government test #1

-Government: the formal institutions through which a territory and its people are ruled and provide services.

-services provided by the government are public goods: a stable economy, foreign defense

-Pluralism: struggles amongst small groups, or political groups

-Politics: the conflict and struggles over leadership, structure, and the policies of the government.

-Autocracy: one person

-Oligarchy: small group

-Democracy: many people

-Constitutional: codified, legal limits on what government can and can’t do

-Authoritarian: few legal limits; some imposed by smaller groups

-Totalitarian: no limits

Direct Democracy: permits citizens to vote directly on laws and policies. States and cities provide for democracy through agenda initiatives and referenda( part of direct democracy)

Representative Democracy (republic): permits citizens to select government officials, but do not vote directly on legislation.

Political Power: Individual citizens, groups, and organized interests can use political power to have their concerns heard on certain issues.

Political Knowledge: influence over a government’s leadership, organization, and policies

Political Efficacy: the belief that one can influence government and politics

Political Trust: citizens’ trust in local and state governments remains relatively high, but trust in national government has declined. Long-term distrust can result in opposition to taxes and weaken the nation.

Declaration of Independence: The Purpose of America's separating from Great Britain, with the colony's belief in natural free rights, statement of human rights,

-Articles of Confederation: league of friendship between the 13 colonies, had a weak central government, each state had 1 vote, all 13 states had to agree to make amendments, and Congress couldn’t collect taxes.

-Shays Rebellion: Edmund Randolph proposed 3 different plans

1. Virginia Plan: proportional representation based on population, bicameral legislature

2. Philidelphia New Jersey Plan: equal representation regardless of population, unicameral legislature

3. The Result: The Great Compromise: bicameral legislature, House of Representatives and Senate

-Constitution limits government: outlines the powers in which government does and doesn’t have checks and balances.

-Bill of Rights: protects the rights of individuals in relation to the government of the United States

-Federalism: power is shared between national and state government

-Supremacy Clause: establishes the federal law is the supreme law of the land, Constitution and federal laws are superior to the state.

-To ratify is to change, and most commonly done so by conventions and states and populations.

-The United States was the first to practice federalism

-Benefits: encourage political participation, diverse viewpoints, inclusion

-Limits: other aspects of the Constitution can prohibit the national government from enacting laws that exceed federal power.

-Intergovernment Relations: different interactions between levels of government within a country

-Expressed Powers: specific abilities stated in the constitution

-Implied Powers: not exactly stated but expected to be carried out

-The 10th Amendment: any powers not given to the federal government are reserved to the states or the people.

-Reserved Powers; reserved for the state

-Credit Clause: requires each state to give Full Faith and Credit to the public acts of other states.

-Dual Federalism: power is divided between the national and state government

-Cooperative Federalism: states work together to meet certain goals

-Mccullough vs. Maryland: implied that powers under the Necessary and Proper Clause

-Gibson vs Ogden: established the federal governments power to regulate interstate commerce