Chapter 1 Study Guide US Government
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1. A ____ is the body of fundamental laws setting out the principles, structures, and processes of government.
2. A ____, often described as a centralized government, is one in which all powers held by the government belong to a single, central agency.
3. Under a ____, the government must resign if it receives a “vote of no confidence.”
4. ____ is the power to make law and frame public policies.
5. The power to interpret laws, determine their meaning, and settle disputes within a society is known as ____.
6. Independent states that agree to form a(n) ____ may still retain their separate identities.
7. The structure of a(n) ____ requires that power be divided between a state's central and local levels of government.
Define the following:
8. Dictatorship
9. Executive power
10. Oligarchy
11. Mixed economy
12. Democracy
13. Government
14. Presidential government
15. Public policy
16. Division of powers
Answer the following:
17. In a dictatorship supreme authority rests solely with the people. _________________________
18. Government is the process of accommodating different needs and viewpoints. _________________________
19. Population, territory, government, and sovereignty are the defining characteristics of a(n) autocracy.
20. "Government of the people, by the people, for the people" describes a system of government in which the people are sovereign. _________________________
21. The law of supply and demand states that when supplies of goods and services become plentiful, prices tend to drop. _________________________
22. A(n) confederation is a government in which a single person holds unlimited political power.
23. Every state is an oligarchy because it has absolute power within its territory and can determine its own foreign and domestic policies. _________________________
24. Private ownership and free markets are characteristics of a free enterprise system. _________________________
25. Among the broad purposes of the United States government spelled out in the Preamble to the Constitution is the obligation to
26. Locke, Harrington, Hobbes, and Rousseau would most likely agree that
27. The theory underlying modern democracies was developed to challenge the idea that
28. The dominant political unit in the world today is the
29. A federal government is one in which does what?
30. Describe the actions of a parliamentary government?
31. The individual 50 States lack which basic characteristic of a state?
32. The Internet seems especially suited to satisfy which of these needs in a democracy?
33. What are the characteristics of a state?
34. What power does a sovereign state have?
35. In a democracy, the will of the majority means what?
36. All political powers in a state are concentrated at the central level under which form of government?
37. What are the purposes of government outlined in the Preamble to the Constitution?
38. What is the social contract theory?
39. Give an example of what illustrates the concept of equality of opportunity?
40. How has the Internet affected government?
41. Government in which power is limited to a single person or very small group exists in
42. Which form of government does Cuba, Costa Rica, and France have in common?
43. What do the United States and Botswana have in common?
44. What countries are examples of democracies?
45. What two countries do dictatorships exist?
46. When examining governments what are the similarities between Brazil and Syria?
47. Describe the forms of unitary governments?
48. In which country can the executive branch be forced from office for failing to win the legislature's support on a major issue?
49. According to the social contract theory, the contract is what?
50. Give an example of theory or event that would threaten the social contract theory?
51. The decision to raise taxes is an example of
52. Politics is a(n) ____, while government is a(n) ____.
53. What does “Promote the general welfare” really mean?
54. If you live under a democratic government that conducts its own foreign and domestic policies, in an area with a territory of 50 square miles and a population of 50,000, that area qualifies as a
55. Where does sovereignty rest in a dictatorship?
56. The United States does not have a unitary form of government because
57. Inability to resolve conflicts can be a characteristic of a
58. A government can be both
59. In a democracy, each minority has a right to
60. Democracy’s belief in the worth of the individual is indirectly reflected in the
61. According to the law of supply and demand, if strawberries become scarce due to a drought in berry-producing regions, what happens to the price of strawberries?
62. Describe the free enterprise system?
63. For what reason might the ruler(s) in a dictatorship feel threatened by the existence of the Internet?
64. Recognizing Ideologies Two broad purposes of American government—insuring domestic tranquility and securing the blessings of liberty—sometimes come into conflict. Considering this, do you agree or disagree with Benjamin Franklin's view: "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety"? Explain your reasons.
65. Identifying Central Ideas What ideas did the social contract theory contribute to the development of the American system of government?
66. Making Comparisons Is democracy more or less efficient as a form of government than dictatorship? Explain the reasons for your answer.
67. Expressing Problems Clearly Which of the basic concepts of democracy do you think would be LEAST well served in a direct democracy? Explain the reasons for your answer.