1) US & comparative politics overview Flashcards
What is the Pledge of Allegiance?
A symbol of unity: “I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
What areas are ‘conservative’?
South from Texas to Virginia
What areas are ‘liberal’?
Northeast (Massachusetts and Rhode Island) and West (California)
What were the original 13 colonies?
Massachusetts Bay Colony (which included Maine), New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia
What limited democracy did the original 13 colonies have?
Charters setting out heir form of government and rights; governor, legislature and judiciary but property qualifications for votes, none for women or blacks and slavery.
What did Bostonian patriot James Otis declare?
‘Taxation without representation is tyranny!’
When was the American War of Independence?
April 19, 1775 - September 3, 1783
When was the Declaration of Independence?
July 4, 1776 at the Second Continental Congress meeting at the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
What did the Declaration of Independence state?
13 as thirteen independent sovereign states, no longer under British rule. ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.’
What were the Articles of Confederation?
The Articles of Confederation March 1781 set up a confederacy, a ‘league of friendship’, a loose collection of independent states but only a weak central authority (no executive, no judiciary, talking legislature)
What was the Philadelphia Convention?
55 delegates representing 12 states (no suspicious Rhode Island) met in Philadelphia in May 1787 to strengthen the Articles of Confederation then write a new Constitution.
What is a Constitution?
The basic political and legal structures prescribing the rules by which a government operates. It may take the form of a codified document.
What are natural rights?
Rights to which all people are entitled as human beings, such as those cited at the beginning of the Declaration of Independence.
What was the Connecticut Compromise?
2 legislature chambers; House of Representatives proportional to population and Senate representing each State equally
When was the Constitution created?
17 September 1787 (Ratified 1788, effective 1789)
What are the 3 branches of government?
Legislature (makes laws)
Executive (carries out laws)
Judiciary (evaluates laws)
How many senators are there?
100 (2 per State)
How many representatives are there in the House of Representatives?
435
How did Richard Neustadt describe the 3 branches of government (1960)?
‘Separate institutions, sharing powers’
What is representative democracy?
A form of government in which the people choose their leaders through free, fair and regular elections, and in which elected officials are held accountable.
What is popular sovereignty?
The principle that all political power derives form the people.
‘We the people…’ - Preamble to the US Constitution, ‘government of the people, by the people, and for the people’ - Abraham Lincoln in his Gettysbury Address (1863)
What are the 4 main reasons for holding elections?
1) Hold elected officials to account
2) Elect people to office ‘the most wisdom to discern, and most virtue to pursue’ - Madison
3) Foster participatory principle (campaign, rallies, donate, follow)
4) Stimulate public debate on policy issues
What is the GOP?
Republican Party (the Grand Old Party)
How many presidents have there been for each party from Lincoln (1861) to Trump?
19 Republicans and 10 Democrats
What do pressure groups provide?
participation, education, influence
What are the three theoretical approaches we will use in our study of comparative politics?
1) The structural approach: institutions and processes
2) The rational approach: individuals as rational, logical maximises of self-interest
3) Cultural approach: ideas - prevailing political, social, economic and religious attitudes
Who were the Federalists and Democratic-Republicans?
The Federalists (Hamilton, Adams); favoured strong federal government, loose constitution, support from wealthy, pro British, mercantile economy, For the First Bank of the United States
The Democratic-Republicans
(Madison, Jefferson); limited federal government, strict constitution, support from commoners/middle-class, Pro-French, agrarian economy, Against the First Bank of the United States
