GED Social Studies Democratic Principles and Types of Government Summary

In a representative democracy, voters choose people (representatives) to make laws and decisions for them. Americans elect members of Congress, a President, state lawmakers, and local officials. Another name for this system is a republic.

Wrong choices

• A king shares power with an elected parliament: A king sharing power with a parliament is a constitutional monarchy, such as the United Kingdom.
• Citizens vote directly on every law: Voting directly on every law is a direct democracy. In the U.S., most laws are made by elected lawmakers.
• The army chooses the country's leaders: Leaders chosen by the army is a military government, not a democracy.

Federalism divides power between the national (federal) government and the states. The national government handles things like printing money and foreign affairs. States handle things like driver's licenses and public schools. Some powers, such as taxing, are shared.

Wrong choices

• Citizens vote directly on all laws: Voting directly on laws is direct democracy.
• All power belongs to the national government: If all power belonged to the national government, it would be a unitary system, not federalism.
• Power is divided among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches: Dividing power among three branches is separation of powers. Federalism is about levels of government.

Natural rights are rights every person has from birth, such as life and liberty. "Unalienable" means they cannot be taken away. This idea came from thinkers such as John Locke, and the Declaration used it to argue that a government that violates these rights can be replaced.

Wrong choices

• Separation of powers: Separation of powers divides government into branches. The line does not mention branches.
• Checks and balances: Checks and balances are about branches limiting one another. The line is about rights people are born with.
• Federalism: Federalism is about dividing power between national and state governments. The line does not talk about levels of government.

"Consent of the governed" means a government is fair only if the people agree to be ruled by it. This idea is also called popular sovereignty (the people are the final source of power). The U.S. Constitution begins with "We the People" for the same reason.

Wrong choices

• From the military: The line does not mention military force. It says power is just only when the people agree to it.
• From the king or queen: The Declaration was written to reject the king's rule over the colonies. It says power comes from the governed, not from a monarch.
• From the courts: The courts are part of government. The line says government's power comes from outside it, from the people.

In a direct democracy, the people vote on laws themselves instead of choosing someone to do it for them. A New England town meeting, where residents vote on the town budget, works this way.

Wrong choices

• A king or queen: A king or queen ruling describes a monarchy, not a democracy.
• The leaders of one political party: Rule by one party's leaders is not democracy at all.
• Representatives the citizens elect: That describes a representative democracy, where elected officials make the laws.

Rule of law means that laws apply to everyone equally, including government officials. No one is above the law. A powerful official who breaks the law can be tried and punished like any other person.

Wrong choices

• Popular sovereignty: Popular sovereignty means the people are the source of government power. The example is about leaders having to obey the law.
• Federalism: Federalism is the division of power between national and state governments. The example is not about levels of government.
• Majority rule: Majority rule means decisions are made by the larger group of voters. No vote happens in the example.

Constitutionalism (limited government) means the government's power is defined and limited by a constitution. The U.S. Constitution gives powers to each branch and also lists things government cannot do, such as the protections in the Bill of Rights.

Wrong choices

• Totalitarianism: A totalitarian government controls almost every part of life and has no real limits.
• Absolute monarchy: In an absolute monarchy, the ruler's power has no written limits.
• Direct democracy: Direct democracy is about who votes on laws, not about written limits on government.

Madison makes two points. Government needs enough power to keep order, because people are not angels. But government is also run by people, so it needs limits on itself. The Constitution does this with separation of powers and checks and balances, so each branch can stop the others from abusing power.

Wrong choices

• No government at all, because people can rule themselves: Madison says government is needed because people are not angels.
• A government with no limits, so it can control the people: Madison says government must control the people, but he adds that it must also be obliged to control itself. A government with no limits leaves out that second part.
• Rule by a single strong leader who can act quickly: One strong leader with no limits is the opposite of a government that controls itself.

In American democracy, the majority usually decides, but it cannot take away the basic rights of smaller groups. Freedom of religion is protected by the First Amendment, so a court can strike down a ban even if most voters supported it.

Wrong choices

• Popular sovereignty means the majority's vote is final: Popular sovereignty means power comes from the people, but in the U.S. system the majority still cannot take away protected rights.
• Consent of the governed means only the majority must agree: Consent of the governed does not mean a majority can remove the basic rights of a smaller group.
• Federalism lets towns ignore the national Constitution: Under federalism, states and towns must still follow the U.S. Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land.

A monarchy is led by a king, queen, or emperor, and the position usually passes down in one family. Some monarchies today are constitutional monarchies, where the monarch has little real power and an elected parliament makes the laws.

Wrong choices

• Direct democracy: In a direct democracy, citizens vote on laws themselves.
• Republic: In a republic, leaders are elected, not born into the job.
• Oligarchy: An oligarchy is rule by a small group of powerful people, not one ruler who inherits the job.