Civics Unit 1 Test

Sovereignty

Having ultimate control and not having to answer to a higher power.

Rule of law

Fact that no one is above the law and the laws are created fair and justice is among them.

Sovereign, Population, Territory, Government

4 Qualities of a State

Democracy

The people have control in a government

Preamble, Declaration of Natural Rights, Grievances, Resolution of Independence

4 Sections of the Declaration of Independence.

Legislative Power

An assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws.

Preamble

The first paragraph in the Declaration of Independence introducing the meaning and purpose of the DOI.

State

A group of people defined by being Sovereign, having a population, owning a territory, and having a government.

Force Theory

One person or group forced submission of everyone else (aggressively) and took rule, making them sovereign.

Evolutionary Theory

Families and tribes banded together and settled in an area.

Social Contract Theory

The population of an area gave up power to a government to benefit everyone.

Divine Right Theory

Theory that God created the first "State" and chose the rulers. Everyone must obey the rulers because they are believed to be in direct connection with God.

Dictatorship/Totalitarianism

Rule by a single person that is sovereign.

Autocracy

Rule by a single person. Think auto-biography-writing about single person.

Oligarchy

Sovereign rule by a small group of people. Group focuses on their needs rather than peoples'.

Theocracy

God is the supreme ruler and religious beliefs are laws. Leader's power is granted by God.

Unitary

All of the power rests with the central government. The local government is the national governments puppet.

Federal

Power divided between central and local governments and they share decision making.

Presidential

The chief executive is separate from the legislature.

Parliamentary

The prime minister is chosen from within the legislature.

Anarchy

Land with no government. Every man for himself. "State of Nature

Monarchy

Single ruler usually a king/queen.

Majority Rule

The principle that the greater number should exercise greater power.

Minority

The lower number of people involved in decisions.

Compromise

Negotiation between two parties in which each party gives something up to reach an agreement.

Society

An organized group of persons associated together for religious, benevolent, cultural, scientific, political, patriotic, or other purposes.

Law

Principles that the government has set in place for everyone to follow.

John Locke

Philosopher that believed in government and the natural rights of the people. He also believed in government being based on a social contract.

Thomas Hobbes

Philosopher that believed in a single ruler of the people that shouldn't be overthrown.

Declaration of Independence

Document that the people of the U.S.A. created to separate from Great Britain and state their independence.

Consent of the Governed

The cooperation of a people to the leaders that they elect. Say we elect a president, then we abide by their decisions because it was our decision to elect him.

Edward Snowden

NSA leaker who told the U.S. about the NSA looking at emails, phone calls, texts, etc. of all of the citizens of the U.S.

Syria

Country that the U.S. debated whether or not to take military action on because their president, Bashar al-Assad, is tyrannically killing his people with chemical weapons.

Stamp Act

Tax that required many printed materials be produced on stamped paper with a revenue stamp. Passed in 1765 and required the purchase of stamps for almost everything, including letters, wills, and public documents.

Townshend Revenue Act

Taxes on glass, paint, oil, lead, paper, and tea in the colonies. Basically taxed all imports into the colonies.

Declaratory Acts

Stated that Parliament could take "whatever action they thought fit for the good of the empire." British Parliament began issuing several Acts against the United States, and the U.S. could do virtually nothing against them, simply because Britain said tha

Quartering Act

Required Americans to house British soldiers at their own expense.

Intolerable Acts

A series of laws passed by the British Parliament in 1774 in response to the growing unrest in the American Colonies, particularly in Boston, Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party:
Quartering Act
Quebec Act
Massachusetts Government Act
Currency Act
Admin

Worth of the Individual, Equality of All Persons, Majority Rule, Minority Rights, Necessity of Compromise, Individual Freedom

5 principles of democracy

Worth of the Individual

every American citizen can be crucial to our country.

Equality of All Persons

every American citizen may obtain equal opportunity despite their origins.

Majority rule, minority right

The majority get the choice but the minority still has natural rights.

Necessity of compromise

There needs to be compromise between people and government in order to keep balance.

Individual freedom

Freedom of speech, beliefs, expression, etc. as long as it is with respect of other's freedom