Foundations of American

GovernmentUnit 1 Test

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

3/5 Compromise

One of the major conflicts between northern and southern states in the

writing of the new Constitution centered on how to count slaves in

the census.

Alien Residency

An alien must live in the United States for at least

5 years before being eligible to apply for

citizenship

Anti-Federalists

Group that believed that a Bill of Rights should be added to the Constitution

before ratification

Authority

• A legitimate use of power• Example: A security

guard who asks to see someone’s pass

Authoritarian Government

One person or a small group is in charge and holds unlimited power

Autocracy

This type of government consists of a single, self-

appointed ruler who holds political control over an entire country

Benefits of Volunteering

• Making friends• Learning teamwork• Improving leadership

Civic Engagement

Stacey is very upset about the way the street in front of her school is

always full of litter. Which would be the best, most civically responsible way to address the issue?

Civic Responsibilities• Paying Taxes• Obeying the Law• Voting• Serving on a Jury• Staying informed on

public issues

Civil DisobedienceThe refusal to obey certain

laws or governmental demands for the purpose of

influencing legislation or government policy,

characterized by the employment of such

nonviolent techniques as boycotting, picketing, and

nonpayment of taxes.

Civil DisobedienceExamples:•The secession of South Carolina preceding the Civil War•Martin Luther King, Jr. during the civil rights movement of the 1960s•Tree-huggers movement of the late 1980s early 1990s to save the spotted owl

Common Sense

Pamphlet written by Thomas Paine, it pointed

out the absurdity of continued loyalty to King

George III

Confederacy

A loose union of independent states

Constitution

A written plan for government

Democracy

Any system of government in which rule

is by the people

Democratic Government

• Elected officials make the decisions for the nation• Power of the

government is limited

Dual Citizens

People who are citizens of two countries

Fascism

Aspects of:•Dictatorship•Militarism•Cooperation between corporations and the government•Glorification of violence and war to achieve national goals

Federal Government

A government in which powers are divided between a national

government and state governments with the national government

being supreme

Federalist Papers• Written to encourage

the ratification of the U.S. Constitution• Written by James

Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay

Federalists

Those who supported adoption of the

Constitution

Functions of Government

• Keeping the population in order• Providing services for its

citizens• Providing security for

the people

James Madison

• The person most known for contributing to the final form of the Constitution• A.k.a. The father of the

Constitution

Legitimacy

Popular acceptance of governing law

Limited Government

A type of government in which its functions and powers are prescribed and restricted by law

Magna Carta

Adopted in England in 1215 and used along with the English Bill of Rights (1689), they reinforced the concept of a limited

monarchy

Mayflower Compact

Colonial plan for self-rule signed in 1620 by the

Pilgrims

Monarchy

King, Queen, or Emperor rules by themselves

Montesquieu

Credited with devising the basic Constitutional principle of separation

and balance of governmental power

National Supremacy

Principle illustrated by the fact that the U.S.

Constitution

Naturalized Citizens

Aliens who become U.S. citizens through the

naturalization process have the right to vote in

public elections

Oligarchy

Any system of government in which a

small group holds power

P.A.C.s

Political Action Committees – kinds of organizations that can legally solicit campaign

contributions from individuals and then

funnel those donations to candidates for political

office

Parliamentary• No clear separation of

governmental powers• Head of government is

usually a Prime Minister• Head of State is often a King

or Queen• Ex. United Kingdom,

Belgium, Australia

Parliamentary Democracy

A form of government in which:• The political leader (Prime Minister)

of the nation is chosen by the party with the majority of members in the legislature.

• There is no distinct separation between the powers of the legislative branch and the executive branch

• Ex. Canada, Great Britain, Israel, Turkey

Power

The ability to influence people to do things

Preamble

The statement of goals at the beginning of the

Constitution

Representative Democracy

The United States falls in this category because the people elect government officials to speak for them

Representative Democracy and

Constitutional MonarchyThese are similar due to

the fact that in both forms the power of the government is limited

Republic• Voters hold sovereign

power• Elected representatives,

responsible to the people, exercise that power• Ex. United States because

Americans elect people to make the laws of the country

Separation of Powers

A government by which the legislative, judicial,

and executive powers are essentially held by

different groups and people

Social Compact

An actual or hypothetical agreement among the

members of an organized society or between a

community and its ruler that defines and limits the rights and duties of

each

Social Contract Theory

Principle illustrated by the following quote from the

Declaration of Independence: “that

governments are instituted among Men, deriving their

just powers from the consent of the governed”

Sovereignty

Ultimate power over a geographic area

Sovereignty

Supreme and absolute authority

Supreme Law of the Land

The United States Constitution

Theocracy

Rulers claim to be ruling on behalf of a set of religious ideas or as

direct agents of a religion

Thomas Jefferson

Wrote the original draft of the Declaration of

Independence

Voting

The most common form of political participation in

the United States