Fundamentals of Government
I Have the Power!
Constitutional Principles
Types of Government
The Supreme Law of the Land
100
This term describes the method by which society makes and enforces its public policies.
What is 'government'?
100
Powers held by the National Government alone.
What are exclusive powers?
100
This concept, that no one is above the law including Congress and the President, is essential to a functioning democracy.
What is the rule of law?
100
This form of government is ruled by kings, queens, princes, and princesses.
What is a monarchy?
100
This term is used to describe formal changes to the Constitution.
What is an amendment?
200
This type of document states the laws, principles, structures, and processes by which a government will operate.
What is a constitution?
200
This Constitutional principle holds that the people are the only source for governmental power.
What is popular sovereignty?
200
Federalism divides the ruling authority between these two levels of government.
What are the central (national) and state governments?
200
A nation that is ruled by a single person is described by this term.
What is a dictatorship?
200
Delegates from all the states except Rhode Island attended this gathering that was originally intended to amend and improve the Articles of Confederation.
What was the Constitutional Convention?
300
A Nation-State that has supreme and absolute rule over its territory and decision-making is described by this term.
What is sovereign?
300
Power shared by both National Government and State Government.
What are Concurrent Powers?
300
This Constitutional principle holds that government may do only those things that the people have given it power to do.
What is limited government?
300
This term describes a society ruled by citizenship.
What is a democracy?
300
The U.S. Constitution was drafted in this city in 1787.
What is Philadelphia?
400
These are the two requirements that must be met in order for a Nation-State to exist.
What are a population and a defined territory?
400
The Constitution empowers this group to select the U.S. president after a nationwide election.
What is the Electoral College?
400
This term is used to describe a governmental system in which the basic political powers are distributed among three distinct and independent branches.
What is separation of powers?
400
Theocracies and dictatorships are two versions of this type of government.
What is autocracy?
400
One of three divisions, or major sections, of the Constitution.
What is the Preamble or the Articles or the Amendments?
500
Everything a Government chooses to do is known by this term.
What is public policy?
500
Powers not allowed to the National Government, nor prohibited to the State Governments.
What are reserved powers?
500
This Constitutional principle can be seen in practice when the Senate confirms or rejects the President's appointee to run the CIA.
What is checks and balances?
500
The term 'oligarchy' is used to describe governments that are ruled in this way.
What is by a small group?
500
The U.S. Constitution is an example of this theory of how governments form, which was developed by John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau.
What is social contract theory?