1. Principles of Government Chapter One

2. Government and the State Section One

3. Why do we need government?

4.  There are 3 types of government power:  legislative power: establish law  executive power: carry out the law  judicial power: interpret laws and settle disputes.  In the United States, these powers are separated into 3 distinct branches creating a system of checks and balances.

5.  A government’s powers are often described in a constitution, which outlines the government’s structure, principles, and processes.  The U.S. Constitution describes each individual branch, and the power each is to have.  Its purpose is to specifically define the purpose, the role, and the power of the U.S. government and to ensure that individual liberties are not taken away.  The Preamble to the U.S. Constitution states its 7 goals:

6. Preamble to the Constitution “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

7. Forms of Government Section Two

8.  In a democracy, supreme political authority rests with the people.  The U.S. is a representative democracy, meaning the people choose people to represent them in government.  Those chosen to represent the people are accountable to those they represent through periodic elections.  While we do not have a direct say in what laws are made, we do have the ability to make our wishes known through voting.

9.  Another form of government is dictatorship. All dictatorships are authoritarian, meaning that the ruler holds absolute authority over the people.  A dictatorship may be totalitarian, meaning that the rulers control nearly every aspect of human affairs.  Dictatorships may also be an autocracy—in which one person holds unlimited political power—or an oligarchy—in which a small elite holds the power to rule.

10.  In a unitary government, a single, central agency holds all government powers.  In a federal government, a central government and several local governments share governmental powers in a division of powers.  The Constitution divides power between the National Government and the States, so the United States is a federal government.

11. Basic Concepts of Democracy Section Three

12.  The American commitment to freedom is evident in the nation’s economic system. It is often referred to as free enterprise.  The American free enterprise system is based on private ownership, individual initiative, profit, and competition. Also known as capitalism.  Instead of government, free enterprise relies on individuals making those decisions through the law of supply and demand.

13.  The law of supply and demand states that when supplies of goods and services increase, prices tend to drop; when supplies decrease, prices tend to rise.  The American economic system is a mixed economy with little government involvement because the United States government does play a limited role in the economy by regulating and promoting it.

14.  The American “concept of democracy” rests on five basic notions:  Each individual has worth.  All individuals are equal.  The majority of the people rules, but must respect the rights of any minority.  Compromise is necessary.  Each individual must have the most possible freedom.

15. Basic Concepts of Democracy  Read about the 5 basic concepts of democracy on p. 18- 20 of your textbook.  For each one:  write a brief description of what it is  explain why it is important to democracy  describe what problems might occur if Americans abandoned it.