Government Unit 1 Test Flashcards
(57 cards)
main systems of government
unitary- power given to state by central government, confederate soverign states with weak central government, federal- equal division of power between state and central government
Advantages+disadvantages of main systems of government
Unitary- weak states/localities but centralized power, confederacy- weak central government but powerful states, federal- each level can make own laws but good balance of power
constitution
plan providing rules for government
what do federal, unitary, confederate systems have in common
- they have a population
- they have territory
- they have effective governance
In which system does central/national government have most power and least power+explain
Unitary, confederate
constitutional government
constitution has authority to clearly place limits on power
Purposes of a constitution
lay down the essential and basic laws of the land- to regulate power /how country is governed, uphold rights duties, freedoms of citizens
why can constitutions be a poor representation of a country
- constitution cannot spell out all laws
2. some countries dont follow their constitution
types of government (not systems, types)
authoritarian, democratic
authoritarian aka
totalitarian
difference betwee authoritarian and democratic governments?
authoritarian controls all aslpects of social and economic life, few freedoms, censored media, opression and threats to maintain order, democratic governments gain power using trust and support of the people
authoritarian governments can be further divided into
oligarchies and dictatorships
monarchies
another type of government that isn’t necessarily authoritarian but when it is it is called autocracy. in most cases monarchs are limited by law
democracies can either be
representative or direct representative is where representatives are elected to make laws and conduct government, in a representative democracy without a monarch it becomes a republic
Democracy is not possible without
civil society- associations and civic groups like nra and humane societywhich allows citizens to make their views known,,
principles of democracy
citizen participation like voting and debating
regular free and fair elections usually held every few yearsand chosen freely, fairly, equally without intimidation
accepting the results-accepting losses
rule of law- no one is above the law
majority rule w/minority rights- majority get what they want but minority can band together and speak out
accountability- leaders responsible for actions and must do it for the best interest of the people
transparency- people know all that is going on
limited government and bill of rights
control of abuse of power- limited power+checks and balances
economic freedom
equality
basic individual/human rights
independent judiciary- fair and impartial judiciary
competing political parties
why is citizen participation important
equal representation, equality+stronger democracy
why is us a republic and a democracy
representative but no monarch
how is a federal system different from unitary or confederate
balances power
how is constitutional government different from onewithout constitution
limits on power
basic factors of every economy
producers, distributors, consumers, laborers, resources, capital (money/resources necessary to purchase/invest in production), entrepreneuers
what 3 questions shoulf all economic systems answer
- what and how much should be produced
- how should goods/services be produced?
- Who gets these services and goods?
What are 2 different ways economic systems are classified
how they work vs political beliefs
What would someone who describes economies on how they work use?
command (communism), traditional (trade), market
