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
