EE 314: PRAXIS Government and Citizenship Review

Lickteig Constitution Quizlet

IV. Government and Civics

Government: the structures and processes a group of people observes in determining who has
power, what choices to make, and what rules to follow and enforce.

Civics: the role of the individual in government. Your rights and responsibilities as a citizen (jury
duty, paying taxes, obeying laws, etc.)

Political Science: Political science is the study of politics and power from domestic, international,
and comparative perspectives. It entails understanding political ideas, ideologies, institutions, policies,
processes, and behavior, as well as groups, classes, government, diplomacy, law, strategy, and war.

A. Understands the concepts of family and community

B. Understands the purposes and functions of government
1. Relationship between state governments and the federal government
i. 10th Amendment: The powers not delegated to the United States by the
Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States
respectively, or to the people.
1. Federalism: creates a tiered system of government
a. Federal: Washington D.C, National Government
b. State: Topeka, KS, State Government
c. Local: County, city
ii. Enumerated or Delegated powers: specifically mentioned powers given to the
federal government ex. raise an army, post office
iii. Concurrent powers: shared with the federal government and state government
ex. property taxes, sales taxes
iv. Reserved powers: are given to the states ex. education
2. Major responsibilities of state governments: protecting people from local threats.
maintaining a justice system. setting up local governments such as counties and
municipalities. maintaining state highways and setting up the means of administrating
local roads.
3. Major responsibilities of local governments: Municipalities generally take responsibility
for parks and recreation services, police and fire departments, housing services,
emergency medical services, municipal courts, transportation services (including public
transportation), and public works (streets, sewers, snow removal, signage, and so forth).
C. Understands the various forms of government
1. Parliamentary systems: a system of democratic governance of a state where the
executive derives its democratic legitimacy from its ability to command the support of
the legislature,
2. Federalism: a compound mode of government, with a general government and regional
governments (state governments) combined into a single political system.
3. Oligarchy: a government in which a small group exercises control especially for corrupt
and selfish purposes
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4. Monarchy: monarchy, a political system based upon the undivided sovereignty or rule
of a single person.
5. Democracy: a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible
members of a state, typically through elected representatives:
6. Dictatorship: a form of government in which one person or a small group possesses
absolute power without effective constitutional limitations.
D. Understands important ideas in the Declaration of Independence and in the Constitution,
including the Bill of Rights
1. Declaration of Independence (1776): By issuing the Declaration of Independence,
adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, the 13 American colonies severed
their political connections to Great Britain. The Declaration summarized the colonists'
motivations for seeking independence.
i. Natural Rights: People have certain inalienable rights, including Life, Liberty, and
the Pursuit of Happiness.
ii. Equality: All men are created equal.
iii. Civic Duty: Individuals have a civic duty to defend these rights for themselves
and others.
iv. Popular Sovereignty: To secure these rights, governments are instituted among
men, meaning the government serves the people, which is its primary purpose
and derives its power directly from them.
2. American Revolution (1765-1783) 🡪 Articles of Confederation (1781): The Articles of
Confederation and Perpetual Union was an agreement among the 13 states of the
United States, formerly the Thirteen Colonies, that served as the nation's first frame of
government.
i. Flaws: Congress commanded little respect and no support from state
governments anxious to maintain their power. Congress could not raise funds,
regulate trade, or conduct foreign policy without the voluntary agreement of the
states.
3. Constitution (1787): defines the fundamental law of the U.S. federal government,
setting forth the three principal branches of the federal government and outlining their
jurisdictions. It has become the landmark legal document of the Western world, and is
the oldest written national constitution currently in effect.
i. What is a constitution?: a body of fundamental principles or established
precedents according to which a state or other organization is acknowledged to
be governed.
ii. Ratify: to approve or enact a legally binding act that would not otherwise be
binding in the absence of such approval.
iii. Principles of the Constitution: The Constitution rests on seven basic principles.
They are popular sovereignty, limited government, separation of powers,
federalism, checks and balances, republicanism, and individual rights.
1. Popular Sovereignty: Government power comes from the people.
Popular=majority; sovereign= ruler.
2. Republicanism: not a direct democracy, elect people to represent us.
EE 314: PRAXIS Government and Citizenship Review

3. Federalism: National Government → State Government→ Local

Government. Each is limited in what it can do.
4. Separation of Powers: Three branches. Each is responsible for its own
thing.
5. Checks and Balances: each branch can “check” on others to prevent
abuses.
6. Limited Government: government can only do what is in the
constitution.
4. Bill of Rights (1791): First 10 amendments; guarantees civil rights and liberties.
i. Amendment: a formal revision or addition to the US Constitution. Amended 27
times, the first 10 are the Bill of Rights.
ii. What do they cover: The Bill of Rights is the first 10 Amendments to the
Constitution. It spells out Americans' rights in relation to their government. It
guarantees civil rights and liberties to the individual—like freedom of speech,
press, and religion.
1. 1st: RAPPS: Religion, assembly, press, protest, speech
2. Others: Right to Bear Arms, No Quartering Soldiers, Search, and Seizure,
Pleading the 5th, Criminal Defendants Rights, Right to a Jury Trial,
Excessive bail not required, Rights to people not defined in the
Constitution, States’ Rights.
5. Separation of Powers / Branches of Government: The division of government
responsibilities into distinct branches to limit any one branch from exercising the core
functions of another.
i. Legislative: All legislative power in the government is vested in Congress,
meaning that it is the only part of the government that can make new laws or
change existing laws ...
1. Congress: Congress, as one of the three coequal branches of
government, is ascribed significant powers by the Constitution.
a. bicameral: There are two chambers in Congress.
b. House of Representatives: 435 sit. Elected every TWO years.
Must be a US citizen for a minimum of SEVEN years and live in
the state they represent.
c. Senate: 100 sit. Elected every SIX years. Must be at least 30
years, a US citizen that has lived there for at least NINE years,
and live in the state they represent.
ii. Executive: having the power to put plans, actions, or laws into effect
1. President: elected every four years (2 terms is the MAX), must be 35
years old and a US citizen and live there for a minimum of 14 years
before running.
2. Vice President: Picked by the POTUS, usually on their campaign run.
iii. Judicial: decides the constitutionality of federal laws and resolves other disputes
about federal laws.
1. Supreme Court Justice: Serves for life; appointed by POTUS; confirmed
by Senate in a majority vote. NINE sit on the bench.
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2. Chief Justice: The Chief Justice, as presiding officer of the Court, is

responsible by statute for its administration, in addition to hearing cases
and writing opinions.
6. Checks and Balances: provides each branch of government with individual powers to
check the other branches and prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful.
i. Legislative Power – Impeachment: removed from office
ii. Legislative Power – Override: a veto; ⅔ supermajority
iii. Executive Power – Nomination/Appointment: appoint Ambassadors, other
public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the Supreme Court, and all other
Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise
provided
iv. Executive Power – Veto: refuse to approve a bill or joint resolution and thus
prevent its enactment into law
v. Judicial Power – Judicial Review: the ability of the Court to declare a
Legislative or Executive act in violation of the Constitution
E. Understands the characteristics of responsible citizenship
1. Rights of democratic citizens, 1st Amendment protections (see above)
2. Legal obligations of citizens:
i. Obey the law, serve as a juror, and pay taxes.
F. Elections and Politics
1. Electoral College: The Electoral College is how we refer to the process by which the
United States elects the President, even though that term does not appear in the U.S.
Constitution. In this process, the States (which includes the District of Columbia just for
this process) elect the President and Vice President.
i. Census: Electoral votes are allocated among the States based on the Census.
Every State is allocated a number of votes equal to the number of senators and
representatives in its U.S. Congressional delegation—two votes for its senators
in the U.S. Senate plus a number of votes equal to the number of its
Congressional districts.
2. Political Party: A political party is made up of individuals who organize to win elections,
operate the government, and influence public policy. The Democratic and Republican
parties are currently the primary parties in Congress.
i. Republican: The party's fiscal conservatism includes support for lower taxes,
small government conservatism, free market capitalism, free trade, deregulation
of corporations, and restrictions on labor unions.
ii. Independent: Candidates in federal elections who are not affiliated with a party
have two options: independent or no affiliation.
iii. Democrat: Cultural liberalism, civil libertarianism, and feminism. Some
Democratic social policies are immigration reform, electoral reform, and
women's reproductive rights.
3. Ideology: An ideology is a belief system that underpins a political or economic theory.
Ideologies from the operating principles for running a society
i. Liberal: Modern liberalism generally opposes the interests of corporations,
opposes cuts to the social safety net, and supports a role for government in
reducing inequality, increasing diversity, providing education, ensuring access to
EE 314: PRAXIS Government and Citizenship Review

healthcare, regulating economic activity, and protecting the natural

environment.
ii. Moderate: Moderate in their political views, advocating neither extreme
left-wing nor right-wing politics. The party generally supports tax cuts, the free
market, civil liberties, and economic liberalism.
iii. Conservative: Individual Freedom, Limited Government, The Rule of Law, Peace
through Strength, Fiscal Responsibility, Free Markets, and Human Dignity.