EE 314: PRAXIS Government and Citizenship Review

Lickteig Constitution Quizlet

IV. Government and Civics

Government:the governing body of a nation, state, or community. The structures and processes
of people are observed in determining who has power, what choices to make, and what rules to follow
and enforce.

Civics:the study of the rights and duties of citizenship. The role of the individual in government.
Your rights and responsibilities as a citizen (jury duty, paying taxes, obeying laws, etc.)

Government and Civics are not the same thing.

Political Science:the analysis of political activity and behavior.

A. Understands the concepts of family and community

B. Understands the purposes and functions of government
1. Relationship between state governments and the federal government
i. 10th Amendment: The powers not delegated to the United States by the
Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States
respectively, or to the people.

1. Federalism: power is divided between the national and state

governments, limiting central power.

a. Federal:a system of dividing up power between a central

national government and local state governments that are
connected to one another by the national government.
(National, Washington D.C., President)
b. State: State Capitol
c. Local: County, city, municipality

ii. Enumerated or Delegated powers: Powers given to the federal government.

(Power to raise an army, the post office-enumerated, make foreign
treaties-enumerated.)

iii. Concurrent powers: Shared power between the federal and the state (income
taxes)

iv. Reserved powers: Powers given to the states (education, marriage laws)

2. Major responsibilities of state governments: Establish local governments, Issue licenses

for marriage, driving, hunting, Regulate commerce within the state, Conduct elections.

3. Major responsibilities of local governments: defense, immigration, foreign affairs and

trade, postal services, taxes including income taxes and the federal goods and services
tax.
EE 314: PRAXIS Government and Citizenship Review

C. Understands the various forms of government

1. Parliamentary systems: democratic form of government in which the party with the
greatest representation in the parliament forms the government, its leader becoming
prime minister or chancellor.

2. Federalism: Want a strong national government; mode of political organization that

unites separate states or other policies within an overarching political system in a way
that allows each to maintain its own

3. Oligarchy: government by the few, especially despotic power exercised by a small and
privileged group for corrupt or selfish purposes. Oligarchies in which members of the
ruling group are wealthy or exercise their power through their wealth are known as
plutocracies

4. Monarchy: political system based upon the undivided sovereignty or rule of a single
person. The term applies to states in which supreme authority is vested in the monarch,
an individual ruler who functions as the head of state and who achieves his or her
position through hereditary status.

5. Democracy: rule by the people. The term is derived from the Greek demokratia, which
was coined from demos (people) and kratos (rule) in the middle of the 5th century BCE
to denote the political systems then existing in some Greek city-states, notably Athens.

6. Dictatorship: form of government in which one person or small group possesses

absolute power without effective constitutional limitations.

D. Understands important ideas in the Declaration of Independence and in the Constitution,

including the Bill of Rights
1. Declaration of Independence (1776):
i. Natural Rights: People have certain inalienable rights, including Life, Liberty, and
the Pursuit of Happiness.

ii. Equality: All men are created equal.

iii. Civic Duty: Individuals have a civic duty to defend these rights for themselves
and others. Pay taxes, jury duty,

iv. Popular Sovereignty: That to secure these rights, governments are instituted
among men, meaning the government serves the people, that is its primary
purpose, and derives its power directly from them. Authority for government
flows from the people and they rule through their representatives. Majority rule.
EE 314: PRAXIS Government and Citizenship Review

2. American Revolution (1765-1783) 🡪 Articles of Confederation (1781):

i. Flaws: No president, no supreme court, needed unanimous consent to change
the articles, could not tax people.

3. Constitution (1787):
i. What is a constitution? fundamental law of the U.S. federal government, setting
forth the three principal branches of the federal government and outlining their
jurisdictions

ii. Ratify: sign or give formal consent to (a treaty, contract, or agreement), making
it officially valid.

iii. Principles of the Constitution:

1. Popular Sovereignty: Government power comes from the people.
Authority for government flows from the people and they rule through
their representatives.

2. Republicanism: Not a direct democracy, elect people to represent us.

Voters hold the sovereign power and elect representatives to exercise
power for them

3. Federalism: National government> State government> Local

Government. Each limited to what it can do. Power is divided between
the nationals and state governments, limiting central power.

4. Separation of Powers: Three branches, each having its own

responsibilities and limitations.

5. Checks and Balances: each of the three branches of government

exercises some control over the others, sharing power among them

6. Limited Government: powers of government are restricted by the

Constitution

4. Bill of Rights (1791): First 10 amendments; guarantees civil rights and liberties.
i. amendment: An amendment is a formal revision or addition to the US
Constitution

ii. What do they cover? The Bill of Rights

1. 1st: Congress makes no law respecting an establishment of religion or
prohibiting its free exercise. It protects freedom of speech, the press,
assembly, and the right to petition the Government for a redress of
grievances.
2. Others:
EE 314: PRAXIS Government and Citizenship Review

5. Separation of Powers / Branches of Government:

i. Legislative: Makes laws
1. Congress: represents the American people and makes the nation's laws.
a. bicameral: a legislature made up of two chambers.
b. House of Representatives: 435 representatives, the lower
chamber of the United States Congress. Elected every 2 years
and must be 25 years old, must be a citizen for 7 years.
c. Senate: 100 senators, elected every 6 years. Must be 30 years
old, US citizen for at least 9 years.

ii. Executive: carries out laws

1. President: must be at least 35 years old, a US citizen, and must have
lived within the US for at least 14 years. Elected every 4 years
2. Vice President:

iii. Judicial: evaluates laws

1. Supreme Court Justice: 9 Justices - nominated by the president and
confirmed by a majority Senate vote. They can hold office for as long as
they choose to stay in office.
2. Chief Justice: primarily a clerical position doesn’t have any additional
power. in charge of putting stuff together, their vote doesn’t mean more
than other justices. John Roberts.
6. Checks and Balances:
i. Legislative Power – Impeachment: remove from office
ii. Legislative Power – Override: override a veto - ⅔ supermajority in both House
and Senate Confirm Appointments
iii. Executive Power – Nomination/Appointment:
iv. Executive Power – Veto: Veto laws
v. Judicial Power – Judicial Review: of laws and executive orders
E. Understands the characteristics of responsible citizenship
1. Rights of democratic citizens, 1st Amendment protections (see above): Congress makes
no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting its free exercise. It protects
freedom of speech, the press, assembly, and the right to petition the Government for a
redress of grievances.

2. Legal obligations of citizens:

i. Obey the law, serve as juror, pay taxes.
F. Elections and Politics
1. Electoral College: Each state receives a number of electors equal to the number of
senators (2) + the number of representatives (based on state population). Every ten
years, a census is used to apportion the 435 seats in the House.
i. census: is used to apportion the 435 seats in the house

2. Political Party: organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular

country's elections.
EE 314: PRAXIS Government and Citizenship Review

i. Republican: Voters hold the sovereign power and elect representatives to

exercise power for them, conservative.

ii. Independent: Someone not affiliated with any political party

iii. Democrat: Majority rules.

3. Ideology
i. Liberal: Open minded political party, and is open to change/ want change to
individual freedoms

ii. Moderate: sometimes want change, other times want things to remain the
same. Half and half when it comes to change.

iii. Conservative: People who do not like change, wants rules to remain the same,
traditional