American Politics Flashcards
2024
Civic Engagement
through voting, demonstrating, or speaking out on important issues- is vital to a thriving and effective republic
define government
the system by which a society organizes itself and allocates authority in order to accomplish collective goals and provide benefits to that society
define politics
refers to the process of gaining or exercising control within a government by an association of persons with shared goals or objective for society
Democracy
government by citizens, often associated with capitalism, an economic system in which the means of production are controlled by individuals who invest in business and industry
socialism
advocates public of government control, whether directly or through regulation, over the means of production
Oligarchy
form of government in which a small class of political and economic elites control the government
Capitalist economic system (In the U.S)
our representative democracy generally adheres to
in a capitalist system:
private businesses produce and sell most consumer goods and services, earning a profit on these private goods
public goods
some goods or services, such as
-public safety and education
cannot be produced in sufficient quantities or for a profit
common goods
(governments protects these) such as
-water and other natural resources
that are used by individuals must be protected and for the benefit of all
define democracy
form of government in which political power-influence over institutions, leaders, and policies
(controlled by the people)
representative democracy
such as the United States, citizens do not govern directly, and government institutions and policies are determined by elected representatives
representative democracies also check
check on the power of citizens in order to protect the rights of minorities
direct democracy
people participate directly in government decisions, instead of relying on elected representatives
who holds power in an absolute monarchy?
a single, usually hereditary, ruler holds political power
many monarchies limit
the monarch’s power with some form of representative government, such as a parliament
under totalitarian governments, the state is controlled by
a single leader or small group of elites, controls virtually every aspect of citizens lives
within a representative democracy, the elite theory of government holds what?
that a small group of elites controls power while other citizens have little or no influence
pluralist theory of government holds that
competing interest groups influence the government and hold political power
citizens may influence the government by becoming involved with
groups that share similar interests and engage with their representatives at a local, state, or national level
tradeoffs perspective acknowledges
competing interests, whether elitist or pluralist, vie for government influence
-these competing interest produce government actions and public policies that are influenced by a series of tradeoffs or compromises
how do citizens engage in democracy through membership?
through small groups such as churches, local labor unions, and other groups
today, changes in society and technology leave citizens
with less time to be active members of a civic organization; instead citizens join larger national organizations in which each individual typically plays a small role
define social capital
the collective value of all social networks and the willingness of networks to work together toward a common goal
civic engagement increases
the power of an individual to influence government policies and actions
a representative democracy requires
an informed citizenry to vote for candidates and advocate for desired policies, along with other forms of civic engagement
forms of INDIVIDUAL civic engagement
staying informed about current events, voting, giving to a political campaign, and contacting elected representatives about issues
forms of civil engagement through GROUPS
discussing issues, working for a political campaign, volunteering, or fundraising for an organization that shares one’s goals, registering people to vote, joining protests or marches, boycotting businesses that do not support one’s views, ect
approximately how many Americans engaged in some form of political action in 2008 (presidential election year)
TWO-THIRDS
what activities were Americans engaged in during the 2008 presidential election year?
forms of impersonal action, such as signing petitions or contributing to a political campaign
Americans under the age of 30 are
less likely to engage in partisan politics
in a 2015 survey by the Harvard University Institute of Politics, more young Americans claimed affiliation with
independents (40%) than Democrats (36%) or Republicans (21%)
Americans under 30 are less likely to participate in political action, but many engage in
civil activities, such as volunteering to provide community services
when was the U.S constitution created
September 1787, making it the oldest written constitution remaining
Who drafted the U.S Constitution document during a period of ineffective national government under the Articles of confed
Framers of the Constitution
the Constitution was created through a series of significant comprimises such as
factions that favored a strong federal government over strong state governments, states that had different and competing economic interests, and those concerned that federal power would reside in more populous states at the expense of smaller states
Locke asserted people possess
natural rights granted by God including the right to life, liberty, and property
which lead people to join together through a social contract to form a government to protect their common interests
John Locke
a 17th-century English political philosopher greatly influenced political thought in the American colonies
what can Lockes ideas about life liberty and property be traced back to
Magna Carts of 1215, in which the English monarch recognized certain individual rights of “freemen”
after King James II was deposed, the English Parliament passed the
English Bill of Rights of 1689, which further enshrined the liberties and protections afforded to citizens
