confederation
the commonwealth of independent states
