American Government
Introduction
Text Assignment: Chapter 1
Section 1
1.
What is the difference between a government and a state?
2.
What are the four characteristics of a state?
3.
Briefly describe the four theories of the origins of a state:
 Force

Evolutionary

Divine Right

Social Contract
4.
What is the purpose of a constitution?
5.
The Preamble to the U.S. Constitution is in italics on page 8. How does the language of the
Preamble reflect the idea of the social contract?
6.
What are the six purposes of the American system of government?
7.
Define the following terms:

Government

Public policy

Legislative Power

Executive Power

Judicial Power

Sovereign
Section 2
1.
With whom does political authority rest in a democracy? Describe the two types of
democracy.
2.
What is a republic? Why do some people believe the United States is better described as a
republic than a democracy?
3.
Describe the two types of dictatorships. Why are both types considered to be “authoritarian” in
nature?
4.
Why might a dictatorship be more authoritarian than it looks from the outside?
5.
How might someone see the unitary form of government as being opposite to the confederal
form of government?
6.
Describe how the United States has a federal system of government.
7.
Briefly describe the difference between a presidential form of government and a parliamentary
form of government. In which type of system would disagreements between the executive and
legislative branches be more common? Why?
Section 3
1.
On the chart below, write the basic concepts of democracy and write a sentence describing
each.
Basic Concepts
of Democracy