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What is the Declaration of Independence? A document written in 1776 in which the American colonists proclaimed their independence from Great Britain and listed their grievances against the British King
What does the Declaration of Independence say about the source of rights and the purpose of government? The declaration of independence makes it clear that the government has one purpose of protecting the human rights of life, liberty, and property (pursuit of happiness).
Democracy A form of govt where political power rests in the hands of the people
Direct Democracy -All eligible citizens can participate directly -Individuals represent their own interests
Representative democracy -All eligible voters can choose individuals to represent them -Represent the interests of constituents -Few features of direct democracy
republic A form of government in which the people select representatives to govern them and make laws. -popular consent -natural elites should rule -limits on masses
monarchy A government in which power is in the hands of a single person.
Oligarchy a small group of people having control of a country, organization, or institution.
Tolitarianism government control over every aspect of public and private life
What is a social contract? an implicit agreement among the members of a society to cooperate for social benefits
elite theory claims political power rests in the hands of a small, elite group of people
majority rule a fundamental principle of democracy; the majority should have the power to make decisions binding upon the whole
minority rightsprotections for those who are not part of the majority
pluralist theory claims political power rests in the hands of groups of people
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politicsthe process by which we decide how resources will be allocated and which policies government will pursue
Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation-articles could not be changes without an unanmious amount to do so. ***problems could not be easily fixed
-there was no national judicial system **** bc judiciaries are important enforces of national govt power
Articles of Confederation features and flaws -no executive branch -Judicial -Unicameral legislator -equal rep. (1 vote per state) -9/13 to pass -unamity to amend/abolish
Federalists supporters of the Constitution
Anti-Federalists people who opposed the Constitution
Items of consensus at Constitutional Convention -replace articles of confederation -belief in republican form of govt -need stronger national govt -dangers of factions
Items of disagreement at the constitutional convention -representation in congress -giving power to the president -stopping the slave trade -why no bill rights?
Virginia Plan "Large state" proposal for the new constitution, calling for proportional representation in both houses of a bicameral Congress. The plan favored larger states and thus prompted smaller states to come back with their own plan for apportioning representation.
New Jersey Plan A constitutional proposal that would have given each state one vote in a new congress
Conneticut Plan senate will have equal representation from all states and house reps will be based on population
Great Compromise agreement providing a dual system of congressional representation
3/5 Compromise -each slave would count for 3/5 of a person for taxation and representation purposes
Weaknesses of Federalism - State/local powers can interfere with national plans.
- The federal government can get too big.
- A political group dominates smaller political units.
10th Amendment Powers Reserved to the States (limits the power of Federal Government)
Supremacy Clause Article VI of the Constitution, which makes the Constitution, national laws, and treaties supreme over state laws when the national government is acting within its constitutional limits.
Elastic Clause Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution, which allows Congress to make all laws that are "necessary and proper" to carry out the powers of the Constitution.
Interstate Commerce Act 1887 law passed to regulate railroad and other interstate businesses
Spending Clause constitutional provision that gives congress the power to collect taxes to provide for the general welfare
ability to tax state and national
What are mandates? Federal mandates: orders the state or local governments to comply with federal laws. Unfunded mandates: mandates imposed on State and local governments that are costly and no money is given to pay for them. In State federal relations it's the direct command from the national government to a state to provide particular services. Authority granted to the government by the people.
unfunded mandates Programs that the Federal government requires States to implement without Federal funding.
block grants Federal grants given more or less automatically to states or communities to support broad programs in areas such as community development and social services
categorical grants Federal grants for specific purposes, such as building an airport
concurrent powers -levy and collect taxes -borrrow money -make and enforce laws -establish courts -charter banks and corporations -property for public purpose with just compensation
Cooperative Federalism a style of federalism in which both levels of government coordinate their actions to solve national problems, leading to the blending of layers as in a marble cake
Devolution a process in which powers from the central government in a unitary system are delegated to subnational units
Dual Federalism a style of federalism in which the states and national government exercise exclusive authority in distinctly delineated spheres of jurisdiction, creating a layer-cake view of federalism
Full Faith and Credit Clause found in Article IV, Section 1, of the Constitution, this clause requires states to accept court decisions, public acts, and contracts of other states; also referred to as the comity provision
Privleges and Immunities Clause found in article 4 section 2 of the constitution, this clause prohibits states from discriminating against out of staters by denying such guarantees as access to courts, legal protection, and property and travel rights
venue shopping a strategy in which interest groups select the level and branch of government they calculate will be most receptive to their policy goals
What are civil liberties? personal freedoms protected for all individuals -prevent govt infringement
What is the Bill of Rights? First 10 amendments to the Constitution
what civil liberties are protected in the bill of rights? freedom and rights guaranteed in the first amendment (religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition) and liberties and rights are associated with due process and crime
What is the incorporation doctrine? The Supreme court nationalizing the Bill of Rights by applying most of its provisions to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment.
Freedom of Religion people shall be free to exercise their religion, and government may not establish a religion
freedom of speech the right to express any opinions without censorship or restraint.
freedom of the press the right of journalists to publish the truth without restriction or penalty
freedom of assembly the right of the people to gather peacefully and to petition government
freedom of association the right to join with others, share ideas, and work toward a common purpose
2nd Amendment Right to bear arms
What is due process? Constitutional protection against unfair governmental actions and laws
Jim Crow Laws Limited rights of blacks. Literacy tests, grandfather clauses and poll taxes limited black voting rights
Plessy v. Ferguson Separate but equal
Brown v. Board of Education 1954 - The Supreme Court overruled Plessy v. Ferguson, declared that racially segregated facilities are inherently unequal and ordered all public schools desegregated.
Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin
Voting Rights Act of 1965 a law designed to help end formal and informal barriers to African- American suffrage
de facto segregation Segregation resulting from economic or social conditions or personal choice.
de jure segregation Racial segregation that occurs because of laws or administrative decisions by public agencies.
suffrage/ expansion over time Originally reserved for white male property owners, excluded blacks, women and Native Americans
Affirmative Action the use of programs and policies designed to assist groups that have historically been subject to discrimination
Civil Disobedience an action taken in violation of the letter of the law to demonstrate that the law is unjust
Disenfranchisement the revocation of someone's right to vote
Equal Protection Clause provision of the Fourteenth Amendment guaranteeing citizens "the equal protection of the laws." This clause has been the basis for the civil rights of African Americans, women, and other groups
Stonewall Inn a bar in Greenwich Village, New York, where the modern Gay Pride movement began after rioters protested the police treatment of the LGBT community there
Title IX The section of the Educational Amendment of 1972 that makes it illegal for schools that accept federal funds to discriminate on the basis of sex.
Trail of Tears the name given to the forced migration of the cherokees from georgia to oklahoma in 1838-
What is public opinion? citizens' attitudes about political issues, leaders, institutions, and events
what is political socialization? the process through which individuals acquire their political beliefs and values
Socalizing agents the places where your attitudes come from
Core American Values (1) liberty/freedom (2) Equality (3) Individualism (4) democracy
Market Research Process (political polling) The activity of gathering information about consumers' needs and preferences.
Literary Digest Poll 1936- An inaccurate poll taken on upcoming the presidential election. It over-represented the wealthy and thus erroneously predicted a Republican victory.
scientific polling Tool developed in the twentieth century for systematically investigating the opinions of ordinary people, based on random samples.
unscientific polling Gathering of data by word of mouth or survey. Not required to follow any standards. Not reliable.
How do pollsters draw a representative sample? One method is cluster sampling, where groups are drawn by geographic divisions, such as counties or congressional districts. Another method is random digit dialing, where people over 18 with birthdays in a certain month are asked to complete a questionnaire.
Who are the elites? People who raise issues, help set the national agenda, and influence the resolution of interests
who are the masses? People who have little interest in government
how masses overcome low knowledge? -single issue voters -"cues" = heuristics -infotainment -online processing
confirmation bias a tendency to search for information that supports our preconceptions and to ignore or distort contradictory evidence
Backfire effectPeople often react to disconfirming evidence by strengthening their beliefs
motivated reasoning processing information in a way that allows consumers to reach the conclusion that they want to reach
soft news Media coverage that aims to entertain or shock, often through sensationalized reporting or by focusing on a candidate or politician's personality.
What are political parties? groups that help elect people and shape policies
single member plurality system Electoral system that assigns one seat in a legislative body to represent citizens who live in a defined area (a district) based on which candidate wins the most votes.
Simple plurality system An electoral system in which the candidate with the most votes in a single-member constituency wins.
Alternative Systems of Judicial Selection - Appointment
Single Transferable Vote an electoral system in which parties gain seats by the proportion of votes won in large electoral districts
Conservatism A political or theological orientation advocating the preservation of the best in society and opposing radical changes.
Liberalism A political ideology that emphasizes the civil rights of citizens, representative government, and the protection of private property. This ideology, derived from the Enlightenment, was especially popular among the property-owning middle classes.
Libertarianism An ideology that cherishes individual liberty and insists on minimal government, promoting a free market economy, a noninterventionist foreign policy, and an absence of regulation in moral, economic, and social life.
bipartisanship support from both parties for policy
divided government one party controls the White House and another party controls one or both houses of Congress
party realignment The displacement of the majority party by the minority party, usually during a critical election period.
party organization The formal structure and leadership of a political party, including election committees; local, state, and national executives; and paid professional staff.
party platform A political party's statement of its goals and policies for the next four years. The platform is drafted prior to the party convention by a committee whose members are chosen in rough proportion to each candidate's strength. It is the best formal statement of a party's beliefs.
