US Government Review Flashcards

Flashcards for reviewing US government lecture notes.

Functions of Government

Maintaining order, providing essential services, and promoting the general welfare of its citizens.

Force Theory

States arose from one group subjugating another through force, establishing a government and social system.

Divine Right Theory

Monarchs derive their authority directly from God.

Evolutionary Theory

The state emerged gradually over time through natural selection and adaptation.

Thomas Hobbes

Argued for an absolute sovereign to maintain order.

John Locke

Championed a limited government protecting individual rights and liberties.

Federal System

Shares power between national and state governments.

Unitary System

Power is held only by the national government.

Confederal System

States have all the power.

Autocracy

Rule by a single person with absolute power.

Oligarchy

Rule by a small group.

Junta

Rule by a military group.

Monarchy

A form of government where a single person, known as a monarch, holds the highest authority, often inheriting the position.

Presidential System

The US political system.

Parliamentary System

Great Britain political system.

Democracy

A system of government where power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or through freely elected representatives.

What to produce?

One of the three questions all economies must ask?

How to produce it?

One of the three questions all economies must ask?

For whom to produce?

One of the three questions all economies must ask?

Traditional Economic System

One of the four types of economic systems

Command Economic System

One of the four types of economic systems

Market Economic System

One of the four types of economic systems

Mixed Economic System

One of the four types of economic systems

Virginia Plan

Favored larger states and would give them too much power in the new government.

John Locke

Enlightenment philosopher that developed the Laws of Nature and Nature's God.

Montesquieu

Convention delegates supported the concept of separation of powers as expressed in (The Spirit of the Laws).

Shays’s Rebellion

Caused the new nation’s leaders to realize the Articles of Confederation were too weak.

Anti-Federalists

Demanded the Constitution have a bill of rights to protect individual liberties.

Adding the Bill of Rights

Proposal by Congress, Approval by two-thirds of both houses, Ratification by three-fourths of the states.

Stamp Act and Townshend Acts

Taxes imposed by Britain in response to the French and Indian War, causing the colonists to boycott British goods.

Articles of Confederation

A major debate centered around how much power should be given to the central (federal) government versus the states

Natural Rights

Life, liberty, property

Consent of the governed

The idea that governments exist; this had a major influence on the colonists.

Federalist, No. 10

James Madison argued in favor of a large republic because it would better control factions and protect minority rights.

Northwest Ordinance of 1787

A positive achievement under the Articles of Confederation, which set up a method for admitting new states.

Old Testament

Laws should apply equally to all people and that leaders are not above the law.

Independent Government

States began creating written constitutions in 1776 to establish independent governments and protect rights after declaring independence from Britain.

Preamble

The first part of the constitution.

Amendments

The third part of the constitution.

Articles

The second part of the constitution.

Articles

Outlines the structure and powers of the government.

Limited and expressed powers

The founders gave Congress limited and expressed powers to prevent tyranny and ensure a balance of power.

Executive Departments

Helps the president enforce and administer federal laws and programs.

President

Cannot make laws, declare war, or interpret laws — only enforce them.

Federalism

A system where power is divided between a national and state governments.

Expressed powers

Powers specifically listed in the Constitution.

Implied powers

Not listed but are necessary to carry out expressed powers.

Concurrent power

A power shared by both the federal and state governments (e.g., taxation).

Constitutional rights

National and state governments can deny certain rights, but they cannot deny constitutional rights such as due process.

Treaties or Alliances

States cannot make treaties or alliances with foreign governments — only the federal government can.

Supremacy Clause

When state law conflicts with national law, national law prevails due to the Supremacy Clause.

Taxing, building roads, and enforcing laws

Powers shared by federal and state governments include taxing, building roads, and enforcing laws.

Supremacy Clause

Says the Constitution and federal laws are the highest law of the land.

Enabling Act

A law that allows the people of a territory to draft a constitution as a step toward statehood.

Article IV, Section 3

National government must admit new states and protect states from invasion.

Troops to State

The congress gave the president permission to send troops to a state.

The Constitution and enabling acts

Gives Congress the power to allow new states.

Federal grants

Funds given by the federal government to state and local governments.

Federal grants-in-aid

The main way the national government provides money to states is.

Differing Priorities

Conflicts arise due to differing priorities, interpretations of laws, and competition over resources and power.

Bicameral Legislature

A two-chamber legislative system (House and Senate), created to balance the interests of large and small states.

2 Sessions

Number of sessions are in a congressional term.