Gov. Chapter 1

unitary government

a centralized government in which all government powers belong to a single, central agency

public policies

all of the things a government decides to do

judicial power

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

patricians

rich upper class, landowning aristocrats of the Roman Republic

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

A legitimate government is A. one in which government leaders obtain and keep power by using force. B. one that offers the fastest solutions to a nation's problems and citizens' needs. C. one that is created by a union of many smaller groups that could not obtain power on their own. D. one that is accepted by its people and other governments as the sovereign authority of a nation.

B. Government is necessary, because people do not always behave perfectly.

Use the following quotation to answer the question. "If men were angels, no government would be necessary." —James Madison, Federalist No. 51 Which of the following BEST summarizes this idea? A. Government is necessary to make policy, but should not control people. B. Government is necessary, because people do not always behave perfectly. C. Government is not necessary, but people are better off when it exists. D. Government is not necessary, because people are naturally good.

state

a body of people, living in a defined territory, organized politically (that is, with a government), and with the power to make and enforce law without the consent of any higher authority

federal government

a form of government in which powers are divided between a central government and several local governments

oligarchy

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

division of powers

basic principle of federalism; the constitutional provisions by which governmental powers are divided on a geographic basis (in the United States, between the National Government and the States)

democracy

form of government where supreme authority rests with the people

dictatorship

form of government where those who rule cannot be held responsible to the will of the people

government

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

executive power

the power to execute, enforce, and administer laws

sovereignty

utmost authority in decision-making and in maintaining order of a state

C. autocracy.

A government ruled by a dictator is a form of A. indirect democracy. B. direct democracy. C. autocracy. D. oligarchy.

D. The President has power to block actions of the legislature.

A newspaper headline that reads "President Rejects Tax Increase Bill" is an example of which of the following? A. The President has powers but they are subject to direct control by the legislature. B. The legislative and executive branches must always act together. C. The legislature can act on its own and can never be blocked by the President. D. The President has power to block actions of the legislature.

B. government by consent

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? A. separation of powers B. government by consent C. common law D. absolute monarchy

D. Unlike a president, the prime minister is under the direct control of the legislature.

How does the chief executive of a parliamentary system differ from that of a presidential system? A. Unlike a president, a prime minister is a member of both the legislative and executive branches. B. Unlike a president, the prime minister is elected by the citizenry. C. Unlike a president, the prime minister is the only member of the executive branch. D. Unlike a president, the prime minister is under the direct control of the legislature.

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

In what way is the United States a representative democracy? A. Citizens allow a self-appointed elite to make decisions for them. B. Citizens decide laws and policies directly in mass meetings. C. Citizens choose small groups of people to make laws and policy for them. D. Citizens elect a President who has absolute power to make decisions for them.

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

In what way was Athenian democracy a direct democracy? A. The courts were staffed by volunteers who were at least 30 years of age. B. The Assembly met 40 times a year to debate public matters and make law. C. The Council of Five Hundred was 500 citizens chosen randomly for one-year terms. D. The central feature was an Assembly open to all male citizens at least 18 years of age.

majority rule

in a democracy, the majority of the people will be right more often than they will be wrong, and will be right more often than will any one person or small group

D. Their focus was to create a government that protected all aspects of the nation and its 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? A. Their focus was to create a government that protected the nation from foreign enemies. B. Their focus was to create a government that protected the nation from domestic threats. C. Their focus was to create a nation that protected national interests over individual rights. D. Their focus was to create a government that protected all aspects of the nation and its people.

D. providing fire and police protection

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? A. enforcing antitrust laws B. enforcing building codes C. creating pure food and drug laws D. providing fire and police protection

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

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? A. The government of the Roman Republic was centered in the Senate, and consuls presided over the Senate. B. The Senate could appoint a dictator, but he could not serve for longer than six months. C. The government of the Roman Republic was centered in the Senate, and Senators were elected by citizens. D. The two presiding consuls were chosen by the Senate.

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

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? A. The laws and policies of national governments affected greater numbers of people. B. The leaders of towns began to appreciate the benefits of supporting local universities. C. Monarchs saw towns as a source of wealth that could make them less dependent on vassals. D. National governments led to an increase in the establishment of towns that became trade centers.

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

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? A. Everyone has rights, and they can freely use force to exercise them. B. Everyone has rights, but only those willing to use force will keep them. C. Everyone has rights, but the exercise of these rights cannot endanger others. D. Everyone has rights, and can exercise them in any way they want.

C. Powerful lords divided their lands among other, lesser lords who owed them allegiance and military service.

Which statement describing feudalism reflects people's basic need for government? A. A vassal was often a lord to less powerful vassals, and a lord was sometimes a vassal under a more powerful lord. B. The feudal system arose because centralized authority had collapsed, resulting in chaos and disorder. C. Powerful lords divided their lands among other, lesser lords who owed them allegiance and military service. D. Lords used force to keep order among vassals and serfs, who had to fight for the lord if called upon to do so.

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

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? A. In a republic, good citizens fulfill all their obligations by electing a representative to serve their interests in the government. B. Good citizens should be willing and able to accept the duties and responsibilities of living in a free society. C. Good citizens should be willing to work hard and earn a living so they don't become a burden to the state. D. In a free society, all citizens should be able to freely decide how much or how little they they will contribute.

B. It indicates how democratic a government is.

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? A. It indicates the balance of power in a government. B. It indicates how democratic a government is. C. It indicates a government's geographic distribution of power. D. It indicates how flexible a government's laws are.

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

What is government? A. the services provided a community, such as police protection, fire protection, and public health programs B. the laws that protect peoples' rights and ensure the safety of a state's citizens C. the institution through which a society makes and enforces its public policies D. the process by which public officials are elected to and removed from office

D. 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.

What is the difference between a unitary government and a federal government? A. In a unitary government, power is shared by an alliance of independent states; in a federal government power is divided between a central government and local governments. B. In a federal government, power is shared by an alliance of independent states; in a unitary government power is divided between a central government and local governments. C. In a federal government, power is held by a single, central agency; in a unitary government power is divided between a central government and local governments. D. 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.

D. 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.

What is the relationship between democracy and the free enterprise system? A. The government determines what is produced, how much of an item is produced, and how much an item will sell for. B. The government does not decide what is produced, but often reviews the level of production to make sure there are enough products available to the public. C. The government controls the economy by placing orders with private companies for goods and services the government needs to serve the citizens' needs. D. 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.

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

What would happen to a state that had population, territory, and government, but did not have sovereignty? A. That state would not have the power to keep track of its population. B. That state would not be able to have clearly defined borders. C. That state would not have elected government representatives. D. That state would not have the power to make its own foreign policies.

A. the divine right of kings

Which of the following concepts is being expressed in this painting? A. the divine right of kings B. oligarchy C. direct democracy D. the social contract

A. everything a government decides to do

Which of the following is the best definition of the public policies of a government? A. everything a government decides to do B. everything a government does related to public services C. everything a government does to collect taxes D. everything a government decides to do regarding foreign affairs

B. legislative power, executive power, judicial power

Which of the following lists the three basic powers a government must have? A. executive power, legislative power, military power B. legislative power, executive power, judicial power C. economic power, judicial power, legislative power D. judicial power, diplomatic power, executive power

A. Divine Right of Kings Theory

Which of the theories BEST describes the origin of the ancient Mayan civilization? A. Divine Right of Kings Theory B. Social Contract Theory C. Evolutionary Theory D. Force Theory

A. Different groups may have different ideas, but compromise is vital to a successful democracy.

Which statement BEST expresses the meaning of the cartoon? A. Different groups may have different ideas, but compromise is vital to a successful democracy. B. In a democracy, different ideas and approaches help make the government work better. C. A democracy requires a balance between domestic policies and foreign policies. D. In a democracy, the branches of government will always have different ideas about running the country.

autocracy

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

presidential government

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

parliamentary

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

confederation

a joining of several groups for a common purpose

feudalism

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

citizen

a member of a state or nation who owes allegiance to it by birth or naturalization and is entitled to full civil rights

compromise

an adjustment of opposing principles or systems by modifying some aspect of each in order to find the position most acceptable to the majority

mercantilism

an economic and political theory emphasizing money as the chief source of wealth to increase the absolute power of the monarchy and the nation

free enterprise system

an economic system characterized by private or corporate ownership of capital goods; investments that are determined by private decision rather than by state control and determined in a free market

legitimacy

the belief of the people that a government has the right to make public policy

divine right of kings

the belief that God grants authority to a government

plebeians

the common folk in the Roman Republic

colonialism

the control of one nation over foreign lands

legislative power

the power to make laws and to frame public policies

sovereign

when a state has supreme and absolute power within its own territory and can decide its own foreign and domestic policies