Topic 1 U.S government (Savvas)

Government

governing body of a nation, state, or community

public policies

government policies that affect the whole population. Ex: Education and Crime managment

legislative

Creates laws, Declares war, Regulates commerce, and Controls spending and taxing.

Executive Power

enforce laws, administer government, and make policy decisions.

judicial

interpret laws, resolve disputes, and ensure that laws are constitutional

State

territory considered as an organized political community under one government

characteristics of a state

• Population: A group of people residing within the state's territory. 

• Territory: A clearly defined geographic area with recognized borders. 

• Government: An established system with the power to create and enforce laws within the state. 

• Sovereignty: The supreme power of a state to govern itself without outside control

The role of government

Form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense.

dictatorship

single person or small group has absolute power

autocracy

Autocratic leaders make all the decisions themselves. They do not consult their team, or let them make decisions.

oligarchy

small group of people having control of a country

theocracy

which priests rule in the name of God or a god

Unitary Gov

central government has the most power and controls the entire country

Federal Gov

distributes power between a central government and regional governments

Confederate Gov(Pros)

States have significant control over their own laws,States can adapt to changing circumstances,stronger voice in their state government

presidential government

powers are separate in each branch.

parliamentary government

party (or a coalition of parties) with the greatest representation in the parliament (legislature) forms the government, its leader becoming prime minister or chancellor

Rousseau's Social Contract

people is free when it is governed by its own laws,

Montesquieu's The Spirit of Laws

government should be divided into separate branches to protect political liberty

Locke’s Two Treaties on Government

government emerges from the consent of the government to protect their natural rights

majority rule

making of binding decisions by a vote of more than one-half of all persons who participate in an election

minority rights

legal protections for groups that are not the majority, such as ethnic, religious, or linguistic minorities

importance of compromise

helps to de-escalate tense situations, promote understanding, and prevent further escalation

Foundations of Democracy

Authority, Privacy, Responsibility, and Justice

free enterprise system

few restrictions are placed on business activities and ownership