Gov test unit 1

3 basic powers off all gov

Legislative: makes laws (congress)

Executive: enforce laws (president)

Judicial: interprets laws (courts)

Politics

Resolving inevitable social conflicts when disagreements among the people in a society over what the society’s priorities should be occurs.

Gov

The individual and institutions that make society’s rules and also posses the authority and power to enforce those rules.

Characteristics of a “state”

Must have population (people), territory (land), sovereignty (absolute power within its own territory/ authority to govern one’s self), and gov (politicaly organized)

Autocracy, monarchy, dictatorship

Autocracy: power is exercised by one individual

Monarchy: gov ruled by king or queen

Dictatorship: governed by one individual who controls most aspects of social/economic and is often damaging to the nation as a whole. Not supported by tradition

Democracy (direct vs representative) vs republic

Dircet: only possible in small communities where people directly participate in gov decisions

Indirect/representative: people elect groups of representatives who are responsible for making the people’s decisions.

Republic: indirect democracy with no king or queen.

Unicameral vs bicameral

Unicameral: legislative with only one chamber

Bicameral: two Chambers

Liberty vs order

Liberty: limited gov just protect individual rights (Locke)

Order: strong gov to regulate behavior & enforce laws (Hobbes)

Social contract is the idea people voluntarily give up liberty in order to obtain order

Capitalism vs socialism

Capitalism: private ownership, individual initiative, free market and freedom of contract

Socialism: gov ownership, command economy, equity driven

Ideology

-liberal vs conservative

Liberal: hands on economic, hands off social

Conservatives: hands off economic, hands on social

-mayflower vs dec of ind

In the D.O.I the source of power is the people but in the mayflowers it’s god/king.

In the D.O.I the gov is to secure their rights but in the mayflowers it’s to keep order, give glory to god, advance their faith, and honor their king.

The D.O.I is for defiance the mayflower is obedience

Reason for rebellion and revolt against britain

King George III imposed new taxes

Dec of ind

The second continental congress adopted the Declaration of Independence after they sent a list of grievances proving evidence of the crown violating our natural rights therefore independence was the only answer.

Articles of confederation

-strengths vs weaknesses

Weakness:

-only had legislative branch

-one vote for each state, regardless of size

-congress powerless to regulate foreign and interstate commerce

-no executive to enforce acts of congress

-no national court system

-amendment only with consent of all 13 states

-9/13 majority to pass laws

Strengths:

-could declare war and peace

-could enter treaties

-could regulate coinage

Purpose of gov (preamble)

-form a more perfect union

-establish justice

-domestic tranquility

-common defense

-general welfare

-liberty

Virginia vs New Jersey plans

Virginia: (favored big states)

-Bicameral legislature

-Three branches of gov

-national executive and national judiciary

New Jersey: (favored small states)

-Unicameral Congress

-Equal representation for states of different sizes

-More then one federal executive (president)

Compromises: great, 3/5, slave trade

Connecticut/great: (Big vs Small states)

-Bicameral Congress

-Senate with equal representation for states

-House with proportional representation for states

3/5ths: (North vs Southern states)

-Count slaves as 3/5ths a person when determining population of a state

Slave trade:

-not allowed to act on the slave trade for 20 years.

Federal vs antifederal

Federalist = for the ratification of constitution

Anti = against ratification bc they objected strong central gov and wanted to keep power regional and have bill of rights.

Six fundamental principles (some really can’t learn fundamental principles)

-Separation of powers

-Rule of law

-Checks and Balances

-Limited government

-Federalism

-Popular sovereignty

Formal vs informal amendment

Formal: (change of written language)

-proposed by 2/3 of US Congress or Convention

-ratified by ¾ of state Legislators or Convention

Informal: (Not a change in language)

-happens all of the time

-basic legislation, executive actions, court decisions, party practices, custom

Date of Dec of inde

July 4th, 1776

Unitary vs federal vs confederate

Unitary = Central/National power (UK)

Federal = Central/Nation and also Local/Regional power (Constitution)

Confederate: Local/Regional power (Art. Of. Confederation)

Natural rights

-moderates

Fall in the middle of the political spectrum

-Shay’s rebellion vs whiskey rebellion

Daniel Shay and angry indebted farmers in Massachusetts rebelled, which proved to America how weak the Art. Of. Confederation was and how a true national government was needed

-agents of political socialization

-family

-media

-life events

-peer groups

-opinion leaders

-economic status & occupation

-schools & churches

Classifying gov

Autocracy: one leader

Oligarchy: few leaders

Democracy vs republic: many leaders

Social contract

Voluntary agreement among individuals to create a gov and to give that gov adequate power to secure the mutual protection and welfare of all individuals

Americans are often placed into two broad political camps

Liberals and conservatives

Conservatism

Limited role for the national gov in helping individuals and in economic affairs, and support for traditional values and lifestyles

Liberalism

Value big gov as a tool for correcting unfair social and economic outcomes

Progressivism also means

Liberalism

Socialists

Have the greatest tolerance for string gov and have the strongest commitment to egalitarianism

Libertarianism

Opposes gov involvement in issues of private morality

Political socialization

Process by which people squire political beliefs and values

Purpose of stamp act

It was levied to help support British costs incurred during the seven years war

British parliament responded to the Boston tea party by

Passing coercive acts and directly controlling Massachusetts Gov

What is true of the first continental congress

It create safety committees that spied on neighbors and suppressed pro British opinions

What is not true of the second continental congress

It declared that is desired to separate from Britain and establish independent states

Thomas Paine argued what

In Common Sense he contended that America could survive on its own and no longer needed Britain

What was the first national constitution of the US

Articles of confederation

The principle of limited gov rests on the concept of

Popular sovereignty