US/VA Government Foundations of Government Study Guide

Flashcards prepared from the US/VA Government Foundations study guide covering political theories, foundational documents, constitutional debates, and structure.

What are the 4 characteristics of a state?

Territory, Government, Population, and Sovereignty.

According to what theory of government does God choose the ruler?

Divine Right Theory

What theory of government describes a leader or government who rules by aggressive authority?

Force Theory

The people agreeing to give some of their power to be governed by a person or group is an example of what theory of government?

Social Contract Theory

What type of government began with the family where a leader emerged and evolved from there?

Evolutionary theory

What is the rule by a few?

Oligarchy

What is the rule by one known as?

Autocracy

What is a Monarchy?

A form of government where a king or queen has absolute power.

What is a Constitutional Monarchy?

A form of government where a monarch is limited by a constitution or a set of laws.

What is a democracy?

A system of government where the people hold the power either directly or through elected representatives.

What is a Democratic Republic?

A government where citizens elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf, based on a system of laws.

What is the ability to not have to answer to any other country or higher authority?

Sovereignty

Where can we find the reasons that our Founding Fathers established the government of the United States?

The Preamble

What 1215 document first limited the power of the king in Great Britain?

Magna Carta

Who is the Prime Minister of Great Britain?

The democratically elected leader of Great Britain.

What is the House of Lords?

The Upper House of British Parliament whose leaders are not elected and serve for life.

What is the House of Commons?

The Lower House of Parliament whose members are elected and represent the people.

What document established a Constitutional Monarchy in Great Britain in 1689?

English Bill of Rights

What is the Commonwealth?

An organization of over 15 countries including Canada, New Zealand & Australia.

What was the purpose of the Declaration of Independence?

Listed grievances that the British government were inflicting on the colonists & declared us independent from England.

Who wrote The Virginia Declaration of Rights, and what was its significance?

Written by George Mason, this document became the basis for our Bill of Rights.

Who wrote The Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom, and what did it establish?

Written by Thomas Jefferson, it established the practice of separation of church and state.

What were the weaknesses of The Articles of Confederation?

Weak central government, could not collect taxes, could not call an army or navy, had no federal court system, led to economic unrest & Shays rebellion, and ultimately failed.

What event served as the catalyst to go back and fix the Articles of Confederation?

Shays rebellion

What did the New Jersey Plan propose at the Constitutional Convention Debates?

Equal representation for each state.

What did the Virginia Plan propose at the Constitutional Convention Debates?

Representation based on population.

How did The Connecticut Compromise (Great Compromise) resolve representation?

It used both plans: the House of Representatives was based on population, and the Senate offered equal representation.

What was the 3/5ths Compromise?

A compromise that counted slaves as 3/5 of the population for the purposes of representation & taxation, which became null and void with the 13th amendment.

What was the viewpoint of the Federalists regarding the ratification of the Constitution?

They were for the ratification of the constitution as is, supported a strong central government, & felt a bill of rights was assumed.

What was the viewpoint of the Anti-Federalists regarding the ratification of the Constitution?

They were against the ratification of the constitution as is, wanting more rights for the states as well as a Bill of Rights to protect the rights of the people.

What is the purpose of the Preamble of the US Constitution?

It serves as the introduction & why of the Constitution.

Which branch of government is established by Article 1 of the Constitution?

Legislative Branch

Which branch of government is established by Article 2 of the Constitution?

Executive Branch

Which branch of government is established by Article 3 of the Constitution?

Judicial Branch

What does Article 4 of the Constitution deal with?

Protection for the states

What process is detailed in Article 5 of the Constitution?

Amending the Constitution

What is established in Article 6 of the Constitution?

Constitution laws and amendments are the final law of the land, and debts before the constitution still are valid.

What process is addressed in Article 7 of the Constitution?

Ratifying the constitution

Which amendments make up the Bill of Rights, and how many total amendments are there?

Amendments 1-10 are the Bill of Rights; there are 27 Amendments total.