study study GOV STUDYGUIDE

government

The institution through which a society makes and enforces its public policies

Sovereignty

supreme power or authority

Federal Reserve System

The country's central banking system, which is responsible for the nation's monetary policy by regulating the supply of money and interest rates

Brain Trust

Many of the advisers who helped Roosevelt during his presidential candidacy continued to aid him after he entered the White House. A newspaperman once described the group as "Roosevelt's Brain Trust." They were more influential than the Cabinet.

Great Society

President Johnson called his version of the Democratic reform program the Great Society. In 1965, Congress passed many Great Society measures, including Medicare, civil rights legislation, and federal aid to education.

Legitimacy

the hereditary right of a monarch to rule

authority

the right to use power

citizens

People who had the right to participate in government

Monarchy

A government ruled by a king or queen

Oligarchy

A government ruled by a few powerful people

Aristocracy

A government in which power is in the hands of a hereditary ruling class or nobility

Rule by Law

recognition that laws exist and all are subject to them equally

Justian code

a set of laws, written by the Byzantine Empire Justinian, that served the Byzantine Empire for hundreds of years

Democracy

A political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them

absolute power

complete control over someone or something

Indirect Democracy

a system of government that gives citizens the opportunity to vote for representatives who work on their behalf

Direct Democracy

A form of government in which citizens rule directly and not through representatives

Federalist Papers

A collection of 85 articles written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison under the name "Publius" to defend the Constitution in detail.

Natural Law

A doctrine that society should be governed by certain ethical principles that are part of nature and, as such, can be understood by reason

Democratic Centralism

The Leninist organizational structure that concentrates power in the hands of the party elite.

free enterprise

Economic system in which individuals and businesses are allowed to compete for profit with a minimum of government interference

Enlightenment

A movement in the 18th century that advocated the use of reason in the reappraisal of accepted ideas and social institutions

centralized government

A government in which power is concentrated in a central authority to which local governments are subject

individual freedom

free to do whatever you want as long as it doesn’t infringe on others freedom

liberty

Freedom from government control

equality

the state of being equal, especially in status, rights, and opportunities

Justice

Respecting the rights of others and giving them what is rightfully theirs

John Locke

17th century English philosopher who opposed the Divine Right of Kings and who asserted that people have a natural right to life, liberty, and property

Karl Marx

1818-1883. 19th century philosopher, political economist, sociologist, humanist, political theorist, and revolutionary. Often recognized as the father of communism. Analysis of history led to his belief that communism would replace capitalism as it replaced feudalism. Believed in a classless society

Aristotle

Greek philosopher. A pupil of Plato, the tutor of Alexander the Great, and the author of works on logic, metaphysics, ethics, natural sciences, politics, and poetics, he profoundly influenced Western thought. In his philosophical system, which led him to criticize what he saw as Plato's metaphysical excesses, theory follows empirical observation and logic, based on the syllogism, is the essential method of rational inquiry

Franklin Roosevelt

President of the US during Great Depression and World War II

Lyndon B. Johnson

signed the civil rights act of 1964 into law and the voting rights act of 1965. he had a war on poverty in his agenda. in an attempt to win, he set a few goals, including the great society, the economic opportunity act, and other programs that provided food stamps and welfare to needy famillies. he also created a department of housing and urban development. his most important legislation was probably medicare and medicaid

Machiavelli

Renaissance writer; formerly a politician, wrote The Prince, a work on ethics and government, describing how rulers maintain power by methods that ignore right or wrong; accepted the philosophy that "the end justifies the means

Napoleon Bonaparte

Overthrew the French revolutionary government (The Directory) in 1799 and became emperor of France in 1804. Failed to defeat Great Britain and abdicated in 1814. Returned to power briefly in 1815 but was defeated and died in exile

James Madison

"Father of the Constitution," Federalist leader, and fourth President of the United States.

Vladimir Lenin

Leader of the Bolshevik (later Communist) Party. He lived in exile in Switzerland until 1917, then returned to Russia to lead the Bolsheviks to victory during the Russian Revolution and the civil war that followed.

Montesquieu

French political philosopher who advocated the separation of executive and legislative and judicial powers (1689-1755)

Rousseau

(1712-1778) Believed that society threatened natural rights and freedoms. Wrote about society's corruption caused by the revival of sciences and art instead of it's improvement. He was sponsored by the wealthy and participated in salons but often felt uncomfortable and denounced them. Wrote "The Social Contract."

philosophies

A set of views and theories related to knowledge and ideas

Charters

Documents granting the right to organize settlements in an area

colonial legislatures

In every colony the lower of these two houses was elected; this lower house controlled taxes. Only in Rhode Island and Connecticut were the upper houses elected.

Pilgrims

English Puritans who founded Plymouth colony in 1620

Mercantilism

An economic policy under which nations sought to increase their wealth and power by obtaining large amounts of gold and silver and by selling more goods than they bought

Trade

Exchange of goods and services

Taxation

Money raised to provide services for the common good of the community/country

Social Contract

A voluntary agreement among individuals to secure their rights and welfare by creating a government and abiding by its rules

Tyrannical Government

Leadership taken and directed by force, often with bloodshed; an oppressive regime

Checks and Balances

A system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other branches in order to prevent abuse of power

Congress

A legislature of the United States government

Federalism

A system in which power is divided between the national and state governments

Amendment

A change in, or addition to, a constitution or law

Bill of Rights

First 10 amendments to the constitution

Supremacy Clause

Article VI (6) of the Constitution, which makes the Constitution, national laws, and treaties supreme over state laws when the national government is acting within its constitutional limits.

Elastic Clause

Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution, which allows Congress to make all laws that are "necessary and proper" to carry out the powers of the Constitution.

Ratification

Formal approval, final consent to the effectiveness of a constitution, constitutional amendment, or treaty

"taxation without representation"

the idea that it is unfair to tax someone without giving them a voice in government

Federalists

supporters of the Constitution

Antifederalists

Opponents of ratification of the Constitution and of a strong central government, generally

1st Amendment

Freedom of Religion, Speech, Press, Assembly, and Petition

2nd Amendment

Right to bear arms

3rd Amendment

No quartering of soldiers

American Revolution

This political revolution began with the Declaration of Independence in 1776 where American colonists sought to balance the power between government and the people and protect the rights of citizens in a democracy.

Magna Carta

the royal charter of political rights given to rebellious English barons by King John in 1215

The Petition of Right (1628)

A document drawn up by Parliament's House of Commons listing grievances against King Charles I and extending Parliament's powers while limiting the king's. It gave Parliament authority over taxation, declared that free citizens could not be arrested without cause, declared that soldiers could not be quartered in private homes without compensation, and said that martial law cannot be declared during peacetime.

The English Bill of Rights (1688)

Act of Parliament of England declaring the rights and liberties of the average citizens.

Thomas Hobbes

English materialist and political philosopher who advocated absolute sovereignty as the only kind of government that could resolve problems caused by the selfishness of human beings (1588-1679)

John Locke (1632-1704)

insisted that governments are formed to protect natural rights

King George III

King of England during the American Revolution

Virginia House of Burgesses

The first elected assembly in the New World, established in 1619

Plymouth

Colony settled by the Pilgrims. It eventually merged with Massachusetts Bay colony.

Mayflower Compact (1620)

The Mayflower Compact, signed by 41 English colonists on the ship Mayflower on November 11, 1620, was an early step toward written frameworks of government in what is now the United States. The compact was drafted to prevent dissent among Puritans and non-separatist Pilgrims who had landed at Plymouth a few days earlier.

French and Indian War

(1754-1763) War fought in the colonies between the English and the French for possession of the Ohio Valley area. The English won.

Quakers

English dissenters who broke from Church of England, preached a doctrine of pacificism, inner divinity, and social equity, under William Penn they founded Pennsylvania

Thomas Paine

American Revolutionary leader and pamphleteer (born in England) who supported the American colonist's fight for independence and supported the French Revolution (1737-1809)

Samuel Adams

American Revolutionary leader and patriot, Founder of the Sons of Liberty and one of the most vocal patriots for independence; signed the Declaration of Independence

Patrick Henry

a leader of the American Revolution and a famous orator who spoke out against British rule of the American colonies (1736-1799)

John Adams

America’s first Vice-President and second President. Sponsor of the American Revolution in Massachusetts, and wrote the Massachusetts guarantee that freedom of press “ought not to be restrained.”

Thomas Jefferson

Author of the Declaration of Independence; 3rd president

Second Continental Congress

They organized the continental Army, called on the colonies to send troops, selected George Washington to lead the army, and appointed the committee to draft the Declaration of Independence

Shay's Rebellion

Rebellion led by Daniel Shays of farmers in western Massachusetts in 1786-1787, protesting mortgage foreclosures. It highlighted the need for a strong national government just as the call for the Constitutional Convention went out.

Constitutional Convention

The meeting of state delegates in 1787 in Philadelphia called to revise the Articles of Confederation. It instead designed a new plan of government, the US Constitution.

Article 1 of the Constitution

Make up of the senate and congress

Article 2 of the Constitution

Section of the Constitution laying out powers and responsibilities of the Executive Branch

Article 3 of the Constitution

Section of the Constitution laying out powers and responsibilities of the Judicial Branch

Article 4 of the Constitution

Outlines the rights and expectations for all states and citizens including the adding of new states

Article 5 of the Constitution

Outlines the process for amending or changing the Constitution

Alexander Hamilton

1789-1795; First Secretary of the Treasury. He advocated creation of a national bank, assumption of state debts by the federal government, and a tariff system to pay off the national debt.

Continental Army

the American army during the American Revolution

George Mason

American Revolutionary leader from Virginia whose objections led to the drafting of the Bill of Rights (1725-1792)

John Jay

United States diplomat and jurist who negotiated peace treaties with Britain and served as the first chief justice of the United States Supreme Court (1745-1829)

unitary system

A government that gives all key powers to the national or central government

Confederation

an alliance of independent states

delegated powers

Powers specifically given to the federal government by the US Constitution, for example, the authority to print money

Implied Powers of Congress

Powers not specifically written in the Constitution

inherent powers

The powers of the national government in foreign affairs that the Supreme Court has declared do not depend on constitutional grants but rather grow out of the very existence of the national government

reserved powers

Powers given to the state government alone

Prohibited Powers

the powers that are denied to the federal government, the state government, or both; also called restricted powers

Secede

To leave or withdraw

New Federalism

system in which the national government restores greater authority back to the states

Devolution Revolution

The effort to slow the growth of the federal government by returning many functions to the states.