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
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?
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
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
What is Foreign policy? ~ nation's' external goals and techniques and strategies used to achieve them American foreign policy includes national security policy, which is policy designed to protect the independence and the political and economic integrity of the United States
The Common Law Tradition common law-judge made law that originated in England and was derived from prevailing customs precedent-a court ruling bearing on subsequent legal decisions in similar cases - emanates from stare decisis, or standing on decided cases
The Many roles of the President chief of state-the role of the president as the ceremonial head of government chief executive-- the role of the president as the head of the executive branch of the government commander in chief of the armed forces-- the role of the president as the supreme commander of military forces of the U.S
