Purpose of Government
Name two purposes of government.
What is...
Any two: protect health and safety, resolve disputes, provide services, coordinate shared projects, make or enforce rules.
In which system does most power rest with a central government?
What is...
A unitary system.
Which ancient city practiced direct democracy?
What is...
Athens. Participation was limited to citizens.
Which 1215 document made the English monarch subject to law?
What is...
Magna Carta
Under the Articles, how many votes did each state have in Congress?
What is...
One vote
Unsafe drinking water affects an entire town. Name one action government could take.
What is...
Test the water, fund repairs, or set and enforce safety standards.
In which system do national and state governments share significant power?
What is...
A federal system.
Which thinker argued for separate branches of government?
What is...
Montesquieu
What did the Mayflower Compact establish among its signers?
What is...
An agreement for self-government and laws for the common good.
Why did Congress struggle to pay soldiers under the Articles?
What is...
It could not raise national taxes directly and lacked reliable revenue.
What does the common good mean?
What is...
A benefit to the whole community.
Under a confederation, where does most governing power rest?
What is...
With the states. The joint government has limited powers.
Which thinker linked natural rights and consent to the right to change an abusive government?
What is...
John Locke
Name one limit on royal power in the English Bill of Rights.
What is...
Parliament's rights, free elections, or another accurate specific restriction on the crown.
What rule made changing the Articles especially difficult?
What is...
Amendments required every state's agreement.
How could a water safety rule affect individual liberty and the common good?
What is...
It may limit some personal choices while protecting everyone's water supply.
How does a parliamentary system choose its head of government?
What is...
Lawmakers choose the head of government.
What does consent of the governed mean for legitimate government?
What is...
Rightful authority comes from the people's agreement. Leaders must respect their rights.
How did Locke's ideas appear in the Declaration of Independence?
What is...
Natural rights, consent of the governed, and the right to change an abusive government.
Name one event that exposed a weakness of the Articles. Explain the link.
What is...
Philadelphia Mutiny: unpaid soldiers confronted Congress, showing weak funding and protection. Or
Shays's Rebellion: indebted farmers disrupted courts, exposing financial trouble and a weak national response.
What was the most serious weakness of the Articles of Confederation?
What is...
Example: Congress could not tax directly, so it struggled to pay soldiers. Unpaid veterans confronted Congress during the Philadelphia Mutiny.