Fundamental Government Principles

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What are checks and balances?

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A system that allows each branch of a government to amend or veto acts of another branch to prevent any one branch from having too much power.

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Define consent.

Back

Permission for something to happen or agreement to do something (noun); giving permission for something to happen (verb).

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What is consent of the governed?

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A government dependent on the consent of the people, as expressed by votes in elections.

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What is democracy?

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A system of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly.

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Define direct democracy.

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A form of government where policies and laws are decided by a majority of all those eligible to vote rather than by a body of elected representatives.

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What is federalism?

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A mode of government that combines a central or 'federal' government with regional governments (state and local) in a single political system, dividing the powers between the two.

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Define govern.

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To conduct the policy, actions, and affairs of a state, organization, or people.

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What is indirect democracy?

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Citizens elect individuals who make decisions on their behalf on how the government should operate.

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What is limited government?

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A government that only has those powers delegated to it by law, often through a written constitution.

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Define popular sovereignty.

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A government based on the consent of the people.