Unit 1: Foundations of U.S. Government

What is Government?

• An organization that makes and enforces laws

• A group of people who share the same culture

• A system of beliefs and practices

• A type of economic system

What are Politics?

• The study of the natural world and its resources

• The activities associated with scarce resources within a country or area

• The practice of religious beliefs

• The process of economic exchange

What are the four characteristics of a state?

• Population, territory, sovereignty, government

• Culture, language, religion, economy

• Climate, geography, resources, population

• History, politics, economy, society

What are the five pillars of democracy?

• Equality, majority rule/minority rights, compromise, freedom, and worth of individuals.

• Wealth, power, influence, control, authority

• Religion, culture, tradition, heritage, values

• Education, health, security, welfare, employment

What are the three branches of government?

• Legislative, Executive, Judicial

• Economic, Social, Political

• Federal, State, Local

• Military, Civil, Administrative

Which branch does “Congress” belong to?

• Legislative

• Executive

• Judicial

• Administrative

Which branch does the Supreme Court fall under?

• Legislative

• Executive

• Judicial

• Administrative

Which two branches in a presidential democracy are separate and coequal?

• Legislative and Executive

• Executive and Judicial

• Legislative and Judicial

• Federal and State

The era that produced new ideas about government and natural rights is called:

• The Enlightenment

• The Renaissance

• The Industrial Revolution

• The Middle Ages

What is something that the thinkers of this era would agree on?

• The importance of individual rights and freedoms

• The necessity of a strong monarchy

• The value of traditional religious practices

• The need for economic isolationism