chapter 1 - principles of government

autocracy

A government controlled by a single person (dictator)

In what way is the United States a representative democracy?

Citizens choose small groups of people to make laws and policy for them.

Use the following quote to answer the question. "The first requisite of a good citizen in our republic is that he should be able and willing to pull his weight." —President Theodore Roosevelt, 1902 Which of the following BEST summarizes Roosevelt's statement?

Good citizens should be willing and able to accept the duties and responsibilities of living in a free society.

Use the following excerpt to answer the question. "To help manage the national government, monarchs hired loyal civil servants typically born in the towns and educated at local universities. Their perspectives were national, not regional. The state, in the person of the monarch, now had sovereignty, or the utmost authority in decision making and in maintaining order. Everyone, including the nobles, was subordinate to that authority. . . .With sovereignty, the monarch now had the right to make laws for the entire nation and all its people." How did the establishment of nations expand the power and reach of government?

The laws and policies of national governments affected greater numbers of people.

Use the Preamble to the Constitution to answer the question. "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, 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."—U.S. Constitution, Preamble Which statement BEST expresses the concerns of the founders of the American government?

Their focus was to create a government that protected all aspects of the nation and its people.

How does the chief executive of a parliamentary system differ from that of a presidential system?

Unlike a president, a prime minister is a member of both the legislative and executive branches.

Which of the following is the best definition of the public policies of a government?

everything a government decides to do

What is government?

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

Which of the following concepts is being expressed in this painting?

the divine right of kings

Which of the theories BEST describes the origin of the ancient Mayan civilization?

Divine Right of Kings Theory

Use the following quote to answer the question. "The right to swing my fist ends where the other man's nose begins." —Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes What point was Justice Holmes making about the foundations of democracy?

Everyone has rights, but the exercise of these rights cannot endanger others.

What is the difference between a unitary government and a federal government?

In a unitary government power is held by a single, central agency; in a federal government power is divided between a central government and local governments.

Use this excerpt from the text to answer the question. "To many people, the most meaningful of these classifications [of government] is the one that depends on the number of persons who can take part in the governing process." Why might this particular classification be most meaningful to people?

It indicates how democratic a government is.

What would happen to a state that had population, territory, and government, but did not have sovereignty?

That state would not have the power to make its own foreign policies.

A newspaper headline that reads "President Rejects Tax Increase Bill" is an example of which of the following?

The President has power to block actions of the legislature.

In what way was Athenian democracy a direct democracy?

The central feature was an Assembly open to all male citizens at least 18 years of age.

Which statement describing feudalism reflects people's basic need for government?

The feudal system arose because centralized authority had collapsed, resulting in chaos and disorder.

What is the relationship between democracy and the free enterprise system?

The government does not decide what is produced or what items cost, but does play a role in the economy by protecting the public and preserving private enterprise.

Use the following excerpt to answer the question. "The [Roman] Republic was far from democratic in the modern sense. It did introduce the concept of representation, however." Which of the following statements supports this idea?

The government of the Roman Republic was centered in the Senate, and Senators were elected by citizens.

According to John Locke, political society is created when individuals voluntarily form a government to create and enforce laws, thereby protecting the people who form that government. In this social contract, people give up some of their power to the government, which then rules in their interest. This is the basis of which of the following concepts?

government by consent

A legitimate government is

one that is accepted by its people and other governments as the sovereign authority of a nation.

Use the following excerpt to answer the question. ". . . some activities that might be carried out privately are in fact conducted by government." Which of the following is an example of this statement?

providing fire and police protection