Question

1. what is the main idea behind checks and balances?

• a) one branch is stronger
• b) all power to the president
• c) each branch limits the others
• d) only congress can make laws

1. which philosopher believed that people needed a strong ruler to keep order?

• a) locke
• b) hobbes
• c) montesquieu
• d) rousseau

1. which branch of the u.s. government interprets the laws?

• a) legislative
• b) executive
• c) judicial
• d) parliamentary

open - ended questions: answer the following questions in complete sentences.

1. explain the difference between a unitary, federal, and confederal system of government.
2. how did the magna carta influence the united states constitution?
3. describe the main idea of john locke’s philosophy and how it impacted american government.
4. what is the purpose of the separation of powers in the u.s. constitution?
5. compare a direct democracy and a representative democracy.
6. why did the articles of confederation fail, and how did the constitution fix its weaknesses?
7. how does a totalitarian government differ from a democracy in terms of citizen rights?
8. what was the main disagreement between the federalists and anti - federalists during the debate over ratification of the constitution?

Explanation:

1. The main idea behind checks and balances is to prevent any one branch of government from becoming too powerful by having each branch limit the others.
2. Hobbes believed people needed a strong ruler to keep order as he thought humans were in a natural state of chaos and violence.
3. The judicial branch of the U.S. government interprets the laws.
4. In a unitary system, power is centralized; in a federal system, power is divided between central and regional governments; in a confederal system, regional governments have more power than the central one.
5. The Magna Carta influenced the U.S. Constitution by introducing the idea of limited government and the protection of individual rights.
6. John Locke's philosophy emphasized natural rights (life, liberty, and property) and the social - contract theory. It impacted American government by influencing ideas of individual rights and the purpose of government.
7. The purpose of the separation of powers in the U.S. Constitution is to prevent tyranny by dividing government functions among different branches.
8. In direct democracy, citizens directly participate in decision - making; in representative democracy, citizens elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf.
9. The Articles of Confederation failed due to a weak central government, inability to levy taxes, and lack of a strong executive. The Constitution fixed these weaknesses by creating a stronger central government with more powers.
10. A totalitarian government restricts citizen rights severely, controls all aspects of life, and has a single - party or dictator in power, while a democracy guarantees certain rights to its citizens and has a system of free and fair elections.
11. The main disagreement between Federalists and Anti - Federalists during the debate over ratification of the Constitution was that Federalists wanted a strong central government and the Anti - Federalists were concerned about protecting states' rights and individual liberties.

Answer:

1. c) Each branch limits the others
2. b) Hobbes
3. c) Judicial
4. A unitary system has centralized power; a federal system divides power between central and regional governments; a confederal system gives more power to regional governments.
5. It introduced the idea of limited government and protection of individual rights.
6. His philosophy emphasized natural rights and social - contract theory, influencing ideas of individual rights and government purpose in America.
7. To prevent tyranny by dividing government functions.
8. Direct democracy has citizens directly participating in decision - making; representative democracy has elected representatives making decisions.
9. It failed due to a weak central government, etc. The Constitution created a stronger central government.
10. A totalitarian government restricts rights severely and controls all aspects of life; a democracy guarantees certain rights and has free elections.
11. Federalists wanted a strong central government, while Anti - Federalists were concerned about states' rights and individual liberties.