chapter 1 civics

What pushed the U.S. government to get involved in the economy in the 1930s?

the great depression

Providing Public Services

A government needs to provide and pay for public services for their people. An extremely important example are libraries and how they provide entertainment, knowledge and community for all people, including children and for the poor. Other examples are police, firefighters, doctors, etc. financial aid Governments create schools, build sewer systems, pave roads, and provide other services that individuals cannot or would not do on their own

Citizen Participation

Citizen participation may take many forms, including becoming informed, debating issues, voting in elections, attending community meetings, being members of private voluntary organizations, serving in the military, paying taxes, serving on a jury, running for office, and even protesting.

Authoritarian Governments

Governments that control all aspects of citizens' economic, political, and social lives Totalitarian - the government has total control, Adolf Hitler in Nazi Germany and Joseph Stalin in Soviet Russia, Authoritarian governments use ruthless force or the threat of force to maintain order. Frequently, people in minority groups are oppressed. Dictatorship - a system of government in which power is in the hands of one person who has total control Oligarchy - a system of government in which a small group holds power

Democratic Governments -

Governments that give people economic, social, and political freedoms Direct - government in which all citizens cast a vote directly on government issues and laws indirect or representative democracy - people elect representatives and give them the responsibility to make laws and conduct government Republic - a government in which voters hold sovereign power; elected representatives, responsible to the people, exercise that power

Control of the Abuse of Power

To protect against these abuses, democratic governments are often structured to limit the powers of government officials. For example, the executive, judicial, and legislative branches of government have distinct functions and can "check and balance" the powers of the other branches

questions

What and how much should be produced? How should goods and services be produced? Who gets the goods and services that are produced?

Competing 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. To have a democracy, more than one political party must participate in elections and play a role in government.

A nation exists when

a large number of people consider themselves united by a common bond.

Confederate System

a loose union of independent and sovereign states, Asian nation called Federated States of Micronesia is one example. Pro: power it gave to the states. Con: weak central power was a disadvantage of this system.

Monarchy

a system of government in which a king, queen, or emperor exercises supreme powers of government absolute monarchy - the king shares little or no power, and protestors and reformers are targets of state police. constitutional monarchies - king or queen is limited by the law.

Mixed Economies:

combine elements of capitalism and socialism. Mexico us

Federal System:

divides the powers of government between the national and state or provincial government, Brazil Pro: how it shares power among different levels of government while still having more centralized power than in a confederate system. Con: each level of government can make its own laws.

An individual who believes that a leader's right to rule comes from God is a believer in which theory of

divine right theory

5.An example of a government promoting economic stability is when a government

enforces contracts

In a democracy, all people are treated equally because

everyone is protected by the law

The rule of law guarantees that

everyone is treated equally under the law.

Regular Free and Fair Elections

express their will is by electing officials to represent them in government. There should be no intimidation, corruption, or threats to citizens before or during an election.

A constitutional government is a "limited" government because

its powers are clearly laid out by the document

Which of the following individuals is most closely associated with communism?

karl marx

The rules that governments make for their citizens to follow are called

laws

Limited Government and a Bill of Rights:

list of citizens' rights and freedoms. It protects people from a government that might abuse its powers. it is easier for courts to enforce and harder for a government to take those rights away.

Which of the following is performed almost exclusively by the federal government (as opposed to state

national security

The Rule of Law

no one is above the law—not even a king, elected president, police officer, or member of the military.

Maintaining Order

the government is responsible for maintaining order and enforcing laws and to keep the peace. There will always be conflict and the government provides various sources of domestic security force such as the police or a national guard. The government's goal is to control and contain conflicts between citizens by places laws and limits on what they are allowed to do. - police protecting citizens try to control and contain conflict between people by placing limits on what individuals are permitted to do

The development of socialism was a reaction to

the industrial revolution

Capital

the money or resources necessary to purchase or invest in production

the United States Constitution is notable in that it is

the oldest written constitution in the world.

9.The force theory explains the origin of governments as coming from

the use of violence.

Labor

the work that people do or the workers themselves

1.Many of the basic ideas of capitalism are found in

the writings of adam smith

Which of the following is a purpose of a constitution?

to set out the basic structure of a government

U.S. v. VMI

I believe that in this case the court was correct. The VMI's refusal to admit women is unconstitutional because they did not provide equal services which is stated in the Equal Protection Clause in the 14th Amendment. The VMI's male school provided lots of alumni connections, rigorous physical training, faculties, courses, and financial opportunities. The female school was unable to provide these things and was not held in as high of regard thus making it unequal.

Why is a constitution an incomplete guide for a country to follow?

It cannot describe every law necessary for a country to exist.

Accepting the Results of Elections

Occasionally, the losers believe so strongly that their party or candidate is the best that they refuse to accept that they lost an election. Democracy depends on a peaceful transfer of power from one set of leaders to the next,

Accountability

Officials must make decisions and perform their duties according to the will and wishes of the people they represent, not for themselves or their friends.

state of nature

The term state of nature describes what philosophers believe life would be like without laws and government. The idea of the state of nature has captured the imagination of novelists, filmmakers, readers, and moviegoers alike. Today, some observers believe that the way people interact in cyberspace is akin to the state of nature. Bullying, insults, and racist remarks, for example, are common. Such bad behavior that happens online or via text message may occur because these interactions are not face-to-face. Some are completely anonymous. The resulting "state of nature" may even result in our entire society being less civil.

Equality

all individuals should be valued equally and should be free from unreasonable discrimination. Individuals and groups maintain their rights to have different cultures, personalities, languages, and beliefs. All are equal before the law and are entitled to equal protection of the law.

2.A crucial factor in capitalism is the role of

competition

Resources

natural materials such as land and water, as well as human resources like knowledge and labor needed to make something

governments provide a way for individuals to resolve their conflicts with each other through

a court system.

Governments can be classified as falling on a spectrum with "authoritarian" on one end and what on the other?

democratic

Transparency

A transparent government holds public meetings and allows citizens to attend or learn what happened in meetings. In a democracy, the press and the people are able to get information about what decisions are being made, by whom, and why.

Majority Rule with Minority Rights:

Democratic societies make most decisions according to what the majority of the people want. In democracies, people who are not in power are allowed to organize and speak out.

Leadership

Leadership is necessary in order to determine laws, establish order, prevent anarchy, and require people to do things they may not do voluntarily such as taxes. - president's ability to accept/veto laws decide what actions are crimes, make decisions about who has to pay taxes and how much they have to pay, and determine who benefits from natural resources like coal and natural gas.

Describe a citizen's economic and social life under an authoritarian government

Most details of the citizen's life are highly controlled by the government.

difference between nation & state with examples

Nation - sizable group of people who believe themselves united by common bonds of race, language, custom, or religion. State and country - a political community that occupies a definite territory and has an organized government.

Social Contract Theory

Some people believe states exist to protect and to serve their people, social contracts are made between the people and the government to preserve these rights.

Evolutionary Theory

Supporters of this theory believe government came about because extended families needed more organization.

National Security

The government is in charge of keeping the United states safe from nuclear weapons, spy satellites, international terrorists. Without National Security the United States would be very dangerous. We would run the risk of attack from outside countries and from within. - tsa security Governments provide some sort of domestic security force—police or a national guard—to enforce laws and to keep peace.

3.Why does the United States not have a purely capitalistic economy?

The government regulates many aspects of the economy.

Providing Economic Security and Assistance

The government sometimes deems necessary to intervene within the economy of our nation, and those throughout the world. Whether it be foreign aid or welfare, the government often gives money back to the people - welfare governments negotiate trade deals with other countries and they try to protect businesses that are important to their own economies

Divine Right Theory

The idea that certain people are chosen by a god or gods to rule, The term divine right, however, refers particularly to European monarchs in the 1600s and 1700s who proclaimed that their right to rule came from God alone

Communism, a Command Economy:

an economic system in which the government controls the factors of production In purely communist countries, the state owns the land, natural resources, industry, banks, and transportation facilities. There is no private property so no individual owns anything. The state controls mass communication including newspapers, magazines, television, radio, the Internet, and the movie industry.

socialism

an economic system in which the government plays a significant role in the economy, but it does not completely control it. - It owns most land, basic industries, and other means of production. Under socialism, government planners determine the use of resources and distribute the products and wages. The government also provides extensive social services such as education, health care, and welfare for its people. The goal of socialism is an equal distribution of wealth.

Capitalism

an economic system that emphasizes private ownership of the factors of production, freedom of choice, and individual incentives. - Capitalism assumes that the best way to serve society is to let people produce, sell, and buy as they wish free market - economic system in which buyers and sellers make free choices in the marketplace free enterprise - the opportunity to control one's own economic decisions Pure capitalism has five characteristics: private ownership and control of property and economic resources, free enterprise, competition, freedom of choice, and the possibility of profits. free enterprise in us

Democratic socialists prefer a government that makes economic decisions in order to

benefit the most people

Unitary System

gives all key powers to the central government, Japan, France, and Bolivia are examples of present-day unitary governments. Pro: While centralized power can be an advantage Con: there is less power given to localities

6.States share four essential features: population, territory, sovereignty, and

government

Economic Freedom

government allows some private ownership of property and businesses. People are allowed to choose their own work and to join labor unions.

While socialist governments provide many social services, such as education and health care, they also

have higher tax rates

Governments provide social and economic services to their citizens

in varying degrees.

9.Because democratic governments represent their citizens, a core principle of democracy is

individual rights.

Which of the following is a role a government might play in a mixed economy?

inspecting food

In a social contract, people give up certain freedoms in exchange for

order and security.

in a purely communist country, the state would

own all land and resources

Distributor

people who get products to buyers

Producers

people who make goods and services to sell

Consumers

people who purchase and use goods and services

essential features of a state

population 2.territory 3.sovereignty - the supreme and absolute authority within territorial boundaries 4.government - an institution through which leaders exercise power to make and enforce laws affecting the people under its control

Individual or Human Rights

rights all people have simply because they are human beings. Independent Judiciary: , courts and the judicial system should be fair and impartial. Judges and the judicial branch must be free to act without influence or control from the executive and legislative branches of government. Judges should also not be corrupt or obligated to influential individuals, businesses, or political groups.

Entrepreneurs

risk-taking individuals who use or combine the other factors of production in search of profits

Force Theory

state emerged when everyone in an area was brought under the authority of one person or group by use of force.

Democratic government gains its strength from

the consent and trust of the people.