Chapter 2 Flashcards
What are some different types of government?
- Anarchy
- Socialism
- Communism
- Democracy
- Monarchy
What is the source of all political power?
God
What is anarchy?
The absence of government
What is Socialism?
Both and economic and a political system. The government owns part of the means of production.
What is Communism?
Both an economic and political system. The government owns all of the means of production.
What is Democracy?
The government is run by the people
What is a Monarchy?
A government system where a king has power
What are the different types of monarchies?
- Absolute
2. Constitutional
What is the power structure like in an absolute monarchy?
The king has absolute power
What is the power structure like in a constitutional monarchy?
The king shares power with the people
What are some Factors of Production?
- Land
- Labor
- Capital
- Entrepreneurship
- Technology
What are some basic economic questions?
- What should be produced?
- How much should be produced?
- What methods should be used?
- How should these goods and services be distributed?
What was the Magna Carta?
An attempt to limit the authority of the king
What were some principles of the Magna Carta?
- The right to a trial by jury
- The right to due process of law
- No taxation without consent
What is due process?
certain procedures must be followed
What were some principles of English Common Law?
- Precedent
- All men are equal under the law
- Life, liberty, and property may not be taken illegally
What is precedent?
The practice of judges basing their decisions on previous cases
Who wrote “The Prince”?
Niccolo Machaveilli
What does Machaveilli say in “The Prince”?
He discusses what makes an effective government
What does Machavelli believe about government?
- Successful governments are those in which the citizens felt a patriotic attachment to the state
- Governments act in their own self-interest
Who wrote “Political Ideas Derived from the Very Words of Holy Scrpipture”?
Bishop Bossuet
What does Bossuet believe about government?
He supports the Royal Absolutionism and Divine Right of Kings
What is Royal Absolutionism?
the king has ultimate power
Who wrote “Free Law of Free Monarchy”?
King James I
What does King James I say in “Free Law of Free Monarchy”?
He compares the relationship between the people and the king
Who wrote “Six books of the Republic”?
Jean Bodin
What did Bodin say in “Six Books of the Republic”?
- In every country there must be a supreme power, and the ideal leader is a king
- Conversely, the king must be constrained by natural law
What did Bodin believe about government?
He supported “Legi summi imperii” (Sallic Law)
What was Sallic Law?
No women rulers
What is the purpose of the English Petition of Rights?
to limit royal authority
What did the English Petition of Rights say?
- The King could not levy taxes without parliament’s consent
- The King could not imprison someone without a specific charge or provision for a jury trial
- The King could not quarter soldiers in private homes without the consent of the owners
What occurred as a result of the English Civil War and Commonwealth?
- The idea of an absolute monarchy in England is destroyed forever
- The House of Commons becomes the dominant political power in England
- Opposition to a standing army
Who wrote “Leviathan”?
Thomas Hobbs
What did Thomas Hobbs believe about government?
Man without government is in a state of nature (chaos)
What did Habeas Corpus say?
It is illegal for someone to be arrested without a charge or provisions for a trial
What did the English Bill of Rights say?
- The King could not suspend law, levy taxes, or raise an army without Parliament’s consent
- The King could not interfere in Parliamentary elections
What was the Enlightenment?
An intellectual movement that came from France
What does the Enlightenment emphasize?
- Science
- Reason
- Human nature
- Natural Law
What were the writers of the Enlightenment called?
Philosophes
What did the philosophes believe about government?
by observing human nature in history and the present, one can discover the laws that govern human nature, and these laws can be used to design a harmonious and orderly society
What is the primary belief of the philosophes?
freedom of thought and freedom of religion
What is Enlightened Despotism?
where a ruler justifies his authority of his usefulness to society
Who wrote “Two Treatises of Government:?
John Locke
What does Locke believe about government?
- Man is born with a blank slate
- Man is born with God-given natural rights
- Government was created to protect these rights
- If government fails to protect those rights, man has a right to replace that government
What are the God-given natural rights that man is born with according to Locke?
- Life
- Liberty
- Property
Who wrote “The Spirit of Laws”?
Baron de Montesquieu
What does Montesquieu believe about government?
- Separation of powers
2. Government should have three different groups
What groups does Montesquieu believe government should be separated into?
- Enforcing the Law
- Interpreting the Law
- Making the Law
Who wrote “Candide”?
Voltaire
What did Voltaire believe about government?
- Rulers should use their authority to promote reform
- Freedom of Religion
- State churches had too much political power
- Freedom of though and expression
What is censorship?
Government reads anything before publication and has the right to pull works
Who wrote “Social Contract”?
Jean Jacques Rousseau
What did “Social Contract” say?
The general will (majority) if determined democratically, is more important than the will of the individual
What does Rousseau believe about government?
He supports the three natural rights and the right of revolution
Who wrote “Essay on Crimes and Punishments”?
Marquis Cesare di Beccaria
What did “Essay on Crimes and Punishments” say?
It recommends a system of laws that apply equally to all classes
What were the economists of the enlightenment called?
physiocrats
What did the physiocrats believe?
Land was the real source of wealth
What famous physiocrat wrote “Economic Table”?
Francois Quesney
What did Quesnay believe about government?
A laissez-faire policy should be adopted
What is laissez-faire?
Government should stay out of the economy
Who wrote “Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealthy Nations”?
Adam Smith
What did “Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealthy Nations” say?
The more you produce, the wealthier a nation is, so the government should encourage the people to produce as much as possible
Who is the head of state in a monarchy?
The King
What makes up Parliament?
- House of Commons
2. House of Lords
What was the first governing document of the U.S.?
The Articles of Confederation
What was the purpose of the Constitutional Convention?
To revise the Articles of Confederation
Who is the president of the Constitutional Convention?
George Washington
Who is the oldest member of the Constitutional Convention?
Benjamin Franklin
Who is the Chairman of the Committee of Style in the Constitutional Convention?
Gouverneur Morris
What were the major objectives of the Constitutional Convention?
- To create a republic
- Creating a strong central government
- Creating a written constitution
- Creating a government that will protect property rights and human rights
- To reform society so that government would have a virtue
What were the major areas of conflict in the Constitutional Convention?
- Economics
- Strength of the national government
- Representation in Congress
What were the economic conflicts over in the Constitutional Convention?
Agricultural Interests vs. Commercial Interests
What were the conflicts about representation in congress over in the Constitutional Convention?
Large states vs. Small state
Who created the Virginia Plan?
James Madison
How many branches of government are under the Virginia Plan?
3
Describe the Legislative Branch of the Virginia Plan.
- Bicameral
- Representation based on population
- Lower house chosen by voters
- Upper house chosen by lower house
- Each representative has one vote
Describe the Executive Branch in the Virginia Plan.
chosen by Congress
Describe the Judicial Branch in the Virginia Plan.
chosen by Congress
Who created the New Jersey Plan?
William Patterson
How many branches of government are in the New Jersey Plan?
3
Describe the Legislative Branch in the New Jersey Plan.
- Unicameral
- Members chosen by voters
- Each state has one vote
- Increased powers of congress
Describe the Executive Branch in the New Jersey Plan.
committee of three chosen by Congress
Describe the Judicial Branch in the New Jersey Plan.
chosen by Congress
Describe the Lower House in the Connecticut Compromise.
- House of Represenatitves
- Membership based on population
- Chosen by voters
- Each member has one vote
Describe the Upper House in the Connecticut Compromise.
- Senate
- Each state has two members and two votes
- Chosen by state legislature
What is the purpose of Electoral College?
To choose the President and V.P.
How many votes does each elector in the Electoral College cast?
2
What happens if no one wins a majority in the Electoral College?
The election goes to the House of Representatives with each state having one vote
What does the 12th Amendment say?
Electors vote separately for President and V.P.
