Social Studies - Government

Question 1

laws universally recognized by the virtue of human reason or human nature; extends beyond culture, time period, or society

Answer 1

natural law

Question 2

Laws created and developed through judicial decision, typically by courts; case law. Common law is derived from tradition and previous responses to situations.

Answer 2

common law

Question 3

possessed by an individual with no requirement; life, liberty, and property

Answer 3

natural rights

Question 4

idea that individuals covenant with each other to create, and be subject to form a government

Answer 4

Social Contract

Question 5

one individual rules the entire country; typically the ruler’s decree is law and it is unchangeable

Answer 5

Monarchy

Question 6

rule by a small group of people

Answer 6

Oligarchy

Question 7

Every citizen has a direct vote in the government and for each policy; in large societies is unmanageable due to the logistics of each citizen casting a vote for each policy

Answer 7

Direct democracy

Question 8

a group of leaders dictate the allocation of resources to the entire population

Answer 8

communism

Question 9

the state redistributes resources from the wealthy to the poor and provides many social services to the population

Answer 9

socialism

Question 10

one of the earliest examples of laws to regulate a society; although primitive, it suggests a presumption of innocence and a rough outline that could act as a constitution
“eye for an eye”

Answer 10

Hammurabi’s Code

Question 11

A compilation and formal organization of Roman Laws dating back to the sixth century. The Laws were issued during the rule of Emperor Justinian in early 500 A.D. They served as a foundation of jurisprudence during the Renaissance and the ideas of the laws can be seen in the judicial systems of Western Europe, developed Asia, and the US today.

Answer 11

Justinian’s Code of Laws

Question 12

The foundation for modern limited-government; was a binding document that restricted the kind of England’s power; constructed by English aristocrats who were having their rights and privileges continually violated by the King. idea of Natural Rights can be seen, as well as the political ideas that would later be reflected in the Dec of Independence

Answer 12

Magna Carta

Question 13

A political theorist who is regarded as one of the most important figures of the Enlightenment; writings outlined the ideas of Social Contract Theory and natural rights

Answer 13

John Locke’s Two Treatises of Government

Question 14

• Outlines the political ideology of the American Revolution and lays the foundation for the US Constitution
• one of the most important documents in human history as it takes the power of government away from few and hands it to the people

Answer 14

Declaration of Independence

Question 15

Lays the foundation for the American government, also provides a blueprint for a constitutional government throughout the world, allowing democracy to penetrate almost every country in the developed world from `1787 until now

Answer 15

US Constitution

Question 16

• one of the most exhaustive works on the human condition, economic structuring, class warfare, and political science
• written by Karl Marx
• responsible for outlining the reason and beliefs behind a Communist structure of government
• general theory is that as industrialization spreads, the workers will grow to resent the factory manager and owner as exploiting the labor of the workers

Answer 16

Communist Manifesto

Question 17

a form of government in which representatives determine the laws

Answer 17

Republicanism

Question 18

idea that all powers of government ultimately rest in the people

Answer 18

popular sovereignty

Question 19

in order to protect from corruption and a dangerous concentration of power, the constitution separates the various powers of government into three separate and distinct branches

Answer 19

separation of powers

Question 20

to further protect against tyranny, each branch has the power to limit the power of the other two branches

Answer 20

checks and balances

Question 21

power is shared not only between the branches of the national government but between the state and national governments as well

Answer 21

Federalism

Question 22

outlines the purpose of the constitution and what the founding fathers had hoped to accomplish when they created it

Answer 22

preamble

Question 23

establishes a bicameral (two house) congress based on arguably the most impactful compromise from the Constitutional Convention (Great Compromise)
Senate (equal rep)
House of Rep (proportional rep)

Answer 23

Legislative Branch

Question 24

small states argues for a congress with equal representation, larger states thought this was unfair, this compromise combined these two ideas

Answer 24

Great Compromise

Question 25

southern states wanted their slaves counted, northern states wanted slaves excluded; slaves counted as 3/5ths of a person

Answer 25

Three Fifths Compromise