Government Test 1 Notes

Unit 1 Review

Vocabulary

State- a political community that occupies a definite territory and has an organized government with the power to make and enforce laws without approval from any higher authority

Nation- group of people united by bonds of race, language, custom, tradition, and sometimes religion

Monarchy- autocracy in which a king, queen, or emperor exercises supreme powers of government

Democracy- government in which the people rule

Republic- a government in which voters hold sovereign power; elected representatives, responsible to the people, exercise that power

Capitalism- an economic system providing free choice and individual incentive for workers, investors, consumers, and business enterprises

Socialism- an economic system in which the government owns the basic means of production, distributes the products and wages, and provides social services such as healthcare and welfare

Communism- an economic system in which the central government directs all major economic decisions

Article- one of seven main division of the body of the Constitution

Supremacy Clause- statement in Article VI of the Constitution establishing the Constitution, laws passed by Congress, and treaties of the United States “shall be the supreme Law of the Land”

Gerrymander- to draw a district’s boundaries to gain an advantage in elections

President Pro Tempore- the Senate members, elected by the Senate, who stands in as president of the Senate in the absence of the vice president

Filibuster- a method of defeating a bill in the Senate by stalling the legislative process and preventing a vote

Necessary and Proper Clause- Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution, which gives Congress the power to make all laws that are necessary and proper for carrying out its duties

Perjury- lying under oath

Lobbying- direct contact made by a lobbyist in order to persuade government officials to support the policies their interest group favors

Presidential Succession- the order in which officials fill the office of president in case of vacancy

Cabinet- secretaries of the executive departments, the vice president, and other top officials that help the president make decisions and policy  

Executive Order- a rule issued by the president that has the force of law  

Executive Agreement- an agreement made between the president and a head of state  

Appellate Jurisdiction- authority held by a court to hear a case that is appealed from lower court

Due Process Clause- principle in the Fifth Amendment stating that the government must follow proper constitutional procedures in trials and in other actions it takes against individuals

Grand Jury- group that hears charges against a suspect and decides whether there is sufficient evidence to bring the person to trial

Petit Jury- a trial jury, usually consisting of 6 or 12 people, that weighs the evidence presented at a trial and renders a verdict

Opinion- a written explanation of a Supreme COurt decisions;also, in some states, a written interpretation of a state constitution or state laws by the state’s attorney general

Objectives

Understand the Features of a State

  • Population
  • Territory
  • Sovereignty
  • Government

Understand the Purpose of a Government

  • Maintain social order
  • Provide public services
  • Provide national security
  • Make economic decisions

Understand Declaration of Independence

  • Document created to declare independence from Britain

Understand the What are the main parts of the Declaration of Independence

  • Statement about the rights and crap that they want
  • List of grievances and stuff they didn’t like about Britain
  • Actually declaring independence

Understand the are the major theories of government that influenced our founders

  • Divine right- someone rules because chosen by god
  • Force- strongest person takes control
  • Evolution- evolved from the family
  • Social contract- give up some rights for government to protect the rest of them

Understand the Articles of Confederation

  • Document saying what the government of the U.S. wants to do
  • Created only a legislature

Understand the How was the Articles of Confederation written

  • Written during the first constitutional convention

Understand the What were the major flaws of the articles of confederation

  • Population voting was not very good, each state get 1 vote no matter size
  • Congress can’t tax
  • Can’t regulate commerce
  • No executive branch (no leader)

Understand the What compromises were made while writing the Constitution

  • ⅗ compromise- every slave counted as ⅗ of a person
  • Connecticut compromise- created a house of representative based on population, and a senate with equal

Understand the  Understand the life of a congressman

  • Representative

  • 25 years old

  • Live in state

  • 7 years U.S. citizen

  • Senator

  • 30 years old

  • Lives in state

  • 9 years U.S. citizen

Understand how a Bill Becomes a Law (essay question)

  • Someone proposes an idea to their representative
  • They take it to court
  • Vote a bunch
  • Go to more courts
  • Vote again
  • Signed by president

Understand how Congressman are divided among states

  • Representatives

  • Divided based on population

  • Senator

  • Every state gets 2

Understand Gerrymandering

  • Dividing states to achieve a controlled vote

Understand the Life of the President

  • 35 years old
  • Natural born U.S. citizen
  • Live in U.S. for 14 years

Understand the roles of the President

  • Head of state
  • Chief executive
  • Chief legislator
  • Economic planner
  • Party leader
  • Chief diplomat
  • Commander in Chief

Understand how a president is elected

  • Run for office
  • People vote
  • Electoral college elects

Understand the Offices that Support the President

  • Cabinet
  • Executive offices
  • Chief of staff
  • Counsel
  • Press secretary

Understand the qualifications to be a Justice

  • Credible lawyer
  • unbiased
  • No past issues

Understand how a justice is selected

  • President nominates them
  • Senate approves

Understand the major decisions of the Supreme Court (essay question)

  • Presentations we did over the court cases (Loving V. Virginia)

Understand the affects the Supreme Court can have on the nation

  • With the power of judicial review, supreme court can overturn laws