This lesson describes how geography has affected the development of civilizations. It also examines the relationships between the environment and the development of societies. Nationhood and Statehood Geography is the study of where people, places, and things are located and how each of these relates to the others. A nation is a culturally defined group …
This lesson presents economics through history. Economic Drivers of Exploration and Colonization During the Age of Exploration, also known as the Age of Discovery, overseas exploration was a big part of European culture. The period began in the early fifteenth century and lasted through the end of the seventeenth century. Although the primary motives of …
This lesson introduces the fundamentals of macroeconomics. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Every economy, regardless of economic system, has three major goals: Promote economic growth (produce more) Limit unemployment Keep prices stable (limit inflation) Gross domestic product (GDP) is a measurement used to determine the size of the economy at a given point in time and …
This lesson will focus on the lead-up to the Civil War, Reconstruction, and the settling of the far West. Abolition and Women’s Rights Criticism of slavery did not begin in the nineteenth century. Quakers, a Christian sect, refused to own enslaved people or engage in the slave trade because they believed it was inhumane and …
This lesson discusses fundamentals of microeconomics. Circular Flow Model The circular flow model displays how firms, households, and governments interact with one another in a capitalist society. The model illustrates the flow of goods and services through the economy. Money makes the circular flow function. Money is the medium of exchange in a market economy. …
Political Parties and Interest Groups Political parties are groups of people with aligned beliefs who seek power in the government. The function of a political party is to organize people who have similar ideologies to elect like-minded candidates to influence the government’s choices. Political parties stand behind candidates who are running for office. Political parties …
Political Parties, Campaigns and Elections in American Politics Read More »
Amendment Process Article IV of the Constitution states that the Constitution can be changed. The Founders knew that the government would need to adapt and change the Constitution as time went on. A change made to the U.S. Constitution is called an amendment. Each amendment is given a number. There are currently 27 amendments to …
Structure and Authority of the Federal Government The concept of separation of powers, or splitting the federal government into three distinct branches that monitor one another, is the foundation of U.S. government. The Framers included this structure in the Constitution to limit the power of each branch. Distributing power among three branches prevents any one …
The Founders who shaped the U.S. government drew many of their ideas from popular European philosophers of the 1600s and 1700s. The Founders used the newest ideas about successful governments when they wrote the U.S. Constitution. This lesson introduces the most important ideas in the U.S. Constitution. The Founding Principles One of the central ideas …
Countries around the world have different types of government. Some countries change their type of government over time. All types of governments determine who holds power and usually have one of three approaches: one person, a few people, or many people hold the power. The American Constitutional Democracy A government chosen by the people is …
