We the people note- Purposes of gov

Question 1

What is authority

Answer 1

The right to command, or the holder of official power

Question 2

What is anarchy

Answer 2

An absence or lack of any formal system of government or control

Question 3

What is public policy

Answer 3

A course of action accepted or used by a government to respond to a problem

Question 4

What is an institution

Answer 4

An established organization that is influential in the community

Question 5

What is infrastructure

Answer 5

Basic physical systems of a community’s people (roads, electricity, water, etc)

Question 6

What is the US Constitution

Answer 6

The plan detailing the structure, functions, and powers of the government of the United States, also known as the Constitution.

It is the basis for creating and following laws and policy

It outlines the structure and functions of the U.S. Government

Question 7

What is the common good

Answer 7

The greatest possible conditions of society for the greatest number of people living in it

Question 8

What is consent

Answer 8

To agree or give permission

Question 9

What is the rule of law

Answer 9

The principle that both those who govern and those who are governed must obey the law and are subject to the same laws

Nobody is above the law

Question 10

What is legitimacy

Answer 10

Lawful and complying with recognized rules, standards, or traditions; public trust and acceptance of court rulings

Question 11

What is the divine right of kings

Answer 11

European historical principle that the king/monarch has God-given powers to rule

Question 12

What is tyranny

Answer 12

Cruel and unjust government

Question 13

What is democracy

Answer 13

Governed by the people; a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system

Question 14

What is a republic

Answer 14

Form of government in which people elect representatives to exercise power for them

Question 15

What is republicanism

Answer 15

The principle that government officials are elected by the people and represent their interests

Question 16

What is the magna carta

Answer 16

Document written in England in 1215 remembered for ending the absolute power of the monarchy by placing limits on the king’s authority

Question 17

What is English Common Law

Answer 17

Body of law based on tradition and court rulings; was an early basis for governance in the American colonies

Question 18

What was the European Enlightenment

Answer 18

A time of change in Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries when philosophers focused on reason as a way to solve problems; their ideas spread to and influence the founders of the United States

Question 19

What is constitutionalism

Answer 19

The idea that government should be structued and function based on a set of guidelines and principles, especially the rule of law and limited government

Formed by Niccolò Machiavelli

Question 20

What is the purpose of having a government

Answer 20

The purposes of having government are to keep peace within its territory, protect its citizens, provide important services, and maintain public institutions

Question 21

Identify the five important features of law for rule of law to be effective.

Answer 21

Transparent- The laws are easy to understand

Accessible- It’s easy to find out what the laws are

Equally applied- The same laws apply to every person no matter their job or personal background

Aligned with international huma rights- The laws do not conflict with widely accepted individual basic rights

Adjudicated by an independent judiciary-Disputes are settled in courts with no personal interest of the judge or jury in the outcomes

Question 22

What are natural rights

Answer 22

The Enlightenment philosopher John Locke listed life, liberty, and estate, or property, as “natural rights.” These are rights individuals are born with, that no government can take away. People have interpreted those words to determine rights that give people protection of their personal selves, their material goods, and the ability to determine their future without interference.

Question 23

What is social contract

Answer 23

A government is legitimate only if the people agree with its existence, meaning the government has their consent to rule. Social contract takes this a step further to say that this consent places government under an obligation to fulfill its purpose by protecting the people and their rights. If it does not, the people could withdraw their consent, abolish the government, and form a new one.

Question 24

What is popular sovereignty

Answer 24

Popular sovereignty is the principle that the people themselves, rather than the government, have final authority. A direct democracy upholds this principle because the citizens themselves vote to make decisions. A republic can also reflect this principle because the people give power to those they elect as representatives.