Power and Government
The ability to influence the actions or behavior of others
What is Power
In this form of government, political leadership traditionally passes through a royal family from one generation to another
What is Monarchy
In this governmental system, most political authority belongs to the central government
What is Unitary System
Citizens in this ancient Greek city-state participated directly in making political decisions, creating one of history's best known early examples of direct democracy
What is Athens
Established in Virginia in 1619, this became an important early representative assembly in the English Colonies
What is the House of Burgesses
Passed in 1765, this British law placed a direct tax on printed and legal materials in the colonies
What is The Stamp Act
The recognized or legal right to exercise power
What is Authority
Unlike a hereditary king or queen, this system is dominated by a ruler who gains o maintains political power through force or political control
What is a Dictatorship
The U.S. uses this system, in which the Constitution divides governmental authority between the national government and the states
What is a Federal System
This ancient civilization helped influence American ideas through representative institutions, elected officials, written laws, and the idea of civic responsibility
What is the Roman Republic
Before establishing their settlement in 1620, the Plymouth colonists signed this written agreement establishing rules for governing their community
what is the Mayflower Compact
Passed in 1767,these British measures placed duties on imported goods such as glass, paper, paint, lead, and tea
What are the Townshend Acts
The belief that a government or leader has a rightful claim to power
What is Legitimacy
In this form of government, religious leaders or religious law play the dominant in political authority
What is a Theocracy
Imagine several states forming an alliance but refusing to give the central government much authority. Most political power remains with individual states
English nobles forced King John to accept this document in 1215, helping establish the principle that even a monarch must obey the law
What is the Magna Carta
Particularly common in New England, these local gatherings allowed colonists to directly discuss and make decisions about community issues
What are town meetings
Five colonists died after British soldiers fired into a crowd during this 1770 confrontation
What is the Boston Massacre
Maintaining order, protecting citizen, providing public services, making laws, and raising money are all responsibilities performed by this institution
What is government
Citizens may technically vote, but only one political party is permitted to control the government and meaningful competition between parties does not exist
What is Single-Party State
In this economic system, customs and practices are passed down through generations
What is a traditional economy
Presented to Charles I in 1628, this document challenged practices such as taxation without Parliament's approval and imprisonment without cause
What is the Petition of Right
A colonial legislature cannot fire the royal governor, but it refuses to approve money for one of his programs. This legislature is exercising this important political tool
What is the Power of the Purse
In December 1773, colonists boarded ships and dumped hundreds of chest of tea into Boston Harbor during this famous protest
what is the Boston Tea Party
A nation possesses this when it has supreme political authority within its territory and is not controlled by another government
What is sovereignty
Instead of electing lawmakers to decide an issue, citizens themselves gather or vote to decide the policy directly
What is direct democracy
Consumers and privately owned businesses make most economic decisions through prices, competition, supply, and demand
What is a market economy
Adopted in 1689, this document strengthened Parliament, further limited the monarchy, and protected certain of English citizens
What is the English Bill of Rights
For many years Britain loosely enforced many regulations in its American colonies, allowing colonists considerable freedom to manage their own affairs
Britain responded to the destruction of tea in Boston by passing these laws, including measures designed to punish Massachusetts
What are the Intolerable Acts
Elections, debates over laws, disagreements over public policy, and competition over who gets to make decisions are all part of this process
What is politics
Millions of citizens cannot personally gather to write every law, so they elect officials to make political decisions on their behalf
What is Representative Democracy
Instead of consumers and businesses determining production, government planners decide what should be produced, how much should be produced, and how resources should be distributed
What is a Command Economy
Life, liberty, property, natural rights, consent of the governed, and the people's right to replace an abusive government are all associated with this Enlightenment thinker
John Locke
The House of Burgesses, Mayflower Compact, colonial assemblies, and town meetings all provided colonists with generations of experience practicing this political concept
What is self-government
Delegates from 12 colonies gathered in Philadelphia in 1774 during this meeting to coordinate a response to British policies
What is The First Continental Congress
Taxes, fees, and other money collected by government to pay for public programs and services are collectively called this
What is revenue
Voters elect members of a legislature, and the political party or coalition controlling that legislature generally determines who becomes prime miister
What is a Parliamentary Democracy
Private businesses make many economic decisions, but government also regulates industries, collect taxes, etc. Most modern economies fall into this.
What is a Mixed Economy
This enlightenment thinker believed political liberty could be better protected by dividing governmental authority among different branches rather than in one place
Who is Montesquieu
Colonists summarized their objection to Parliament imposing taxes on people who had no elected representatives in Parliament with this famous phrase
What is "No taxation without representation"
12 colonies sent representatives to the First Continental Congress. This was the only colony to not send anyone
What is Georgia
A government threatens imprisonment or another punishment in order to force people to follow its commands. This method of exercising power is called this.
What is coercion
In this democratic system, the chief executive and legislature are elected separately, allowing each to have its own independent political mandate
What is a Presidential Democracy
Land, labor, capital, and entrepreneurship are the 4 resources economists group together under this term
What are the Factors of Production
This Enlightenment philosopher argued that legitimate political authority ultimately comes from the people, an idea closely associated with popular sovereignty
Who is Rousseau
British leaders argued members of Parliament represented the interests of all British subjects, including colonists who had never actually voted for them.
what is virtual representation
British troops and colonial militia exchanged fire during these April 1775 battles. transforming political protest into armed conflict
what are Lexington and Concord