Unit 2: Structures and Functions of Government Vocabulary

Articles of Confederation

The first government of the United States, which was approved in the year of 1781. this had some success, but was very weak. it was then replaced by the Constitution in 1789

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the Constitution

Declaration of Independence

a document that separated the American colonies from Great Britain, in which was written in 1776, by Thomas Jefferson.

Federal System

a system of government in which power is shared national and state governments. national government tends to make decisions on national issues, while state governments make decisions on local issues.

Federalism

a system of government in which the power is divided between national and state governments.

unitary System

a system of government that gives all major powers to the national government. the national government has all the decision making power.

Confederation

a system of government that is very weak and consists of a loose union of independent states. the states have all the decision making power.

Presidential Democracy

a type of democracy in which a president heads the executive branch and there is a separate legislative branch

Parliamentary Democracy

a type of democracy in which executive and legislative functions both reside in an elected assembly or parliament

Absolute Monarchy

a type of government in which a monarch (usually a king or queen) rules and has total power, with little or no restrictions

Constitutional Monarchy

a type of government in which a monarch (usually a king or queen) rules, but has limitations on their power

Dictatorship

a type of government in which a single leader has unlimited power. the leader gains and keeps power through the threat or use of force

Oligarchy

a type of government in which a small group of people holds power and makes all the decisions

Direct Democracy

a type of government in which the people directly vote on the law and issues. everyone votes on everything.

Representative Democracy

a type of government in which the people elect leaders (Representatives) to make decision for them

Democracy

a type of government in which the people rule, either directly or through electing representatives

Limited Government

a type of government that has limits to its power (there are things the government is not allowed to do) and is accountable to the people. this is the opposite of an authoritarian government.

Authoritarian

a type of government that has unlimited power and is not accountable to the people

Checks and Balances

each branch of government exercises some control over the others to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful.

Limited Government

government cannot do certain things, there are limits to its power

Majority Rule (with minority rights)

government decisions are based on what the majority of the people want. however, the government must ensure that the rights of the minority are protected.

John Locke

hes a theorist who created the Natural Rights Theory of Government. he based his theories on Hobbes work. he claimed that a social contract can be broken if the government abuses the peoples Natural Rights- life, liberty, and property.

Thomas Hobbes

hes a theorist who created the Social Contract Theory of Government. he claimed that the Social Contract couldn't be broken.

Reserved Powers

powers that belong strictly to the states

Concurrent Power

powers that both the national and state governments have

Delegated Powers

powers that the Constitution grants or delegates specifically to the national government

Popular Sovereignty

ruled by the people, in which they are the source of the governments power

Ratification

the action of signing or giving formal consent to a treaty, contract, or agreement making it officially valid.

Rule of Law

the belief that every person is expected to obey the same laws and regulations and the no one, not even a government official, is above these laws and regulation

Marbury vs. Madison

the case that gave the Supreme Court the power of Judicial Review

General Welfare

the concern of the government for the health, peace, morality, ad safety of its citizens. this was provided for the welfare of the general public and was a basic goal of government.

Seperation of Powers

the division of power among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government

Consent of the Governed

the government gets its right to govern from the people

Government

the group of people with the authority to govern or rule a country or state

Individual Rights and Responsibilities

the liberties of each individual to pursue life and goals without interference from other individuals or the government. examples of individual rights include the right of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness as stated in the United States Declaration of Independence

Sovereignty

the power of a country to control its own government

Judicial Review

the power of the Supreme Court to review laws and actions of the government and declare them unconstitutional (illegal)

Authority

the right to control or direct the actions of others, legitimized by law, morality, custom or consent

The U.S. Constitution

the written plan that establishes our government and its limitations and procedures

McDonald v. Chicago (2010)

this was found that the right of an individual to "keep and bear arms" as protected under the Second Amendment, is incorporated by the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment against the states.

Amendment

A change to the Constitution

Denied Powers

Powers that are not allowed either national or state governments.