UNIT ONE: FOUNDATIONS OF

GOVERNMENTPACKET

Topic: Intro to Government Vocab Chart Word Definition: Example or

IllustrationLegislative Power

Exectuive Power

Judicial Power

State

Government

Student Handout

Decoding the Preamble Puzzle

~ Preamble by Mike WilkinsDirections:

The picture above is an artistic version of the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution. Look carefully and then translate this picture to determine the actual words of the Preamble.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

The Preamble outlines six (6) functions of the U.S. government created by the Constitution. What are they?

1. 2. 3.

4. 5. 6.

What Does Government Do?

The Preamble to the Constitution

“We the People of the United States, in Order to…

Establish justice examples:

Insure domestic tranquility examples:

Provide for the common defense examples:

Promote the general welfare examples:

Secure the blessings of liberty to examples:

ourselves and our posterity

…do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

Chapter 1 Notes:Introducing Government

I. ______________________ = institution that makes authoritative decisions

for a group of people

II. Functions of Government

A. Maintain __________________ (military or the treaties governments

sign to end wars)

B. Provide ___________________ (roads, parks, Medicare, etc.)

C. _______________ (make laws, settle disputes, etc.)

D. Make ____________________________________________ (power to tax,

set interest rates, establish free trade or tariffs or

blockades/embargoes

III. Purposes of American government are outlined in the

_________________________________________________________

IV. Politics = who we select as our leaders & what policies they pursue

to promote public interest

V. _____________________________________ = how government responds to

the people; a set of institutions and activities that link together political

ideas and public policy

VI. People express their desires to linkage institutions

EXAMPLES:

_______________________________________________________

VII. Linkage institutions influence policy agenda of policymaking

institutions (the 3 branches of government & bureaucracies)

VIII. Democracy = means of selecting and organizing government

officials

A. Direct/participatory:

_____________________________________________________

B. Indirect/representative democracy:

__________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

___

IX. Robert Dahl: Traditional Democratic Theory = certain criteria are

essential for an "ideal democratic process"

A. _______________ in voting

B. Effective ___________________________

C. Enlightened __________________ (free speech, free press)

D. Citizens control agenda (power to be involved)

E. _______________________: citizenship must be available to all

X. American democracy focuses on the worth of an individual, equality of

all persons, compromise and individual freedom = political culture is

shared by most people living in the country

XI. Distribution of power in government structure

A. Unitary = central government makes decisions for ALL regions or

territories (those other lower level governments that do exist merely

carry out the laws of the central government; they don't craft any

NEW law)

Example: __________________________________________________

B. Federal = central government shares some powers with regional

(state) government; a constitution outlines the powers of lower level

government (10th Amendment)

Example: __________________________________________________

C. Confederate = regional government hold the power and behave

autonomously (independently)

Example: __________________________________________________

XII. Distribution of Power Among Branches of Government

A. Parliamentary system = Prime Minister is the executive, who is

also a member of the legislature; the majority party elects this

person who will serve in BOTH branches - fusion of power

B. Presidential system = President is the head of the executive

branch and does NOT serve in the legislative branch; they often

"check" each other and rely on each other to get certain jobs done

Example: President signs bills into law that the legislature

designed

FEDERAL SYSTEM UNITARY SYSTEM

PRESIDENTIAL SYSTEM

PARLIAMENTARY SYSTEM

Founders & Framers NotesName of Framer/Founder:

Notes:

Name: ________________________________Illustration:

Name: ________________________________Illustration:

Name: ________________________________Illustration:

Name: ________________________________Illustration:

Type of Government AND DEFINITION:

Illustration

Monarchy =

Dictatorship =

Theocracy =

Single Party State =

Direct Democracy =

Parliamentary Democracy =

Presidential Democracy =

FederalistsDefinition:

Anti-FederalistsDefinition:

Individuals/examples: Individuals/examples:

Federalism Checks & Balances Individual Rights/Liberties

Judicial Review Limited Government Popular Sovereignty

1. Why did the founding father use these principles as a guiding measure for the new government?

2. Give an example of how EACH principle applies to daily, political life or government in some way.

Articles of ConfederationPositives: Negatives:

Shay’s Rebellion: What happened? Who was involved? Why did it happen? How did it end? What did it demonstrate about the government

The Debate Over Representation

VIRGINIA PLAN NEW JERSEY PLAN

GREAT COMPROMISE OR CONNECTICUT COMPROMISE

CH. 3 NOTES: GUIDING PRINCIPLES OF THE US CONSTITUTION

1. Ratified in 1788 with assurance that a _______________________ would be added

(___________________________________________________)

2. Congressional elections and presidential election held in _______; Bill of Rights

ratified in ______

3. Collective political values (political culture) are represented in the document

4. __________________________________________________________

1. People and government must follow a system of laws

1. States have certain protocols (procedures) toward one another--for

example: ________________________________________

___________________________________________________

2. Constitution is __________________________________________

3. Abuse of power is punishable through impeachment process and court systems

What does "Limited Government" mean?

The national government:

o _____________________________________________________________________

___

o _____________________________________________________________________

___

o _____________________________________________________________________

___

o _____________________________________________________________________

___

A state government:

o _____________________________________________________________________

___

o _____________________________________________________________________

___

o _____________________________________________________________________

___

o _____________________________________________________________________

___

5. POPULAR SOVEREIGNTY/REPUBLIC

a. Power resides with the ____________________________________ who are granted

the right to vote for representatives (republicanism)

b. States must have republican form of government too (______________

___________________________________________________)

c. In short: The government derives its power from the people; a

______________________________________ between the gov. and the people exists and

____________________________________ ___________ must uphold the commitment to

protect and serve the citizens

6. SEPARATION OF POWER = __________________________________________

a. 3 separate branches of gov. limits the ability of one branch to dominate the others

b. Branches rely on others to complete certain responsibilities (i.e. Congress

__________

______________, but President can ______________________________; President

appoints judges, but _____________________ must approve or reject, etc.)

7. FEDERALISM

a. __________________ government and _____________ government share some

power

b. Delegated powers are given to the federal gov. in US Constitution (i.e. coin money,

declare war, regulate interstate trade)

c. Reserved powers are those held by the states and protected in the

_________________

(powers not given to the federal gov., or denied to the states, are reserved for the

states)-- i.e. education, health and family law, licensing

d. _______________________ -- shared by both governments (taxation, court

systems, law enforcement)

8. INDEPENDENT JUDICIARY

a. In ____________________________, judges serve for life and have a secure

salary-- this ensures they will make decisions they believe are best according to the laws,

rather than according to politicians, interest groups, or someone who can fire them or reduce

their salary-- _______________________________________________________________!

9. INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS

a.

_____________________________________________________________________

b. Freedom of __________________________________________________

c. Treason is not ______________ of the government-- it is direct acts of war against

the government or the aiding of foreign countries against the government

THE CONSTITUTION AND THE AMENDMENT PROCESS

Method 1

OrMethod 2

Method 1

Method 2

Or

Methods of Proposal Methods of Ratification

Usual Method

Questions for Discussion

1. What is a constitutional amendment?

2. Why do you think the Founders built in the amendment process into the Constitution?

3. Since the Constitution’s ratification in 1788, there have only been twenty-seven amendments added to the original document. Why is it so difficult to change the Constitution?