POSC 225 TEST 1 JMU WITH COMPLETE SOLUTIONS
Anarchist - ANSWER One who believes that people are natural cooperators
capable of creating free and decent societies without the need for gov't
Democracy - ANSWER A system of gov't in which the people rule
Oligarchy - ANSWER Rule by the few (as in aristocracy of clerics)
Monarchy - ANSWER Rule by one
Direct Democracy - ANSWER A form of political decision making in which
policies are decided by the people themselves rather than by their
representatives (Town Halls or Referenda)
Representative Democracy - ANSWER Indirect democracy in which the people
rule through elected representatives
Fundamental Principles of Representative Democracy - ANSWER Popular
Sovereignty, Political Equality, and Political Liberty
Popular Sovereignty - ANSWER The people are the ultimate source of gov't
authority and of the policies that gov't leaders make
Autocracy - ANSWER Describes all forms of gov't ruled by a single person or by
a group with total power
Majority Rule - ANSWER Form of political decision making in which policies are
decided based on what a majority of the people want
Political Equality - ANSWER The principle that each person carries equal weight
in the conduct of the public business
1965 Voting Rights Act - ANSWER Law that banned racial discrimination in
voting across the US
Civil Rights - ANSWER Guarantees of equal treatment by gov't official regarding
political rights, the judicial system, and public programs
Political Liberty - ANSWER Citizens in a democracy are protected from gov't
interference in the exercise of a range of basic freedoms such as speech,
association, and conscience
, Social Contract - ANSWER Idea that gov't is the result of an agreement among
people to form one, and that people have the right to create an entirely new gov't
if the contract had been violated
Liberal Democracy - ANSWER representative democracy characterized by
popular sovereignty, liberty, and political equality
Majority Tyranny - ANSWER Suppression of the rights and liberties of a minority
by the majority
Confederation - ANSWER A loose association of states in which very little or no
power is lodged in a central gov't
Constitution - ANSWER The basic framework of law for a nation that prescribes
how gov't is to be organized, how gov't decisions are to be made, and what
powers and responsibilities gov't shall have
Articles of Confederation - ANSWER the first constitution of the United States
adopted during the late stages of the Rev. War, created a system of gov't with
most power lodged in the states and little in the central gov't
Republicanism - ANSWER A political doctrine advocating limited gov't based on
popular consent but protected against majority tyranny
Tyranny - ANSWER The abuse of the inalienable rights of citizens by gov't
Virginia Plan - ANSWER Proposal by the large states at the Constitutional
Convention to create a strong central gov't with power in the gov't apportioned o
the states on the basis of population
New Jersey Plan - ANSWER Proposal of the smaller states at the Constitutional
Convention to create a government with slightly more power in a central
government than under the Articles, with the states equally represented in a
unicameral national legislature.
Connecticut Compromise (Great Compromise) - ANSWER Compromise between
the New Jersey and Virginia plans formulated by the Connecticut delegates at
the Constitutional Convention; called for a lower legislative house based on
population size and an upper house based on equal representation of the states
Electoral College - ANSWER Representatives selected in each of the states,
their numbers based on each state's total number of its senators and reps; a
majority of Electoral College votes elects the president
Federalism - ANSWER A system in which significant gov't powers are divided
between a central gov't and smaller territorial units such as states
Anarchist - ANSWER One who believes that people are natural cooperators
capable of creating free and decent societies without the need for gov't
Democracy - ANSWER A system of gov't in which the people rule
Oligarchy - ANSWER Rule by the few (as in aristocracy of clerics)
Monarchy - ANSWER Rule by one
Direct Democracy - ANSWER A form of political decision making in which
policies are decided by the people themselves rather than by their
representatives (Town Halls or Referenda)
Representative Democracy - ANSWER Indirect democracy in which the people
rule through elected representatives
Fundamental Principles of Representative Democracy - ANSWER Popular
Sovereignty, Political Equality, and Political Liberty
Popular Sovereignty - ANSWER The people are the ultimate source of gov't
authority and of the policies that gov't leaders make
Autocracy - ANSWER Describes all forms of gov't ruled by a single person or by
a group with total power
Majority Rule - ANSWER Form of political decision making in which policies are
decided based on what a majority of the people want
Political Equality - ANSWER The principle that each person carries equal weight
in the conduct of the public business
1965 Voting Rights Act - ANSWER Law that banned racial discrimination in
voting across the US
Civil Rights - ANSWER Guarantees of equal treatment by gov't official regarding
political rights, the judicial system, and public programs
Political Liberty - ANSWER Citizens in a democracy are protected from gov't
interference in the exercise of a range of basic freedoms such as speech,
association, and conscience
, Social Contract - ANSWER Idea that gov't is the result of an agreement among
people to form one, and that people have the right to create an entirely new gov't
if the contract had been violated
Liberal Democracy - ANSWER representative democracy characterized by
popular sovereignty, liberty, and political equality
Majority Tyranny - ANSWER Suppression of the rights and liberties of a minority
by the majority
Confederation - ANSWER A loose association of states in which very little or no
power is lodged in a central gov't
Constitution - ANSWER The basic framework of law for a nation that prescribes
how gov't is to be organized, how gov't decisions are to be made, and what
powers and responsibilities gov't shall have
Articles of Confederation - ANSWER the first constitution of the United States
adopted during the late stages of the Rev. War, created a system of gov't with
most power lodged in the states and little in the central gov't
Republicanism - ANSWER A political doctrine advocating limited gov't based on
popular consent but protected against majority tyranny
Tyranny - ANSWER The abuse of the inalienable rights of citizens by gov't
Virginia Plan - ANSWER Proposal by the large states at the Constitutional
Convention to create a strong central gov't with power in the gov't apportioned o
the states on the basis of population
New Jersey Plan - ANSWER Proposal of the smaller states at the Constitutional
Convention to create a government with slightly more power in a central
government than under the Articles, with the states equally represented in a
unicameral national legislature.
Connecticut Compromise (Great Compromise) - ANSWER Compromise between
the New Jersey and Virginia plans formulated by the Connecticut delegates at
the Constitutional Convention; called for a lower legislative house based on
population size and an upper house based on equal representation of the states
Electoral College - ANSWER Representatives selected in each of the states,
their numbers based on each state's total number of its senators and reps; a
majority of Electoral College votes elects the president
Federalism - ANSWER A system in which significant gov't powers are divided
between a central gov't and smaller territorial units such as states
