Ch 24: Introduction to Government
About This Chapter
Introduction to Government - Chapter Summary
This chapter's video lessons explain what government is and its function in society. You'll learn in detail about the characteristics of the U.S. government and its role in the lives of citizens. The lessons also explore the many different forms of government, including democracy, monarchy, autocracy and oligarchy. Our professional instructors teach you about the styles of constitutional government as well. Once you complete all of the video lessons in this chapter, you should be able to:
- Understand multiple definitions of government
- List the functions of the U.S. government according to the Constitution
- Differentiate between authoritarian and totalitarian autocracies
- Compare and contrast forms of government
- Distinguish between the federal and unitary styles of constitutional government
- Identify the strengths and weaknesses of the U.S.'s Articles of Confederation
We offer a variety of tools to help make learning about government an efficient and fun experience. The lively instructors use several examples to explain key terminology and concepts in videos that are typically less than 10 minutes long. Each lesson contains a transcript, and certain terms are linked to text lessons that provide more information. If you want to review particular concepts without watching entire videos again, you can use video tags to do so. Self-assessment quizzes accompany each lesson as well, which allows you to assess your understanding of the functions and forms of government.
1. What is Government? - Definition, Role & Functions
It can be challenging to define the term government because it can be described in so many different ways, from describing it as a system of laws and regulations, to the power wielded by politicians, and those are just two examples. Understand the four most common definitions of a government, and explore the roles, purposes, and functions of the U.S. Government.
2. What is Autocracy? - Totalitarianism vs. Authoritarianism
An autocracy occurs when one person holds political power and control. Explore what happens when the power is in one person and compare aspects of totalitarianism and authoritarianism.
3. Forms of Government: Monarchy, Democracy, Oligarchy & More
Each type of government rises to power and rules in a unique way. Learn more about each form of government--monarchy, democracy, oligarchy, authoritarianism, and totalitarianism--how they come into power, and how they rule.
4. Types of Constitutional Government
Constitutional governments are established from organized doctrines that document rules, mandates, or principles about the legal limitations of their organization. Learn more about the facts, unitary approaches, and how power is evenly distributed.
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Other Chapters
Other chapters within the GACE Middle Grades Social Science (015) Prep course
- About the GACE Test
- European Colonies in North America (1497-1732)
- Important Events Leading to the American Revolution
- Events & Leaders of the American Revolution
- The Making of a Nation after the American Revolution
- The Virginia Dynasty
- Manifest Destiny & American Expansion
- Everyday Life in Antebellum America
- Jacksonian Democracy
- American Civil War & Reconstruction Overview
- Westward Expansion, Industrialization & Urbanization (1870-1900)
- American Imperialism & World War I
- The Progressive Era of the Early 20th Century
- 1920s America
- America and the Great Depression
- U.S. Involvement in World War ll (1941-1945)
- Post-World War ll America (1946-1959)
- The Cold War in America (1950-1973)
- Civil Rights & Other Movements in the US (1954-1973)
- America in the 1970s
- America in the 1980s
- Recent American History (1992-2013)
- The History of Georgia
- Introduction to Economics
- American Government
- Latin American History
- Canadian History
- European History: Geography, Colonization, WWI & Russia
- European History: The 1920s & 1930s
- European History: The Rise of Fascism
- European History: World War II
- European History: Post-War Europe
- European History: Cold War Europe
- European History: Integration in Europe after the Soviet Union
- Australian History
- Overview of African History
- Asian History
- GACE Middle Grades Social Science Flashcards
- History of Political Parties in the U.S.