Basic Concepts and Forms of Government

Flashcards covering civic duties, responsibilities, democratic concepts, government power structures, branch relationships, forms of government, and origins of the state.

What is the distinction between democratic duties and responsibilities?

Duties are actions democratic citizens must obey, while responsibilities are actions citizens should fulfill to improve the quality of their government and community.

What specific civic duties are listed in the notes?

Serving on a jury, serving as a witness, attending school, paying taxes, obeying local, state, and national laws, draft registration, and respecting the rights of others.

What specific civic responsibilities are listed in the notes?

Voting, volunteering, participating in civic life, and understanding the workings of our government.

What does democracy hold regarding equality of all persons?

All citizens are entitled to equality of opportunity and equality before the law, and no person should be held back based on gender, race, color, or religion.

How does a democracy balance majority rule and minority rights?

Democracy holds that the majority will be right more often than wrong and more often than any small group, but the majority must respect the rights of minorities and listen to their viewpoint.

Why is acceptance of compromise necessary in a democracy?

Blending and adjusting competing group views and interests is a way of achieving majority agreement.

Why can democracy not allow complete individual freedom?

Complete individual freedom would lead to anarchy and lawlessness; each individual is as free as possible without interfering with the freedoms of others.

How is power structured in a federal government?

Power is divided and shared between a central government and several local governments, as seen in the U.S. and 25 other states.

How is political power distributed in a confederate government?

Cities, states, and counties have the most political power. The European Union (EU) is similar to a confederation.

How are powers structured in a presidential government?

The executive and legislative branches are separate, and the details of this separation of powers are spelled out in a constitution.

How does a parliamentary government structure the executive and legislative branches?

The legislature chooses the executive, which is part of the legislature and under its control; a Prime Minister is the leader, and a majority of world governments use this form.

What is the difference between direct democracy and representative democracy?

In a direct democracy, the people pass laws themselves by discussing and voting on them in large meetings. In a representative democracy, a small group is elected to make and carry out the laws.

What defines an autocracy?

A form of government where one person holds absolute power, and political and personal freedoms are restricted (dictatorships).

How is modern England's constitutional monarchy structured?

Power lies with Parliament, which is elected by the people, while the monarch is only a figurehead.

What is an oligarchy and how does it obtain power?

A form of government where a small elite group holds political power, obtaining their power from wealth, military strength, or social position.

What characterizes a unitary government?

All power belongs to the central government, which grants powers to local governments. Most governments in the world are a unitary form.

What is the Force Theory on the origins of the state?

An individual or group claims control over a territory through military force, becomes sovereign, and forms a government.

What is the Evolutionary Theory on the origins of the state?

The state formed out of primitive families where heads of family became the government, and when settled, claimed land and became a sovereign state.

What is the Divine Right Theory on the origins of the state?

God created the state, making it sovereign and made up of those chosen by God to rule a certain territory, whom the population must obey.

What is the Social Contract Theory and who created it?

Created by John Locke (who had the greatest influence on U.S. government), it states that people chose to give the state enough power to promote the well-being of everyone and that all political power comes from the will of the people.