Unit 3 Flashcards
Constitution (common noun)
A written plan of government…rules that the government must follow
Human Rights
Basic rights that all people are entitled to: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness
Confederation
Voluntary and loose association (group) of states or countries
Sovereignty
Absolute power
Parliament
England’s law making body (legislature)
Federalism
System of government where power is between the federal and state governments
Compromise
An agreement where each side gives up some of its demands in order to reach a solution to a problem
Ratification
Process which a constitution or an amendment to a constitution is approved
Federalists
Supporters of the constitution who favored a strong national government
Antifederalists
The people who allowed the new constitution and wanted a strong state government
Bicameral
Two houses in the legislature (Senate and House of Representatives)
Market Economy
Economic system where economic decisions are decided by individuals (U.S.)
Free market
type of an economy where the right to sell and buy things as you wish
Scarcity
Shortage of an item
Free enterprise
Same thing as a market economy… NO GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION
Capitalism
Same things as a market economy- an economic system where the production and resources are owned by private citizens
Monopoly
When one company has COMPLETE control over an entire market/product/service
Thomas Jefferson
Primary writer of the Declaration of Independence- Anti-federalist
George Washington
President of the Constitutional Convention… he called for the convention- federalist_
James Madison
Father of the Constitution – kept a journal of the convention, wrote the Virginia Plan (blue print for the Constitution), wrote Bill of Rights and wrote the Federalist Papers
Republic
Representative Democracy- people consent to be ruled by there elected leaders
Magna Carta
1215, - document that took power away from a king…1st time in history- guaranteed certain rights, right to a jury and due process when accused of a crime, king can not raise taxes with out permission from the noblemen.- only protected the rich
Deceleration of Independence
July 4, 1776- document that listed the reasons the colonies decided to separate from England and form an independent country.
Articles of Confederation
The first constitution of America that created a weak central government and strong state governments.
Constitution
The document that set up the form of government (Federalism), which we use today
Declaration of Independence Purpose and Parts
Purpose: The purpose of the Declaration of Independence was to convince other countries and our own citizens to support our move to independence, and explain our reasons for independence.
Part 1: Preamble: explains the purpose of the Declaration
Part 2: Declaration of Natural Rights: all men are born with natural rights, these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Government was created by people in order to protect these rights. If government doesn’t its job, the people have the right to change or abolish the government and make a new one that will protect our rights.
Part 3 List of Grievances – the list of everything the King did wrong@!
Part 4 – Proclamation of Independence – announces that the united States of America is a free and independent nation
Types of Government
Monarchy- Government run by king or queen… power is passed down by family… absolute monarch has absolute power – are no absolute monarchs today… all Constitutional Monarchs- shares power with legislature (England)
Dictatorship – government is run by one person or a small group who have absolute power… people have little or no rights… require military to stay in power. (Cuba, N Korea, Venezuela)
Theocracy – government run by a religion… (Vatican City, Iran)_
Democracy – citizens have the power – citizens make the decisions
Direct democracy - Citizens make all the decisions by voting on each law. Not feasible (practical) for a large country because there are too many people. Works in small areas (Ancient Greece)
Representative democracy Citizens elect people to “represent” their interests in government… power still rests with the citizens… (USA)
Problems with the Articles of Confederation
No power given to federal government to tax
No power given to federal government to enforce laws AND the Articles required 9 out of 13 states to approve any laws.
Only one branch of government in federal government- no President and no court system
No power given to federal government to regulate business between states (interstate commerce)
Types of Economies
Types of economies
Market- economic system- economic decisions are made by individuals based on their own best interests. The people decide what to make, how much to make, the quality of what they make, and the price
Command- government makes all economic decisions… individuals do not
Traditional- economic decisions are based on the economic traditions of the past (barter, agriculture)
Mixed- economic system that is both a market economy with some government regulations (rules)- the government sometimes tells businesses how much they can charge and sets rules for production.- sometimes the government sets a price ceiling on certain needs, they also set safety regulations.
Supply and Demand
Law of Supply- The higher the price the higher the supply
Law of Demand- The lower the price the higher the demand
