SAMPLE American Government
Chapter 1: United States Government Background Overview U.S.Governmentisthestudyofthehistoricalbackgrounds,governingprinciples,andinstitutionsofthe governmentwithintheUnitedStates.Thischaptercomprisestheprinciples,beliefsandhistorythatthe United States was founded upon. The structure, functions, and powers of government, aswellasthe principlesofpopularsovereignty,separationofpowers,checksandbalances,republicanism,federalism, and individual rights as all primary foci. Learning Objectives 1. Understand governmental structure, TheoriesofDemocracy,theSeparationofPowersandthe System of Checks and Balances. 2. BeabletoidentifyFederalism,ArticlesofConfederation,Three-FifthsCompromise,BillofRights and The Federalist Papers 3. Understand the development ofMajorityRule,MinorityRights,theGreatCompromise,andthe formulation and adoption of the Constitution. A. United States Government Background At the end of this chapter, you should be able to:
The Government oftheUnitedStatesisdefined asarepresentativedemocracy.Ademocracyisa government in which political power influences institutions,leaders,andpoliciesandrestsinthe handsofthepeople.Arepublicisagovernment that does not haveamonarch.Thegovernment sets rules for a society and tries to keep it running smoothly, securely, and peacefully.
Some of the main functions of the government include:
Creating and enforcing laws : The government is responsible for creating laws intended to promote publicsafety,protecttherightsofcitizens,andmaintainorderwithinthecountry.Itisalsoresponsible for enforcing these laws through various agencies, such as the police and the judicial system. Providing public goods and services: The government provides several goods and services that are considered essential to the well-being of society, such as education, healthcare, and infrastructure. Managing the economy : The government plays a significant role in managing the country'seconomy through various tools, including monetary policy (conducted by the Federal Reserve)andfiscalpolicy (conducted through the budget process).
© 2024 ACHIEVE ULTIMATE CREDIT-BY-EXAM GUIDE|AMERICAN GOVERNMENT
1
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker