PALS
PALS explains that these four foundational concepts determine whether societies experience peace or conflict, prosperity or instability, and freedom or oppression.
What is Power, Authority, Legitimacy, and Sovereignty?
In this democratic system, citizens elect political representatives to act on their behalf and make decisions in their best interests.
What is Representative Democracy?
These political systems concentrate effective power in the hands of a small group of wealthy, influential, or well-connected individuals who control political decision-making and economic resources.
What are Oligarchies?
Congress exercises this ultimate check on both the President and federal judges by bringing formal charges for misconduct in office.
What is Impeachment?
Both state and national governments share this structural feature of having executive, legislative, and judicial branches
What are 3 Branches?
When this concept is high, societies experience effective governance, but when it's low, governments must rely on force.
In this type of democracy, the constitution is regarded as the supreme law of the land and takes precedence over all other laws.
What is Constitutional Democracy?
This Asian nation exemplifies a modern one-party state, where the Communist Party maintains absolute political control while suppressing all opposition movements.
What is China?
This branch of government has the power to declare laws unconstitutional, effectively checking both the legislative and executive branches.
What is the Judicial Branch?
This founding document spells out the powers of the federal government and gives states certain powers.
What is the Constitution?
This foundational concept is defined as the supreme and ultimate power or authority within a territory.
What is Sovereignty?
This contradictory form of government presents itself as democratic while concentrating power in ruling elites and dismantling democratic checks and balances.
What is Autocratic Democracy?
In this government system, political power is held by religious leaders who claim to rule according to divine authority and implement laws based on religious doctrine.
What is Theocracy?
The President uses this power to reject legislation passed by Congress, forcing them to reconsider or modify the bill.
What is the Veto?
According to the Constitution, powers not clearly given to the federal government belong to these two entities.
Whare are the States of the People?
This concept represents power with a right to rule and carries the expectation of obedience based on acceptance rather than fear.
What is Authority?
This constitutional system exists in the U.K., where the executive branch is headed by a monarch whose position is mostly symbolic.
What is Constitutional Monarchy?
This represents the most extreme form of authoritarian rule, seeking complete control over all aspects of public and private life to reshape society according to an official ideology.
What is Totalitarianism?
The President can check judicial power by granting these to individuals convicted of federal crimes, effectively overturning court decisions.
What are Pardons?
This power allows the national government to establish relationships and make agreements with other countries.
What is Foreign Policy?
This is the ability to influence or control the behaviors of others and represents the ability to rule.
What is Power?
This is what happens in a presidential democracy when the legislature and executive are controlled by opposing parties, preventing new laws from being passed.
What is a Gridlock?
This country serves as the clearest modern example of totalitarianism, where the Workers' Party exercises absolute control and maintains an elaborate cult of personality around a ruling dynasty.
What is North Korea?
This French political philosopher developed the theory of separation of powers that became the foundation for the American system of checks and balances.
Who is Montesquieu?
Both levels of government share responsibility for this system that includes police, courts, and corrections.
What is Criminal Justice?