Exam 1 Flashcards
What is Government?
An institution that makes policy decisions for society.
What are institutions?
Exist at all levels (federal, state, and local) have their own jurisdiction.
What do Federal Institutions do?
Pass laws, regulate interstate commerce, provide aid. ie. Congress.
What do State institutions do?
Has its own constitution that federal cannot interfere with, ie. DMV
What are policies?
Rules created by each level to govern their people.
What are the 3 levels of government?
Federal, state, and local.
What should a government do?
At their own level maintain order, maintain national defense, socialize the public, provide public services, finance services.
What are the different types of government structures?
Monarchy, aristocracy, theocracy, dictatorship, democracy.
What is democracy?
A government ruled by the “people.”
Who said “a government of the people, by the people, and for the people”?
Abraham Lincoln at the Gettysburg’s Address.
Was Athenian democracy a real democracy?
No, because it did not apply to all people. ie. Women, minorities, the poor, those who do not own property. Only the powerful and elite ruled.
What are the 3 conditions for government to exist?
Popular sovereignty, people are the source of power.
Political equality, equality in voting; each vote is weighted equally.
Policial liberty, opportunity to participate in the government.
What are the 3 theories of democracy?
Elitism, those on top have the upper hand.
Pluralism, all groups are equal no matter who they are.
Hyper-pluralism, government does what the elite wants.
When did the American Revolution start and ended?
Started 1775.
Ended when the Constitution was ratified.
Why did America revolt?
Colonies were under England.
England was taxing too much on basic commodities. ie. Sugar, tea, paper, stamps.
What was the slogan of the Revolution?
No taxation without representation.
What was the Boston Tea Party and what did they do?
A group of members of the colonies (leadership) dressed as Native Americans (symbolic of being 2nd class citizens) and dumped tea over the harbor to protest the high taxes.
What happen during the First Continental Congress?
Members of the colonies gather to discuss the situation with England.
They wanted to get rid of England but had hesitation to go forward.
What was the point of The Second Continental Congress?
Debated over seeking independence, reasoning behind seeking independence was offered.
What essay did Thomas Paine write?
“Common Sense” pamphlet that urge Americans to seek independence as it was a right and a necessity.
When was the declaration of Independence?
July 4, 1776.
What did John Lock propose on his writing?
Natural Rights: guarantees to every person that must be protected.
Limited Government: to protect a persons rights, constitution stipulates limitations.
Social contract: citizens gives government consent to rule over them, pay government taxes, and in return they must protect your rights, give you services, etc.
What are The Articles of the Confederation?
First draft of the Constitution, built in a way that disperses power outwards. States have power over Federal. No centralized power.
What is a constitution?
A basic framework of law that a government must follow in order to govern.
What were the disadvantages of The Articles of Confederation?
Lack of real power by federal government, no power to dictate over states.
No chief executive (president), leaves new country vulnerable since there is no one to maintain order.
Autonomous states, colonies are their own entities, decide their own regulations, republic provides unity and cohesiveness.
Federal regulates transactions between states.
What was the purpose of The Constitutional Convention?
To resolve the flaws in the Articles of Confederation.
What is republicanism?
A system of government where the power of the government is limited.
What is tyranny?
The act of the government in using its power to systematically violate the rights of its people.
What is federalism?
Different levels of authority (federal, state, local) each with different duties and power, enabling the people to appeal to one authority if their rights and interests are not respected by the other authority.
What is Checks and Balances?
To ensure fairness the different levels keep each other accountable. To prevent tyranny from occurring, no one is above the law.