Name: __________________________ Date: _______________ Per: ________
Chapter 2 Outline Packet: “Foundations of Government”
Lesson 1 -“Why Americans Have Government”
I.
Types of Government
a. Every country in the world has their own type of government; however, each government is
unique and varies widely across the globe.
b. Each country’s government has been shaped by ______________ beliefs of its people and by
its history.
c. Governments fall into two different types: __________________ and
_____________________ governments.
i. Forms of Nondemocratic Governments
1. A monarchy is a type of government where a ________ or a ________,
called a monarch, rules over a kingdom or empire.
2. An autocracy is a type of government where a person rules with
________________ and ________________ power.
a. An ______________________________ : a person assumes
complete control by being born into the family of rulers.
b. A _____________________________ : a military leader takes
power often by force.
c. An _______________________ is where a few people have the
power to run the country.
3. A _______________________ is a government controlled by one of more
religious leaders.
4. ____________________ is the absence of any type of government.
ii. Systems of Nondemocratic Governments
1. ___________________ is an economic system where the government
owns many of the means of production and charges higher taxes to operate them
(examples: Canada, The United Kingdom, France).
2. __________________ is an economic system where the government owns
all means of production and no private ownership is allowed. (modern example:
North Korea) (historic examples: USSR, Cuba, “Red” China).
iii. Forms of Democratic Governments
1. In a democracy, the ___________ of a nation either rule directly or
_________ officials who act on their behalf.
2. The word “democracy” came from the ancient Greek term meaning
“__________________________________________”.
3. There are two forms of democracy:
a. __________________________________ - all voters in a
community meet in one place to make the laws.
b. _____________________________________________ - the
people elect representatives to carry on the work of government for them.
Also known as a ___________________.
II.
Purpose of Government
a. There are four main purposes of government.
i. Helping People Cooperate – it is necessary and useful to have rules and laws that help
people to work together when they live in a community.
ii. Providing Services – each level of government (____________,
________________, and ______________) has the responsibility of providing
services for the people. One example of a service that is provided is
_______________________. List other services:
________________________, ________________, or ______________.
iii. Providing Laws
iv. Planning for the Future
Lesson 2 - “Our English Heritage”
I.
Influences from England’s early government
a. The English brought with them a history of ________________ and
_____________________ government.
b. Magna Carta is Latin for “________________________”
i. Signed by: _______________________; It was a contract that_____________
the power of the monarch by guaranteeing that no one is above the law (even the king or
queen). Today this is called the ________________________.
ii. This document upheld the rights of landowners by:
1. protecting the English ______________ rights.
2. limiting the power of the __________ … leading to a LIMITED MONARCHY.
c. Parliament
i. __________________ was a group of nobles that advised the King according to the
needs of their people. It had two groups or “houses,” making it _______________.
ii. In 1688, Parliament removed King James II from the throne and replaced him with
_____________ and ________________. This peaceful transition in the monarchy
was called ___________________________________.
iii. Parliament was now stronger than the _________________.
iv. Parliament created the _______________________________________ in
1689.
1. King could not ____________ _________ without Parliament’s approval.
2. King could not create ________________.
3. King could not impose (force) _________ _ ___________.
4. King could not _______________ an army without consent of Parliament.
5. Parliament would now be ____________ __________ (by the people).
6. All citizens had the right to a fair _________________.
7. It banned _________ and ____________ punishment.
v. Documents like the Magna Carta and the English Bill of Rights created a tradition of
__________ ____________ in England – the colonists would be influenced by
these documents and the idea of limited government later…
vi. Today, Great Britain is a __________________ government run by a Parliament
(Legislative) and a Prime Minister (Executive).
d. Common Law
i. A system of law based on ______________________ and ________________.
ii. Precedents are past rulings that guide current decisions.
II.
Bringing English Heritage to America
a. A _____________________ is a group of people in one place who are ruled by a parent
country elsewhere.
b. “____________________” is the first English settlement in America.
c. They were issued a “_____________,” or a written document granting land and authority to
set up a colonial government.
d. The Mayflower Compact
i. 1620-A new group of colonists came to settle in America; the __________________
settled in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
ii. These colonists drew up the _______________ ______________, which was a
written plan for their new government.
iii. The Mayflower Compact created the tradition of ___________ ___________ and
is the first example of ________________________ in the colonies.
III.
Early Colonial Governments
a. By 1733, there were ____ English colonies that stretched from Massachusetts down to Georgia.
i. Each colony had a _______________ that was either elected or appointed by the
people.
ii. Each colony had a ___________________that was modeled after British Parliament.
Lesson 3 - “The Birth of a Democratic Nation”
I.
Colonial Resistance and Rebellion
a. The British government began to tighten its grip on the American colonies. King George III
adopted a policy called __________________, which states a country should sell more
goods to other countries than it _______.
b. The British had fought a long, costly war against France called the
________________________________. Parliament demanded that the colonies help
pay for the war and ____________
____________ in America to raise revenue, or
____________.
c. The first significant tax was collected through the __________________________(1765)
which required colonists to attach an expensive stamp to all newspapers and legal documents.
d. Since they had no ________________ in the British Parliament, they felt they should not
have to raise revenue for the King (by paying taxes).
e. This act infuriated the colonists and they created a slogan that expressed their feeling:
“_________________________________________________________________
__!”
f. In protest, many Americans began to “boycott” or ____________________ British goods.
As a result of pressure from British merchants in the colonies, the British government
“repealed” or ________________ the act.
g. The new “_________________________________” of 1767 replaced other British taxes.
i. This act allowed taxes to be levied (demanded) on
_____________________________________ (glass, tea, paper, etc.) Once
again the colonists would boycott.
h. The “___________ __________” lowered taxes on British tea, making it cheaper than
American tea. American merchants were outraged and decided to act…. (Boston Tea Party).
i. To respond to the “________________________”, the British Parliament created the
“____________ __________”, which were called the “________________
_______________” by America. These acts ____________________________!
II.
Movement toward Independence
a. Colonies sent representatives called ____________ to meet in Philadelphia (Boston was not
safe!). This meeting was known as the ______________________________________.
This meeting allowed delegates to voice their disgust with the Intolerable Acts and threaten King
George with a ____________. The delegates later drafted a document called the
____________________________ which they sent to King George. It asked for an end to
the conflict.
BRAIN BREAK!
On a dollar bill, what do the arrows and the olive branches held by the eagle
represent?
Look at the phrase “Federal Bank Note.” What does “federalism” mean in the general
sense? Why is it printed here specifically?
b. King George was not happy and responded with force. In April 1775, two battles occurred that
sparked the Revolutionary War at ____________________ and _________________.
c. During a second meeting called the _______________ _____________________
__________________, the delegates were split! Some wanted ____________________
and others wanted to remain _________ to Great Britain.
d. Thomas Paine wrote ___________________, a propaganda pamphlet that moved readers’
opinions toward independence.
III.
The Declaration of Independence
a. This document was mostly written by __________________________________ and
explained why the United States should be a free nation. The complaints about the crown were
b.
c.
d.
e.
called ____________________. The Declaration argued that the British government did
not look after the interests of the colonists.
_________________________ was also influenced by the ideas of
___________________________ and _____________________________.
i. Locke believed in natural law & social contract.
A. _________________ means that you are born with certain rights not granted
by the government.
B. It also means that because we are human, we are guaranteed these natural rights
by God: __________, _____________, and ________________ .
(Jefferson would change this slightly).
C. ____________________ means that people give up certain freedoms and
pay taxes in order to gain protection from their government. (hint: remember
“Locked into a contract”).
ii. Baron de Montesquieu (“3 Names, 3 Words, 3 Branches”)
- __________________of ______________________– each branch of
government is responsible for specific powers.
What are two of the purposes of the Declaration?
i. Break away from Britain
ii. Protect the rights of the people
There are four parts to the Declaration of Independence:
i. _______ – “Causes.”- Jefferson wrote that “a decent respect for the opinions of
mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the
separation.”
ii. ________ – “Freedoms.”- The document clearly expresses that the purpose of
government is to protect __________(__________
)______________, which
are the basic rights entitled to all human beings.
iii. ____________ – “Grievances.”- Jefferson listed the many complaints that the
colonists had against the King and Parliament.
iv. _______________ – Congress officially broke away from any allegiance to Great
Britain.
The Second Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence on
____________________________.
The Declaration of Independence- Talk Time!
 “The unanimous Declaration of the united States of America”… why do you think the words were left in
lower case letters? ________________________________________________________.

By signing the Declaration, these 56 men (all British colonists) were committing ______________,
or crimes against the government. What could happen to them if they were caught?
_______________________________________________________________________

Why were the 56 signers willing to risk their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor by signing the
Declaration? _____________________________________________________________

Complaints against the King (Grievances)
•
•
•
•
•
•
He refused ____________________ (laws written by the Colonists)
“He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without Consent of our legislature”
(_____________________)
He…has _________________________________________________.
He has taken away our _______________________________.
He has limited our _____________________________.
He has _____________________________.
What grievances do you have against your “government” at school? List three in the margin.
Do you give up certain freedoms at school and what can you expect in return?
(example: dress code and gang activity)
Lesson 4- “The Nation’s First Government”
I. Early State Governments
a. Most had:
i. Legislative Branch: many were ____________ or divided into two “houses” or parts.
ii. Executive Branch: each had a governor to ________ _____ laws.
iii. Judicial Branch: each had a system of judges and courts to __________ laws.
II. The Articles of Confederation
a. The ____________________________ was the first attempt at a constitution for the
United States.
b. A ____________________ is a group of states that are ________ joined together for a
common purpose.
c. The Articles set up a one-house ( _____________) legislature. There was no president!!!
________________ was the only government body that had power over the army and the
authority to deal with foreign matters.
d. By 1781 all 13 states _________________, or approved, the Articles. It was clear that there
were some problems...
e. Strict voting requirements: To change (____________) the Articles required all 13 states’
approval. This made it very difficult to change any part of the document.
f. Other weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation were:
i. ________________________________________________
ii. ________________________________________________
iii. ________________________________________________
iv. ________________________________________________
v. ________________________________________________
vi. ________________________________________________
g. Congress had some problems; the war needed to be paid for but they couldn’t tax the people!
i. Daniel Shays led a rebellion called _________________________ against a weak
federal government. Farmers who had served in the war and did not get paid could not
make payments on their farms. Many lost their land after fighting for their country.
ii. We needed to do something about the Articles in order to create a stronger national
government.
h. Under the Articles, the United States had a ___________ system of government (where there
was no strong, central power to protect the country). This was a major flaw. This led to our
current _____________ system of government (where power is divided and shared between
the federal government and state governments).
i. After Shays’ Rebellion, 12 states agreed to return to Philadelphia to revise/fix the Articles of
Confederation. It became obvious early at the meeting that they were not fixable. Instead, this
turned into the _________________ _____________________ where the delegates
would write a whole new plan of government called the U.S. Constitution. Their goal was to
create a stronger central (___________) government to replace the confederal one under the
Articles of Confederation.