Foundations of
American
Government
Unit Review
Types of Government
• What is authoritarian government?
• It is when government holds absolute,
unchallenged authority over the people.
•
What are the three types of
authoritarian government?
• Dictatorships: usually one individual rules
• Oligarchy: a small group of rulers
• Absolute Monarchy: A ruler who inherits
power
What is a democracy?
• Rule by the people
What are the four types of
democracy?
• Direct Democracy: the people participate
directly in decision making
• Representative Democracy: the people
elect representatives to make the decisions
• Presidential Democracy: The executive and
legislative branches are separate
• Parliamentary Democracy: The executive
and legislative branches are together
Types of government by level.
• Federal: strong central government and
weak state government.
• Confederate: strong state government
and weak central government.
• Unitary: one level of government.
What was the Declaration of
Independence?
• It was a list of grievances against England
• It outlined the main ideas (principles) that our
country is based upon…
• It did not form a government
Articles of Confederation
• Our first government
• It was a confederacy
• It had many weaknesses:
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It had no executive to enforce laws
It had no judiciary to try cases
Congress could not collect or levy taxes
Congress could not regulate commerce (trade)
United States Constitution
Ratified 1788
• Our Second and final government
• Created a federal form of government
• It has many advantages:
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The Central government is stronger
Congress can collect and levy taxes
It has an executive branch to enforce laws
It has a judicial branch to try cases
The central and state governments share power
The Constitution created can be expanded for new situations
by adding amendments
There are three
types of powers
that state and
central powers
have
Delegated Powers
• These are powers
that only the central
government has
• 1. the power to
make treaties with
other countries
• 2. the power to
declare war and
peace
• 3. the power to
create a post office
Reserved Powers
• These are powers that
only state governments
have
• 1. The power to make
laws about local
elections.
• 2. the power to make
marriage laws
• 3. the power to make
driving laws
Concurrent Powers
• These are powers
that are held by both
the state and central
governments
together.
• 1. the power to
make laws
• 2. the power to levy
and collect taxes
What are the purposes of
government?
• Establish Justice
• Domestic Tranquility
• Common Defense
General Welfare
Where can you find all of
these purposes of
government?
• In the Preamble of the Constitution.
• What does “we the people” mean?
Principles of Government
• What is Limited Government?
• Government is limited in what it can do,
and each individual has rights that no
government can take away
Principles of Government
• What is popular sovereignty?
• It literally means “people rule”
• People are the source of the
government’s power
Principles of government
• What are checks
and balances?
• A system of limited
government where
each branch has
powers to check the
others
• For example:
• The judicial branch
checks the
legislative and
executive through
judicial review
Principles of Government
• What is separation of powers?
• Powers are divided between each of the
three branches (legislative, executive,
and judicial).
Principles of Government
• What is judicial review?
• The judicial branch has the power to
review the actions of the executive and
legislative branches for constitutionality
Principles of Government
• What is federalism?
• Central and state governments divide
and share powers.
• The central government is more
powerful than the state government.
Where is the United States’
central government?
• Washington D.C
Principles of Government?
• What is due process?
• Government will not deprive a person of life,
liberty, or property without using established
rules.
• You can find this in the 5th Amendment.
Rule of Law
• Everyone in the country is under the
Constitution and must follow the law
Majority rule/minority rights
• The majority opinion is what the country
follows, but the minority opinion is
respected and allowed.
Who were the federalists?
• They wanted a strong central
government.
Who were the antifederalists?
• They were afraid of a strong central
government.
• They wanted something written and
ratified to limit the powers of the central
government.
Bill of Rights
• The first ten Amendments of the
Constitution
• Added to the Constitution in order to
limit the powers of the central
government.
Powers of Congress
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5.
The power to tax
the power to borrow
The power to regulate commerce
The power to mint currency
The power to declare war
Elastic Clause
• Gives congresses powers based upon
expressed powers.
• Also called the “necessary and proper
clause”.
• Examples: power to create an air force,
power to regulate nuclear power
Full faith and credit clause
• Means that what is O.K is one state is
accepted in another state.
Privileges and immunities
• Prevents discrimination of people when
they are in another state.
Senator terms
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6 years
Staggered
No limit on terms
Only 1/3 of the Senate is up for
reelection at a time
House of Representatives
• 2 years
• 100% of the House is up for election
every two years
• No limit on terms
The Senate and House of
Representatives is bicameral
• Bicameral means that there are two
houses.