Social Studies - Government Notes
What is a government and A government is when a person or group of people have the
what does it do?
power to make, enforce, and interpret laws.
What did the Founders
think would happen
without a government and
laws?
 Stronger people might try to take away other people’s
rights.
 Stronger people might force the weaker people to do
whatever they wanted them to do.
 Stronger people might try to take property away from the
weaker people.
 Then the weaker people might join together to try to take
away the rights of the stronger people and no one would
be safe.
 Life would be like a constant state of war.
Why do people form
governments?
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To protect individual rights.
To provide safety and security.
To provide a way to manage conflict.
To make, enforce, and interpret laws.
What is Popular
Sovereignty?
It means that the power and authority of the government comes
from the people.
What is Limited
Government?
The national government doesn’t have too much power. It can
only do what the people say. The government must obey its own
laws.
What is Democracy?
A form of government in which the people have the power to
govern.
What is Direct
Democracy?
A form of democracy in which the people all meet to make
decisions and to create the laws.
What is Representative
Democracy?
A form of democracy where the people choose representatives to
make decisions for them.
How many parts does the
Constitution have?
It has three main parts:
1. Preamble (or introduction)
2. Articles
3. Amendments (changes that have been made to it).
Why is the Constitution
referred to as a “living
document”?
Because it can change and grow to fit the needs of the people. It
has been amended or changed 27 times since it was first written.
What are the 3 Individual
Rights?
Life is the right to live without fear of being injured or killed by
others.
Liberty is the right to be free.
Property is the right to own things such as land, a house, or a
business.
What is the Bill of
Rights?
The first 10 amendments
What are the three
branches of the U.S.
government?
What does each branch
do?
Who makes up each
branch?
What are the three
different levels of
government found in our
country?
Legislative – makes the laws; Congress = House of
Representatives and Senate
Executive – enforces the law; President and Cabinet
Judicial – checks the laws to make sure they are Constitutional;
Supreme Court
1. local government
2. state government
3. national / federal government