U.S. Government Foundations: Key Concepts and Historical Rebellions

Functions of Government

Provide leadership - make decisions and set priorities.

Nation

A group united by culture, language, history (e.g., Kurds).

State

A political entity with defined territory and government (e.g., France).

Nation-State

A state where the population shares a common identity (e.g., Japan).

Monarchy

Ruled by a king/queen.

Dictatorship

Ruled by one person with absolute power.

Oligarchy

Ruled by a small group.

Democracy

Ruled by the people (direct or representative).

Theocracy

Government based on religion.

Socialism

Government owns/controls major industries, focus on equality.

Capitalism

Private ownership of business, free market, focus on profit and competition.

Force Theory

State was born out of force or conquest.

Evolutionary Theory

Developed from family structures.

Divine Right Theory

Rulers chosen by God.

Social Contract Theory

People give up freedoms for protection and order.

Unitary System

Power centralized in one government.

Confederate System

Loose union of independent states.

Federal System

Power shared between national and state governments.

Declaration of Independence

Written in 1776 by Thomas Jefferson, declared independence from Britain.

Shays' Rebellion

Uprising of farmers in Massachusetts over taxes and debts, showed weakness of the Articles of Confederation.

Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation

No power to tax, no national army, no executive branch, each state had one vote regardless of size, laws required approval by 9/13 states, no national court system.

Structure of the U.S. Constitution

Preamble, 7 Articles, Amendments.

Principles of the U.S. Constitution

Popular sovereignty, limited government, separation of powers, checks and balances, federalism, judicial review.

Hamiltonian Philosophy

Strong central government, support for industry, loose interpretation of Constitution.

Jeffersonian Philosophy

Limited central government, support for agriculture, strict interpretation of Constitution.

Comparison: Shays' Rebellion vs Whiskey Rebellion

Shays' Rebellion (1786-87): Under Articles, government too weak to stop rebellion. Whiskey Rebellion (1794): Under Constitution, Washington used federal army to quickly stop uprising.