Ch. 1: Government of the People, By the People, and For the People

Direct Democracy

A form of government in which citizens rule directly and not through representatives; people vote firsthand

Deportation

A legal process in which aliens are legally required to leave the United States; the expulsion from a country of an undesirable alien

Illegal Alien

A person who resides in a country who does not have the proper documentation/paperwork

Majority Rule

A system in which the decision of more than half the people is accepted by all.

Limited Government

A system in which the power of the government is limited, not absolute; The government has only the powers that the constitution gives it

Individual Rights

Basic liberties and rights of all citizens are guaranteed in the Bill of Rights.

John Locke

English philosopher who argued that people have natural rights; believed all people have a right to life, liberty, and property

Thomas Hobbes

He was an English philosopher who wrote Leviathan in 1651.

Immigration Act of 1990

Increases the number of immigrants allowed into the U.S. per year -preference for skilled workers; benefits people with skills, talents, or the money to invest in the U.S. economy

Patriotism

Love for one's country

Migration

Movement of people from one place to another

Aliens

People who live in a nation but are not citizens of that nation

Immigrants

People who move permanently to a new country

Democracy

Rule by the people

Consent of the Governed

The idea that government derives its authority from the people; People are the source of any and all governmental power

Government

The ruling authority for a community

Civics

The study of the rights and duties of citizens

Social Contract Theory

The theory where the people give up some freedom to the government, in order to be protected.

Expatriation

Willingly giving up one's citizenship by leaving to live in a foreign country

Representative Democracy

a form of democracy in which citizens elect officials to govern on their behalf

Blue Collar Workers

category of workers employed in crafts, manufacturing, and nonfarm labor; Factory workers and other laborers

White Collar Workers

category of workers employed in offices, sales, or professional positions

Natural Rights

freedoms people possess relating to life, liberty, and property; rights that belong to every human being from birth

E Pluribus Unum

out of many, one

Rule of Law

principle that the law applies to everyone, even those who govern

Public Policy

the course of action the government takes in response to an issue or problem

Declaration of Intention

the first step in the Naturalization process

Popular Soverignty

the idea that the government's authority comes from the people; "People rule"

Values

the ideas, beliefs, and attitudes about what is important that help guide the way you live

Naturalization

the legal process by which a person is granted citizenship

Denaturalization

the loss of citizenship through fraud or deception during the naturalization process