Unit 1: Foundations of US Democracy exam well done 2024/2025.

Distrust of a single leader with absolute power, a feeling based on bad experiences under the constraints of the British monarchy, emerged as an important theme for the Framers of the US Constitution. Yet the framers developed a form of government that includes a central leader, the president, as the head of the executive branch. This leader is responsible for carrying out the actions of government necessary to enact the laws passed by Congress. In your opinion, how well does the Constitution strike a balance of authority among the three branches of government? Explain your view using examples from recent and current events. - AnswersIt is difficult to say that the three branches are balanced because the Judicial branch seems more powerful than the other two. This is seen by The Supreme court does not give the presidential candidate his right to know if he won or lost the election. Or how the president elected is supposed to apply the good initiatives but the Court can diminish the power of that decision. Record your initial thoughts and understandings of the US government in the table provided. - AnswersStructure and Institutions: - The United States has a president, the Congress, and the Supreme Court. They represent the three branches of government. - The United States is a representative democracy, or republic. - The United States has a strong central government, but states also have many powers to rule day-to-day activities. Important Documents: - The Constitution stands as the foundation of the US government and society. - The Declaration of Independence holds important US ideals about freedom and equality. - The Articles of Confederation created the first government of the country. Guiding Principles: - Americans believe strongly in limited government. Limited government protects individual liberties such as religious freedom, equality, and justice. - Many Americans believe in individualism and entrepreneurship. - Americans believe in government of the people, by the people, and for the people. Americans promote democracy around the world. Now compare your notes with different online sources about the US government, including this resource from the Government Printing Office. How do the notes you made in the table compare with the information you located in your online research? - AnswersAnswers will vary. This is simply a place to capture your notes when comparing your work to online resources. - Name of Government & Issuing Agency, Title of Publication, Author(s) First-name Last-name. Publication/Report Number, Place of Publication: Publisher, Year. Based on your own understanding and information in this lesson, what characteristics of the Confederate States of America made it a confederal government when compared to the government of the United States? - AnswersThe Confederate States of America had a weaker central government than the United States, and individual states had more sovereignty and power than US states. The central government of the Confederate States handled only foreign issues or national economic issues. Ruler(s) may come to power through revolution or coup d'état or be elected democratically and then seize power. - Answersdictatorship A single party rules and controls all aspects of society and everyday life. - Answerstotalitarian A religious leader or hierarchy rules. - Answerstheocracy Authority is derived from nobility, family lineage, or the "divine right of kings." - Answersmonarchy A small group of powerful, often wealthy, citizens is in charge. - Answersoligarchy In a one- to two-paragraph response, explain how the Nazis and the Khmer Rouge each rose to power. - AnswersBoth the Nazis and the Khmer Rouge rose to power during times of political unrest and economic despair in their countries. Adolf Hitler and the Nazis gained support and power by blaming left-wing politicians, communists, and Jews for the defeat of Germany in World War I and the subsequent problems the country faced in the late 1920s and early 1930s. As the German economy improved under Nazi rule, Hitler and the Nazis gained more power. The Khmer Rouge gained power during a similar time of struggle in Cambodia. Cambodians had battled French colonization for decades. In the early 1970s, while the Vietnam War raged on the Cambodian border, a military coup supported by the United States toppled the Cambodian government. A civil war soon began, and the Cambodian communist party, also known as the Khmer Rouge, became a major factor in the fighting. As the fighting continued, more Cambodians began supporting the Khmer Rouge, who soon gained control of the country by defeating those who had led the military coup. What similarities existed in the two countries that allowed the Nazis and the Khmer Rouge to gain power? - AnswersThe political unrest and economic instability of the 1920s and the 1970s provided an opportunity for extreme political parties to blame more-moderate political parties or the ruling government for either not doing enough to solve the country's issues or for causing the problems in the first place. In both 1920s Germany and 1970s Cambodia, these circumstances allowed these authoritarian groups, the Nazis and the Khmer Rouge, to climb to power. What was life like living under the Nazis in 1930s Germany and the Khmer Rouge in 1970s Cambodia? How did the everyday lives of the citizens in each nation compare? - AnswersThe citizens of 1930s Germany and 1970s Cambodia dealt with ruthless dictators and corrupt, vicious governments. The Nazis and the Khmer Rouge turned their countries into police states, with frequent arrests and violence. Both the Nazis and the Khmer Rouge persecuted anyone they deemed "impure." The Nazis and the Khmer Rouge ultimately killed millions of their own citizens in concentration camps and executions. Throughout the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, democratization has become a growing movement. Democratization refers to the level of personal freedoms and democratic institutions within a certain country. For this task, you will analyze the importance of democratization indicators and compare the levels of democracy of three nations. Skim this document on how officials determine democratization levels. Pay attention to different terms and the democracy indicators described. Next, compare the democracy levels of the United States, Iran, and Russia. Pay attention to the level of civil liberties (from 0 - 60) and political rights (from 0 - 40) in each nation. Note that a lower number represents less freedom. You can refer to this rating system for more information. In the table provided below, report your findings on the level of democracy in each nation in terms of political rights and civil liberties. - AnswersUnited States: -Civil Liberties: The rating for the United States is 53/60 in terms of civil liberties. With Americans' firm belief in limited government and the importance of civil liberties, the government structure and independent organizations help protect civil liberties. -Political Rights: The United States has a rating of 33/40 for political rights, meaning citizens have the freedom to elect their representatives and to protest peacefully. Iran: -Civil Liberties Iran scores 10/60, which puts it in the second last category. This means the country restricts civil liberties. During the presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (), civil liberties and human rights became an issue of discussion and protest. -Political Rights: Iran also scored 7/40 for political rights. According to the article, Iran suffers from gender inequality: women cannot serve as judges and are excluded from public office. Russia: -Civil Liberties: Russia scored 15/60 in civil liberties, which falls into the lowest category. F rates Russia as "not free." President Vladimir Putin has cracked down on civil liberties, including organizations that promote democracy in Russia. -Political Rights: Russia is rated 5/40 for political rights. President Vladimir Putin has altered laws in order to stay in power, which means Russian citizens do not enjoy the right to free and fair elections. Putin held the presidency for two four-year terms, which the Russian constitution allowed. However, he placed Dmitry Medvedev in the presidency for one term. Putin returned to the presidency in 2012, sidestepping the constitution. Review the table, which shows the requirements of citizenship for ancient Athens, ancient Rome, and the modern United States. How has the idea of citizenship changed throughout history? - AnswersIn ancient Athens and Rome, citizenship was not offered to everyone. In Athens and Rome, only free men were allowed to be citizens and only citizens had rights, including the right to vote. In the United States, citizenship has been expanded to include everyone born within the borders of the nation or born to American parents in another country. People can also apply to become citizens. All citizens are allowed to vote and run for most elective offices. According to the article, how did the Magna Carta restrict the power of the king? What benefit did the nobles receive from restricting the king? - AnswersIn clause 12, the king is restricted in the types of taxes he can impose without approval of the Great Council (a group made up of the nobles). This restricted his ability to raise taxes for wars. This had been the main concern of the nobles in the years preceding the document, because taxes had been raised to fund a war against France. The nobility benefited because the Magna Carta defined individual rights and emphasized the role of laws in society. Clause 39 states, for example, that people should be punished only after a ruling by their peers (similar to the idea of a jury trial) or by the sanctions of the law. Also, the phrase "no free man" implies that all people should be treated equally under the law. By emphasizing this ideal, the Magna Carta restricted the king's ability to punish his subjects. Which part of English society was completely exempted from restrictions under the Magna Carta? - AnswersUnder Clause 1, the church was exempted from the Magna Carta. The nobles made clear that the church should be free from interference of the king and nobility. An interesting point was that the nobles explicitly included the phrase "for us and our heirs forever," which means that they envisioned no point when government should be involved in the affairs of the church. This can be seen as a precursor to the philosophy regarding separation of church and state that emerged in the Enlightenment. Which powers were left to the king? What was important about the powers that remained with the king? - AnswersAccording to clause 12, the king retained the right to tax the people on issues relating to a monarch's ransom, the ability to knight his heir, and the ability to raise a dowry for his daughter. By retaining some power to tax, the document implied that the monarchy was still an important aspect of the government. Explain how clause 39 of the Magna Carta was influential to the American Revolution. - AnswersClause 39 was influential to the American Revolution because it outlined the individual rights of citizens. The early colonists considered themselves to be English, so they believed that they also were accorded these rights, which we now call "due process." In the list of grievances section of the Declaration of Independence, the colonists mentioned instances where the judicial rights outlined in clause 39 were ignored. By insisting on including the rights of individuals, the Founding Fathers made the Magna Carta, and especially clause 39, an important ideal in the American Revolution. Which Enlightenment idea is expressed in this excerpt from the Declaration of Independence? - All people are equal under the law. - Government's power should be determined by the people. - People are born with natural rights. - Government's power is established by God. - Answers- People are born with natural rights. Research the positions of Thomas Hobbes and John Locke on social contract theory. Once you have finished analyzing the sources and your notes, write a short (two- to three-paragraph) reflective essay comparing and contrasting the social contract theories of the two philosophers. Be sure to include specific examples from the lesson and outside sources. Your essay should include examples explaining the different interpretations of social contract theory. It might include these points: -Hobbes - The state of nature is a state of war. - A state of war makes people very individualistic and out for themselves. - Human reason pushes for people to come together for protection. - Submitting to authority is a necessity for protection. - The preferred form of government is monarchy, which is needed for absolute authority. - Self defense is an acceptable reason for disobedience to authority. -Locke - The state of nature i - AnswersBoth English philosophers, Hobbes and Locke, believed there is a "social contract" -- that governments are formed by the will of the people. But their theories on why people want to live under governments were very different. Thomas Hobbes published his political theory in Leviathan in 1651, following the chaos and destruction of the English Civil War. He saw human beings as naturally suspicious of one another, in competition with each other, and evil toward one another as a result. Forming a government meant giving up personal liberty, but gaining security against what would otherwise be a situation of every person at war with every other person. John Locke published his Two Treatises on Civil Government in 1690, following the mostly peaceful transition of government power that was the Glorious Revolution in England. Locke believed people are born as blank slates--with no preexisting knowledge or moral leanings. Experience then guides them to the knowledge and the best form of life, and they choose to form governments to make life and society better.