American Government (Bonus Content)
True or False: The American government was originally founded to be as close to a direct democracy as possible.
FALSE - It was always intended to be a republic with elected representatives.
This term describes a system in which political power is passed down within the same ruling family over generations, often limiting power to a small elite group.
What is a dynasty?
In this ancient Greek city-state, citizens voted directly on laws and policies rather than electing representatives to do so for them.
What is Athenian direct democracy?
This political, economic, and social system dominated medieval Europe and Japan and was based on land ownership, loyalty, and military service.
What is feudalism?
Enlightenment thinkers believed governments existed mainly to protect these basic freedoms that all humans are born with, such as life, liberty, and property.
What are natural rights?
These two societies were a massive influence on the United States' founders, with many paying homage to these ancient societies in a variety ways: names of institutions, styles of architecture, etc.
Ancient Greece & Rome
This type of oligarchy is ruled by those who think that they have earned their position. They have the degrees, jobs, or training to succeed.
Meritocracy
This Roman system of government allowed citizens to elect officials who governed on their behalf, rather than voting directly on laws themselves.
What is representative democracy?
(or: What is the Roman Republic?)
In Europe, these groups formed the core of feudal society: a king granted land to nobles, who protected peasants that were legally tied to the land. [Need all three for credit.]
Who are lords, vassals (knights), and serfs (commoners / peasants)?
According to Enlightenment thinkers like John Locke, this hypothetical condition describes human life before governments existed and helps explain why people would create governments at all.
What is the state of nature?
Separation of powers was an idea put forth to help control any one part of government having too much control. These are the three parts that are "separated" in American government.
A plutocracy will form when these people take control. Hold onto your pocketbooks!
The rich
In the Roman Republic, this social conflict existed between wealthy land-owning elites and the common people, eventually leading to political reforms and shared power.
Who are patricians and plebeians?
In Japan’s feudal system, this military ruler held real political power, while the emperor remained largely symbolic.
Who is the shogun?
Inspired by Enlightenment thinker Montesquieu, this system divides government power among multiple branches to prevent tyranny and protect individual liberty.
What is separation of powers?
Life, Liberty, Pursuit of Happiness (Property)
Just like the Vatican City! When religion is the driving force of a government, you get this.
Theocracy
Created in response to plebeian demands, this early Roman legal code publicly displayed laws so that all citizens—regardless of class—knew their rights and protections.
What are the Twelve Tables?
Both European and Japanese feudal systems developed largely for this shared reason: centralized governments collapsed or were weak, forcing people to rely on local military protection.
What is the need for security during times of political instability?
(or: What is the lack of strong central authority?)
This Enlightenment idea explains that governments gain their authority from the consent of the governed, who agree—implicitly or explicitly—to give up some freedom in exchange for protection.
What is the social contract?
Dictatorship (Autocracy) and Democracy
When a select group of people who calls or thinks of themselves as "the best," you have this form of government.
Aristocracy
Athens used this system to fill many government positions randomly, based on the belief that all citizens were equally capable of participating in government.
What is sortation?
This 1215 European document limited the power of the king and established the idea that rulers must obey the law—an idea that had no direct equivalent in feudal Japan.
What is the Magna Carta?
In Enlightenment debates about the state of nature, this philosopher argued that life without government would be “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short,” while John Locke disagreed, believing people were generally rational and capable of recognizing natural rights even without a formal state.
Who is Thomas Hobbes?