Question

comparing systems of government and the foundations of american democracy
review for interim
governments are organized in many ways, based on who holds power and how decisions are made. some countries have a unitary system, where the national government holds most of the power. others use a federal system, sharing power between national and state governments, or a confederal system, where states keep most powers and the central government is weaker. governments may also differ in how much citizens are involved; in democracies, people have a voice, while in authoritarian systems, power is held by one person or a small group.
the united states government is based on ideas of limited government and the rule of law, influenced by historical documents like the magna carta, the petition of right, and the english bill of rights. philosophers such as hobbes, locke, rousseau, and montesquieu shaped thinking about how governments should work. the u.s. constitution created a government with three branches—legislative, executive, and judicial—each with powers and limits. it also introduced checks and balances so that no single branch could become too powerful.
democracy values individual rights and freedoms, which protect against totalitarian systems, where the government controls nearly every part of life. the structure and ideals of american democracy are designed to protect peoples freedoms and encourage participation in government.
fill in the blank: fill in the blank with the correct words.
word bank: direct, articles, oligarchy, unitary, petition, federal, rule, autocracy, confederal, great

1. in a ____________ system, most government power is held by a single, central authority.
2. the ____________ system divides power between a central government and regional governments.
3. in a ____________ system, a group of states keeps most of the power with a weak central government.
4. in a(n) ____________, one person holds all the power.
5. in a(n) ____________, a small group of people hold power.
6. the ____________ compromise created a two - house congress during the constitutional convention.
7. the ____________ of confederation made the first national government of the united states but was too weak.
8. the ____________ of rights was an english document that listed rights the king could not take away.
9. in a ____________ democracy, citizens vote directly on laws.

Explanation:

1. In a unitary system, power is centralized.
2. A federal system divides power between central and regional.
3. A confederal system has a weak central government with states holding most power.
4. An autocracy is rule by one person.
5. An oligarchy is rule by a small - group.
6. The Great Compromise created a two - house Congress.
7. The Articles of Confederation was the first national government of the US but weak.
8. The Petition of Right was an English rights document.
9. In direct democracy, citizens vote directly on laws.

Answer:

1. unitary
2. federal
3. confederal
4. autocracy
5. oligarchy
6. Great
7. Articles
8. Petition
9. direct