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US GOV CH 1 Study Guide

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56 views

US GOV CH 1 Study Guide

Uploaded by

dilashapatel33
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Ch 1 Study Guide

Foundation of Government
Definition- Government
Government is the formal structures and institutions through which decisions are made for a
group of people.
Role/Purpose of Government (5)

- National Security
- Maintain Order
- Resolve Conflict
- Providing Services
- Providing for the Public God
Government Powers (3 branches)
- Legislative
- Executive
- Judicial

The 3 branches has the power to...


- Legislative has power to make laws
- Executive has power to carry our, enforce and administer the law
- Judicial has the power to interpret the laws and to settle disputes between members
of society
4 Theories- Origins of the STATE
- Divine Right : States are founded by God or the gods, and the ruler possess a “divine
right” to rule
- Evolution : States form gradually over time, growing from family and extended
kindship groups
- Social Contract : States from when people reach a “contract” to surrender some power
to a common authority in return for security
- Force : States form an individual or groups uses force to make enough people submit
to a central authority
- Natural Law and Natural Rights : all human beings have natural rights since birth –
made in God’s image
Theories of Rule- Divine, Natural law/natural rights, and Social Contract

Divine Right – mandate of heaven, to disagree with the king is to disagree with God
Natural Law/Nature Rights- Thomas Aquinas
Social Contract- Thomas Hobbs, John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Foundation of Government

Classic forms of Government


- Monarchy
- Constitutional Monarchy
- Dictatorship
- Totalitarian Regimes
- Oligarchy
- Theocracy
- Direct Democracy
- Republic/Representative Democracy
List and explain the 3 ways to organize National Powers- Unitary, Federal, and Confederal

Unitary – Power is concentrated in the central government


Federal – Power is divided between a national and regional levels of governments
Confederal – Independence states join together in a confederation and give limited power to
central governments

List 2 of the advantages and disadvantages of the Presidential System and Parliamentary
System
An advantage of the Presidential system is the separation of power between the executive
and legislative branches, while a disadvantage can be political disagreements between
different political parties, meaning no laws are getting passed. An advantage of the
Parliamentary system can be the cohesion of government, while a disadvantage of it can be
too much power residing in the executive branch, as they are also influencing laws being
passed.
Democracy in the United States
Name and explain the 3 Core Democratic Ideals
- Liberty: Freedom or a person’s ability to act and think as they choose, so long as their
choices do not harm to the liberty or well-beings of others
- Equality: The principle that all people possess a fundamental, moral worth that
entitles them to fair treatment under the law and equal opportunity in all aspects of
life (Political, Social, and economic)
- Self – government: The belief that ordinary people could aspire to rule themselves and
do so as political equals (People are the unlimited source of government authority)
Be able to explain Alexis de Tocqueville’s views on American Democracy
- Tocqueville’s feared we may give too many power to the central government.
Democratic Despotism will take place where the ruler will exercise absolute power
Democratic Despotism : One branch takes absolute power
List and describe the 5 Key Principals of American Democracy
- Worth of the Individual: all people are created equal and deserve an opportunity to
pursue their potential
- Rule of Law: Government is subject to recognize and enforce
- Majority rule/ Minority rights: Majority rules but the right of the political minority are
protected
- Compromise: Despite their differences, opposing groups can reach agreements
- Citizen Participation: A healthy democracy requires active citizen participation at all
levels
Define Free Enterprise : Allows for people and businesses to make their own economic
choices about how best to produce, distribute, and exchange goods and services with limited
interferences from government
Economic Freedom in the United States each person has the right to... build wealth that would
empower them to limit the power of the government.

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