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Government > Unit 1 > Flashcards

Unit 1 Flashcards

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1
Q

What did John Locke believe the purpose of government was?

A

Believed that the purpose of the government is to protect the laws of nature and natural rights

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2
Q

What are the three main rights John Locke believes everyone should have

A

Life, liberty, and property

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3
Q

What did John Locke believe people could do if the government doesn’t protect the peoples rights?

A

If a government failed to protect these rights, people were justified in rebelling and changing that government.

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4
Q

What does John Locke believe that a “Legitimate Government” requires?

A

the consent of the governed, people to like the government

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5
Q

What kind of Government did Montesquieu want?

A

A government divided into branches with shared powers, a mixed constitution in government between legislative, executive, and judicial

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6
Q

What was the Natural Rights Philosophy?

A

Everyone has the right to life, liberty, and ownership of property and citizens have the right to overthrow the government when their “natural rights” are violated

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7
Q

Who created the natural rights philosophy?

A

John Locke

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8
Q

What is the idea of Popular Sovereignty?

A

Governments get their power from the people.

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9
Q

Who created the idea of Popular Sovereignty/Social Contract Theory?

A

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

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10
Q

What was the idea of Limited Government?

A

The concept that a government’s power was not absolute

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11
Q

What was the Magna Carta and what did it do?

A

The Magna Carta established a permanent guarantee of limited government and protected people form unjust punishment by the government and from the charging of taxes without popular consent.

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12
Q

What is judicial review?

A

The power of the judiciary to interpret the Constitution and overturn laws passed by Congress

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13
Q

What were the separation of powers?

A

Each branch of government has separate and distinct powers

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14
Q

Who created separation of powers?

A

Montesquieu

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15
Q

What 4 things did Voltaire believe?

A

Reform in society is needed to fix social condition, Man should not be persecuted because of religious beliefs, and all men should be treated as equals and should have freedom of speech and freedom of the press, separation of church and state

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16
Q

What is the significance of the Declaration of Independence

A

Official ending to our rule under England to become free and it Ignites Revolutionary War

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17
Q

What was Shay’s Rebellion?

A

A group of farmers rebelled as state courts began to foreclose on farms and property (post-Revolutionary War) proved National Government was powerless and needed a change

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18
Q

Describe Checks and Balances

A

Makes sure that one branch of government doesn’t become too powerful, All 3 check each other and not one is more powerful

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19
Q

What is the bill of rights?

A

First 10 amendments protecting basic rights of all citizens in the U.S.

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20
Q

What were the Reserved Powers to States -10th Amendment?

A

Powers not given to federal government are reserved to the states

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21
Q

What were delegated powers?

A

Powers given to the national government in the constitution: examples; foreign affairs, national defense, money, immigration.

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22
Q

What was the necessary and proper clause?

A

Congress shall have power to make a law if it is necessary and proper to carry out ones foreign power.

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23
Q

What was the necessary and proper clause the basis for?

A

Congress’s IMPLIED powers.

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24
Q

What is the difference between an Executive Agreement and a Treaty?

A

Executive Agreements do not need senate approval while treaties do. Therefore, Executive Agreements are much more temporary, when a new president takes office, he can override it with just his signature.

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25
Q

What is Federalism?

A

A form of government in which powers are divided between a central government and several smaller state governments

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26
Q

Who was for the constitution, Federalists or Anti-federalists?

A

Federalists

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27
Q

Why did the anti-federalists oppose the constitution?

A

Loss of states rights, loss of individuals rights, they wanted a bill of rights added, and the powers of the government are vague and general.

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28
Q

Why did the federalists support the constitution?

A

States had their own constitutions, House of Reps is directly elected by the people and the reps protect their rights, support checks and balances.

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29
Q

What were the problems and weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?

A
  • Unicameral legislature with equal representation for all states (one vote per state)
  • Laws had to be approved by 9 states, Amendments to the Articles required 13 states to agree
  • No executive or court system-relied on states for enforcement
  • Congress could not collect taxes, keep a standing army, or regulate trade between states (interstate commerce)
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30
Q

What was the Philadelphia Convention?

A
  • Originally planned to revise the Articles of Confederation, but decide to scrap it
  • 12 states represented –Rhode Island does not attend
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31
Q

What becomes the main debate at the Philadelphia convention?

A

Representation, small states don’t want to be ignored, but large states believe their population warrants more influence

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32
Q

What is a formal amendment

A

ones protecting basic human rights

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33
Q

what is an informal amendment

A

The Constitution does not specifically list these processes as forms of amending the Constitution, but because of change in society or judicial review changed the rule of law de facto

34
Q

In Congress what is the number of Representatives and Senators; How is representation arranged in each house?

A
  • 435 representatives
  • 100 senators
  • House: based on population
  • Senate: 2 per state
35
Q

What is another name for the Necessary and Proper clause?

A

Elastic Clause

36
Q

What is the Full Faith and Credit Clause?

A

US must respect public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of other states

37
Q

What is the Supremacy Clause?

A

The Constitution is the supreme law of the land

38
Q

What are the implied powers of congress?

A

powers not explicitly in the Constitution, but are assumed to exist

39
Q

What are the expressed powers of congress?

A

powers specifically named in the Constitution (delegated/enumerated powers)

40
Q

What was the Impact of English Documents (Magna Carta, Petition of Right, English Bill of Rights)

A

It set the stage for limiting the power of government

41
Q

How many formal amendments are there?

A

27

42
Q

What is the amendment process?

A

2/3 approval by both houses of congress and 3/4 state legislature approval

43
Q

How many articles are in the constitution?

A

7

44
Q

What article is the Judicial Branch listed in and what is its purpose?

A

3, Interprets the laws

45
Q

What article is the Legislative Branch listed in and what is its purpose?

A

1, makes the laws

46
Q

What article is the Executive Branch listed in and what is its purpose?

A

2, Enforces or Carries out the laws

47
Q

what is a federal system?

A

A system of government in which power is divided between the national and state governments

48
Q

what is a unitary system

A

A system of government in which all power flows from the central government

49
Q

what is a confederacy

A

A system of government in which sovereign states come together to give power to a national government

50
Q

An authoritarian government in which the government has all the power is also called a __________ government.

A

Totalitarian

51
Q

An authoritarian government in which power is in the hands of a single ruler is called what?

A

Dictatorship

52
Q

What is an authoritarian government ruled by a small group of people.

A

Oligarchy

53
Q

A ___________ is system of government in which power is exercised by the people.

A

Democracy

54
Q

A ____________ is a type of representative democracy in which elected officials both make and enforce laws.

A

Republic

55
Q

Which system combine elements of capitalism and socialism.

A

mixed economies

56
Q

The __________ was a document that limited the king’s power over issues related to the rights to trial by jury, due process of law, and unfair taxation

A

Magna Carta

57
Q

who believed People need security and so enter a social contract in which they trade some liberty for protection from the government

A

Thomas Hobbes

58
Q

who believed People are born with natural rights and governments are only legitimate as long as the people support it

A

John Locke

59
Q

who believed Government powers should be separated between executive, legislative, and judicial powers

A

Montesquieu

60
Q

Which of Britain’s colonial policies most upset the colonists?

A

being taxed without representation

61
Q

What are 3 key concepts found in the declaration of independence

A

all men are created equal, all people have the rights of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness, a government’s right to rule comes from the people

62
Q

What event highlighted the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and led to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia?

A

Shays’ Rebellion

63
Q

What are 3 features of the Virginia Plan?

A

Created three branches of government
Bicameral Legislature
Proportional Representation

64
Q

The ______________________ created a bicameral legislature with proportional representation in one house and equal representation in the other.

A

Connecticut Compromise

65
Q

The way in which slaves would be counted for purposes of representation in the House and for tax purposes is known as the:

A

Three-Fifths Compromise

66
Q

how did the Constitution solve the dispute over the regulation of commerce?

A

Congress was given the power to regulate trade between the states and between nations, but states regulated their own trade and Congress could not tax exports

67
Q

Before the Constitution could become law, how many states had to ratify it?

A

9

68
Q

In order to win support for the Constitution, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay wrote a series of essays, known as the ___________ arguing for the Constitution’s ratification.

A

The Federalist Papers

69
Q

The powers specifically listed in the Constitution that Congress may exercise are known as what?

A

enumerated powers

70
Q

How may Congress stretch its powers beyond those specifically listed in the Constitution?

A

The power to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper has been interpreted broadly, rather than narrowly

71
Q

Who was the last state to approve the constitution?

A

Rhode Island

72
Q

Who is considered the father of the constitution?

A

James Madison

73
Q

What was the social contract theory?

A

free people unite voluntarily to form a contract and allow themselves to be governed.

74
Q

Study the checks and balances flow chart

A

Okay

75
Q

Who is the primary author of the deceleration of independence

A

Thomas Jefferson

76
Q

In the checks and balances, what can congress do?

A
  • approves presidential nominations
  • controls the budget
  • pass laws over president veto
  • impeach president
  • confirms president nominations
  • impeach judges
77
Q

In the checks and balances, what can the president do

A
  • veto congressional legislation

- nominated judges

78
Q

In the checks and balances, what can the courts do?

A
  • Declare laws unconstitutional

- declare presidential acts unconstitutional

79
Q

What branch is the congress in

A

Legislative

80
Q

What branch is the president in

A

Executive

81
Q

What branch is the Supreme Court in

A

Judicial

Government (4 decks)

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