Foundations of American GovernmentUnit Review

Types of Government

• What is authoritarian government?

• It is when government holds absolute, unchallenged authority over the people.

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What are the three types of authoritarian government?• Dictatorships: usually one individual rules

• Oligarchy: a small group of rulers

• Absolute Monarchy: A ruler who inherits power

What is a democracy?

• Rule by the people

What are the four types of democracy? • Direct Democracy: the people participate

directly in decision making• Representative Democracy: the people

elect representatives to make the decisions• Presidential Democracy: The executive and

legislative branches are separate• Parliamentary Democracy: The executive

and legislative branches are together

Types of government by level.

• Federal: strong central government and weak state government.

• Confederate: strong state government and weak central government.

• Unitary: one level of government.

What was the Declaration of Independence?• It was a list of grievances against England

• It outlined the main ideas (principles) that our country is based upon…

• It did not form a government

Articles of Confederation

• Our first government • It was a confederacy• It had many weaknesses:

– It had no executive to enforce laws– It had no judiciary to try cases– Congress could not collect or levy taxes– Congress could not regulate commerce (trade)

United States ConstitutionRatified 1788• Our Second and final government• Created a federal form of government• It has many advantages:

– The Central government is stronger– Congress can collect and levy taxes– It has an executive branch to enforce laws– It has a judicial branch to try cases– The central and state governments share power– The Constitution created can be expanded for new

situations by adding amendments

There are three types of powers that state and central powers have

Delegated Powers

• These are powers that only the central government has

• 1. the power to make treaties with other countries

• 2. the power to declare war and peace

• 3. the power to create a post office

Reserved Powers

• These are powers that only state governments have

• 1. The power to make laws about local elections.

• 2. the power to make marriage laws

• 3. the power to make driving laws

Concurrent Powers

• These are powers that are held by both the state and central governments together.

• 1. the power to make laws

• 2. the power to levy and collect taxes

What are the purposes of government? • Establish Justice

• Domestic Tranquility

• Common Defense

General Welfare

Where can you find all of these purposes of government? • In the Preamble of the Constitution.

• What does “we the people” mean?

Principles of Government

• What is Limited Government?

• Government is limited in what it can do, and each individual has rights that no government can take away

Principles of Government

• What is popular sovereignty?

• It literally means “people rule”

• People are the source of the government’s power

Principles of government

• What are checks and balances?

• A system of limited government where each branch has powers to check the others

• For example:

• The judicial branch checks the legislative and executive through judicial review

Principles of Government

• What is separation of powers?

• Powers are divided between each of the three branches (legislative, executive, and judicial).

Principles of Government

• What is judicial review?

• The judicial branch has the power to review the actions of the executive and legislative branches for constitutionality

Principles of Government

• What is federalism?

• Central and state governments divide and share powers.

• The central government is more powerful than the state government.

Where is the United States’ central government? • Washington D.C

Principles of Government?

• What is due process?

• Government will not deprive a person of life, liberty, or property without using established rules.

• You can find this in the 5th Amendment.

Rule of Law

• Everyone in the country is under the Constitution and must follow the law

Majority rule/minority rights

• The majority opinion is what the country follows, but the minority opinion is respected and allowed.

Who were the federalists?

• They wanted a strong central government.

Who were the anti-federalists?

• They were afraid of a strong central government.

• They wanted something written and ratified to limit the powers of the central government.

Bill of Rights

• The first ten Amendments of the Constitution

• Added to the Constitution in order to limit the powers of the central government.

Powers of Congress

• 1. The power to tax

• 2. the power to borrow

• 3. The power to regulate commerce

• 4. The power to mint currency

• 5. The power to declare war

Elastic Clause

• Gives congresses powers based upon expressed powers.

• Also called the “necessary and proper clause”.

• Examples: power to create an air force, power to regulate nuclear power

Full faith and credit clause

• Means that what is O.K is one state is accepted in another state.

Privileges and immunities

• Prevents discrimination of people when they are in another state.

Senator terms

• 6 years

• Staggered

• No limit on terms

• Only 1/3 of the Senate is up for reelection at a time

House of Representatives

• 2 years

• 100% of the House is up for election every two years

• No limit on terms

The Senate and House of Representatives is bicameral• Bicameral means that there are two

houses.