Lesson 1: Top 10 Things You Should Know About American Government Only Congress can declare war. The Bill of Rights is composed of the first 10 amendments to the Constitution. The Senate confirms presidential appointments. The number of members of the House of Representatives is fixed at 435. Only one president – James Garfield – was elected directing from the House of Representatives. The vice president casts the tie-breaking vote in the Senate. The Speaker of the House is the highest-ranking Congressional officer specified in the Constitution. Congress can override a presidential veto with a two-thirds vote. The attorney general is the highest-ranking law enforcement official in the U.S. The Supreme Court begins a new term on the first Monday in October.
What is a Democracy? A democracy is a system of government that gives power to the people. The word democracy comes from two Greek words – demos, which means “people”, and cracy, which means “rule of.” The United States is a constitutional democracy which has four key elements. A political system that allows the people to choose and replace government officials through free and fair elections. This is representative democracy. Citizens who actively participate in politics and civic life. Protection of the human rights of all people, not just its citizens and not just certain groups. A government that is based on the rule of law and limited by those laws, where the laws apply equally to all.
Democracy can be direct or representative. In democracy, all citizens participate in making public decisions, without elected or appointed officials. A direct democracy works best with small numbers of people. In small groups, members can meet in one place to discuss issues and make decisions by a majority vote. What would it look like if every citizen of the United States had to meet every time a law needed to be voted on?
Types of Government Rule by One: An autocracy is a type of government that is ruled by one person who has total control. It is the oldest form of government. Control is usually kept by military of police power. There are two main types of autocracy: a dictatorship and a monarchy.
Can you name some dictators through- out history? Types of Government In a dictatorship, a ruler called a dictator gains power through force. The people must follow the dictator's polices whether or not they agree with them. If there is a constitution, the dictator controls it. Courts or other lawmaking bodies are also controlled by the dictator. Can you name some dictators through- out history?
Types of Government In a monarchy, a king or queen rules the country for their lifetime. Upon their death, they pass their crown to the next person in their family, usually a first-born child. In the past, monarchs had absolute power. They owned all of the public land and claimed to be representatives of God on earth.
Types of Government Rule by Religion: In a theocracy, government leaders are usually priests or ministers who rule in the name of God or another deity. The country’s laws are based on religious laws. A theocracy can also be a democracy, dictatorship, monarchy, or other kind of government. In a theocracy, a large number of the people have the same religion.
Types of Government Rule by a Few: A small group of people holds all the power, the government is an oligarchy. In some oligarchies, only one group has political rights. The former Soviet Union was an example of an oligarchy. An oligarchy can be totalitarian. This form of government maintains total control over citizens, including all parts of their public and private lives. Totalitarianism is like a dictatorship by a political party instead of by a single person.
Types of Government Rule by the People: Democracies are examples of rule by the people. A republic is a democratic model where the people elect officials to government office. Citizens still hold the power in a republic, because if they do not like what their elected representatives are doing, they can vote them out of office.
No Government At All Some countries that are in the middle of a war or a period of civic unrest have no functioning government. These countries are in a state of anarchy. Anarchists are people who believe that everyone should be free to live without being subject to any government.