...25, 2011 University of Phoenix Ric Hulshoff Branches of Government The founding Fathers of America divided the United States government into three branches of power in order to maintain a system of checks and balances. They did not want a government where one person or one body of government had all the power. The founding fathers of these United States wanted to step away from the totalitarian system of governance imposed on colonial America by the British (Trethan). Three Branches of Government With this thought in mind the founding Fathers of the United States came up with what Americans know now as the Federalist governing system. This Federalist government consists of the executive, the legislative, and the judicial. Each of these branches has its own distinct and essential duties to perform in the function of the United States government (Trethan). Executive Branch The executive branches of the United States government consist of the president, vice-president, and 15 cabinet level departments. These 15 cabinet level departments include the State, Defense, Interior, Transportation, and Education. The chief point of power is in the hands of the president. The president chooses his vice president, cabinet members, and appoints the Supreme Court Justices. The primary function of the executive branch is to ensure the laws are carried out, the constitution is followed, and that the day to day operations like collecting taxes, homeland security...
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...Ch01-003-p005 Which of the following is the best explanation of why most American Indian reservations are in the West today? b. European settlers and the U.S. government pushed Indian tribes westward. 4. Ch01-004-p006 Enlightenment thinkers argued that the world could be improved through b. human reason, science, and religious toleration. 5. Ch01-005-p007 The House of Burgesses was c. the first representative assembly in North America. 6. Ch01-006-p008 A social contract theory of government was proposed by d. Locke and Hobbes. 7. Ch01-007-p009 Locke's Second Treatise on Civil Government sets out a theory of e. natural rights. 8. Ch01-008-p010 Congress's authority to check the president's judicial appointment power is a concept that can be attributed largely to the ideas of d. Charles-Louis, the Second Baron of Montesquieu. 9. Ch01-009-p010 Why was indirect democracy a necessary alternative to direct democracy? b. It became increasingly difficult to bring all the colonists together in the decision-making process. 10. Ch01-010-p010 Aristotle attempted to devise a way to classify governments. Critical to his analyses was knowledge of d. whom citizens were ruled by and in whose interest. 11. Ch01-011-p011 In an oligarchy, rule is by b. the few. 12. Ch01-012-p011 American political culture embodies many key concepts including I. absolute personal liberty. II. political equality. III. majority...
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...Exam 4 – Essay #1 The United States Congress is a bicameral legislature that was created with the Connecticut Compromise during the Constitutional Convention of 1787. There are two chambers, the House and the Senate, that are directly elected by the people. The role of Congress is to make law. The House creates tax bills and votes to impeach, while the Senate approves treaties, appointments, and votes to convict the impeached. The Senate is considered the “upper house” because it is more exclusive as there are only 100 members as compared to 435 members of the House. To be a Senator, one must be thirty years of age and a U.S. citizen for at least nine years. House members must be twenty-five years of age and a citizen for only seven years. Another reason the Senate more exclusive is that their term is six years long, but members of the House are up for re-election every two years. Although the Congress is comprised mostly of white males, the number of women, African Americans, and Latinos has increased dramatically since 1991. Each chamber in Congress greatly differs in the people they represent. Members of the House are elected from districts that are apportioned according to how many people live in the area, while there are two Senators from each state regardless of the population of that state. Members of the House usually deal more with local issues, because their constituents are from a specific area, usually relatively small compared to the size of the state. Senators...
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... A.P US History Court Cases I. Marbury v. Madison a) Issue: i) Judicial v. Executive and Congressional Power ii) Judicial review/separation of powers b) Background: i) 1803 ii) In his last few hours in office, President John Adams made a series of “midnight appointments” to fill as many government posts as possible with Federalists. One of these appointments was William Marbury as a federal justice of the peace. However, Thomas Jefferson took over as President before the appointment was officially given to Marbury. Jefferson, a Republican, instructed Secretary of State James Madison to not deliver the appointment. Marbury sued Madison to get the appointment he felt he deserved. He asked the Court to issue a writ of mandamus, requiring Madison to deliver the appointment. The Judiciary Act, passed by Congress in 1789, permitted the Supreme Court of the United States to issue such a writ iii) Supreme Court must decide constitutionality of Judiciary Act c) Decision: i) John Marshall declares Judiciary Act unconstitutional ii) The Supreme Court has the right of judiciary review d) Significance: i) Impact of Marshall Court ii) Strengthened the judiciary in relation to other branches of government iii) Allows Supreme Court to interpret the Constitution and declare laws unconstitutional II. McCulloch v. Maryland a) Issue: i) Supremacy v. State Rights ii) Elastic Clause iii)...
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...Chapter 1 British Policy Incites a Rebellion - 1756-1763, Britain and France were in the Seven Years’ War, a conflict that had involved all major European powers. - Sugar Act (1764)- Including increase on taxes on imported goods such as molasses, coffee, and textiles. Monarchy: One person in charge. Very efficient, poor decisions. Oligarchy: Small group of people in charge. Can take form of a dictatorship. Nazi, Soviet Union (A junta: in charge of military small groups can also be a small group of religious leaders) Democracy: Power lies in the hand of the people. Basically a representative democracy, meaning we chose the people to make decisions. The dominant form of government today. Totalitarianism: The government was total control. Purpose is to implement the “utopian” society. Neg. side: They have to control everything, takes up a lot of resources. Gov. is inflexible, which leads to destruction of government. Authoritarianism: They don’t control everything, just enough. There isn’t a utopian vision. They control the military and the police. Only what they need to control. China is a midway point between Totalitarianism and Authoritarianism. Constitutionalism: A limited form of government. Powers are usually spelled out in a constitution that the government is obligated to follow. They are either being a democracy/monarchy. U.S is a democracy and England is a monarch. Hobbes: Claimed that we lived in a state of nature and not a good place to be. He believed were...
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...US/AZ Government-Pre-Test Section 1 of this examination contains 100 multiple-choice questions. Therefore, please be careful to fill in only the ovals that are preceded by numbers 1 through 100 on your answer sheet. After you have decided which of the suggested answers is best, COMPLETELY fill in the corresponding oval on the answer sheet. Give only one answer to each question. If you change an answer, be sure that the previous mark is erased completely. 1) The Preamble to the Constitution begins A) "We the People . . ." B) "Four score and seven years ago . . ." C) "When in the course of human events . . ." D) "In order to form a more perfect Union . . .” E) "These are the times that try men's souls . . .” 2) A social contract theory of government was proposed by A) Plato and Aristotle. B) Aquinas and Luther. C) Newton and the separatists. D) Locke and Hobbes. E) Plato and Luther. 3) Locke's Second Treatise on Civil Government sets out a theory of A) the divine rights of kings. B) aristocracy. C) democracy. D) republicanism. E) natural rights. 4) Indirect democracy is based on A) consensus. B) unanimity. C) the system of government used in ancient Greece. D) representation. E) "mob rule." 5) Republics are A) representative democracies. B) direct democracies. C) a hallmark of unitary governments. D) frequently found in totalitarian regimes. E) another name for states. 6) Who was the major author of the Declaration of Independence? A) George...
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...; ♥ But more importantly: background information about some of the critical ways in which the American legal system is unique, and differs from legal systems elsewhere in the world. This is hard: often you will find that your professors or fellow‐students will make assumptions or presuppose certain ways of doing things that aren’t explained in class. A large goal of this course is to explain those assumptions, and make them explicit. >> UNIQUENESS OF AMERICAN LEGAL SYSTEMS Briefly, there are four aspects of the American legal system that set it apart: 1) Inherited common law, existing out of three components: (a) judicial power; (b) civil jury trial; (c) law‐equity ; 2) Written Constitution and Bill of Rights; judicial...
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...Puerto Rico on November 19, 1493. 4) First successful English colony was established in 1607, on the James River at Jamestown. 5) The Pilgrims established at Plymouth Colony. 6) Mayflower Compact was established for people to govern themselves. 7) Colonies characterized by religious diversity many congregatinalists in the Middle colonies. 8) First Great Awakening in the 1740s led by Jonathan Edwards. 9) French and Indian War (1754-1763) was a watershed event in the political development of the colonies. 10) Stamp Acts of 1765 was enforced and imposed a tax on the colonies following the Seven Years War. 11) Boston Tea Party in 1773 protest against British taxes and government. * Key Court Cases: Witchcraft trials (1480-1750) executions of innocent people that were accused of being witches or involving with any witchcraft. * Important Documents 1) Mayflower Compact 2) Pennsylvania Charter of Privileges * Most influential person- Christopher Columbus * People establishing themselves in the new world and establishing a self governing government. Unit Two The Revolutionary War & Founding the New Nation (Ch. 6-9) * Years-1774-1789 * Presidents-None * Foreign Policies/Key Events 1) Plan of 1776 sets out...
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...Puerto Rico on November 19, 1493. 4) First successful English colony was established in 1607, on the James River at Jamestown. 5) The Pilgrims established at Plymouth Colony. 6) Mayflower Compact was established for people to govern themselves. 7) Colonies characterized by religious diversity many congregatinalists in the Middle colonies. 8) First Great Awakening in the 1740s led by Jonathan Edwards. 9) French and Indian War (1754-1763) was a watershed event in the political development of the colonies. 10) Stamp Acts of 1765 was enforced and imposed a tax on the colonies following the Seven Years War. 11) Boston Tea Party in 1773 protest against British taxes and government. * Key Court Cases: Witchcraft trials (1480-1750) executions of innocent people that were accused of being witches or involving with any witchcraft. * Important Documents 1) Mayflower Compact 2) Pennsylvania Charter of Privileges * Most influential person- Christopher Columbus * People establishing themselves in the new world and establishing a self governing government. Unit Two The Revolutionary War & Founding the New Nation (Ch. 6-9) * Years-1774-1789 * Presidents-None * Foreign Policies/Key Events 1) Plan of 1776 sets out basic...
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...Puerto Rico on November 19, 1493. 4) First successful English colony was established in 1607, on the James River at Jamestown. 5) The Pilgrims established at Plymouth Colony. 6) Mayflower Compact was established for people to govern themselves. 7) Colonies characterized by religious diversity many congregatinalists in the Middle colonies. 8) First Great Awakening in the 1740s led by Jonathan Edwards. 9) French and Indian War (1754-1763) was a watershed event in the political development of the colonies. 10) Stamp Acts of 1765 was enforced and imposed a tax on the colonies following the Seven Years War. 11) Boston Tea Party in 1773 protest against British taxes and government. * Key Court Cases: Witchcraft trials (1480-1750) executions of innocent people that were accused of being witches or involving with any witchcraft. * Important Documents 1) Mayflower Compact 2) Pennsylvania Charter of Privileges * Most influential person- Christopher Columbus * People establishing themselves in the new world and establishing a self governing government. Unit Two The Revolutionary War & Founding the New Nation (Ch. 6-9) * Years-1774-1789 * Presidents-None * Foreign Policies/Key Events 1) Plan of 1776 sets out...
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...Role * Judicial Review * ROL→ Congress may neither restrict nor enlarge the Supreme Court’s original jurisdiction. * Marbury v. Madison * →Established Judicial Review. Court Held that a writ of mandamus to deliver a commission made by John Adams fell under the Sup. Court's appellate jurisdiction and therefore could not be brought in that court originally under Art. III b/c it is repugnant to the Constitution * →Supreme Court Authority to Review State Court Judgments * ROL→ The United States appellate power also extends to REVIEW state court judgments * →Judiciary Act of 1789, § 25: Provides for supreme court review of final decisions of the highest state courts rejecting claims based on federal law * Martin v. Hunter's Lessee * →A Virginia citizen willed his Virginia land to his nephew, P, a British subject and resident of England. Virginia, according to state law, had the right to confiscate land owned by British subjects and did so. Virginia granted this land to D, who then ejected P from the land. But, the treaties of 1783 and 1794 with Great Britain had anti-confiscation laws saying that the states won’t take the land of British citizens. Supreme Court exerted its authority to review the Virginia court's judgment and held that Supremacy Clause declares that the Federal interpretation will trump the States interpretation) * Cohens v. Virginia ...
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...TExES I Texas Examinations of Educator Standards Preparation Manual 133 History 8–12 Copyright © 2006 by the Texas Education Agency (TEA). All rights reserved. The Texas Education Agency logo and TEA are registered trademarks of the Texas Education Agency. Texas Examinations of Educator Standards, TExES, and the TExES logo are trademarks of the Texas Education Agency. This publication has been produced for the Texas Education Agency (TEA) by ETS. ETS is under contract to the Texas Education Agency to administer the Texas Examinations of Educator Standards (TExES) program and the Certification of Educators in Texas (ExCET) program. The TExES program and the Examination for the Certification of Educators in Texas (ExCET) program are administered under the authority of the Texas Education Agency; regulations and standards governing the program are subject to change at the discretion of the Texas Education Agency. The Texas Education Agency and ETS do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, or disability in the administration of the testing program or the provision of related services. PREFACE The State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) has developed new standards for Texas educators that delineate what the beginning educator should know and be able to do. These standards, which are based on the state-required curriculum for students—the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS)—form the basis for new Texas Examinations...
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...OUTLINE OF U.S. HISTORY OUTLINE OF OUTLINE OF U.S. HISTORY C O N T E N T S CHAPTER 1 Early America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 CHAPTER 2 The Colonial Period . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 CHAPTER 3 The Road to Independence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 CHAPTER 4 The Formation of a National Government . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 CHAPTER 5 Westward Expansion and Regional Differences . . . . . . . 110 CHAPTER 6 Sectional Conflict . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128 CHAPTER 7 The Civil War and Reconstruction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140 CHAPTER 8 Growth and Transformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154 CHAPTER 9 Discontent and Reform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188 CHAPTER 10 War, Prosperity, and Depression . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202 CHAPTER 11 The New Deal and World War I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212 CHAPTER 12 Postwar America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256 CHAPTER 13 Decades of Change: 1960-1980 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274 CHAPTER 14 The New Conservatism and a New World Order . . . . . . 304 CHAPTER 15 Bridge to the 21st Century . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320 PICTURE PROFILES Becoming a Nation . . . . . . . . . . . . . ....
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