Constitutional Principles of Limited Government: 1.6 Flashcards
principles
popular sovereignty, federalism, separation of powers, checks and balances, judicial review, civilian control of the military, the rule of law
popular sovereignty
rule by the people; when concept applied to the US form of government; governmental authority is given by the consent of the government (people give their permission to be ruled); republican system model: the people elect reps to serve on their behalf
federalism
the structure of government in which power is divided between the federal and state government; creates a balance between governments; federal government acts on issues affecting the country as a whole; state and local governments act on issues that affect their particular area
separation of powers
divided the federal government’s power among the 3 branches, limiting how powerful they can be
legislative
legislates laws; Congress (House of Representatives and Senate)
executive
executes laws; President (and vice president)
judicial
judges laws; courts (supreme court)
checks and balances
system through each branch of the federal government exercise same control over the other 2
judicial review
process by which the courts interpret the Constitution and overturn laws that violate it
civilian control of the military
places military powers in the hands of civilian political officials rather than military officers
Congress control of military
power to raise and support armed forces; power to declare war
President control of military
commander-in-chief of the armed forces
the rule of law
no individual group, organization, or governmental entity is above the law; everyone is held accountable to the same law; laws must be equally, fairly, and consistently enforced
