Chapter 2: Traditional American Values And Beliefs Flashcards
Constitution
A set of basic laws and principles that a democratic country is governed by
Ethical
Relating to principles of what is right and wrong
Welfare
Money paid by the government to people who are very poor, sick, not working, etc
Why would the constitution of a country forbid titles of nobility?
To avoid class system
If there are no titles of nobility, how does a society recognize people with high social status?
Wealth, connection, cloths
Which do you think is more important to Americans, the well-being of the group or the individual?
Independent and self reliance
Some natural resources found on the North American continent
Coal, gold, silver, bauxite, iron
Early settlers came to the North American continent and established colonies mainly of kings, priests, and noblemen
The power of kings, priests, and noblemen.
There are no titles of nobility in the US today because
They are forbidden by the Constitution
The American belief in equality of opportunity means that
Everyone should have an equal chance to succeed
In the US, learning to compete successfully is
Part of growing
Americans see their material possessions as
The natural reward for their hard work
A belief in the value of hard work developed because
It was necessary to work hard to convert natural resources into material goods
In reality, such American ideals as equality of opportunity and self-reliance
Are only partly carried out in real life, but are still important becuz people believe in them
What three types of freedoms were the early settlers seeking
• kings and governments
• priests and churches
• noblemen and aristocrats
In 1776
Declaration of Independence
In what year was the Constitution of the US written
1787
What do Americans mean by the word freedom
Desire and right of all individuals to control their own destiny without government interference
Why didn’t a hereditary aristocracy develop in the US?
Forbidden by the Constitution
Who was James Madison and what did he say in the late 1700s?
Father of the American Constitution
Differences in material possessions reflect differences in personal abilities
Who said, “We… wish to allow the humblest man an equal chance to get rich with everybody else”?
Abraham Lincoln
Accumulate
To gradually get more and more money, possessions, or knowledge over a period of time
Diminish
To become smaller and less important
Ethnic
A general idea or set of moral beliefs that influences people’s behavior and attitudes
Promote
To help someone or something advance and be successful
In 1776, the British colonial settlers declared their independence from England and established a new nation, the US of America. In so doing, they defied the King of England and declared that the power to govern would lie in hands of the people
The openly resisted the king’s power to govern them
By freedom, Americans mean the desire and the right of all individuals to control their own destiny without outside interference from the government, a ruling class, the church, or any other organized authority.
They wanted to control their own future lives
To say that a person is materialistic is an insult. To an American, this means that this person values material possessions above all else.
The person loves things
John Kenneth White observes that in spite of all the changes in the nation’s population, economy, and culture, the behaviors and values of Americans have remained remarkably constant
The behaviors and values have stayed the same
