Unit 1 Government Review Historical Foundations

Government – What is it? What is the purpose of it? a system by which there is law and order that people have to follow. Purpose of government is to prevent CHAOS!! City council, federal, state, and local governments Hobbes

Popular Sovereignty “people power” Example: direct democracy (Greeks); assembly (Lord of the Flies) John Locke

“Consent of the Governed”- people approve what the government is doing Ex: voting John Locke (social contract)

Checks and Balances three branches of power “checking” on each other. Prevents abuse of power. Example: president vetoes a bill, Supreme Court determines if laws are unconstitutional. Montesquieu  

First Continental Congress First Continental Congress met to create a “letter” to the King asking his permission to leave Great Britain. Ex: Field trip permission form; bus pass to ride home with a friend

Second Continental Congress Second Continental Congress met to create the Declaration of Independence demanding our independence from Great Britain. Ex: “A Breakup Letter”, a divorce decree Thomas Jefferson wrote the document

Separation of Powers three branches (Executive, Legislative, and Judicial) share power to prevent one branch abusing power. Ex: Executive branch carries out laws; Legislative branch makes the laws; Judicial branch makes sure laws are fair. Montesquieu

Direct Democracy when citizens “directly” participate in government. Can only work in a “small” community. Ex: Town Hall Meeting; Assembly with the holding of the conch (Lord of the Flies) Ancient Greeks

Representative - a person that is elected by people to speak for them. Ex: President, Senator, Mayor R=R=R (Rome=Republic=Representatives) Romans

Republic When citizens choose people to speak for them. Works well in a “larger” country. Ex: people elect a representative, President, Mayor, etc. Romans

Compact an agreement that people will make laws, elect leaders and promise to obey them. Ex: Mayflower Compact; First form of Self Government English

Enlightenment a time period of higher education and deep thought. Ex: Philosophers (Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Montesquieu); people challenging the old ways of thought (church). Europe

Natural Rights rights that everyone is born with and cannot be taken away. Ex: Natural Rights Life, Liberty, Property, and Property John Locke

Magna Carta (What did it do?) A document that took away power from the Monarch and gave it to the Nobles (the rich people). King John decided everything on any issue (true Monarchy) but, after Magna Carta, the country was allowed to run itself (in the form of a Parliament (Congress) (Constitutional Monarchy). Ex: None (only document that has done this in history) English

Declaration of Independence- (How is it divided?) (What did it do?) Ideals (Ideas of a perfect society) Arguments (Why the colonies wanted to break away) Complaints (What unfair things the King was doing to the colonies) Conclusion (Summary of the above items and the final statement of declaring independence Ex: “Break up letter”; divorce decree Ideas from John Locke (Popular Sovereignty, Common Good, and Social Contract)

Montesquieu’s idea of dividing authority… Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances

John Locke’s philosophy on Natural Rights… He believed that it was the government’s job to always protect the natural rights of its citizens. If the government failed to protect these rights, than the people have the right to overthrow or abolish the government and create a new one. SOCIAL CONTRACT Ex: Declaration of Independence

Articles of Confederation after the Revolutionary War, we became an independent country. This document set up our first government. Weak central/national government. States held the most power. Eventually FAILED and led to the writing of the United States Constitution.

Magna Carta vs. English Bill of Rights- Magna Carta took power from the Monarch and gave it to the “nobles” (the rich) and created the Parliament (Congress); English Bill of Rights gave rights to the “commoners” (everybody else)

Common Welfare (Common Good)- When people do things to help society and share the same goal. Ex: Community Service (help to pick up trash, etc.) Rousseau, Locke

Law and Order people must obey laws to have order. NO CHAOS! Hobbes/English

Limited Government government does not have “total” power. They can’t abuse power. Ex: democracy Locke/English

Representative democracy - people have a say in how their country works by electing people to speak for them. Elect President; elect city council memebers Romans/English

Charter a document that lists the laws of the different colonies and had to have permission from the Monarch to set it up. Self-government. Ex: Magna Carta (The Great Charter) English

Social Contract an “agreement” between the government and the people. The people give power to the government; in return the government’s job is to protect its people. John Locke felt that it is the government’s job to always protect the natural rights of its citizens. If the government failed to protect these rights, than the people have the right to overthrow or abolish the government and create a new one. Ex: Declaration of Independence John Locke