US Government Unit 1

Anarchy

Total absence of government, law, and order

Articles

Numbered sections of a document; the Constitution has 7, outlining the federal government

Autocracy

Government where one person holds unlimited power

Bicameral

Legislature with two houses (Congress: Senate + House)

Cabinet

President's advisers, mainly the heads of the executive departments (Secretaries)

Checks and Balances

System letting each branch limit the power of the other two

Citizen

Legal member of a nation who owes it allegiance and gets its protection and rights

Commander in Chief

The President's role as head of the armed forces

Confederate Government

Alliance of independent states with a weak central government that only has powers the states give it

Constitutionalism

Government must follow constitutional rules and is limited by basic law

Electoral College

Electors from each state (and D.C.) who formally elect the President and VP

Executive Agreement

Pact between the President and a foreign leader; has force of law but does NOT need Senate approval

Executive Power

Power to execute, enforce, and administer the law

Exports

Goods/services made here and sold to other countries

Federal Government

Power divided between a central government and state/local governments

Federalism

Constitutional division of power between national and state governments

Free Enterprise

Private ownership, individual investment, competitive open market (capitalism)

Imports

Goods/services brought in from other countries

Interstate

Between two or more states (e.g. interstate commerce)

Judicial Review

Courts' power to rule government acts unconstitutional (from Marbury v. Madison)

Legislative Power

Power to make laws and public policy

Majority Rule

The greater number of citizens make decisions, while minority rights are protected

New Jersey Plan

Unicameral legislature, equal representation per state; favored small states

Oligarchy

Power held by a small, usually self-appointed elite

Parliamentary Government

Executive (PM and Cabinet) chosen from and accountable to the legislature

Popular Sovereignty

The people are the source of all government power; consent of the governed

Presidential Government

Executive and legislative branches are separate, independent, and coequal

Principle

A fundamental truth or standard that a system of belief or law is built on

Rule of Law

Government and its officials are always subject to the law, never above it

Separation of Powers

Government split into 3 coequal branches: legislative, executive, judicial

State of the Union

Yearly address by the President to Congress on the nation's condition and priorities

Unconstitutional

Illegal, null and void; goes against the Constitution

Virginia Plan

3 branches, bicameral legislature based on population; favored large states

22nd Amendment

Limits the President to two terms (max 10 years)

4 characteristics of every state

Population, territory, sovereignty, government

Theory: state began when families joined and claimed territory

Evolutionary Theory

3 ways governments are classified

Who can participate; geographic distribution of power; relationship between legislative and executive branches

System where all key powers go to the central government

Unitary government

Prime minister and cabinet in a parliamentary government

Members of the legislature; stay in power only while they have majority support

Equality in a democracy

Equality of opportunity and equality before the law

Duties of every American citizen

Obey the law, pay taxes, serve on a jury

Another term for free enterprise

Capitalism

3 basic powers of government

Legislative (make laws), executive (enforce laws), judicial (interpret laws)

Theory most important to the development of U.S. government

Social Contract Theory (Locke, Hobbes, Rousseau)

What best describes a dictatorship

Rulers have absolute power and are not accountable to the people

True of a sovereign state

Supreme, absolute power within its territory; decides its own policies

Theory: a person or group seized power by force

Force Theory

First three articles of the Constitution

Art. I: Legislative (Congress), Art. II: Executive (President), Art. III: Judicial (courts)

How the executive checks the legislative

Veto (also call special sessions, propose laws)

Principle that government is bound by the rule of law

Limited government (constitutionalism)

How courts got judicial review

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

2 ways to propose amendments

2/3 vote of both houses of Congress, or a national convention called at the request of 2/3 of states

Ratification method used for almost all amendments

Approval by 3/4 (38) of state legislatures (26 of 27; the 21st used state conventions)

Executive agreement vs treaty

Treaty needs 2/3 Senate approval; executive agreement doesn't

How courts influence the Constitution's meaning

Judicial interpretation of cases

Custom the 22nd Amendment made law

No-third-term tradition (started by Washington, broken by FDR)

Introduction to the Constitution

The Preamble ("We the People…")

Amendment that ended slavery

13th (1865)

Not in the Constitution but greatly affects it

Political parties (also committees, the Cabinet)

Amendment giving African American men the vote

15th (1870)

Direct democracy

Citizens make laws and policies themselves

Republic vs direct democracy

Republic: people elect representatives to make laws. Direct: citizens vote on laws themselves

Why the Magna Carta mattered

1215; limited the king's power, even the king is subject to the law

Natural rights

Rights everyone is born with that government can't justly take away

Locke's purpose of government

Protect life, liberty, and property; if it fails, people can change it

Articles of Confederation and why they failed

First constitution; weak central government couldn't tax, regulate interstate trade, or enforce laws

How Congress compromises the 2 plans

Great (Connecticut) Compromise: House by population (Virginia), Senate 2 per state (New Jersey)

First 10 amendments

Bill of Rights

Federalists

Supported the Constitution; wanted a strong central government

Anti-Federalists

Opposed the Constitution; feared tyranny, wanted strong states and a Bill of Rights

4 amendments protecting against government abuse

1, 3, 4, 5

3 amendments protecting the accused

5, 6, 8 (due process; speedy fair trial and lawyer; no excessive bail or cruel punishment)

4 ways to be a U.S. citizen

Born on U.S. soil, born abroad to a citizen parent, naturalization, under 18 when parents naturalize

Economy

System for producing, distributing, and consuming goods and services

Goods vs services

Goods: physical items. Services: work done for a fee

Law vs moral

Law: rule enforced by government with penalties. Moral: personal belief about right and wrong, not enforced