UNIT 1: Power, Authority and Governemnt

Authority

The legal right or power to give orders and enforce rules.

Government

The institution throUgh which a society makes and enforces its public policies

Power

The ability to cause others to behave as they might not otherwise choose to do.

Legitimacy

The quality of being accepted as an authority

Public good

A product or service that is available for all people to consume.

Nation-state

A state whose territory corresponds to that occupied by a particular ethnicity that has been transformed into a nationality

Sovereignty

Ability of a state to govern its territory free from control of its internal affairs by other states.

Divine right of Kings

Doctrine that states that the right of ruling comes from God and not people's consent

Mandate of Heaven

A political theory of ancient China in which those in power were given the right to rule from a divine sOurce

Social contract theory

The belief that the people agree to set up rulers for certain purposes and thus have the right to resist or remove rulers who act against those purposes.

Democracy

A political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them

Dictatorship

A form of government in which the leader has absolute power and authority.

Republic

A form of government in which the people select representatives to govern them and make laws.

Feudalism

A political system in which nobles are granted the use of lands that legally belong to their king, in exchange for their loyalty, military service, and protection of the people who live on the land

Absolute Monarchy

A system of government in which the head of state is a hereditary position and the king or queen has almost complete power

Constitutional Monarchy

A King or Queen is the official head of state but power is limited by a constitution.

Theocracy

A government controlled by religious leaders

Parliament

A body of representatives that makes laws for a nation

Rule of Law

Principle that government is based on clear and fairly enforced laws, that no one is above the law.

Seperation of Powers

Constitutional division of powers among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches.

Popular sovereignty

A belief that ultimate power resides in the people.

Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679)

Social Contract Theory

John Locke (1632-1704)

Life, liberty and property

Montesquieu (1689-1755)

Seperation of powers

Rousseau (1712 - 1778)

Government must be based on popular sovereignty

Articles of Confederation

A weak constitution that was the first American constitution governing during the Revolutionary War.

Constitutional convention

A meeting in Philadelphia in 1787 that produced a new Constitution

Virginia plan

"Large state" proposal for the new constitution, calling for representation based on population in both houses of a bicameral Congress.

New Jersey plan

The proposal at the Constitutional Convention that called for equal representation of each state in Congress regardless of the state's population.

Connecticut compromises (great compromise)

Compromise agreement by states at the Constitutional Convention for a bicameral legislature with a lower hoUse in which representation would be based on population and an upper house in which each state would have twO senators.

3/5’s compromise (1787)

Representation of African Americans would be cOunted as 3/5's of a person

Ratify

To approve

Federalists

A term Used to describe supporters of the Constitution during ratification debates in state legislatures.

Antifederalists

Opponents of the American Constitution at the time when the states were contemplating its adoption.

Bill of Rights

First 10 amendments to the Constitution

Constitution

A document which spells out the principles by which a government runs and the fundamental laws that govern a society

Preamble

The intro to the Constitution

Enumerated powers

The powers explicitly given to Congress in the Constitution.

Implied powers

Powers not specifically mentioned in the Constitution

Supremacy clause

Constitution is the supreme law of the land

Federalism

A system in which power is divided between the national and state governments

Delegated powers

Powers specifically given to the federal government by the US Constitution

Reserved powers

Powers given to the state government alone

Concurrent powers

Powers held jointly by the national and state governments.

Strict construction

Way of interpreting the Constitution that allows the federal government to take only those actions the Constitution specifically says it can take

Loose construction

A broad interpretation of the Constitution, meaning that Congress has powers beyond those specifically given in the Constitution