Civics chapter 1-2 test

Population

The number of people in a particular state or other area

Executive Power

The power to execute, enforce, and administer laws

Judicial Power

The power to interpret laws, to determine their meaning, and to settle disputes that arise within the society

Legislative Power

The power to make laws and to frame public policies

5. Why was slavery missing from the Declaration of Independence

The topic of slavery was left out of the Declaration of Independence because there were many different views on slavery at the time. And they were trying to avoid controversy when writing it?

What do the 4 parts of the Declaration of Independence say? Summarize each part in 1 sentence each - use your own words.

1 Preamble In the Preamble they simply stated that they were declaring independence. Statement of Human rights Following the preamble they state that people have natural human rights and the governments job is to secure those rights which they had failed so they are abolishing the government. (1st reason for declaring independence) The Airing of the Grievances Next in the Airing of the Grievances the colonists state 27 reasons why they have decided to declare independence The Action Lastly this is them saying that they are finally taking action and are now their own nation and independent

State

A body of people living in a defined territory, organized politically, and with the power to make and enforce law without the consent of higher authority

charter

A city's basic law, it's constitution a written grant of authority from the king

Declaration of Rights and Grievances

A document prepared by American colonist, declaring that the taxes placed upon the colonist were unconstitutional

English Bill of Rights

A document written by Parliament and agreed to by William and Mary of England in 1689, designed to prevent abuse of power by English monarchs; forms the basis for much in American government and politics today

Autocracy

A form of government in which a single person holds unlimited power

Oligarchy

A form of government in which power to rule is held by a small usually self appointed elite

Presidential government

A form of government in which the executive and legislative branches of the government are separate independent and coequal

Parliamentary government

A form of government in which the executive branch is made up of the prime minister or premier and that official's cabinet this branch is part of the legislature

Theocracy

A form of government in which the legal system is based on religious law

popular sovereignty

A government that exists only with the consent of the governed

Confederation

A joining of several groups for a common purpose

Fuedalism

A loosely organized system in which powerful lords divided their land among other, lesser lords

Sovereignty

A states supreme and absolute power within its own territory

Public Policies

All of the things a government decides to do

bicameral

An adjective describing a legislative body composed of two chambers

Limited Government

Basic principle of American government, which states that government is restricted in what it may do, and each individual had rights that government cannot take away

due process

Doctrine that holds that the government must act fairly and in accord with established rules in all that it does

Petition of Right

Document prepared by Parliament and signed by King Charles I of England in 1628; challenged the idea of the divine right of kings and declared that even the monarch was subject to the laws of the land

Democracy

Form of government where supreme authority rests with the people

Dictatorship

Form of government where those who rule cannot be responsible to the will of the people. Usally ruled by one person or a small group of people

magna carta

Great Charter forced upon King John of England by his barons in 1215 established that the power of the monarchy was not absolute and guaranteed trial by jury and due process of law to the nobility (no one is above the law)

What does the term taxation without representation mean?

No taxation without representation means that the colonist don't want to be taxed without representation or a say in what parliment passes for them.

Delegates

People with authority to represent others at a conference or convention

Features common to state constitution

Popular Sovereignty In terms of the US Government is based on the consent of the people. Limited Government New state governments had limited powers granted by the people with restrictions to protect individual rights Civil Rights and Liberty In terms of the U.S governemnt civil rights and liberties ensures that all the people have rights and freedoms that the government has to respect and cannot take advantage of Separation of powers The states government was granted powers that were seperated into 3 specific branches each with their own responsibilities, Judicial executive, and legislative

What was "salutary neglect?" Why did it fall apart?

Salutary neglect is basically a policy where the British government supervision and laws were not strictly enforced and neglected for the American colonists so they had to make their own decisions and create their own form of government while still under the rule of Parliament. It started to fall apart when England has lost significant amounts of money due to the war between France and they started to pass taxation acts on the colonist. This infuriated the colonists and caused them to boycott British good and even dump tea from a ship. With this they formed the Continetal congress and started planning their escape for independence.

Representative Government

System of government in which public policies are made by officials selected by the voters and held accountable in periodic elections

What was the Olive Branch Petition? When was it drafted and what happened with it?

The Olive Branch Petition was a petition pledging loyalty to the king but explaining their reasoning for their actions asking for a cancelation of punishment for all of these acts. It was drafted in 1774 but never made it to the kings desks because the battles of the revolutionary war had already started

Constitution

The body of fundamental laws setting out the principles, structures, and processes of a government

Why was the Declaration of Independence written?

The declaration of Independence was written as a "breakup letter" with England. The new colonies were still under the rule of parliament but it was over 3000 miles away meaning the government was loosely controlled and decision were pretty much up to the people. Also there were many harsh and unfair rules placed onto the colonists they decided to become their own nation and send The Declaration of Independence to England.

Where did the American system of government come from

The early American government set out to do three things be ordered, limited, and representative. They had many different influences such as English Constitutionalism - the notion that the government are subject to the law Hammurabis Code - the 1st written series of laws for a nation based on the principle "an eye for an eye" Representative government - idea that government will serve the will of the people The concept of a Republic deveolpped by the romans They aslo had the influence of some documents such as Magna carta - means great charter - trial by jury, due process of law and monarchs power is not absolute Petition of right - in 1628 against king Charles I - challenges the idea of divine right of kings declares the monarch must obey laws English Bill of rights - 1689 designed to prevent the monarch from abusing power includes certain guarantees- right to fair trial - freedom from exessive bail, freedom from cruel and unusual punishment

Theory of the divine right of kings

The idea that God grants authority to a government

Social contract theory

The idea that people, who had freedom but lacked protection and security agreed with one another to create a state in which they would through a social contract give up as much power to the state as needed to promote the safety and well being of all

Government

The institution through which a society makes and enforces its public policies

Territory

The land, with known and recognized boundaries, claimed by a state