0. Chapter 1 / Unit 1: Introduction to Government
American Government Final Exam Review

1. American Government Final Exam Review
The three basic economic systems in the world today include Capitalism, Socialism, and ___________.
Communism
American Government Final Exam Review

2. American Government Final Exam Review
What is politics?
The effort to control or influence government conduct and policies which provides a peaceful way for society to manage conflict and competition.
American Government Final Exam Review

3. American Government Final Exam Review
What is economics?
The study of human efforts to satisfy seemingly unlimited wants with limited resources.
American Government Final Exam Review

4. In an autocracy, power is concentrated in the hands of ___________.
A single individual
American Government Final Exam Review

5. American Government Final Exam Review
In this type of democracy the people are literally the government and collectively make decisions for the whole of society.
Direct Democracy
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6. What is the largest political unit in the world today?
The Nation-State
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7. What is the most essential function of government?
Providing order
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8. American Government Final Exam Review
This is a belief that a ruler’s power comes directly from a supreme being (God).
Divine Right
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9. What are the major purposes of the state?
Maintain law and order
Promote the general welfare / provide public services / solve problems
Preserve culture
Provide for national defense and domestic order
Regulate and promote economic activity
American Government Final Exam Review

10. How do governments serve the needs of society?
Pass and enforce laws
Set goals for society
Distribute benefits
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11. American Government Final Exam Review
Before man lived in groups / society he existed in a state of _________.
Nature
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12. American Government Final Exam Review
When a government has the right to govern / rule a society is has ___________ power.
Sovereign
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13. American Government Final Exam Review
What are the three types of governmental structure used in the world today?
Unitary, Federal, Confederate
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14. American Government Final Exam Review
In what type of governmental structure is power shared between the various levels of government?
Federal
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15. What country in the world uses a federal structure?
United States
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16. American Government Final Exam Review
In what type of governmental structure does power flow from the top down to lesser governmental units?
Unitary
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17. American Government Final Exam Review
What is the most commonly found governmental structure in the world today?
Unitary
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18. What country uses a unitary structure today?
Great Britain, France
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19. American Government Final Exam Review
In what type of governmental structure does a loose association of powerful states exist with a weak centralized government?
Confederate
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20. What are some of the characteristics of a confederate government?
Power states, weak national (centralized) government
Severe limits on national power
All members must agree to take action before action can be taken
Cooperation is normally voluntary
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21. American Government Final Exam Review
What political union in the modern world is the best example of a confederation?
European Union
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22. Did the United States ever use a confederate form of government?
Yes, twice – Articles of Confederation, Confederate States of America
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23. In this type of government a king or queen has unquestioned authority.
Absolute monarchy
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24. American Government Final Exam Review
Under the Evolutionary Theory, government developed as an extension of what societal unit?
The family
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25. American Government Final Exam Review
Under the Force Theory, government why did governments come into existence?
For protection from outside groups (safety in numbers, mutual protection from a common threat)
Because of conquest by a stronger group over a weaker group.
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26. American Government Final Exam Review
In what country in the world would you find an absolute monarchy today?
Saudi Arabia
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27. American Government Final Exam Review
In this type of government a king or queen is the symbolic leader of a nation but doesn’t have any real power or authority.
Constitutional monarchy
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28. In what country would you find a constitutional monarchy today?
Great Britain
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29. What is considered to be the birth place of democracy?
Athens, Greece / Ancient Greece
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30. Approximately when was democracy born in Athens, Greece?
500 BC
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31. American Government Final Exam Review
What economic system is associated with free enterprise, private property, laissez-faire governmental policy, and free markets?
Capitalism
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32. What are the five characteristics associated with capitalism?
Private ownership of property and resources
Free enterprise
Business competition
Freedom of choice
The possibility of profits
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33. Who is considered the father of capitalism?
Adam Smith, articulate the tenants of capitalism in his book, The Wealth of Nations written in 1776.
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34. What does the term “laissez-faire” mean?
“To let alone” – a governmental policy that allows the market to drive economics rather than the government.
American Government Final Exam Review

35. American Government Final Exam Review
Every economic system in the world today blends and incorporates elements of Capitalism, Socialism, and Communism. These countries have . . .
Mixed Economies
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36. Who wrote the Communist Manifesto?
Karl Marx
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37. Under Communism, who are considered the bourgeoisie?
Those who own the means of production (capitalists)
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38. What are some of the characteristics of a Communist economic system?
Only a Communist political party / government can exist in society.
The government owns all means of production
There is no private property
There are no wages, rents, interests, or profits
Teach to their own abilities
Total employment
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39. What are three goals of Socialism?
Public ownership of most land and the means of production
Government control over most economic decisions
Equal distribution of wealth
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40. Identify key characteristics found in democracies
Majority rule but minority rights
Individual liberty
People hold sovereign power
Free elections
Competing political parties
American Government Final Exam Review

41. American Government Final Exam Review
In this form of democracy, the people select representatives who in turn voice their opinions and concerns within government.
Representative Democracy
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42. American Government Final Exam Review
In this form of democracy, the executive and legislative branches are combined into one body. It is also the most common form of democracy in the world today.
Parliamentary Democracy
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43. American Government Final Exam Review
In this form of democracy, the executive and legislative branches are elected separately and often work at cross purposes against each other.
Presidential Democracy
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44. American Government Final Exam Review
In order for a democracy to take root in a society and actually work what are some key components that are required to be in place?
Citizenship participation
A favorable economy / large middle class
Widespread education
A strong civil society
A social consensus
American Government Final Exam Review

45. American Government Final Exam Review
According to this theory, people voluntarily left the state of nature to join together to form societies. In the process they agreed to forfeit their absolute freedom in return for living in a society.
Social Contract
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46. Which person first articulated the concept of the social contract?
Thomas Hobbs, English philosopher
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47. American Government Final Exam Review
According to Thomas Hobbs, once mankind accepted the social contract government has absolute ________ to rule as it wishes.
power
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48. American Government Final Exam Review
John Locke, a later English philosopher, argued that the social contract is not binding when . . .
The government becomes tyrannical. People have the right to reject, remove, and replace governments.
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49. American Government Final Exam Review
Which Greek philosopher first classified the three types of government found in his world in ancient Athens?
Aristotle
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50. Identify Aristotle’s three classifications of government.
Autocracy, Oligarchy, Democracy
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51. American Government Final Exam Review
Autocracy means . . .
Rule by one person.
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52. American Government Final Exam Review
Democracy means . . .
Rule by many.
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53. American Government Final Exam Review
Under this form of government the leadership / control of a nation is concentrated in the hands of very small group of people.
Oligarchy
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54. What are the four essential features of a state (country)?
Population, Territory, Sovereignty, Government
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55. American Government Final Exam Review
What is a political community with definite boundaries and an independent government?
A State
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56. American Government Final Exam Review
What is the institution through which a state maintains social order, provides public services and enforces the nation's laws
Government
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57. American Government Final Exam Review
What is a constitution?
A plan of government
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58. What are the key characteristics of Totalitarianism?
The power of the state is unlimited
The needs of the state come before the needs of the people
All citizens must work for the common goals established by the government
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59. American Government Final Exam Review
What country in the world would be a good example of totalitarian rule?
North Korea
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60. American Government Final Exam Review
Under Fascism, how does the government help to maintain control of the population?
Use of stereotypes (Jews in Nazi Germany) and appeals to racial superiority
Appeal to extreme patriotism
The militarization of society
American Government Final Exam Review

61. What are the four characteristics of a democracy?
It promotes individual liberty, or equal opportunity for all people. It is based on majority rule with minority rights. It requires elections in which candidates can express their views freely, voting requirements are few and non-discriminatory, and each person's vote is equal and cast by secret ballot. It allows competing political parties, with different approaches to issues to give voters a choice.
American Government Final Exam Review