4 - (Civics) Principles of Government Pt1

Purpose and Applications of the Rule of Law, Origins of Democracy, Federalism, Leadership Structures Worldwide

orders

Laws maintain ______ between citizens and government, establishing functioning societies (avoiding anarchy) with their creation/enforcement

Rule of Law

ensures all individuals/institutions/governments are accountable to the same legal framework
promotes fairness, maintains order, and protects individual rights/prevents abuses of power (including governmental).
(foundational principle to democratic societies)

equally, transparently 

The Rule of Law framework is essential for building trust within a society, as it provides a predictable and stable legal environment where laws are applied _______ and ______________.

checks and balances

By establishing clear legal limits, the rule of law prevents concentration of power in the hands of a few and safeguards against corruption and abuse. This is achieved through mechanisms such a… 

personal discretion

independent judiciaries, checks/balances among branches of government, and robust legal procedures work to ensure decisions are made based on established laws rather than ________ _________.

Bill of Rights

crafted largely to protect the rights of individuals from government overreach,

Hammurabi's Code

~1750 BCE
(earliest surviving example of laws that) suggests a presumption of innocence, heavily relies on "eye for an eye", and has rough outlines for/could act as a Constitution

Justinian’s Code of Laws

~500 AD
compilation + formal organization of Roman Laws issued (during rule of Emperor Justinian) serving as foundation of later jurisprudence (Renaissance) and modern (Western European, Asian, and US) judicial systems

Democracy

form of government (traceable back to many early societies like Ancient Greece and Rome) where societal members have a share in decision making

Athens, Greece

~507 BCE
established a system of direct citizen participation in governance (“demokratia”) for its free men to:
Vote | Hold office | Serve on councils/popular courts - decide on laws and foreign policy

birthplace of democracy

~507 BCE
Although its roots are traceable in civilizations 100+ years earlier, Athens (with its demokratia governance) became known as the…

Direct Democracy

~507 BC, Athens
subtype of government where all eligible citizens can vote on all issues

Representative Democracy

~Ancient (Republic of) Rome-Modern US
subtype of government all eligible citizens vote to elect representatives that act on their behalf
considered better form for larger populations

Dark Ages

term for the Middle Ages after the collapse of the Roman Empire associated with the rise of serfdom and European monarchies

Magna Carta

1215
document that first established the idea of limited government with the belief that the King did not have absolute power
required English King John to confer w nobles before passing taxes, laws, etc.

Model Parliament

1295
Britain’s first elected legislative body, established after/bc of Magna Carta
purpose was to tax wealthy landowners and create laws

divine rights

~1603-1649
struggles over ________ ______ began between the English monarchy and parliament during the reign of the Stuart Kings who believed themselves above the Magna Carta

English Civil War

1642-1651
resulted from power struggle between (Stuart) King Charles I and the Roundhead Parliament

Roundheads

English Civil War
Parliament’s anti-Cavalier party, made up of Presbyterian Puritans

Cavaliers

English Civil War
wealthy nobility opposed by the majority of Parliament

King Charles I

beheaded in the English Civil War, marking the establishment of the Commonwealth of England

Oliver Cromwell

1653-1658: Interregnum period
leader (as Lord Protector) of the government of Commonwealth of England until his death and the reinstatement of the (Stuart) monarchy

Charles II

ended the Interregnum period with his reinstatement as King of England (later became king of Scotland and Ireland)

Enlightenment

1685-1815 (17th-19th century)
intellectual movement (“Age of Reason”) building upon the Scientific Revolution (16th-17th c.)
philosophers began to explore new ways of thinking about society/government, spreading rational and secular philosophy.

Leviathan

1651
Thomas Hobbe’s book (written during English Civil War) that began the trend of Enlightenment-philosophy literature/publications
argued society without a strong ruler would be chaos (brute human nature war sate), advocating for absolute monarchy

Two Treatises of Government

1689
John Locke's book arguing for the social contract based on natural rights

John Locke

Enlightenment philosopher
argued rulers’ power comes from the consent of the governed based on the agreement to protect their natural rights (and the right to resist/uprise in the failure to do so)
believed in tabula rasa and innate human goodness/peace in law of nature

tabula rasa

(Latin for "blank slate")
philosophical idea that humans are born without innate mental content/knowledge, and all learning comes from experience and perception
central to Enlightenment thought and supported by philosophies like behaviorism on the development individual's beliefs/desires and personality

Declaration of Independence

Locke’s ideas on the role of government and protecting natural rights became ideologically foundational to later documents like the US __________ __ _____________, French Declaration of the Rights of Man & Citizen, and the English & American Bill of Rights

Glorious Revolution

1688, England
King James II was overthrown in order to create a constitutional monarchy

English Bill of Rights

1688
as a consequence of the Glorious Revolution, document created securing the power of the Parliament over the monarchy and guarantying the individual rights of the citizens.

American Revolution

1775
after the Declaration of Independence, resulted in (the formation of the United States of America and) the US Constitution + its Bill of Rights

federalism

the US Government is based on __________, a type of government where power is shared between branches of the national government AND between the states’ and national governments

National

Powers (under Federalism) include:
Issue currency
Regulate interstate commerce + mail services
Declare war+ create treaties
Admit new states

State

Powers (under Federalism) include:
Local government + any powers not already delegated
Ratify Amendments (Constitutional)
Regulate intrastate commerce
Issue Licenses (marriage, driver’s, etc)

National and State

Powers (under Federalism) include:
Pass Laws + Taxes
Maintain Law + Order
Build highways
Establish Courts + Charter Banks
Borrow money

Federalism benefits

states create laws for its own needs/people
national government provides them security/defense, international relations, and federal funding to support their schools, universities, roads, and infrastructure.

grown, responsibilities

Over time, the federal government has ______ and taken on other _______________ to provide support to states, extending the reach of what they can do for all citizens

thirteen

the ________ original (US) states joined against their common enemy (Great Britain) but were otherwise separate sovereign political entities

Articles of Confederation

adopted by the Continental Congress (1781) originally uniting the States (13); too concerned w protecting state sovereignty

unicameral

established a (weak) central government, a ________ legislature
only dealt with collective concerns; inability to tax/regulate commerce and currency or raise national army

Constitution

remade the government from the Articles of Confederation, protecting states’ rights with the Tenth Amendment explicitly stating that all powers not specifically given to the federal government belong to the people.

national, states

tensions between ________ power and ______' rights have been a central conflict throughout American history, with federal “help” perceived by state govt as overreaches

Civil War

early conflicts on states' rights grew over US federal govt’s abilities to establish a national bank/monitor bank activity nationwide, impose tariffs, and (most dramatically) the policy on slavery ultimately resulted in the… 

New Deal

federal-state government struggles continued into the 20th century with the ____ _____ and desegregation efforts, into the 21st with federal tax and education debates

dictatorships

where democratic governments offering the most freedoms/protections for citizens, authoritarian ___________ offer the least.

true democracy

Within a ____ __________, systems of checks & balances and term limits to regulate the power of the executive; several nations’ leaders call themselves presidents still, through their critical democratic structures have broken down/removed (or were never present) (ex: modern Russia and China)

Parliamentary Democracy

system in which the executive branch is granted legitimacy by the legislature/parliament and is led by a prime minister

vote of no confidence

Under Parliamentary Democracy, citizens elect members of parliament and the majority party/coalition’s leader becomes the prime minister (but parliament can hold a ____ __ __ ________ to remove prime minister)
(ex: UK)

Mixed Democracy

“Semi-Presidential” system
power shared between two roles; president typically oversees foreign policy, while the prime minister handles domestic governance
(ex: France)

president

The Mixed Democracy president is directly elected by citizens, while the prime minister is usually appointed by the _________ and confirmed by the legislature.

Presidential Democracy

system where the president is both head of state and head of government, wielding significant executive authority independent of the legislature

In a Presidential Democracy, executive leader is directly elected by the citizens in a national election, often for a fixed term, independent of legislative branch
(ex: US)

Royal Dictatorship

(aka Monarchy) a system in which a monarch holds absolute (or near-absolute) power, often justified by tradition, divine right, and/or hereditary rule
(ex: Saudi Arabian king)

Civilian Dictatorship

a system in which a nonmilitary leader maintains power through authoritarian means, often without democratic legitimacy or free elections

dissent

in Civilian Dictatorships, authoritarian leaders rule through manipulated/controlled elections or by consolidating power after coups/political takeovers…
in example of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko has maintained control (since 1994) through centralized power, suppression of _______, and contested elections

Military Dictatorship

(aka Junta) system in which the military seizes/retains control of the government, often suspending democratic institutions

coup d'état

a Military Dictator leader is usually the high-ranking military officials who takes power through a ____ _____, ruling by decree or martial law.
(ex: Myanmar military has overthrown civilian governments and installed generals as heads of state)