American Government

A state without government or loss

What provides leadership sets priorities and makes decisions on behalf of the people to avoid anarchy?

Maintaining order

What prevents chaos by making and enforcing laws and resolving conflicts in an orderly way?

Services that people could not or would not do for themselves

What is Providing Public Services?

Providing National Security

To protect citizens against attacks from other states/terrorists

Establishing currency, financial systems, and the distribution of economic services/benefits

What does Making Economic Decisions inhale?

United by race, language, customs, or religion

What is a Nation-sizable group of people united by?

Defines territories and organizes get government

What does a state-country; a political community occupy?

The UN

Who says that there are currently 195 states (countries) in the world

Population

Defined set of people

Territory

To define boundaries

Sovereignty

absolute authorities in boundaries

Government

how a state keeps order

Evolutionary Theory

head of families are the first form of government

Force Arose

governments would not exist if not without to resist an enemy

Devine Right Theory

God(s) chose certain people to rule in the 17th and 18th century in Europe

Social Contract Theory

individuals give up freedom to the state and exchange for security and services

John Locke

governments exist to protect certain natural rights (life, liberty, property)

people are justified to rebel

If governments fail to preserve these rights ______.

unitary

all key powers lie with the central government (ex. France and Japan)

(us before constitution)

Confederation - a loose union of independent statesFe

Federal system

Power is divided between the national, state, and local governments (ex. U.S., Brazil)

Constitution

a plan that provides basic rules for government

are limited by

Constitutional governments - governments whose powers _____________

1787

U.S. Constitution - _________ - the oldest constitution still used in the world

authoritarian

leaders control virtually all aspects of citizens’ lives (ex. Germany under Hitler, USSR under Stalin)

few political freedoms (freedom of speech)

authoritarian government has

dictatorship

one person has control over the authoritarian government

oligarchy

a small group of people who hold power

monarchy

the king, queen, or emperor holds most of the power

constitutional monarchies with limited power

Most monarchies today are _____

democracy

ruled by many

direct democracy

citizens vote to make all government decisions (ex. small New England towns)

representative (indirect) democracy

people elect representatives to make decisions (ex. U.S.)

representatives to exercise that power

Republic voters have sovereign power, _________

Democratic party

another name for representative democracy, where people get to make some decisions

exercise

Voting, paying taxes, running for office, serving on juries, protesting

Free and fair elections

Most adult citizens can vote, elimination of voting obstacles

Accepting results of elections

Peaceful transfer of power even if people don’t like results

rule of law

No one is above the law (even kings/presidents)

majority rule with minority rights

most decisions are made by majority, but protect minority groups

transparency

people are able to know what the government is doing (Open Meeting Records)

limited government

protection for citizens

competing political parties

multiple views have a voice; main two parties are Democrats and Republicans

economics

study of how limited resources are used to satisfy needs and wants

producers

make goods and services to sell

distributors

get products and buyers

consumers

purchase and use the goods

labor

work people do or workers themselves

capital

money or resources needed for producers

entrepreneurs

risk-takers who combine other factors to make profit

capitalism

economic system emphasizing private ownership and personal freedom

free market (free enterprise)

government places no limits on sales

Adam Smith

Wrote Wealth of Nations in 1776 and argued for the Laissez-Faire approach

Laissez-Faire goverment

government stays out of the economy

mixed economics

combines elements of both capitalism and socialism

mixed

Most countries have _______ economics

socialism

economic system in which government is heavily involved

more equal distribution of wealth

the goal of socialism is ________

free education, health care, etc.

Socialist governments provide many services like _______

higher rates to pay for services

Socialist governments typically have ___________

Communist economy

Government makes most economic decisions (what to produce and charge)

Karl Marx

father of communism and wrote the Communist Manifesto

Bourgeoisie

Upper middle class; people who owned means of production

Proletarist

working class

revolt and create communism

Marx thought eventually the proletariat would _________

Communism

No private property and no need for government

most communist countries became democratic

After the collapse of the USSR in 1991 _______

North Korea

A country that is still communist