Midterm Review

1
Midterm Review

• Foundations and Principles of Government

2
Four Characteristics of a State

• Population
• Territory
• Sovereignty
• Government

3
Maintaining Order

• Make and enforce laws
• Require people to do things they might not do
  voluntarily, like pay taxes or serve in the army
• The court system resolves disagreements in an
  orderly manner
• People have to accept majority rule even if they
  vote otherwise

4
Dictatorships

• The ideas of a single leader are glorified
• The government seeks to control all aspects of
  social and economic life
• The government is not responsible to the people
• The people lack the power to limit their rulers

5
Sovereignty

• The supreme and absolute authority within
  territorial boundaries

6
Unitary Government

• A government that gives all key powers to the
  national or central government
• This is what the colonies had under the rule of
  the king until July 4, 1776.

7
Confederate Government

• A loose union of independent states
• Existed from 1781 1788
• Also during the Civil War The Confederate
  states of America

8
Federal Government

• Government power is divided between the national
  government and state or provincial governments
• Called Federalism Separation of Powers-
  Federal, State (10th amendment) and Concurrent
  powers.

9
Democracy

• Is the form of government found in the United
  States
• Two types
• Direct all people vote works on small scale
• Representative elect Representatives to vote
  for you- large scale

10
Religious Freedom

• Many settlers came to the United States seeking
  religious freedom

11
Majority Rule

• The wishes of the majority are followed by the
  minority.
• Also the majority cant establish a tyranny
  over the minority (that would not follow the
  principles of Democracy).

12
Limited Government

• Limited government is a government structure
  where its functions and powers are prescribed,
  limited, and restricted by law, usually in a
  written constitution
• Our government is particularly limited by the
  Bill of Rights!

13
Popular Sovereignty

• People are the source of government power

14
Federalism

• In this government system, power is divided
  between national and state governments

15
Separation of Powers

• Each of the three branches of government has its
  own responsibilities

16
Judicial Review

• Courts have power to declare laws and actions of
  Congress and the president unconstitutional
• The Supreme Court in the case of Marbury v.
  Madison in 1803 established the precedent for
  federal courts to rule on the actions of the
  government

Marbury VS.
Madison
17
Magna Carta

• The Magna Carta was a historical document from
  1215 that many of the ideas in the Bill of Rights
  was borrowed from.
• Powerful barons forced the king to grant citizens
  certain unalienable rights dealing with courts,
  land, police, etc.

18
The Bill of Rights

• The Bill of Rights limits the powers of
  government

19
Due process of law

• A person cannot be deprived of life, liberty, or
  property without due process of law.

20
The Preamble

• We the people of the United States, in Order to
  form a more perfect Union, establish Justice,
  insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the
  common defense, promote the general Welfare,, and
  secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and
  our Posterity, do ordain and establish this
  Constitution for the United States of America.

21
A Living Document

• The Constitution is called a living document
  because it can be amended and is interpreted to
  suit the needs or the times.

22
Three Branches

• The Legislative Branch makes laws, while the
  Executive Branch enforces laws, and the Judicial
  Branch interprets laws.

23
Amendments

• Formal amendments to the Constitution must first
  be proposed by a 2/3 vote of both houses of
  Congress or a constitutional convention called by
  Congress on petition of 2/3 of the 50 states.

24
Informal Changes

• Informal changes (1000s of them) to the
  Constitution may be made by
• Congress passing laws
• Courts deciding on cases
• Presidential actions

25
Interstate Compact

• A written agreement between two or more states

26
Concurrent Powers

• Powers that both the national government and the
  states have, like
• Power to tax
• Maintain courts
• Define crimes
• Appropriate private property for public use

27
Gerrymandering

• To draw a districts boundaries to gain an
  advantage in elections

28
The Legislative Branch

• There are 435 members of the House of
  Representatives
• There are 100 Senators, 2 from each state

Census / Reapportionment every 10 years
North Senate South House
of Representatives
29
The Legislative Branch

• Members of the House serve 2 year terms while
  Senators serve 6 year terms
• The number of seats per state in the House is
  determined on the basis of population while the
  number of seats per state in the Senate is
  determined by equal representation
• Members of the House must be at least 25 years
  old and a resident of the US for at least 7
  years, and a citizen of the state they represent
• Members of the Senate must be at least 30 years
  old, a resident of the US for 9 years, and a
  citizen of the state they represent

30
Political Parties

• A group of individuals with broad common
  interests who organize to nominate candidates for
  office, win elections, conduct government, and
  determine public policy

31
Interest Groups

• A group of people with common goals who organize
  to influence government

32
Suffrage The Right to vote

• 15th Amendment, black males
• 19th Amendment, females
• 24th Poll Taxes
• 26th lowered voting age to 18

33
Affirmative Action

• Government policies that award jobs, government
  contracts, promotions, admission to schools, and
  other benefits to minorities and women in order
  to make up for past discriminations

34
Voter Apathy

• People do not vote because they do not care or do
  not think their vote makes a difference

35
Propaganda

• Bandwagon- Urging voters to support a candidate
  because everyone else is
• Name Calling- calling someone a horrible name for
  a minor offense
• Testimonial- A celebrity endorses a candidate
• Plain Folks- a candidate is just one of the
  common people

36
Citizenship

• Birth on American soil
• Naturalization- the legal process by which a
  person is granted the rights and privileges of a
  citizen
• Being born to a parent who is a US citizen

37
Register to Vote

• You must be-
• 18 years old
• a citizen of the US
• Not a convicted felon or legally insane
• Registering helps stop voting fraud

38
Democrats / Republicans

• Tend to be more liberal
• Represent more of the working-class people and
  minority groups

• Tend to be more conservative
• Represent big-business and laissez-faire policies.

39
Why dont people vote?

• List reasons
• Others aliens, in jail, mental disability,
  time-zone fallout, apathy

40
The Electoral College

• The total number of seats as state has in the
  Electoral College is determined by the total
  number of Representatives and Senators it has in
  Congress.

41
Roles of the President

• Chief Executive
• Head of the executive branch
• Issues executive orders, enforces laws, makes
  appointments, grants pardons, etc.

42
Chief Legislator

• Proposes a legislative agenda
• Signs or vetos bills

43
Commander in Chief

• Oversees the military
• Can send troops into a foreign country
• Can provide domestic aid during natural disasters

44
Economic Planner

• Creates the national budget
• Works for a prosperous economy

45
Head of State

• Symbol of our nation
• Performs ceremonial duties

46
Chief Diplomat

• Meets with foreign leaders
• Negotiates trade agreements and peace treaties

47
The Federal Bureaucracy

• Bureaucrat a government worker

48
Federal Agencies

• Federal Communications Commission
• Regulate interstate and international
  communication
• Radio, TV, Satellite, Phone, etc.

49
Federal Trade Commission

• Ensure fairness in business
• Protect consumers from misleading advertising
• Prevent monopolies

50
Food and Drug Administration

• Protect consumers from poorly manufactured food
  and prescription drugs