government unit 1

What is a constitution? What makes a government a constitutional government?

-a plan of govt -it must be governed by the rule of law

What was the Mayflower Compact? Why was it drafted? How could it be said to reflect the idea that government be based on consent of those it governs?

-agreement between adults aboard the ship -put down rules -it was by the people

How did feudalism contribute to the idea that government is based on contractual relationships?

-an agreement was made: land & protection for loyalty & labor

What is the Magna Carta? How did it contribute to the development of constitutional government?

-document that made the king give up some his land & power to wealthy landowners -limited govt

Why was the right to vote in the colonies limited to those who owned a certain amount of property? Give two reasons why colonial governments were considered more representative than the British government.

-landowners didn't want their land taken away -shorter terms & more competing candidates

What is the writ of habeas corpus? Why is this right so fundamental?

-must be charged with a crime after arrest or let go -protects the right to liberty

What are the basic ideas & arguments set forth in the Declaration of Independence?

-reject British sovereignty -justify the action -identify basic principles of legitimate government

How would you describe the British policies toward the colonies before the 1750s? How & why did those policies change in the 1760s & 1770s?

-relaxed, little interference -much more strict, taxes -paying off war debt

What important lessons did the founding generation learn from political theory & history?

-the govt should be the servant, not the master -govt should be limited

What is civic virtue? How is it fostered in small, uniform communities?

-when a community & its residents have common good & try making the community better -it's better in smaller communities because everyone knows each other

How did the Age of Enlightenment influence the founders?

Hobbes- social contract Locke- inalienable rights

covenant

a binding agreement

nation-state

a country; the standard unit of political organization in the world

republic

a form of government in which the people rule through elected representatives

compact

a formal contract or agreement between two or more parties or states

magistrate

a lower level judicial official

law of nature

a natural rights philosophy reasoning what people would do in various circumstances

constituent

a person represented by an elected official

indentured servant

a person who voluntarily sold his/her labor for a set period of time

Which of the following statements describes a constitution?

a plan that sets forth the structure and powers of government

Which of the following does NOT describe the British constitution?

a single document

written constitution

a single document containing a plan for government

legislative supremacy

a system of government in which the lawmaking branch has ultimate power

charter

a written document from the government or ruler that grants certain rights

Magna Carta

aka the Great Charter, King John of England was forced to sign tho document in 1215 at the demand of his barons

How did the Founder's learn about government?

all of the above

Mayflower Compact

an agreement to form a political body signed by all adult members aboard the ship

unwritten constitution

body of political practices developed through custom and tradition

To say that the rights to life, liberty, & property are inalienable means that they

cannot be given up or taken away

limited government

constitutional government governed by rule of law

civic virtue

dedication of citizens to the common welfare of their community or country, even at the cost of their individual interests

checks and balances

distributing & balancing the powers of government among different branches

The Enlightenment inspired America's Founders by

emphasizing what could be achieved through the exercise of human reason

inalienable rights

fundamental rights inherent to being human that every person therefore possesses that cannot be taken away

The Magna Carta included the important constitutional principle that established

government based on rule of law

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of the American Colonies?

identical religious background and practices

private morality

individuals' ideas about right and wrong to be practiced in one's personal life

stare decisis

latin for "let the precedent (decision) stand"

writ of habeas corpus

latin for "you shall/have deliver to the body

constitutional government

limited government; the rule of law

democracy

literally defined as "rule of the people", a form of government in which all citizens exercise political power

classical republicanism

philosophy that emphasizes civic participation and the responsibility of the citizens for promoting the common good

constitution

plan of government that sets forth the structures and powers of government

city-state

politically independent community consisting of a city and its surrounding territories

The idea that political power is derived from the people is called

popular sovereignty

social contract theory

presumption of an agreement among people to set up rules and laws

precedent

previous court decisions upon which legal issues are decided

In colonial America, the right to vote most often depended on a person's gender and

property ownership

According to the natural rights philosophy, the main purpose of government is to

protect individual rights

Civic Virtue is best defined as

putting the common good above individual interests

In comparison with the Greek & Roman ideals of civic virtue, the Judeo-Christian tradition

stresses the dignity & worth of each individual

capitalism

system in which the means of producing & distributing goods are privately owned and operated for profit in competitive markets

feudalism

system in which the nobility required work & services from the common people, known as serfs, in return for allowing them to live on & make use of the nobles' land & benefit from the nobles' protection

Parliament

the British legislature

common law

the body of "unwritten" laws developed in England from judicial decisions based on custom and earlier judicial decisions

The Declaration of Independence asserted that

the colonies were now free & independent states

state of nature

the condition of people living in a situation without government

redress of grievances

the correction of complaints, the First Amendment protects the right of the people to petition their government to obtain remedies for claimed wrongs

popular sovereignty

the natural rights concept that ultimate political authority rests with the people

veto

the right of a branch of government to reject a proposed law that has been passed by the other branch

right to revolution

the right of the sovereign people of any democratic state to depose a government after it has attacked citizens' basic rights for a significant period of time

suggrage

the right to vote

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of higher law?

the rulers are above the law

sovereignty

the ultimate, supreme power in a state. the right to rule

The purpose of a writ of habeas corpus is to protect the individual against

unlawful detention

public morality

values & principles of right & wrong pertaining to public policies & actions

natural rights philosophy

way of thinking that puts the rights of life, liberty, & property before the common good

common good

well-being of the community as a whole