American Political Foundations

Enlightenment Thinkers

100

Which Enlightenment thinker developed the idea that all people are born with the rights of life, liberty, and property

John Locke

200

What Enlightenment thinker believed that government and religion should be separated? 

Voltaire

300

What Enlightenment thinker believed three branches of government is superior to one branch?

Montesquieu

400

What Enlightenment thinker developed the idea of a social contract? Where people and the government agree to work together. 

Rousseau

500

What Enlightenment thinker believed people were born evil and therefore needed an absolute monarch to rule over them? 

Hobbes

Types of Government

100

This type of government is no government at all.  Usually leads to chaos and violence. 

Anarchy

200

This type of government is what the United States of America has.  We elect representatives to make decisions for us. 

Democratic Republic

300

This type of government is one ruler in charge and often times keeps power through the military. 

Dictatorship

400

This type of government is when every citizen gets to vote on every issue.  Very difficult to have in large population countries

Direct democracy

500

This type of government is when one ruler is in power and power is passed down through the family

Monarchy

Building blocks of American Government

100

Name one of the two ancient civilizations that America got its first ideas of government from. 

Athens/Greece and/or Roman Empire

200

What was the American colonists first attempt at self government called?  (Pilgrims)

Mayflower Compact

300

This time period is known for establishing that regular people and not just kings are important, have power, and should have rights.

What is the Enlightenment?

400

This document limited the power of the king and essentially said he is not above the law

Magna Carta

500

This document gave us many of our ideas for own Bill of Rights. 

English Bill of Rights

Articles of Confederation

100

The Articles of Confederation were America's first government.  About how long did it last? 

A. Less than 10 years

B. About 50 years 

C. Over 100 years

Less than ten years

200

Who wanted to keep most of the power for themselves by creating the Articles of Confederation to be weak?

The states

300

This man's rebellion demonstrated to the American framers that the Articles of Confederation were too weak.  He might be called the "unwitting" father of the Constitution

Daniel Shays

400

What is one power that the Articles of Confederation lacked that made it weak? 

Couldn't tax people

Couldn't draft troops

Couldn't enforce its own rules

500

Why did the Founding Fathers create the Articles of Confederation to be weak? 

America had just thrown off the British King and didn't want more of that strict rule

Declaration of Independence

100

Who is the main author of the Declaration of Indpendence? 

Thomas Jefferson

200

When and where was the Declaration of Independence written? 

1776 in Philadelphia

300

What was one of the purposes of the Declaration of Independence? 

Break away from Britain

State America's core beliefs

Gain support from France for the Revolutionary War

400

According to the Declaration of Independence where do people get their rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness from? 

God/Creator

500

According to the Declaration of Independence, what should people do if their government abuses its power?

Attempt to overthrow it