Government Comprehensive Final Study Guide

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Unit 1: Principles of Government

  1. Gives all key power to the national government
  2. Effort to control or influence the conduct of government
  3. Rule is by the people
  4. Divides power between the national and state government
  5. Plan or document that provides the rules for government
  6. Power by a few people (group)
  7. America; freedom of choice is emphasized
  8. Supreme and absolute authority within your borders
  9. Institution through which the state maintains order
  10. Thomas Hobbes and John Locke; people willingly give up power to the government who protects the people

Unit 2: Origins of American Government

  1. James Madison; larger states; basis of the Constitution
  2. Approve
  3. Divide power between the 3 branches of government
  4. Two Treatises of Government, social contract theory
  5. Smaller state, Articles of Confederation, weak executive (multiple people)
  6. Author of the Declaration of Independence
  7. People elect delegates to make laws
  8. Trade among states
  9. Father of the Constitution
  10. Bill of Rights

Unit 3: Constitution

  1. Refuses to sign a bill into law
  2. Executive Branch
  3. Rule is by the people
  4. ¾; state convention, state legislatures
  5. President and the head of another government that does not require congressional approval
  6. 7,000
  7. Adfhasd
  8. Supremacy Clause
  9. First 10 amendments
  10. Judicial Review

Unit 4: Political Parties

  1. America system
  2. Kentucky; vote for the party they are a member of
  3. Authoritarian or Theocratic; party=government
  4. Beliefs about government
  5. Basic local unit/person’s voting district
  6. Bull Moose Party; splinter party
  7. Politicians give favors (jobs) to reward party loyalty
  8. No matter how many people run, only one wins
  9. Parties principles, beliefs, and positions on issues
  10. Any party other than the major parties (D/R)
  11. Democrats and Republicans

Unit 5: Elections and voting

  1. “secret ballot”
  2. Private individuals
  3. PAC’s or individuals, general purpose, “party building activities”
  4. Right to vote
  5. One of the most successful suffrage laws; federal government directly into voting
  6. House of Representatives + Senators= Electoral Votes
  7. Organization formed to collect money and provide financial support to a candidate
  8. Enroll with the proper local government
  9. Absent of election day, fill out and send it back in
  10. First Tuesday after the first Monday in November

Unit 6: The President

  1. 10 years
  2. Given annually in front of Congress to promote the President’s upcoming agenda
  3. Body that elects the president
  4. Expressed will of support from the people
  5. Right of the President to refuse to testify before Congress or the Courts; Nixon
  6. Provides a medium for discussion
  7. Rules that have the force of law
  8. Formal agreement between two nations that need Congressional Approval
  9. Faithfully executes the law
  10. President, Vice President, Speaker of the House, President Pro Tempore
  11. Responsible for the nation’s military and security
  12. 35 years old

Unit 7: Federal Bureaucracy

  1. Victorious politicians reward their followers with jobs
  2. Civil servant who permanently works for the government
  3. Office of an ambassador overseas
  4. 1883; Civil Service System
  5. Government corporations, congressional committees, and client groups; make policy to benefit each other
  6. Run day-to-day operations
  7. Practice government employment based on open, competitive exams and merit
  8. Endless paperwork and regulations
  9. 15 cabinet departments
  10. Hierarchal organization which has specified missions and employees are assigned responsibility based on merit, knowledge, and experience

Unit 8: Legislative Branch

  1. Set up/draw new congressional districts after reapportionment
  2. Two houses of legislature
  3. President of the Senate
  4. Make the Laws
  5. District is drawn to favor one group/party
  6. Most important committees in the House; it determines how a bill will flow through the house
  7. Senate; “talk a bill to death”
  8. Approve governmental spending
  9. Presides over the House
  10. Reassigned congressional membership based on population
  11. Hired by special interest group; influence legislation
  12. Article 1, Section 8, Clauses 1-18; directly stated or written
  13. 100 Senators; 6 year
  14. 435 House; 2 year
  15. Someone already in office
  16. Proposed law

Unit 9: Judicial Branch

  1. Law is Constitutional; Marbury v. Madison
  2. Minimum # of Supreme Court justices need to agree to hear a case
  3. Attorney who represents the US in Supreme Court
  4. 9 Supreme Court Justices
  5. “Let the decision stand”
  6. Arena for two parties to bring their conflict before an impartial judge
  7. Plaintiff- Brings charges------Defendant-brought against them
  8. Authority of the court to hear a case
  9. Review Court; Supreme Court is the highest
  10. Written statement of legal arguments and facts of the case
  11. Written statement by a Justices discuss why they voted the way they did

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