Government CH.1

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GOVERNMENT

Provides structure for:

laws

education system

utility system

basic rights of people

Government organizes laws by enforcing them and changing them.

The government includes senators, members of the house if representatives, and judges.

Laws encourage certain behaviors and punish others.

The preamble lists six specific purposes as to why the constitution was written: a perfect union, establishing justice, domestic tranquility, providing for common defense, promoting general welfare, and securing the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.

The articles of confederation were ratified March 1st, 1781, by second continental congress. The articles of confederation were adopted by congress on Nov. 15th 1777, during the revolutionary war(1775-1783).

The purpose of the constitution was to link the states into a stronger national form of government.

VOCAB:

Political science - The study of the origin, organization, principles, and manner of operation.

Laws - when the government does or does not let you do something.

Preamble - introductory statement that lists the purposes of a document.

Ratification - process by which the consensus approves a new law.

Federal - form of govt. based on constitutional division of powers between national and local governments.

Confederation - alliance of independent state that has a very weak central govt. States have supreme authority, and do not rely on national guidance.

Liberty - Freedom from stupid decisions the govt. makes.

TYPES OF GOVERNMENT Dictatorship - One person has absolute control (mostly uses negative force to control the people)

Democracy - People make their own decisions by electing govt. officials(representatives), to help establish laws that serve the greater good of all the people. A consensus is a majority opinion.

THE PURPOSE OF GOVERNMENT

Social order

Safety(minimize conflicts)

Public services(sewers, roadways, etc.)

Create & maintain sounds economic system

National currency