Government Flashcards
What did Thomas Hobbes believe about people’s state of nature?
everyone had a right to everything
What kind of government did Thomas Hobbes think was best?
social contract
What was Thomas Hobbes’s idea of a social contract?
people agreed to give up some rights and power in exchange for protection from the government
What did John Locke believe about people’s state of nature?
no rules, no one in charge, and no way for people to protect their natural rights
What are the 3 natural rights?
life liberty property
What is Tabula Rasa?
a blank slate which gets filled up with the things people experience with the 5 senses
What was John Locke’s idea of a social contract?
it worked both ways- people and government had to give up things to gain things
Autocracy
One person has all the power
Monarchy- king or queen
Dictatorship- one leader has absolute control
Democracy
Citizens hold the power
Representative- citizens elect
Direct- no representatives
Oligarchy
Small group of people hold the power
junta- small group of military officers who take over a country by force
Theocracy
recognizes God as ultimate authority
Anarchy
no one is in control or everyone is (state of nature)
What does the Executive branch do?
carry out laws
What does the Legislative branch do?
make laws
What does the Judicial branch do?
decide what laws mean
Local government
Huntsville city council, mayor, county court
State government
Alabama legislature, governor, Alabama supreme court
Federal government
U.S. congress, President, U.S. supreme court
Conventions
Where the nominee is chosen- local, state, and national levels
Caucus system
meetings where party leaders and supporters select candidates through discussions and consensus
Primary election
elections host a secret ballot and people vote for the candidate they want to represent their party in the national election
Campaign
the process of gathering public support for a candidate
Popular vote
a tally of all the votes cast
Electoral college
each state has a group of people called electors who cast the actual votes for president