4.0 Final Exam Review

This review packet is your guide to doing well on the final exam. Remember that the final exam counts for a significant percentage of your final grade. Read, review and remember the following concepts and you will perform well.

DEMOCRACY

 The distinguishing feature of democracy is that government authority is derived from the people

 The system of government wherein leaders get and retain authority as a result of winning free elections in which all adult citizens are allowed to participate is called a republican government: CONSTITUTIONS

 The constitutional principle that limits the power of the national government is known as the separation of powers, meaning that legislative, executive, and judicial powers should be divided

 The following are examples of checks and balances under the US Constitutional system:

 The President’s veto power  The Senate approves treaties negotiated by the President  Congress’ power of impeachment  The Supreme Court’s power of judicial review

 Data from the census is used to determine the number of members of the House of Representatives each state gets in Congress and the number of Electoral College votes each state gets FEDERALISM

 Federalism is the division of governmental power between the national and state governments

 One of the reasons why a federal structure of government was the obvious choice of the Framers instead of a unitary structure was that most Americans in the late 18th century were deeply loyal to their state governments and feared an all powerful central government.

 Under the 10 th Amendment in our federal system, the powers of the states included education, marriage, driver’s licenses, drinking age

 Over time, the federal government has become more and more powerful, while the state governments have become comparatively less powerful. EXECUTIVE BRANCH

 The head of the executive branch at both the federal and state level has the power to: o grant pardons or reprieves to convicted criminals; o command their respective armed forces; o sign legislation; o represent their government as the head of state

 In government, executive power, generally means the power to carry out the law and administer the government

 The President is the head of the federal executive branch

 The Governor is the head of the state executive branch. LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

 At the federal level, the branch of government that consists of representatives elected directly by the people is the legislative branch

 The officer that has the power to control the legislative agenda in the US Senate is the Majority leader; for the House of Representatives it is the Speaker of the House

 In Pennsylvania’s state government, the nearest equivalent of the United States Congress is the General Assembly

 A Standing Committee decides whether or not a bill will come to the Floor for debate and a vote, and a Conference Committee works out a compromise between House and Senate versions of the same bill.

JUDICIAL BRANCH

 In Pennsylvania, a local judge who deals with summary offenses and criminal arraignments is called a Magisterial District Judge

 Most serious criminal and civil cases in Pennsylvania are first tried in the Court of Common Pleas

 Felonies are major criminal matters (murder, arson, assault, etc.)

 The Supreme Court’s power to decide whether laws are constitutional or not is called Judicial Review

 State judges in Pennsylvania are elected by the public, while federal judges are appointed by the President

 The idea that everyone must follow the laws and that no one is above the law is most closely related to the “rule of law.” RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

 The 1 st Amendment to the US Constitution protects your right to freedom of expression

 The U.S. Bill of Rights lists the basic rights and freedoms of the American people.

 The Pennsylvania Declaration of Rights protects your right to clean air and water

 The 2 nd Amendment to the US Constitution protects your right to own a gun.

 Civic responsibilities include:

o responding to the U.S. Census; o paying taxes; o serving on a jury o obeying the laws

 The most common way for Americans to express their views about their representatives in this republican form of government is voting in elections

 All eighteen (18) year old, male, United States citizens are required to register for Selective Service

 In order to vote in Pennsylvania you must:

o be at least 18 years of age; o a resident of Pennsylvania; o vote in your registered voting ward / district; o be a US citizen IDEOLOGY

 The primary means by which most individuals develop their political awareness and ideological beliefs is through the family

 One who favors government involvement in the economy and a belief in progress as a social goal could be described as a liberal

 Conservatives would generally believe “There are already too many government regulations protecting the environment. Many of these regulations are unnecessary and should be eliminated.”

 When it comes to social change, conservatives are less likely to accept social change than liberals. . TAXES

 The chief source of income for local governments today is the property tax

 The national income tax system is set up as a progressive tax system

 The assessed value for the home a resident owns determines the amount of taxes being paid on the property to local governments

 Most Pennsylvania school districts get the majority of their funding from local property taxes EDUCATION

 The administrator who is the day-to-day head of a school district is the Superintendent

 The original reasons for providing public education to all citizens were to:

 promote tolerance and understanding by educating children of all backgrounds together in a common schoolhouse;

 use schools to teach about the role of responsible citizens in a democracy;

 provide all students with a shared experience and some common socialization;

 promote a strong economy by increasing the level of education in society LOCAL GOVERNMENT

 The largest political subdivision (counties) of Pennsylvania provide services such as property records, voters’ registration lists, courts, and some roads and bridges

 Examples of local governmental entities are counties, townships, boroughs and school districts

 Suburban sprawl contributes to:

o increased dependence on oil; o Increased pollution and loss of habitat for animals; o increased separation of people by income; o decay of existing towns and cities

 Local governmental responsibilities include:

o collecting trash o providing police and fire protection o passing zoning ordinances o and maintaining parks

 Zoning laws are used to influence or to control the way development happens in a community