POLS 1101:American Government Exam 1
chapters 1-4 Questions and Answers
what are the defining features of "government" - -A set of institutions that endures over
time and that, in relation to the people of a particular territory, authoritatively makes and
enforces laws.
-Definition of Legislature - -a set of institution of government that makes laws.
-Definition of Executive Branch - -a set of institutions of government with authority to put
laws into effect, including but not limited to, through the use of physical force by police or
military.
-Definition of Bureaucratic agencies - -organizational units within the executive branch of
government responsible for implementing specific public policies and/or providing public
services.
-Definition of Judicial Branch - -the branch of government consisting of courts of law
-Definition of Courts - -tribunals with authority to resolve legal disputes between parties
and that make authoritative judgments that guide and limit executive branch enforcement
and implementation of laws.
-Georgia General Assembly - -What is the name of the legislature of the government of the
State of Georgia?
-Congress - -What is the name of the legislature of the federal government of the United
States?
-1. Senate
2. House of Representatives - -What are the names of the two chambers of the legislature
of the government of the State of Georgia?
-1. Senate
2. House of Representatives - -What are the names of the two chambers of the legislature
of the federal government of the United States
-What is Federalism? - -authority is partly divided and partly shared between the federal
government and the fifty state governments.
-What is Separation of Powers? - -principle of government that means legislative,
executive, and judicial powers are exercised by three separate branches of government
consisting of distinct institutions that are staffed by officials who serve in only one
institution at a time.
, -Authority (as in A having authority over B)?? - -Authority- A has authority over B to
extent that A has a right to issue commands to B and to expect B to obey those commands.
-Legitimate claim to authority? - -Legitimate claim to authority- a rightful or justified claim
to authority over
another.
-Power (as in A having power over B)? - -Power- A has power over B to the extent that A
can get B to do what B would not otherwise do.
-Ordinances? - -laws made by the city (municipal) legislatures
-Statutes? - -laws made by congress or state legislatures
-Regulations? - -rules made by bureaucratic agencies that have the force of law
-Why, according to the textbook, is Max Weber's definition of government (as that which
has "a monopoly over the legitimate use of force over a territory") misleading? - --
International Law; Rules and principles governing the relations and dealings of
independent national governments with each other
-"Conscription" (Draft): Government-mandated enlisted in the military.
-What does it mean to be "sovereign"? Whom (or what) is considered to be sovereign in
the United States? - -*To have sovereignty is to be the highest authority to rule over a given
territory
*People are considered to be sovereign. "Popular sovereignty" which is the idea that people
of a particular territory have the highest authority to rule over that territory.
-Positive Incentives? - -Benefits by hope of something good happening or something bad
not happening. (carrots)
-Negative Incentives? - -Fear, Burden (Sticks)
-what is the power of the purse? - -the "power of the purse" is the government's ability to
influence behavior by using money through taxing and/or spending's as a positive
incentive and/or a negative incentive. The legislature branch controls the power of the
purse
-what is the power of the sword? - -the "power of the sword" refers to the government's
ability to influence behavior by using, or threatening to use, physical force through the
police or military. The executive branch controls the power of the sword.
-what are public goods? - -goods that once provided , no one in a group can be excluded
from enjoying
chapters 1-4 Questions and Answers
what are the defining features of "government" - -A set of institutions that endures over
time and that, in relation to the people of a particular territory, authoritatively makes and
enforces laws.
-Definition of Legislature - -a set of institution of government that makes laws.
-Definition of Executive Branch - -a set of institutions of government with authority to put
laws into effect, including but not limited to, through the use of physical force by police or
military.
-Definition of Bureaucratic agencies - -organizational units within the executive branch of
government responsible for implementing specific public policies and/or providing public
services.
-Definition of Judicial Branch - -the branch of government consisting of courts of law
-Definition of Courts - -tribunals with authority to resolve legal disputes between parties
and that make authoritative judgments that guide and limit executive branch enforcement
and implementation of laws.
-Georgia General Assembly - -What is the name of the legislature of the government of the
State of Georgia?
-Congress - -What is the name of the legislature of the federal government of the United
States?
-1. Senate
2. House of Representatives - -What are the names of the two chambers of the legislature
of the government of the State of Georgia?
-1. Senate
2. House of Representatives - -What are the names of the two chambers of the legislature
of the federal government of the United States
-What is Federalism? - -authority is partly divided and partly shared between the federal
government and the fifty state governments.
-What is Separation of Powers? - -principle of government that means legislative,
executive, and judicial powers are exercised by three separate branches of government
consisting of distinct institutions that are staffed by officials who serve in only one
institution at a time.
, -Authority (as in A having authority over B)?? - -Authority- A has authority over B to
extent that A has a right to issue commands to B and to expect B to obey those commands.
-Legitimate claim to authority? - -Legitimate claim to authority- a rightful or justified claim
to authority over
another.
-Power (as in A having power over B)? - -Power- A has power over B to the extent that A
can get B to do what B would not otherwise do.
-Ordinances? - -laws made by the city (municipal) legislatures
-Statutes? - -laws made by congress or state legislatures
-Regulations? - -rules made by bureaucratic agencies that have the force of law
-Why, according to the textbook, is Max Weber's definition of government (as that which
has "a monopoly over the legitimate use of force over a territory") misleading? - --
International Law; Rules and principles governing the relations and dealings of
independent national governments with each other
-"Conscription" (Draft): Government-mandated enlisted in the military.
-What does it mean to be "sovereign"? Whom (or what) is considered to be sovereign in
the United States? - -*To have sovereignty is to be the highest authority to rule over a given
territory
*People are considered to be sovereign. "Popular sovereignty" which is the idea that people
of a particular territory have the highest authority to rule over that territory.
-Positive Incentives? - -Benefits by hope of something good happening or something bad
not happening. (carrots)
-Negative Incentives? - -Fear, Burden (Sticks)
-what is the power of the purse? - -the "power of the purse" is the government's ability to
influence behavior by using money through taxing and/or spending's as a positive
incentive and/or a negative incentive. The legislature branch controls the power of the
purse
-what is the power of the sword? - -the "power of the sword" refers to the government's
ability to influence behavior by using, or threatening to use, physical force through the
police or military. The executive branch controls the power of the sword.
-what are public goods? - -goods that once provided , no one in a group can be excluded
from enjoying
