American Government

Front 1

Articles Of Confederation

Back 1

The first government of the United States was

based on this, which was created in 1777.

Front 2

Bill Of Rights

Back 2

These are the first ten amendments to the U.S.

Constitution, generally directed at protecting the

individual from abuse of power by the national

government.

Front 3

Checks And Balances

Back 3

This is the system of overlapping powers among

judicial, executive, and legislative branches to allow

each branch to oversee the actions of the others.

Front 4

Citizen

Back 4

This is a community member, by birth or by

naturalization, who owes loyalty to the government

and is entitled to the government's protection.

Front 5

Confederation

Back 5

A group of provinces or states that come together

under a common constitution. They differ from a

federation in that they retain specific state or

provincial rights.

Front 6

Constitution

Back 6

This is the system by which the main institutions of

a nation's government are arranged and kept in

place. It may be written down (as in the United

States) or it may be unwritten (as in Great Britain).

Front 7

Declaration Of Independence

Back 7

This was an act passed by the Second Continental

Congress on July 4, 1776 declaring the thirteen

American Colonies independent of British rule.

Front 8

Democracy

Back 8

In this type of government, political and

governmental power is held by the citizens of the

country.

Front 9

Direct Democracy

Back 9

This is a system of government in which the people

participate directly in making all public policy.

Front 10

Enlightenment

Back 10

This was an 18th century intellectual movement

beginning in France.

Front 11

Executive

Back 11

This is the branch of government that is responsible

for carrying out the laws.

Front 12

Federal Government

Back 12

This refers to the level of government responsible

for printing money, funding the U.S. Armed

Services, and much more.

Front 13

Federalism

Back 13

This system of government has powers divided

between the central government and regional

governments, with central government being

supreme.

Front 14

Federalist Papers

Back 14

This was a series of Articles written to persuade

New York to ratify the Constitution.

Front 15

Hobbes

Back 15

He was a 17th century English philosopher whose

book "Leviathan" (1651) helped to clarify both the

"social contract theory" of government.

Front 16

Judicial

Back 16

This is the branch of government that is responsible

for interpreting what the law means.

Front 17

Legislative

Back 17

This is the branch of government that creates and

makes laws.

Front 18

Leviathan

Back 18

This is the name of Thomas Hobbes 1651 book that

deals with the structure and nature of society and

government, and which was an influence on John

Locke and other Enlightenment-era philosophers.

Front 19

Limited Government

Back 19

This is a form of government in which the power to

rule is significantly restrained by a strong

Constitution or other document.

Front 20

Local Government

Back 20

This refers to the level of government responsible

for things like police and fire protection, and is led

by a mayor or council.

Front 21

Magna Carta

Back 21

This was the Great Charter of English liberty

granted (under considerable duress) by King John

at Runnymede on June 15, 1215.

Front 22

Majority Rule

Back 22

This is a basic rule of democracy: one more than

half of all voting persons must approve for

something to become law.

Front 23

Mayflower

Back 23

This was was the famous ship that transported the

English Separatists, better known as the Pilgrims,

from England to Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620.

Front 24

Mayflower Compact

Back 24

This was the first governing document of Plymouth

Colony, signed by the Pilgrims in November of

1620.

Front 25

Montesquieu

Back 25

He was a French philosopher who developed a

number of political theories in his Spirit of the Laws.

Front 26

Natural Rights

Back 26

This is a political theory that individuals have

privileges that no government can deny.

Front 27

Patriotism

Back 27

This is a love for one's country.

Front 28

Popular Sovereignty

Back 28

This is the belief that the ultimate power of the

government rests on the will of the people

themselves.

Front 29

Representative Democracy

Back 29

This is a type of government in which the people

give elected officials the authority to make laws and

conduct government business.

Front 30

Representative Government

Back 30

This is a type of government in which the citizens

elect government officials to make laws and run the

government.

Front 31

Republic

Back 31

This is a form of government in which citizens elect

leaders to run the government.

Front 32

Rousseau

Back 32

He was a French Enlightenment philosopher and

author of The Social Contract, which became one of

the most influential works of political philosophy in

the Western tradition.

Front 33

Rule Of Law

Back 33

This is the legal notion that the power of

government is limited and restrained by legal

means and is not at the mercy and whims of

individuals.

Front 34

Rule Of Man

Back 34

This political concept describes the political

condition in which a single ruler or party exercises

absolute authority and is not bound by any law.

Front 35

Second Treatise On

Government

Back 35

This 1689 book by John Locke asserts that

governments exist because of a "social contract

theory" based on people's natural rights.

Front 36

Separation Of Powers

Back 36

This is the Constitutional principle that the law

making, executive, and judicial powers be held by

different groups and people.

Front 37

Social Contract Theory

Back 37

This is an agreement between the governed and

the government defining and limiting the rights and

duties of each.

Front 38

Spirit Of Laws

Back 38

This is the name of the 1748 book by Baron de

Montesquieu in which he stresses a government's

need to have a separation of power, support of the

rule of law, and other Enlightenment-era ideals.

Front 39

Authoritarian

Back 39

A type of government in which one person or a

small group has absolute power, though may not be

led by a charismatic leader with a specific or state-
mandated ideology.

Front 40

Autocratic

Back 40

This is a type of government in which power is held

by a single, self-appointed ruler.

Front 41

Communism

Back 41

This is an economic system proposed by Karl Marx

in which all means of production are owned by the

proletariat, but are controlled by the government

when practiced by countries such as the Soviet

Union and China.

Front 42

Confederacy

Back 42

This was the group of southern states that seceded

from the United States from 1860-1865.

Front 43

Confederal

Back 43

This is a form of government in which the member

regions form a loose association in order to create a

nation, but by law they have more power than the

national government.

Front 44

Confederation

Back 44

A group of provinces or states that come together

under a common constitution. They differ from a

federation in that they retain specific state or

provincial rights.

Front 45

Conservative

Back 45

This political ideology is associated with the

Republican Party in the United States.

Front 46

Constitution

Back 46

This is the system by which the main institutions of

a nation's government are arranged and kept in

place. It may be written down (as in the United

States) or it may be unwritten (as in Great Britain).

Front 47

Constitutional Monarchy

Back 47

This is form of government in which a monarch is

the head of state but his or her powers are

restricted by law, usually within a parliamentary

system.

Front 48

Democracy

Back 48

In this type of government, political and

governmental power is held by the citizens of the

country.

Front 49

Democratic

Back 49

This political party was founded in the early 1800s

and is now associated with political beliefs that lie to

the left of center.

Front 50

Dictatorship

Back 50

A government in which absolute power is exercised

by one ruler.

Front 51

Federalism

Back 51

This system of government has powers divided

between the central government and regional

governments, with central government being

supreme.

Front 52

Federation

Back 52

This is a type of government in which a group of

individual states are united under a strong, central

government.

Front 53

Liberal

Back 53

This political ideology is associated with the

Democratic Party in the United States.

Front 54

Limited Government

Back 54

This is a form of government in which the power to

rule is significantly restrained by a strong

Constitution or other document.

Front 55

Mass Media

Back 55

This is communication by the media on a large

scale.

Front 56

Media

Back 56

This is a general term that is used to describe all

forms of communication.

Front 57

Monarchy

Back 57

This is the form of government with one ruler, such

as a king or queen.

Front 58

Parliament

Back 58

This is the name given to a legislative body- such

as that in Great Britain- that is usually led by a

Prime Minister.

Front 59

Parliamentary Democracy

Back 59

In this type of government, there is no clear-cut

separation of powers between the legislative and

executive branches, though the legislative has most

of the governmental power.

Front 60

Political System

Back 60

This term refers to a nation's system of government

and the formal legal institutions that define that

government.

Front 61

Prime Minister

Back 61

This is the name given to the most senior member

of the majority party in a parliamentary system.

Front 62

Representative Democracy

Back 62

This is a type of government in which the people

give elected officials the authority to make laws and

conduct government business.

Front 63

Republican

Back 63

This political party was founded in the mid-1800s

and is now associated with political beliefs that lie to

the right of center.

Front 64

Rule Of Law

Back 64

This is the legal notion that the power of

government is limited and restrained by legal

means and is not at the mercy and whims of

individuals.

Front 65

Socialism

Back 65

This is an economic system where the government

controls the major means of production but

property and other businesses may be privately

owned.

Front 66

Totalitarian

Back 66

This is a centralized government that does not

tolerate opposing political opinions.

Front 67

Unicameral

Back 67

This is the practice of having only one chamber in a

legislature or a parliament.

Front 68

Unitary State

Back 68

In this type of government, the institutions of the

state are governed as a single unit, with one

constitutionally created legislature.

Front 69

Almanac

Back 69

This is publication produced annually that gives

information that is often related to seasons, phases

of the moon, or the calendar.

Front 70

An Atlas

Back 70

This a collection of maps.

Front 71

Artifact

Back 71

This is any object manufactured, used, or modified

by humans, having archaeological or historical

importance.

Front 72

Autobiography

Back 72

This is a book written about the life of a person by

that person.

Front 73

Bias

Back 73

This is an unwanted influence on a sample.

Front 74

Biography

Back 74

This is a book written about the life of a person.

Front 75

Checks And Balances

Back 75

This is the system of overlapping powers among

judicial, executive, and legislative branches to allow

each branch to oversee the actions of the others.

Front 76

Consent Of The Governed

Back 76

This is a condition of democracy; the government is

based on the will of the people as expressed in

elections.

Front 77

Declaration Of The Rights Of

Man

Back 77

This is the name given to the document of the

French Revolution that defined individual and

governmental rights.

Front 78

Economics

Back 78

This is the social science dealing with the

production, distribution, and consumption of goods

and services.

Front 79

Enlightenment

Back 79

This was an 18th century intellectual movement

beginning in France.

Front 80

Federal Government

Back 80

This refers to the level of government responsible

for printing money, funding the U.S. Armed

Services, and much more.

Front 81

Federalism

Back 81

This system of government has powers divided

between the central government and regional

governments, with central government being

supreme.

Front 82

Hobbes

Back 82

He was a 17th century English philosopher whose

book "Leviathan" (1651) helped to clarify both the

"social contract theory" of government.

Front 83

John Locke

Back 83

This was a British philosopher who argued that

governments only purpose was to protect man's

natural rights.

Front 84

Leviathan

Back 84

This is the name of Thomas Hobbes 1651 book that

deals with the structure and nature of society and

government, and which was an influence on John

Locke and other Enlightenment-era philosophers.

Front 85

Limited Government

Back 85

This is a form of government in which the power to

rule is significantly restrained by a strong

Constitution or other document.

Front 86

Local Government

Back 86

This refers to the level of government responsible

for things like police and fire protection, and is led

by a mayor or council.

Front 87

Majority Rule

Back 87

This is a basic rule of democracy: one more than

half of all voting persons must approve for

something to become law.

Front 88

Montesquieu

Back 88

He was a French philosopher who developed a

number of political theories in his Spirit of the Laws.

Front 89

Natural Rights

Back 89

This is a political theory that individuals have

privileges that no government can deny.

Front 90

Primary Source

Back 90

This is an original document or firsthand account.

Front 91

Republic

Back 91

This is a form of government in which citizens elect

leaders to run the government.

Front 92

Rousseau

Back 92

He was a French Enlightenment philosopher and

author of The Social Contract, which became one of

the most influential works of political philosophy in

the Western tradition.

Front 93

Secondary Source

Back 93

This is a commentary on an original document or

firsthand account.

Front 94

Separation Of Powers

Back 94

This is the Constitutional principle that the law

making, executive, and judicial powers be held by

different groups and people.

Front 95

Social Contract Theory

Back 95

This is an agreement between the governed and

the government defining and limiting the rights and

duties of each.

Front 96

Spirit Of Laws

Back 96

This is the name of the 1748 book by Baron de

Montesquieu in which he stresses a government's

need to have a separation of power, support of the

rule of law, and other Enlightenment-era ideals.

Front 97

Unalienable Rights

Back 97

Rights stated in English Common Law and the 1776

United States Declaration of Independence.

Commonly described as fundamental rights not

given or taken by man.

Front 98

Voltaire

Back 98

He was an 18th century Enlightenment philosopher

from France whose is known for both his prose

(1759's "Candide") and his defense of civil liberties.