Chapter 1: Principles of Government Flashcards

A set of 20 practice Q&A flashcards covering Chapter 1: Principles of Government.

What difficulty in framing a government is described in The Federalist No. 51?

You must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself.

What is the definition of government according to the text?

Government is the institution through which a society makes and enforces its public policies.

Which ancient Greek philosopher observed more than 2,300 years ago that "man is by nature a political animal"?

Aristotle

What are the three basic powers exercised by every government?

Legislative power, executive power, and judicial power.

What are the four defining characteristics of a state?

Population, territory, sovereignty, and government.

How is sovereignty defined as a characteristic of a state?

The supreme and absolute power a state holds within its own territory to decide its own foreign and domestic policies.

How did English philosopher Thomas Hobbes describe life in a state of nature without government?

"solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short"

What is the central concept of the Force Theory regarding the origin of the state?

One person or a small group claimed control over an area and forced all within it to submit to that person's or group's rule.

How does the Evolutionary Theory explain the origin of the state?

The state developed naturally out of the early primitive family, forming a clan, then a tribe, and becoming a state when it settled into agriculture.

Until what year did the Japanese emperor, the mikado, govern by divine right?

1945

Which four philosophers are credited in the text with developing the Social Contract Theory?

Thomas Hobbes, James Harrington, John Locke, and Jean Jacques Rousseau.

What phrase did Thomas Jefferson use to describe the Declaration of Independence?

"pure Locke"

What did the Articles of Confederation create among the 13 States in 1781?

A "firm league of friendship"

According to Martin Luther King, Jr., why is injustice anywhere significant?

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."

What couplet did English poet Alexander Pope write in 1733 regarding forms of government?

"For Forms of Government let fools contest; Whate'er is best adminster'd is best. . . ."

How does a direct democracy differ from an indirect democracy?

In a direct democracy, the will of the people translates directly into public policy through mass meetings, whereas in an indirect democracy, a small group chosen by the people acts as representatives to express the popular will.

What is the difference between an autocracy and an oligarchy?

An autocracy is a government in which a single person holds unlimited political power, while an oligarchy is a government in which the power to rule is held by a small, usually self-appointed elite.

How is power distributed in a federal government?

Powers are divided between a central government and several local governments by an authority superior to both levels, such as a constitution.

What five basic concepts form the foundation of American democracy?

1. Recognition of the fundamental worth and dignity of every person; 2. Respect for the equality of all persons; 3. Faith in majority rule and minority rights; 4. Acceptance of the necessity of compromise; 5. Insistence upon individual freedom.

What four fundamental factors form the basis of the free enterprise system?

Private ownership, individual initiative, profit, and competition.