american national government quiz #1

Government

How a society organizes itself and allocates authority to accomplish collective goals and benefits for society

Government Goals

-economic prosperity

-secure national borders

-safety and well being of its citizens

How does a government provide benefits for its citizens

-education

-healthcare

-infrastructure for transportation

Politics-

the activity in which an issue is agitated and settled

-process of gaining and exercising control within a government for the purpose of setting and achieving goals, especially those related to the division of resources within a nation

Political power in america/ five views

-class view

-power elite view

-bureaucratic view

-Pluralist view

-creedal passion view

-class view

Wealthy and other economic elites determine most policies

-power elite view

Businesses, military, labor unions and elected officials control most decisions

-bureaucratic view

Appointed bureaucrats ultimately run government (IRS, DMV, Law enforcement)

-Pluralist view

Representatives from a large number of interest groups are in charge (No Vaccinations for kids, raise drinking age)

Power Elite View

Belief that a coalition of institutional leaders controls major decisions.

Creedal Passion View

Morally impassioned elites drive political change. (Revolutions, Civil rights movements)

French Indian War

Both British and French colonists sought to expand their influence

Seven years war

France aligned with many Indigenous nations

Sugar act and currency act

-lowers the duty on molasses but enforced collection strictly for the first time

-creates vice admiralty courts to try smugglers without a jury

-signals parliament intent to raise real revenue not just regulate trade

The currency act

-Bans colonies from issuing their own paper money as legal tender

-Worsens a colonial cash storage hurting merchants and debtors alike

-Deepens the sense that colonial self government is being ovrriden

Stamp act

• “No taxation without representation”

• Requires a purchased stamp on newspapers, legal documents, playing cards, etc. 

• Colonists argue only their own elected assemblies can tax them 

• The Sons of Liberty form, boycotts of British goods 

Repeal and a warning

• Boycotts hurt British merchants badly enough that parliament repeals the Stamp Act

-The declaratory act passed the same day ;parliament declares it retains full authority to legislate for the colony

Townshend act

-Taxed other items

-New import duties(tea ,lead,paint,glass,paper), paying royal officials directly, stronger enforcement, renewed

-boycotts (daughters and sons of liberty)

Boston Massacre (march 5 1770)

• 5 Colonists killed

• A confrontation between British soldiers and a Boston crowd turns deadly when soldiers fire into the crowd

• Crispus Attucks  

Boston Tea Party

• Sons of liberty disguised as mohawk warriors 

• East India Company tea dumped into Boston Harbor

FIRST CONTINENTAL CONGRESS

-12 colonies respond; delegates fro every colony but georgia met. Aired out their grievances

-The continental association; colonies agree to a coordinated boycott of british goods,enforced by local committees

-Petition george III to address colonial greviences

Lexington and Concord

• “The shot heard around the world”

• British troops march from Boston toward Concord to seize colonial arms 

• Warned by riders including Paul Revere and William Dawes

• No one knows who fired first, but by the time British troops retreat to Boston, fighting has broken out along the entire route

The Declaration of Independence

• Declared the colonies independence from Britain 

• Thomas Jeffereson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston

• June 4, 1776 

Current event

A current political event is the debate over government funding. Congress passed a temporary bill to keep the government running and prevent a shutdown. A government shutdown can happen when Congress does not agree on how to fund the government. This is important because a shutdown can affect government workers and services. Congress will still need to agree on a long-term budget.