Unit One Study Guide

Question 1

what is government

Answer 1

institution through which a society makes and forms its policies

Question 2

what is the purpose of government

Answer 2

to maintain order, provide essential services, protection from invasion

Question 3

what are the four essential characteristics of the State

Answer 3

population, territory, soverignty, organized government

Question 4

what is soverignty

Answer 4

absolute authority within a country’s own territory

Question 5

what is the evolutionary theory

Answer 5

theory where governmetn evolved from one family

Question 6

what is the force theory

Answer 6

one person or group used force to establish its authority to govern the people

Question 7

what is the divine right theory

Answer 7

rulers were chosen by gods to govern

Question 8

what is the social contract theory

Answer 8

people gave government its power to govern them in exchange the government had to resect their rights

Question 9

who is Thomas Hobbs

Answer 9

Wrote leviathan, believed humans are not good and that we are brutes by nature, we need a ruler, we dont have right to overthrow bad government

Question 10

who was John Locke

Answer 10

wrote two treatises on government, government derives power from the people, gov. must protect peoples rights , corrupt gov should be removed

Question 11

what is autocracy

Answer 11

rule of one

Question 12

what is oligarchy

Answer 12

rule of the few or committee

Question 13

what is theocracy

Answer 13

ruler of a religious leader

Question 14

what is democracy

Answer 14

rule of the people, government limited by people

Question 15

what is direct democracy

Answer 15

people rule directly

Question 16

what is an indirect democracy

Answer 16

people elect representatives to govern for them

Question 17

what are characteristics of democray

Answer 17

gov. attempts to secure equal opportunities, based on majority rules, respect for minority rights, political parties choose candidates

Question 18

what is a presidential system

Answer 18

seperate executive banch, execultive and leg. branch are seperate and coequal, powers are in constitution

Question 19

what is a parliamentary system

Answer 19

exec and leg. branches are together, executive is chosen and controlled by leg. branch, removal by vote of no confidence,

Question 20

what is a unitary system

Answer 20

only one level of government (national)

Question 21

what is aconfederal system

Answer 21

loose association of free and independent states

Question 22

what is a federal system

Answer 22

power is shared among national and local

Question 23

what is a command economy

Answer 23

much of system is controlled by government or centralized power

Question 24

what is a market economy

Answer 24

opposite of command, no government intervention

Question 25

what is a mixed market economy

Answer 25

combo of different systems, usually mix of command and market, government is involved in business regulations

Question 26

what is the magna carta

Answer 26

rights to protection against false imprisonments, life liberty and property, and trial by jury listed

Question 27

what is the petition of rights

Answer 27

no taxation w/o representation, king cant declare martial law in times of peace, no imprisonment intent without due process, no quartering troops in private homes, singed by King Charles I in 1628

Question 28

what is the English bill of rights

Answer 28

signed by William III and Mary II of Orange in 1689, freedom to bear arms, speechm no taxation without representation

Question 29

who was Jean Jacques Rousseau

Answer 29

Humans good, society corrupt, people have the most say, preferred direct democracy over indirect

Question 30

who was Baron de MOntesquieu

Answer 30

Liked republic, believed in uphold of balance of power, checks and balances

Question 31

what are natural rights (Locke)

Answer 31

life, liberty, property

Question 32

what does unalienable mean

Answer 32

unable to be changed

Question 33

what is the rule of law

Answer 33

people must follow laws

Question 34

what is limited government

Answer 34

idea that government is not all powerful

Question 35

what is popular soverignty

Answer 35

idea that government only exists because of the will of the people

Question 36

what is federalism

Answer 36

idea that government powers are seperated between levels like state and national

Question 37

what are checks and balance

Answer 37

idea that each branch of government has some oversight over the others

Question 38

what are the seperation of powers

Answer 38

idea that government powers are divided among branches

Question 39

what is judicial review

Answer 39

system in class that ensures the gov. does not pass laws that violate spirit of constitution

Question 40

what were the reasons for declaring indepence

Answer 40

many believed the British wanted to get rid of american libery

Question 41

what is the sugar act

Answer 41

tax on sugar and molasses

Question 42

what is the stamp act

Answer 42

tax on magazines and newspapers , stamp placed on paper

Question 43

who were the sons of liberty

Answer 43

organization that actively protested stamp act

Question 44

what were the townshend acts

Answer 44

series of four acts passed by Britain

Question 45

what is the boston massacre

Answer 45

skirmish between british troops and protesters outside of a tax office

Question 46

what was the boston tea party

Answer 46

when sons of lberty dressed up as native americans and dumpet tea into the harbor

Question 47

what were the intolerable acts

Answer 47

four acts by parliament in retaliaion of Colonial defiance

Question 48

who was Thomas Jefferson

Answer 48

helped draft the declaration of independence

Question 49

what was the declaration of indepence

Answer 49

document sent to the King declaring indepence from from England

Question 50

what was the first and second continental congress

Answer 50

first reconsidered next steps after the tea part, second voted for seperation