Three Systems of Government Unitary System-centralized government in which local governments exercise only those powers given to them by the central government Confederal System -consists of a league of independent states, each having essentially sovereign power Federal system-power is divided by a written constitution between a central government and
Civil rights all rights rooted in the Fourteenth Amendments guarantee of equal protection under the law what the government must do to ensure equal protection what the government must do to ensure freedom from discrimination
Defining Interest Groups and Political Parties What is an Interest Group? an organized group of individuals who share common goals or objectives who attempt to influence policymakers in all three branches of government, and at all levels What is a political party?
Why was Congress Created? founders feared tyrannical rulers founders also had experienced the weakness of the congress under the Articles of Confederation bicameralism attempts to balance the power among large and small states
Who Is Eligible to Run for office there are few eligibility requirements to run for most U.S. offices President must be a natural born citizen must be 35 years old must be a resident of the country for 14 years before inauguration Vice President must be a natural born citizen must be 35 years old
Defining Public Opinion Public Opinion-the- aggregate of individual attitudes or beliefs shared by some portion of the adult population -Consensus opinions-when there is general agreement among the citizenry on an issue - Divisive opinionswhen- public opinion is polarized between two quite different positions
Civil Liberties versus civil Rights civil liberties involve restraining the government's action against individuals civil rights are rights all individuals share as provided for in the 14th amendment, which guarantees equal protection under the law
The Policy Making Process agenda building --identifying a problem and getting it on the agenda policy formulation -the debate that occurs between government officials, and between the public in the media, and in campaigns
