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Foundations of Government Flashcards

(66 cards)

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1
Q

What is made of the formal institution and processes through which are made for a group of people?

A

Government

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2
Q

Government consists of three main components_____, ______, and ______

A

People
Power
and Policies

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3
Q

Government consists of two types of people

A

Elected officials who have authority and control over others and Public servants who carry out day to day business

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4
Q

______ refers to the government’s authority and ability to get things done.

A

Power

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5
Q

Legislative power

A

Makes laws

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6
Q

Executive power

A

Carries out, enforces, and administers the law.

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7
Q

Judicial Power

A

To interpret the laws and to settle disputes between members of society.

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8
Q

__________ Is any decision made by government in pursuit of a particular goal.

A

Policy

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9
Q

Policy can take form of

A

A law, a government program, or set of government actions.

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10
Q

_______ is a political unit with the power to make and enforce laws over a group of people living within a clearly defined territory.

A

A state

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11
Q

All states are characterized as having four traits

A
  1. population
  2. Territory
  3. Government
  4. Sovereignty
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12
Q

You must have _____ to have a state, but _____ does not determine whether or not a place is a state.

A

People, Size

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13
Q

States must have ______ and ______

A

Clearly defined and recognized borders

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14
Q

The _________ is the world’s chief body for international cooperation

A

United Nations

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15
Q

All States are_______

A

Politically Organized

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16
Q

All states are said to have ______ or the supreme power to act within its territory and control its external affairs.

A

Sovereignty

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17
Q

Sovereignty includes

A

independence from other states as well as the freedom to establish a form of government.

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18
Q

How does a state limit the sovereign power of their governments?

A

Constitution!

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19
Q

Our government serves five functions

A
  1. Maintain order
  2. Ensure National Security
  3. Resolve Conflict
    4 Provide Services
  4. Provide for the public good
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20
Q

______ is a process by which government makes and carries out decisions.

A

Politics

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21
Q

Politics is also about ______ and ______

A

debating issues and policies

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22
Q

What are the three main theories of rule?

A
  1. Divine Right
  2. Natural Law and Natural Right
  3. The Social Contract
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23
Q

The idea of ______ is based on a system of rules derived from the natural world.

A

Natural Law

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24
Q

The _________ holds that the first governments formed as a result of people agreeing among themselves to submit to authority of a state

A

Social Contract theory

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25
_______ believed that in order to protect national rights from government interference government power had to be limited, or subject to certain restrictions.
Locke
26
According to ________, humans lived independent lives in the state of nature, but they were happy good, and free
Rousseau
27
Monarchy is usually ruled by
A king or Queen who belongs to a royal family
28
In a monarchy power is often
Inherited
29
Absolute monarchs have ______ power
Unlimited
30
Constitutional Monarchy the power of the monarch is
limited by law; the real power lies in another branch of government.
31
________ is any form of government in which a single individual-an autocrat- controls most governing decisions.
Autocracy
32
In a Dictatorship ______ and ______ is used to maintain rule.
Violence and force
33
At its most extreme, the authoritarianism of a dictatorship becomes______
Totalitarianism
34
In totalitarian regimes
- Dictator holds ultimate authority. - Government tightly controls all aspects of life- Political, social, and economic. - No formal of informal limits on government.
35
In a Oligarchy\ Aristocracy
- Small group of people make most government decisions for their own benefit. - Membership in the ruling group may be based on wealth, family, or military power.
36
Many Dictatorships are __________ governments, meaning that their laws and political institutions are independent of religion
Secular
37
In a theocracy
- Rulers claim to represent and be directed by a set of religious ideas. - Laws are rooted in a particular religion or religious doctrine. - Government power is unlimited
38
The term democracy means
"rule by the people"
39
Direct Democracy works best in
small communities, where people are able to meet face to face.
40
Representative Democracy is
an indirect form of democracy; citizens elect representatives to make government decisions on their behalf. And representatives are elected for set terms.
41
Most national governments consist of a number of smaller administrative unit:
States, cities, provinces
42
In a unitary system, sovereignty, or ultimate authority, rests in a________
single, national government.
43
A Federal system of government divides
power over people and territory between a national government and smaller, regional levels of governments.
44
The U.S. Federal system consists of two levels:
1. An overarching national government. | 2. 50 state governments.
45
A significant feature of American federalism is that
each level has the power to act independently of the other level.
46
Many of the world's governments are modeled after
the presidential system of the United States.
47
A ________system is distinguished by having a president that is elected by the people for a limited term of office.
presidential
48
A presidential system is distinguished by having a ______ that is elected by the people for a limited term of office.
President
49
A key feature and strength of a presidential system is that the president's powers are balanced by a _______, which is both popularly elected and independent of the president
Legislature
50
In the US, the president may be commander in chief of the armed forces, but only_______ can declare war.
Congress
51
In a ________ system the executive branch and legislative branches of government are combined.
Parliamentary
52
In place of a popularly elected president, parliamentary systems have a ___________
Prime minister
53
An elected legislature, called______, chooses the prime minister.
Parliament
54
The prime minister is not only a member of parliament, but he\she also is the
Leader of parliament's majority party
55
Once selected, the prime minister appoints cabinet member from the ranks of the__________
Majority party
56
Should the prime minister ever lose support of the majority party through a ______________, he\she must resign immediately, as do the cabinet members.
A Vote of no confidence
57
A ___________ is a statement or vote which states that a person in a superior position-be it government, managerial, etc-is no longer deemed fit to hold that position.
Vote of no confidence
58
________ also refers to a person's freedom to exercise the rights guaranteed to all U.S. citizens under the constitution.
Liberty
59
_______ is 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 economics
Equality
60
Americans have held fast to the ideal of ____-______, or the belief people could aspire to rule themselves and do as political equals
Self-government
61
The key to self- government is that
people are the ultimate source of government authority
62
A basic principle of democracy is that decisions are made by the __________.
Majority rule
63
The_______ does and can become the majority!
Minority
64
______ ______ are the political rights held by groups who make up less than half of the population.
Minority rights
65
Another key principle of American democracy is _________, the ability of two opposing groups to give up some of their demands and come to an agreement.
Compromise
66
______ _______ allows for people and business to make their own economic choices about how to best produce, distribute, exchange goods and services with limited interference from government.
Free enterprise

U.S Government (7 decks)

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