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Government
institution through which society makes and enforces its public policies
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Public Policies
all of the things a government decides to do (taxtion, defense, education, crime... ect)
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3 types of power every government excersices
- Legislative power- makes laws (Congress)
- Executive power- carries out laws (President)
- Judicial power- interprets laws (Supreme Court)
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4 characteristics of a State
- population- people
- territory- land and boundaries
- sovereignty- absolute power of gov.
- government- people and machines that a state is ruled by
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the social contract theory
people agree to give up power to the state in return for the State's service to the general well-being of the people
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Thomas Hobbs
- political philosopher who created the social contract theory
- believed man should give up all of his rights
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John Locke
- known for natural rights which are life, liberty, and property
- believed man should give some rights but not all
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Purpose of Government in the Preamble
- form a more perfect union,Establish Justice,
- Domestic tranquility,provide for common defense,General welfare,blessings of liberty
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3 ways to classify government
by geographic distribution of power, relationship between legislative and executive branches, and # who participates in gov.
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Geographic distribution of power
- unitary gov.: centralized government(all power is held in a single central agency)(Britain)
- Federal gov.: power is divided between central and local (U.S.A.)
- Confederation: States have all the power, no central gov. (switzerland)
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relationship between executive and legislative branch
- presidential- (U.S.A.)president is elected through electoral college (branches are equal)(president not part of congress)
- parliamentary- (Britain) prime minister is elected by parliament (prime minister is apart of parliament)
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# who participates
- Dictatorship- (Russia)one or few people participate
- Democracy- (U.S.A.) many people participate
- direct- direct elections
- representative- elect people to speak for you(US)
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Basice features of American Democracy
- Fundamental worth of every person
- equality and opportunity
- majority rule and minority rights
- necessity for compromise
- individual freedom but it cannot be absolute
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basic concepts of US gov.
- ordered government
- limited government
- representative government
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Magna Carta 1215: King John I
- trial by jury and due process
- no taking life, liberty, or prosperity
- no taxing without consent of counsel
- first limits placed on English King
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Petiton of Right 1628: Charles I
- Trial by jury
- no martial law during peace time
- no sheltering of troops in private homes w/o home owners consent
- no tax w/o consent of parliament
- said monarch was not above the law
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English Bill of Rights 1689: William and Mary
- no standing army in peace time w/o consent of parliament
- no interference in parliamentary elections
- no suspending of laws w/o consent of ""
- subjects may petition the King
- Trial by jury
- no cruel or unusual punishment
- parliament chose monarch
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Acts of Britain that lead to Independance
- sugar act
- stamp act
- tea act
- intolerable acts
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provisions of the intolerable acts
- closed the port of boston
- suspended Massachutes legislature
- put military in charge
- anyone arrested for being apart of the boston tea party would be tried in Britain
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Colony facts
- Each colony had their own gov. based on English gov.
- Jamestown founded in 1607
- Colonists call the 1st continental congress in response to the intolerable acts
- 1st time the colonies came together
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results of the 1st continental congress
- colonies send a letter to England demanding the intolerable acts be repealed
- pleadged their support to Mass.
- agreed to meet next year if nothing changed
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actions of the 2nd continental congress
- became our first national government
- chose Washington to be commander of the continental army
- wrote the Articles of Confederation
- Declaration of Independence was created and signed
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Articles of Confederation
first national constitution(written document that establishes the basis for gov.)
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Weaknesses of the Articles
- only a "firm league of friendship" among states
- only one vote for each state, regardless of size
- congress powerless to levy taxes or duties
- congress powerless to regulate commerce
- no executive power to enforce acts of Congress
- no national court system
- amendments require the consent of all states
- 9/13 majority vote required to pass laws
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