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American Government chapters 1-3

Terms in this set (160)

The process of setting disagreements over how society should utilize its limited resources and who should be eligible for certain services, such as public health care. (Lasswell)

Individuals and organizations that make society's rules and possess the power and authority to enforce those rules

Resolving Conflict

Governments will decide how conflicts will be resolved so that public orders will be maintained.

Purposes of Government

Maintain social order, provide public services, and provide security and defense.

a form of government in which the power and authority of the government are in the hands of a single person.

form of autocracy in which a king, queen, or other aristocrat is the highest authority in the government. It maintains power through inheritance.

Absolute Monarchy

ruled by one person

Constitutional Monarchy

when a monarch shares power with a constitutionally organized government.

Divine Right of Kings

political doctrine in defense of monarchical absolutism. Kings derived their authority from god.

a form of government in which absolute power is exercised by an individual or group whose power is not supported by tradition.

system of government where people have ultimate political authority.

Direct Democracy

system of government where political decisions are made by the people rather than a representative. Practiced in ancient Greece.

direct vote by the electorate on a particular purpose of issue.

any person or organization can gather a predetermined number of signatures to qualify a measure to be placed in a ballot and will be voted on in the future.

method of election in which voters can expel elected officials before their term has ended.

Representative Democracy

the will of the majority is expressed through groups of individuals elected by the people to act as their representatives.

a representative democracy where there is no king or queen and the people are sovereign.

Presidential Democracy

a system of government in which an executive branch exists but is separate from the legislature.

Congress; the President

Legislative branch of the federal government that represents the American people and makes the nation's laws. The president is the head of the state and government of the U.S.

Parliamentary Democracy

a system of government in which citizens elect representatives to a legislative parliament to make laws and decisions for the country.

Parliament; Prime Minister

the national legislative body in countries governed by a parliamentary system, such as Britain and Canada. Prime minister is the leader of the ministers of the executive branch.

Coalition Government (In Parliamentary Systems)

body of advisors that is formed when different political parties choose to be in administration and regulation of a community.

a system of government where the legislator comprises 2 houses.

government by a relatively small privileged class that rules.

a society that is ruled or controlled by the people of great wealth.

government by divine guidance or by officials who are regarded as divinely guided.

a form of government where a small group of people hold most or all political power.

belief that rulers should be chosen for their superior abilities and not because of wealth or birth.

Social Contract Theory

an agreement in society that establishes moral and political rules or behavior.

English materialist and philosopher who advocated absolute sovereignty as the only kind of government that could resolve problems caused by selfish people.

those met who are not dependent on the laws,or belief on any particular culture or government.

English philosopher who advocated the idea of a social contract. Belief in freedom.

Thomas Jefferson

primary draftsman of the declaration of independence of the U.S.

American Political Values

liberty, self-government, equality, individualism, diversity, and unity.

an economic system where private individuals or businesses own capital goods.

Traditional Political Spectrum

way of modeling different political positions by placing them upon one or more geometric axis's.

Political Ideology

a certain set of ethical ideals or symbols of social movement that explains how society should work and offers political and cultural blueprint for a social order.

a populist economic and political system based on public ownership.

belief in freedom, equality, democracy, and human rights.

a person who is not extreme, partisan or radical but holds moderate views.

political doctrine that emphasizes the value of traditional institutions and practices.

the view on politics and philosophy that focuses on liberty.

Traditional political spectrum

Explain/discuss the differences between presidential democracies and parliamentary democracies using the United States and Great Britain as examples.

Presidential democracy-the lawmaking and law enforcing branches are separate but equal.
Parliamentary democracy-lawmaking and law enforcing branches overlap.

What were some of the principles of American democracy that evolved in England (Great Britain) and became a part of the American political system

In Great Britain, the prime minister and the cabinet are members of the parliament. They both enact the laws they carry out.
British Parliaments, house of the lords and commons, and Multi-party system.

What were John Locke's ideas about mankind's natural rights? How did Locke's thinking influence Thomas Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence?

His ideas were that all people are equal and born with certain natural rights that are God-given. The rights of humans are "life,liberty,and property."
Thomas Jefferson came to believe that all men are created equal.

What is political ideology?

It is a certain set of ethical ideals, principles, doctrines, myths or symbols of a social movement, institution, class or large group that explains how society should work and offers some political blueprint of a social order.

Jamestown, Virginia

The Jamestown settlement in the Colony of Virginia was the first permanent English settlement in the Americas.

Plymouth, Massachusetts

Plymouth Colony was an English colonial venture in America from 1620 to 1691 at a location that had previously been surveyed and named by Captain John Smith.

Pilgrims and the Mayflower Compact

a set of rules for self-governance established by the English settlers who traveled to the New World on the Mayflower. When Pilgrims and other settlers set out on the ship for America in 1620, they intended to lay anchor in northern Virginia.

Massachusetts Bay Colony

an English settlement on the east coast of America around the Massachusetts Bay, the northernmost of the several colonies later reorganized as the Province of Massachusetts Bay.

Fundamental Orders of Connecticut

describe the government set up by the Connecticut River towns, setting its structure and powers.

Representative Assemblies

a political institution in which a number of persons representing the population or privileged orders within the population of a state come together to debate, negotiate with the executive and legislate.

House of Burgesses

representative assembly in colonial Virginia, which was an outgrowth of the first elective governing body in a British overseas possession, the General Assembly of Virginia.

French and Indian War (1756 - 1763)

forming a chapter in the imperial struggle between Britain and France called the Second Hundred Years' War.

Sugar Act, 1764

British legislation aimed at ending the smuggling trade in sugar and molasses from the French and Dutch West Indies and at providing increased revenues to fund enlarged British Empire responsibilities

Stamp Act Congress

a meeting held between October 7 and 25, 1765 in New York City, consisting of representatives from some of the British colonies in North America

Actual Representation

representatives from the colony represented colonists. -knew their ways and if problems occurred colonists could directly talk to representatives

Virtual Representation

the members of Parliament spoke for the interests of all British subjects rather than for the interests of only the district that elected them.

one of several measures imposed on the American colonists by the heavily indebted British government in the decade leading up to the American Revolutionary War.

Boston Tea Party

a political protest that occurred on December 16, 1773, at Griffin's Wharf in Boston, Massachusetts. American colonists, frustrated and angry at Britain for imposing "taxation without representation"

Coercive or Intolerable Acts

a series of four laws passed by the British Parliament to punish the colony of Massachusetts Bay for the Boston Tea Party.

First Continental Congress, 1774

Delegates from 12 colonies met for 1st congress. Each colony should form a military agreeing to meet again in May again.

Lexington and Concord, 1775

British troops were here to seize the colonists' military supplies and arrest revolutions.

Second Continental Congress

a meeting of delegates from the 13 colonies.

influential 18th century writer of essays and pamphlets. "Common sense"

47 page pamphlet written by Thomas Paine advocating independence from Great Britain to people in the 13 colonies.

"Committee of Five"

a group of 5 members who drafted and presented to the full congress what would become the U.S declaration of independence.

Declaration of Independence

important official act taken by all 13 American colonies in declaring independence from British rule.

Thomas Jefferson

author of the declaration of independence and the 3rd U.S president.

Natural Rights (in the Declaration)

rights granted to all people by nature or god that can not be denied by any government or person.

union of sovereign states where the stress is laid on the autonomy of each body

Articles of Confederation

first U.S constitution that served as a bridge between initial government and the federal government provided under the constitution.

Powers and Weaknesses of Congress under the Articles of Confederation

the articles gave congress the power to pass laws but no power to enforce those laws.

Daniel Shays and Shays' Rebellion

uprising in western Massachusetts in opposition to high taxes and stringent economic conditions.

Annapolis, Maryland Meeting

titled as a meeting of commissioners to remedy defects of the federal government, was a national political convention. 12 delegates from 5 states came.

Constitutional Convention

convention that drew up the constitution of the U.S.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1787

they decided how America was going to be governed.

Virginia (Large State) Plan

provided for a bicameral legislature with representation of each state based on its population or wealth.

Edmund Randolph

lawyer who drafted and ratified the U.S constitution.

Bicameral Legislature

a government that has a two house legislative system.

New Jersey (Small State) Plan

designed to protect the security and power of the small states by limiting each state to one vote in congress.

William Paterson

new jersey statesman and a signer of the U.S constitution.

Unicameral Legislature

one chambered. A governing body.

Great (Connecticut) Compromise

convention to solve the dispute between small and large states over representation in the new federal government.

American politician who planned for representation of large and small states prevented a deadlock at the U.S constitutional convention.

House of Representatives

shares equal responsibility for lawmaking with the senate.
Senate- the upper chamber of the U.S congress.

Three-fifths Compromise

compromises agreements between delegates from northern and southern states as the constitutional convention.

Slave Trade Compromise

agreement forbidding congress from taxing state exports or entering the slave trade.

Commerce Compromise

reached on import and export taxes, and slave trade

National Executive—President

the head of state and head of government and commander in chief of armed forces.

National Judiciary—Supreme Court

the country's highest judicial tribunal.

proceeding instituted by a legislative body to address misconduct by public officials

supporters of the proposed constitution.

Anti-federalists

diverse coalition of people who opposed ratification of the constitution.

act of ratifying something, such as a treaty.

The Federalist Papers

written to urge new Yorkers to ratify the proposed U.S constitution.

Hamilton, Jay, and Madison

in the federalist papers, they argued that the decentralization of power that exists under the articles of confederation prevented the new nation from being strong enough to compete .

founding father of the U.S and the first governor of Virginia.

the first 10 amendments to the constitution.

father of the U.S and the 4th American president.

political organizations that unites separate states in a way that allows each to have their own integrity.

Separation of Powers

Three Branches- the constitution distributed the power of the federal government among the 3 branches and built a system of checks and balances to make sure one branch does not become too powerful.

Checks and Balances

empowered to prevent actions by other branches and are induced to share power.

president's power to refuse to approve a bill or joint resolution and to prevent its enactment into law

Judicial Review

executive and legislative branches are subject to review and possible invalidation by the judiciary.

Amending the Constitution

an addition to the constitution.

Ratifying Amendments

each governor submits the amendment to their state legislator.

Explain how the Mayflower Compact and the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut were early attempts at self-government in colonial America.

Of the use of settlement of which has declared the participants who participated to accept and agree with the rule of the government.

After the end of the French and Indian War in America (1763), the British began to change the way that they dealt with the American colonies. Explain why the British policies began to change after the French and Indian War.

They began raising revenue to help pay off war debts and help finance the cost of defending the colonies and pushing more control over colonies.

Give three examples of how the British Parliament attempted to raise revenue (taxes) from the American colonies in the 1760s and 1770s. Explain how the colonists reacted to these efforts.

The stamp act, the sugar act, and the currency act.

What were the Coercive Acts and why were they passed?

a series of four laws passed by the British Parliament to punish the colony of Massachusetts Bay for the Boston Tea Party.

How did Common Sense contribute to the American colonists' desire to gain their independence from Great Britain?

Credited with uniting average citizens and political leaders behind the idea of independence. Common sense played a role in this.

How did John Locke's ideas of natural rights influence Thomas Jefferson's writing of the Declaration of Independence?

Jefferson knew from John that if the government should fail to protect rights, citizens would have the right to overthrow the government.

Discuss the powers of Congress under the Articles of Confederation and the weaknesses of the Articles.

To make war and peace, conduct foreign affairs, and request men and money from the states. A weakness was that congress was unable to regulate interstate and foreign commerce.

Discuss the Virginia Plan (Large State Plan), the New Jersey Plan (Small State Plan), and the Great (Connecticut) Compromise at the Constitutional Convention.

Virginia large state plan-(most important) provided for a bicameral legislature with representation of each state based on its population or wealth.
New jersey small state plan- designed to protect the security and power of the small states by limiting each state to one vote in congress.
Great Connecticut compromise- convention to solve dispute between small and large states over representation in the federal government.

Describe the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government under the Constitution.

Legislative-passes the laws
Executive- administers and enforces the laws
Judicial- interprets the laws

What is the system of checks and balances?

empowered to prevent actions by other branches and are induced to share power. Each of the 3 branches is able to check the actions of others.

What is the Bill of Rights? Why were the Bill of Rights added to the Constitution?

The first 10 amendments to the constitution. It secured ratification in important states, the federalists had to assure that amendments would be passed to protect individuals against violations by the government.

Describe how amendments to the Constitution may be proposed and the process for ratifying amendments to the Constitution.

The first Congress sent twelve proposed amendments. Ten amendments were ratified by 1791 and became known as the Bill of Rights. One of the others—dealing with compensation for members of Congress—was ratified in 1992 and became the Twenty-seventh Amendment to the Constitution.

Federalism or Federal System

mode of political organizations that unites separate or other policies within an overarching political system.

National or Central Government

the government that is a controlling power over a unitary state.

State or Subnational Government

responsible for matters that lie within their regions.

a system of political organization in which most of the governing power resides in a centralized government.

Confederal System or Confederation

system of government in which nations or states agree to join together under a central government, where nations or states grant powers.

Articles of Confederation

first U.S constitution and served as a bridge between the initial government by the continental congress of revolution period.

Division of Powers

responsibilities into distinct branches to limit any one branch from exercising the functions of another.

Expressed or Enumerated Powers

granted to the federal government in article 1, of the constitution. It includes the power to coin money to regulate commerce.

political powers granted to the U.S government that aren't stated in the constitution.

Necessary and Proper Clause

gives congress power to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution other federal powers.

granting congress the power to pass all laws necessary and proper for carrying out the enumerated list of powers.

Inherent Powers

powers that are held by the national government of a sovereign state.

Prohibited Powers

denied either to the national government, state government, or both.

Tenth Amendment

powers not given to the U.S by the constitution or rejected.

Full Faith and Credit Clause

recognition and enforcement of the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of one state by another.

Interstate Compacts

a pact or agreement between 2 or more states and any foreign government.

Concurrent Powers

powers which are shared by both federal government and state governments.

Supremacy Clause

prohibits states from interfering with the federal government's exercise of its constitutional powers.

founder of the U.S system of constitutional law.

William Marbury

American businessman and a midnight judge.

father of the constitution and the fourth president.

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

the power of federal courts to declare legislative and executive acts unconstitutional.

Judicial Review

the actions of the executive and legislative branches of government are subject to review.

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

congress has implied powers derived from those listed in article 1. Congress got power to get a national bank.

any commercial bank chartered and supervised by the federal government and operated by private individuals.

Doctrine of Implied Powers

political powers granted to the U.S government that aren't explicitly stated in the constitution.

Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)

case establishing principle that states cannot interfere with power of congress to regulate commerce.

Regulation of Interstate Commerce

transaction or transporting products or money across state boards.

doctrine that argues that states can invalidate national actions they say are unconstitutional.

withdrawal of a group from a large entity.

Explain the difference between unitary, confederal, and federal (federalism) systems of government.

Unitary-one central government controls weaker states. Power is not shared.
Confederal-organization of states agrees to follow a central government. Nations choose to follow or to not follow the lead of the government.
Federal-power is shared by a powerful central government and states or provinces that are given self rule.

What are two examples of confederal systems of government, i.e., confederations, in American history?

The Articles of confederation government and the confederate of america.

What is the difference between expressed or enumerated powers and implied powers? What is the necessary and proper clause?

Expressed powers- directly stated in the constitution.
Implied powers- the powers not stated are needed to carry out the expressed powers.

Discuss the Marbury v. Madison (1803) Supreme Court decision and the concept of judicial review.

The supreme court could judge the constitutionality of federal laws and declare acts of congress or presidential actions to be constitutionalized.

what does nullification mean and how is is a threat to the supremacy of the national government?

a theory that states can judge disregarding any act or law of the constitution. It would eliminate the concept of national laws.

what is supreme law?

the constitution and laws passed by congress.

down unitary
up confederation
both federal

the power to oversee and conduct elections

what is the danger of nullification of laws by state governments to the supremacy of the national government.

It could lead to states leaving the U.S

The power to tax could best be described as

concurrent power.