Government Flashcards
Social contract
Idea that government is formed by the consent of the governed
Mayflower Compact
The first government based on the idea of a covenant
Divine right of kings
Kings received their authority directly from God
Fundamental orders of Connecticut
outlined a more democratic government than the one in Massachusetts by not making church membership a prerequisite for government participation
Great Awakening
Spiritual revival during colonial times
Unalienable Rights
A right given by God and not government
Popular Government
A government in which the people participate
Direct Democracy
A government where the people directly affect a countries policies
Republic
“state in which the supreme power rests in the people and their elected repre- sentatives or officers
Dictatorship
Absolute power lies within the ruling class
Totalitarian
Control over every aspect of the governs lives
Autocracy
Rule by one person
Oligarchy
Ruled by an elite group of individuals
Anarchy
No government
Federalism
divides a nation’s power among national, regional, and local governments
Confederate Government
When the regional governments retain supremacy
Presidential System
People directly elect the president
Parliamentary system
The legislative and executive branches are inseparably linked
Delegates powers
Power delegated to certain positions in government
Congress
Two houses of elected officials that combine to form congress
House of Representatives
The lower house of congress
Senate
Higher house of congress
President
The chief executive officer
Supreme Court
The highest court of government in the land
Bicameral
Two house congress
Unicameral
1 house congress
Governor
The chief officer of a regional government
Townships
Elected officials from different divisions of the county
Charter
Gives the city a name and serves as its constitution
Democracy
Government where the majorities opinion wins
Due Process
certain legal procedures must be enforced to protect the rights of the accused
Bill of rights
The first ten amendments of the constitution
Electoral college
Likewise the president was elected through the indirect means
Majority Rule
that is, a numerical majority of the electorate makes decisions that are binding upon the entire electorate
Pluralistic society
where differing opinions and parties exist freely
Equality
means political equality, or legal equality, its chief characteristics being equality of justice and equality of the fran- chise
Declaration of Independence
Document stating our independence from the United Kingdom
Thomas Jefferson
Chief author of the Declaration of Independence
John Hancock
Famously wrote his name huge on the Declaration of Independence
Age of Enlightenment
written as well as Christian political thought tracing back to the Puritans and Scottish dissenters
Deism
Religious outgrowth of the enlightenment
Articles of Confederation
Documents that tried to make the U.S. a confederation
Ratification
To give to consent
Mount Vernon
Where Washington lived
Annapolis convention
Convention that was famously poorly attended
Constitutional
Convention where the states discussed changes they wanted to make to the constitution
George Washington
One of the founding fathers and was the head of the constitutional convention
James Madison
Father of the constitution
Virginia plan
Plan that favored the larger states
New Jersey plan
Plan that favored the smaller states
Connecticut plan
Compromise for the Virginia and New Jersey plan
3/5 compromise
Compromise that gave things to both plans
Federalists
Advocates of the constitution
Anti-Federalists
Those who opposed the new form of government
Federalist papers
Answered the objections of the anti Federalists
Necessary and Proper Clause
“to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by this Consti- tution in the Government of the United States.
Bill of rights
First ten amendments to the constitution
Limited Government
Restrictions to the power of government
Separation of powers
Dividing the government into 3 equally powerful branches of government
Checks and balances
Thwarts branches of government from being more powerful then another
Veto
The presidents ability to reject a bill or oppose it
Impeachment
The removal of an official from an elected office
Judicial Review
power of the judicial branch of government to review the constitutionality of laws passed by the legislative branch
Marbury v Madison
Marked the first time the judicial review was asserted or used
Preamble
Introduces the constitution
Legislative branch
Branch of government that congress works under
Census
A counting of the population
