American Government
Chapter One – Simple Study Guide
Know and understand the following points from Chapter One.
Supreme authority rests with the people in a democracy.
The European Union is a modern example of a confederation.
According to the law of supply and demand, when goods are plentiful their price should drop.
Dictatorships include both autocracies (rule by one person) and oligarchies (rule by a few elites).
The Free Enterprise System is characterized by private ownership of the means of production, profit-seeking, and market competition.
Presidential governments separate their legislative and executive branches; parliamentary governments don’t.
Politics is the process by which societies distribute power and resources, while governments are institutions that make and enforce public policies.
Democracies uphold the idea of majority rule, but also protect the rights of minorities.
Democracies should seek compromise in public policies so that the largest number of people are satisfied.
The US Constitution is our fundamental law and sets out the principles and structure of the federal government.
In a Direct Democracy the people make their own public policies through mass participation, but in a Republic they elect representatives to make the policies on their behalf.
In a Unitary Government, all power is held by a single agency.
In a Federal Government, power is divided between central and regional governments.
Legislative power makes the law; executive power enforces the law; judicial power interprets the law.
The US Government is a federal, presidential, representative democracy.
To be a state, you must have a population (citizens who claim allegiance to you), territory (land with identified borders), a government, and sovereignty (freedom from outside control). The 50 US states are not “states” in this sense because they are subject to some control by the national government.
The United States has a mixed economy in which most features of free enterprise are maintained but the government imposes many regulations (example: minimum wage laws, workplace safety laws, etc.).
According to the Divine Right Theory, rulers are gods or chosen by them.
According to the Evolutionary Theory, the first governments grew out of family loyalties and relationships.
According to the Social Contract Theory, the first governments were created when individuals agreed to surrender some of the freedom and be subject to common rules in order to gain security and other benefits.
According to the Force theory, the first governments were imposed by the strong on the weak.
Most European governments are parliamentary, unitary representative democracies.
Syria, Cuba, Venezuela, and North Korea are examples of dictatorships.
America’s commitment to freedom is evident in both its economic and political systems.
China is the most populous state; Russia has the most territory. The Vatican City is the smallest in both population and territory.
Anarchy is the lack of all government.
Equality of opportunity means all people have a chance to compete without arbitrarily imposed restrictions (such as those based on race or sex). It does not guarantee equal outcomes, as some will outcompete others for various reasons.