Parliamentary System and Presidential Systems Explained

 

 

Errare humanum est, perservare diabolicum.  (Seneca)

To err is human, to persist is diabolical.

Preamble to the United States Constitution

Homework: copy the preamble to the U.S. Constitution three times.  Complete this assignment on a sheet of paper in your own handwriting. Do not use abbreviations and write neatly.

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

An Introduction to Parliament

 Watch the video. On a sheet of your own paper, answer the questions below. Write neatly and follow the rules of the English language.

VOCABULARY

scrutinize - examine or inspect closely and thoroughly.

constituent - being a voting member of a community or organization and having the power to appoint or elect.

constituency - a body of voters in a specified area who elect a representative to a legislative body.

manifesto - a public declaration of policy and aims, especially one issued before an election by a political party or candidate.

lobby (v.) - seek to influence (a politician or public official) on an issue.

lobby (n.) - a group of people seeking to influence politicians or public officials on a particular issue.

petition - a formal written request, typically one signed by many people, appealing to authority with respect to a particular cause.

 

1) What two events in the history of the United Kingdom played a major role in starting the process of creating Parliament as a representative legislature?

2) What are the three parts of Parliament?

3) What is the House of Commons and how many members does it have?

4) How are members of the House of Commons chosen?

5) What is an MP?

6) What is the other House of Parliament?

7) How is the monarch involved in Parliament?

8) What do Select Committees do?

9) What are the seven stages in making a law?

10) How often do elections for MPs occur?

11) What are the elections for MPs called?

12) At what age can citizens of the United Kingdom begin to vote?

Things You Need to Know For the Upcoming Civics Exam

 Branches of Philosophy Power Point     <<<<<< Link

You will need to know the definitions and descriptions of the five branches of philosophy.  You will also need to know the questions they attempt to find answers to

The Difference Between Authoritarian Government and a Representative Liberal Democracy  << Link

Unitary, Federal, and Confederation Systems of Government  <<<<<< Link

Know how governing power is distributed in the three types of government forms: unitary, federal, and confederation.

Authoritarian vs. Representative Liberal Democracies

 

Unitary, Federal, and Confederations Systems

 
Unitary governments, federations, and confederations are types of governments that can be found operating in the world today. Each is a potentially successful means of structuring a state. What separates them is the role of the central government within the state.
 
Unitary System
In a unitary system of government, the central government holds most of the power. The unitary state still has local and regional governmental offices, but these are under the auspices of the central government. The United Kingdom is one example of a unitary nation. Parliament holds the governing power in the U.K., granting power to and removing it from the local governments when it sees fit. France is also a unitary government. The national government rules over the various provinces or departments. These local bodies carry out the directions of the central government, but never act independently.

1) How is power distributed in a unitary system?
 
Federalist System
Federalism is marked by a sharing of power between the central government and state, provincial or local governing bodies. The United States is one example of a federalist republic. The U. S. Constitution grants specific powers to the national government while retaining other powers for the states. For example, the federal government can negotiate treaties with other countries while state and local authorities cannot. State governments have the power to set and enforce driving laws while the federal government lacks that ability. Modern Germany is also a federalist republic. The national government shares power with provincial political entities, known as “Länder.”

2) How is power divided in a federal system?
 
Confederations
A confederation has a weak central authority that derives all its powers from the state or provincial governments. The states of a confederation retain all the powers of an independent nation, such as the right to maintain a military force, print money, and make treaties with other national powers. The United States began its nationhood as a confederate state, under the Articles of Confederation. However, the central government was too weak to sustain the burgeoning country. Therefore, the founding fathers shifted to a federal system when drafting the Constitution. A contemporary example of a confederation is the Commonwealth of Independent States, which is comprised of several nations that were formerly part of the Soviet Union. These nations formed a loose partnership to enable them to form a stronger national body than each individual state could maintain.
 

3) List the features of a confederation.

4) In the history of the United States, which systems were used for a national government?

Advantages and Disadvantages
One has only to look at the advantages and disadvantages of each system to see the greatest differences among them. In a unitary system, laws and policies throughout the state are uniform, laws are more easily passed since they need only be approved by the central government, and laws are rarely contradictory since there is only one body making those laws. There are disadvantages of this type of government. The central government may lose touch with or control over a distant province or too much power in the central authority could result in tyranny. In a federal system, a degree of autonomy is given to the individual states while maintaining a strong central authority and the possibility of tyranny is very low. Federal systems still have their share of power struggles, such as those seen in the American Civil War. Confederate governments are focused on the needs of the people in each state, the government tends to be more in touch with its citizenry, and tyranny is almost impossible. Unfortunately, confederations often break apart due to internal power struggles and lack the resources of a strong centralized government.

5) Of the three types of systems, which gives the greatest amount of power to the central government?

6)  List the advantages and disadvantages for each of the following:

     6a) unitary

     6b) confederation

     6c) federal

Intro Economics Power Point

 

Authoritarian Governance vs. Liberal Democratic Governance

 

Branches of Philosophy

A philosophy is a set of ideas that attempts to answer BIG questions as a means of understanding the nature of broad (or large) areas of study.

small question: Who is the best Hip Hop artist of today?

BIG QUESTION: Why do some people like/ not like Hip Hop?

BIGGER QUESTION: Is Hip Hop art?

BIGGEST QUESTION: What is art?

Philosophy asks BIG questions in several areas or topics. 

The areas in which these BIG questions are asked are called "branches".

Some of the Branches of Philosophy

Metaphysics

Epistemology

Ethics

Aesthetics

Political Philosophy

Metaphysics- seeks to find answers to questions about nature and the characteristics of the 

things we experience through our senses.

     Examples of questions in the area of metaphysics:

          - What is quantity?

          - Is everything we experience real?

          - Does nature operate according to a set of laws?

Epistemology - seeks answers about knowledge and our ability to

gain knowledge.

     Examples of questions in the area of epistemology:

          - How do we know what we know?

          - Are we born with knowledge?

          - How can we know if something is true or false?

          - What is the best way to know something?

Ethics - answers questions about how humans should behave as

well as defining the meaning of "good" and "bad" behavior.

     Examples of questions in the area of ethics:

          - How should people behave?

          - How do we put into practice those things we think to be

             "right"?

          - Is trust necessary for a society to function properly?

Aesthetics - answers questions about the characteristics of beauty,

art, and what appeals to people (taste).

     Examples of questions in the area of aesthetics:

          - What is beauty?

          - Can something be "not beautiful" and "not ugly" at the same

             time? If so, then what is it?

          - Why are tastes different from person to person?

Political Philosophy - answers questions about the role government 

plays in society.

     Examples of questions in the area of political philosophy:

          - What is the best form of government?

          - What is the relationship between the individual and 

            government?

          - How much power should government have?

You are taking a civics class.  In this class, you will study how

American government was designed, why it was designed a certain

way, the ideas used to design it, and the proper role of citizens 

within American government.

Civics is the study of the way in which a government works, and

the rights and duties of citizens.

What branch of philosophy does civics fall under? 

wisdom - the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment; the quality of being wise.

The term “philosophy” is built off two Greek words, “philo” which means love, and “sophia” which mean wisdom; and so the term means “love of wisdom”.   A philosophy however is not necessarily wisdom.  Philosophy, like wisdom, is built off knowledge and knowledge is built off experience. The combination of knowledge and experience allows people to identify patterns in life. The use those patterns as a way of understanding reality, is the use of a philosophy.  Philosophers will use a knowledge of history (which are the experiences of mankind during a long period of time) to find patterns, and after identifying those patterns (pattern recognition), he records them for use in understanding society.

1) What is philosophy concerned with?

2) A term used to label an area in which philosophy asks questions is known as?

3) What are the branches of philosophy?

4) What types of answers are sought in the following branches of philosophy?

     - metaphysics

     - epistemology

     - ethics

     - aesthetics

     - political philosophy

5) What is civics?

6) What does civics study?

7) Under what branch of philosophy does civics fall?

Iran Conflict Videos

 Fractional Distillation

Crude Oil Fractions

How Oil Prices Really Work

The Strait of Hormuz Explained

Why the Red Sea is so Important

Iran War: The Context Explained

NOTE: YOUR EXAM IN THE IRAN CONFLICT AND ITS BACKGROUND WILL BE ON TUESDAY!

NOTE: YOUR EXAM IN THE IRAN CONFLICT AND ITS BACKGROUND WILL BE ON TUESDAY!

Instructions: Use the video “Iran War: The Context Explained to answer the following questions.  Answer the questions on a sheet of paper; write in your own handwriting; follow the rules of the English Language

 NOTE: YOUR EXAM IN THE IRAN CONFLICT AND ITS BACKGROUND WILL BE ON TUESDAY!

1) How did Ayatollah Khomeini become Supreme Leader of Iran?  
2) What is the Iranian Hostage Crisis and how long did it last? 
3) How did the Iranian Hostage Crisis affect relations between the Iranian government and the United States?  
4) What is the cause of the current conflict between Iran and the United States?  
5) What is the Iran Nuclear Deal (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action – JCPOA)? 
6) What did President Donald Trump do with the Iran Nuclear Deal when he became president in 2016? 
7) What did Iran start doing after the United States pulled out of the Iran Nuclear Deal (JCPOA)? 
8) What is Donald Trump’s main motivation for beginning the current conflict with Iran?  
9) What Iran-backed groups (military proxies) did Israel go to war against?  

9a) What event caused Israel to go to war against the Iran-backed groups (military proxies) you listed in question #9?  
10) Why did Israel invade Gaza?  
11) Who/ what was targeted by “Operation Grim Beeper”?  
12) What was “Operation Grim Beeper”? 
13) How did Israel kill Hezbollah’s leadership?  

14) What did Israel bomb during the 12 Day War?  
15) What did the United States bomb in its participation in the 12 Day War?  
16) What is “Operation Roaring Lion”?  
17) What is “Operation Epic Fury”? 

Iran Conflict Vocabulary

 Instructions: write the words and terms along with their meanings.  Complete this assignment in your own handwriting on a sheet of paper.

IRGC - the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. It is a major branch of Iran's military that was set up after the 1979 revolution to protect the country's Islamic ruling system. It operates separately from Iran's regular army.

 

Ayatollah (Āyat Allāh) – Arabic for "Sign of God" or "Divine Sign." It is a high-ranking religious title given to advanced scholars and experts in Islamic law within Shia Islam.

 

Shia/ Shiite Islam - second-largest branch of Islam, making up about 10% to 15% of all Muslims worldwide. It began after the death of the Prophet Muhammad in 632 AD due to a disagreement over who should lead the Muslim community.

 

Sunni Islam - the largest branch of Islam, making up about 85 to 90 percent of all Muslims worldwide. The name comes from the word Sunnah, meaning the traditions and everyday practices of the Prophet Muhammad. Sunnis believe that Abu Bakr was the rightful first leader after Muhammad died in 632 CE.

 

Ayatollah Khomeini (Ruhollah Mostafavi Khomeini) - an Iranian politician and Shia cleric who served as the first supreme leader of Iran from 1979 until his death in 1989. He was the leader of the Iranian Revolution, which overthrew Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, ended the Pahlavi era, and transformed the country into an Islamic republic.

 

Ayatollah Khameini (Ali Hosseini Khamenei) - an Iranian politician and Shia cleric who served as the second supreme leader of Iran from 1989 until his death in an air strike during a joint American Israeli attack on Iran in 2026. Khameini held the title Grand Ayatollah, he previously served as the third president of Iran from 1981 to 1989.

 

Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi - the last Shah of Iran, reigning from 1941 to 1979. He succeeded his father Reza Shah and ruled the Imperial State of Iran until he was overthrown in the Islamic Revolution led by Ruhollah Khomeini, which abolished the Iranian monarchy to establish the Islamic Republic of Iran.

 

uranium enrichment - the process of increasing the percentage of the fissile isotope uranium-235 (U-235) relative to the heavier, non-fissile uranium-238 (U-238). Natural uranium contains only about 0.7% U-235. Enrichment raises this concentration to power nuclear reactors (3% to 5%) or to build nuclear weapons (90%+).

 

military proxy - a group, government, or rebel force that fights on behalf of a larger, external country to achieve strategic goals without direct open warfare.

 

Hamas* - The Islamic Resistance Movement, abbreviated Hamas, is a Sunni Islamist Palestinian nationalist political organisation with a military wing known as the al-Qassam Brigades. It has governed the Israeli-occupied Gaza Strip since 2007.

 

Hezbollah* - Hezbollah is a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party with an active paramilitary wing whose military and security activities have been prohibited by the Lebanese government since March 2026, amid Israel's war on Lebanon.

 

     *Hezbollah and Hamas are close strategic allies that share common goals and a primary benefactor in Iran, despite operating in different countries and having distinct religious backgrounds.

 

Houthis - is a Shia Islamist political and military organization that emerged from Yemen in the 1990s.  The Houthis are backed by Iran, and they are widely considered part of the Iranian-led "Axis of Resistance".

 

Axis of Resistance - The Axis of Resistance or Resistance Front is an informal Iran-led military coalition that operates across West Asia. It currently unites a variety of armed groups allied with Iran and committed primarily to countering the influence of Iran's rivals in the region: the United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and sometimes Turkey.  The "Axis" mainly consists of Shia Islamist militant organizations, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Islamic Resistance and the Popular Mobilization Forces in Iraq, and the Houthis in Yemen.

 

Gaza - Gaza, or the Gaza Strip, is a small and densely populated Palestinian territory located on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. It is bordered by Israel to the north and east, and by Egypt to the southwest. Home to over two million Palestinians, it is one of the two regions that make up the State of Palestine, alongside the West Bank.

 

IDF - The Israel Defense Forces (IDF), also known by its Hebrew acronym Tzahal, is the national military of the State of Israel. Founded on May 26, 1948, it comprises the Ground Forces, Air Force, and Navy, and operates under the authority of Israel's Ministry of Defense.

 

Operation Epic Fury - a joint U.S. and Israeli military campaign against Iran that commenced on February 28, 2026. The primary objectives are to dismantle Iran's security apparatus, destroy its missile and naval capabilities, and prevent the acquisition of nuclear weapons.

Iran Conflict Timeline Vocabulary

 

Iran Conflict Timeline Vocabulary

 

IRGC - the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. It is a major branch of Iran's military that was set up after the 1979 revolution to protect the country's Islamic ruling system. It operates separately from Iran's regular army.

 

Ayatollah (Āyat Allāh) – Arabic for "Sign of God" or "Divine Sign." It is a high-ranking religious title given to advanced scholars and experts in Islamic law within Shia Islam.

 

Shia/ Shiite Islam - second-largest branch of Islam, making up about 10% to 15% of all Muslims worldwide. It began after the death of the Prophet Muhammad in 632 AD due to a disagreement over who should lead the Muslim community.

 

Sunni Islam - the largest branch of Islam, making up about 85 to 90 percent of all Muslims worldwide. The name comes from the word Sunnah, meaning the traditions and everyday practices of the Prophet Muhammad. Sunnis believe that Abu Bakr was the rightful first leader after Muhammad died in 632 CE.

 

Ayatollah Khomeini (Ruhollah Mostafavi Khomeini) - an Iranian politician and Shia cleric who served as the first supreme leader of Iran from 1979 until his death in 1989. He was the leader of the Iranian Revolution, which overthrew Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, ended the Pahlavi era, and transformed the country into an Islamic republic.

 

Ayatollah Khameini (Ali Hosseini Khamenei) - an Iranian politician and Shia cleric who served as the second supreme leader of Iran from 1989 until his death in an air strike during a joint American Israeli attack on Iran in 2026. Khameini held the title Grand Ayatollah, he previously served as the third president of Iran from 1981 to 1989.

 

Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi - the last Shah of Iran, reigning from 1941 to 1979. He succeeded his father Reza Shah and ruled the Imperial State of Iran until he was overthrown in the Islamic Revolution led by Ruhollah Khomeini, which abolished the Iranian monarchy to establish the Islamic Republic of Iran.

 

uranium enrichment - the process of increasing the percentage of the fissile isotope uranium-235 (U-235) relative to the heavier, non-fissile uranium-238 (U-238). Natural uranium contains only about 0.7% U-235. Enrichment raises this concentration to power nuclear reactors (3% to 5%) or to build nuclear weapons (90%+).

 

military proxy - a group, government, or rebel force that fights on behalf of a larger, external country to achieve strategic goals without direct open warfare.

 

Hamas* - The Islamic Resistance Movement, abbreviated Hamas, is a Sunni Islamist Palestinian nationalist political organisation with a military wing known as the al-Qassam Brigades. It has governed the Israeli-occupied Gaza Strip since 2007.

 

Hezbollah* - Hezbollah is a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party with an active paramilitary wing whose military and security activities have been prohibited by the Lebanese government since March 2026, amid Israel's war on Lebanon.

 

     *Hezbollah and Hamas are close strategic allies that share common goals and a primary benefactor in Iran, despite operating in different countries and having distinct religious backgrounds.

 

Houthis - is a Shia Islamist political and military organization that emerged from Yemen in the 1990s.  The Houthis are backed by Iran, and they are widely considered part of the Iranian-led "Axis of Resistance".

 

Axis of Resistance - The Axis of Resistance or Resistance Front is an informal Iran-led military coalition that operates across West Asia. It currently unites a variety of armed groups allied with Iran and committed primarily to countering the influence of Iran's rivals in the region: the United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and sometimes Turkey.  The "Axis" mainly consists of Shia Islamist militant organizations, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Islamic Resistance and the Popular Mobilization Forces in Iraq, and the Houthis in Yemen.

 

Gaza - Gaza, or the Gaza Strip, is a small and densely populated Palestinian territory located on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. It is bordered by Israel to the north and east, and by Egypt to the southwest. Home to over two million Palestinians, it is one of the two regions that make up the State of Palestine, alongside the West Bank.

 

IDF - The Israel Defense Forces (IDF), also known by its Hebrew acronym Tzahal, is the national military of the State of Israel. Founded on May 26, 1948, it comprises the Ground Forces, Air Force, and Navy, and operates under the authority of Israel's Ministry of Defense.

 

Operation Epic Fury - a joint U.S. and Israeli military campaign against Iran that commenced on February 28, 2026. The primary objectives are to dismantle Iran's security apparatus, destroy its missile and naval capabilities, and prevent the acquisition of nuclear weapons.

The Iran Conflict and How it Affects Oil Transit

 Al Jazeera

1) How much of the world's oil transits through the Strait of Hormuz?

2) What effects resulted from Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz?

BBC

1) Of all the Persian Gulf countries (also known as Gulf States), which one produces and sends the most liquified natural gas (LNG) through the Strait of Hormuz?

2) What is LNG?

3) Natural gas is used to produce another commodity that transits through the Strait of Hormuz.  What is that commodity?

4) How much fertilizer is sent through the Strait of Hormuz by the Gulf States?

5) The territorial waters of the Strait of Hormuz lies within the boundaries of two countries.  What are those countries?

6) How has Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz affected Africa and Asia?

7) Why are the oil exporting countries of the Persian Gulf developing ways to export their oil that bypass the Strait of Hormuz?

CNN

1) How is Iran able to restrict shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz?

2) In what way are the Houthis involved in the conflict with Iran?

Associated Press

1) List the bodies of water that Gulf States are building pipelines to as a means of bypassing the Strait of Hormuz.

2) What role are the Houthis playing in aiding Iran in the disruption of oil transit?

3) What is the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) doing to bypass the Strait of Hormuz?

4) What is Iraq doing to bypass the Strait of Hormuz?

5) How would these bypassing measures affect Asia?

Oil Price

1) Why have oil refineries in India turned to West Africa for crude oil?

2) Other than West Africa, where else has India turned to purchase crude oil?

CNBC

1) What caused the price of crude oil to fall?

2) Aside from oil and LNG, what other things transit through the Strait of Hormuz?

3) How are the Houthis acting as military proxies for the Iranians in this conflict?  Give examples.