Unit 1 Part A Vocab

Question 1

The study of who governs and what they do with that power

Answer 1

Politics

Question 1

The ability to influence the behavior of others

Answer 1

Power

Question 2

The supreme power or authority of a self-governing country

Answer 2

Sovereignty

Question 3

Laws and other policies of the government

Answer 3

Public Policy

Question 4

Cruel or oppressive government

Answer 4

Tyranny

Question 5

A group of people with interests that are different than the overall good of the nation

Answer 5

Factions

Question 6

A government with unlimited and absolute power; people have little power

Answer 6

Authoritarian

Question 7

Citizens themselves make decisions on every issue; no representatives

Answer 7

Direct democracy

Question 8

Citizens elect officials to make decisions for them

Answer 8

Indirect (representative) democracy

Question 9

A representative form of government where elected leaders make decisions for the nation

Answer 9

Republic

Question 10

Government power is restricted to certain powers and purposes

Answer 10

Limited Government

Question 11

Idea that every government decision is made by majority rule or with the good of the majority in mind; broad participation in politics

Answer 11

Participatory Democracy (Majoritarian Theory)

Question 12

Idea that some people/groups have more power than other people (eg. the rich, the military, the media, corporations, ect.); narrow view of politics

Answer 12

Elite theory

Question 13

Idea that there are so many various powerful elite groups, no laws can be passed without the support of most of them

Answer 13

Pluralism (Pluralist View)

Question 14

An agreement in which the government promises to protect the natural rights of the people who created the limited government

Answer 14

Social Contract Theory

Question 15

Group that opposed to to a strong national/federal government at the time of the Constitutional Convention; feared tyranny and wanted powerful state governments

Answer 15

Anti-Federalists

Question 16

The first attempt at government for the USA at the time of the revolutionary war; created a loose alliance of the states and a very weak national government with no president, court system, tax power, ect (it failed)

Answer 16

Articles of Confederation

Question 17

Rebellion if indebted farmers (over taxes) in Massachusetts after the RW; showed that the AOC was a failure and that a Constitutional Convention was necessary

Answer 17

Shay’s Rebellion

Question 18

The first ten amendments to the Constitution; explained people’s rights and the limits of the national government

Answer 18

Bill of Rights

Question 19

Meeting of delegates from the states to revise/rewrite the AOC; creates the US Constitution

Answer 19

Constitutional Convention of 1787

Question 20

Formal document that creates the formal organization and rules of a government

Answer 20

Consitutional

Question 21

A formal change to the Consitution

Answer 21

Constitutional Ammendment

Question 22

Those in favor of a stronger national-federal government at the time of the Constitutional Convention; national and state governments should share power

Answer 22

Federalists

Question 23

Creators of the US Constitution

Answer 23

Framers

Question 24

Political factions are undesirable but inevitable; factions need to be controlled and that would happen better in a large republic

Answer 24

Federalist Paper No 10 (James Madison)

Question 25

People in power will always try to become more powerful; separation of power with checks and balances will preserve a limited government; “Ambition must be made to counteract ambition.”

Answer 25

Federalist Paper No 51 (James Madison)

Question 26

Antifederalist Paper; the Constitution would create a federal government that would “possess absolute and uncontrollable power…” because of the Necessary and Proper Clause and the Supremacy Clause

Answer 26

Brutus No 1

Question 27

System where each branch of the government can block actions and limit the power of the other two; preserves a limited government

Answer 27

Checks and Balances

Question 28

Created a compromise between the NJ and VA Plans; created a bicameral legislature (Congress with two houses) with one house based on population and the other having an equal number of Senators from every state

Answer 28

Great Connecticut Compromise

Question 29

Formal approval of a legal document like the U.S. Constitution

Answer 29

Ratification

Question 30

Arrangement of government power where the central government has all of the power; states have little or no power

Answer 30

Unitary system

Question 31

Aka. National Government or Central Government; Three Branches in Washington, D.C.

Answer 31

Federal Government

Question 32

The Constitution creates three independent branches of government, each with their own specific powers and responsibilities

Answer 32

Separation of Powers

Question 33

Government power is shared between the national government and state/regional governments

Answer 33

Federalism (Federal Structure)