Ch 1-5 Flashcards
Politics
The process by which we decide how resources will be allocated and which policies the government will pursue.
Republic
From Latin “Res publica” meaning for the public. System of government in which political power rests in the hand of the people, not a monarch and is exercised by elected representatives.
Democracy
Rule by many, everyone has a vote
Capitalism
Economic system based on private ownership and limited economic role for government.
Anti-Federalist
those who did not support ratification of the constitution.
Articles of Confederation
the first basis for the new nations government: adopted in 1781; created an alliance of Sovereign states held together by a weak central government.
Bicameral legislature
A legislature with two houses, such as the US congress
Bill of rights
The first ten amendments to the US constitution; most were designed to protect fundamental rights and liberties.
Checks and balances
A system that allows one branch of government to limit the exercise of power by another branch; requires the various parts of government to work together.
Confederation
A highly decentralized form of government; sovereign states form a union for purposes such as mutual defense.
Declaration of Independence
A document written in 1776 in which the American colonists proclaimed their independence form Great Britain and listed their grievances against the British King.
Enumerated powers
The powers given explicitly to the federal government by the Constitution (article I, Section 8); Power to regulate interstate and foreign commerce, raise and support armies, declare war, coin money, and conduct foreign affairs.
Federal system
A form of government in which power is divided between state government and national government.
Great Compromise
A compromise between the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan that created a two-house congress; representation based on population in the House of Representatives and equal representation of states in the Senate.
Natural rights
the right to life, liberty and property; believed to be given by God; no government may take away.
New jersey plan
A plan that called for a one- house national legislature; each state would receive one vote.
Reserved powers
any powers not prohibited by the Constitution or delegated to the national government; powers reserved to the states and denied to the federal government.
Separation of powers
The sharing of powers among three separate branches of government.
Social contract
An agreement between people and government in which citizens consent to be governed so long as the government protects their natural rights.
Supremacy clause
The statement in Article VI of the constitution that federal law is superior to laws passed by state legislature.
The Federalist Papers
A collection of eighty-five essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay in support of the ratification of the constitution.
Three-fifths Compromise
A compromise between northern and southern states that called for counting all a states free population and 60% of it’s enslaved population for both federal taxation and representation in congress.
Unicameral Legislature
A legislature with only one house like the confederation congress or the legislature proposed by the New Jersey Plan.
Veto
The power of the president to reject a law proposed by congress
Virginia plan
A plan for a two house legislature; representatives would be elected to the lower house based on each states population; representatives for the upper house would be chosen by the lower house.
Bill of attainder
A legislative action declaring someone guilty without a trial; prohibited under the constitution.
Block Grant
A type of grant that comes with less stringent federal administrative conditions and provide recipients more latitude over how to spend grant funds.
Categorical grant
a federal transfer formulated to limit recipients’ discretion in the use of funds and subject them to strict administrative criteria.
Concurrent Power
Shared state and federal powers that range from taxing, borrowing, and making and enforcing laws to establishing court system.
Cooperative federalism
A style of federalism in which both levels of government coordinate their action to solve national problems, lading to the blending of layers as in a marble cake.
Creeping categorization
A process in which the national government attaches new administrative requirements to block grants or supplants them with new categorical grants.
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 authority, creating a layer cake view of federalism
What are “collective action / free rider problems” and why are they important?
Collective action problems occur when people have conflicting interests and feel that there is no incentive to contributing to a common good. This leads to free riding which is where an individual benefits from a collective action without contributing.
How is democracy defined and how does it vary in practice?
Democracy is a form of government where political power rests in the hands of the people. In ancient Greece where democracy comes from each person voted on each issue. This is referred to as a direct democracy. In the United States we have a democracy that allows the people to vote on who get to make all the decisions. This is called an indirect democracy or a representative democracy because we elect people to represent us, the people.
How can power be apportioned within different systems of government?
In a democracy the power lies in the hands of the people. In a monarchy the power lies within one family and is enforced by one person. In an oligarchy the power lies with a few elite people. In a totalitarian government the government holds all the power, and the people have no power. Power can be separated in many ways.
What sorts of balances are apparent in organizing systems of government?
The government wants to ensure that no one party has too much power. As for the United States we have a system of checks and balances that ensure that no one branch holds too much power. We also have a levels system that gives various levels of power different powers to control.
What is the difference between EMPIRICAL and NORMATIVE statements? Why are they Significant?
Empirical statements state what is. The truth and the facts. Normative statements state what should be. This would be more of an opinion. In politics, people tend to use normative statements when they should use empirical statements.
What were the main contributions of John Locke and Thomas Hobbes to our discussion?
Hobbes and Locke added a great deal to our discussion. They made me think about the balance of freedom and security. I had never really thought that deeply about how the government directly affects me. Even though I have never voted in an election, and I would not say I am too concerned with politics, the government still directly affects everything I do.
What are some of the different forms of government we have discussed and what distinguished them from one another?
In a democracy the power lies in the hands of the people.
In a monarchy the power lies within one family and is enforced by one person.
In an oligarchy the power lies with a few elite people.
In a totalitarian government the government holds all the power.
They are distinguished by who holds the power and how much power they hold.
What did the Federalist believe were some of the key problems with the Articles of Confederation? How did the new Constitution attempt to correct these issues and have the solutions proven successful over time? (Provide specific examples) EQ
It did not provide the federal government the power to tax, regulate interstate commerce, or create a standard currency to name a few. It gave the power to tax to the government. They have exercised this power very well. One example would be the 16th amendment which created a federal income tax. There is an interstate commerce clause that allows the federal government to regulate anything related to interstate commerce. This proved to be successful in Gibbons v. Ogden which set the precedent for future questions about the clause
What sorts of things do people identify when they talk about being a “Good Citizen”? How do these sorts of things differ along party lines or by age or by other demographic distinctions? Why do people –who all identify as Americans - have such different ideas of what being a good citizen is? (You must provide examples to support your case and answer ALL aspects of the question)
Most older people believe that patriotism, christian values, respect for the country, and voting are important characteristics of a good citizen. These beliefs are also typically held by the republican side of the population. Younger people and democrats tend to believe that protesting and respecting other opinions are what makes a good citizen. Obviously, there are many more than these few listed. The reason why there are so many different beliefs when it comes to this is we have a large population that is very diverse, and when this happens it is very hard for people to agree on things.
What are some of the different forms of government we have discussed and what distinguished them from one another?
In a democracy the power lies in the hands of the people. In a monarchy the power lies within one family and is enforced by one person. In an oligarchy the power lies with a few elite people. In a totalitarian government the government holds all the power, and the people have no power.
What was Thomas Paine’s contribution to our discussion?
He was a massive proponent for separation from Britain in his pamphlet, Common Sense.
What were identified as some of the “weaknesses” (features?) of the first system of the Govt. in the US.
The biggest problem was the lack of power for the federal government. They did not have the power to tax, even though they had just fought a war and were in a great amount of debt. Keeping a standing army, regulating interstate trade, printing a single currency as well as no national legal system left the seas and frontiers vulnerable.
What were the key bones of contention between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists?
The Anti-Federalists believed that the constitution made the federal government too powerful and opposed a lack of a declaration of rights. The federalists believed that the checks and balances would prevent an all-powerful government and believed that a list of rights was unnecessary.
What were the three variations in governmental structure identified in class and what are the consequences for power distribution of adopting them?
Unitary-All power is at the top with little being passed down. Confederation-All power is at the state level with very little passed up to a federal government. Federal-Divides power into levels between the states and the federal government
Why are Connecticut, New Jersey and Virginia seen as important in the Constitutional Convention?
They all proposed different plans of government.
elastic clause
the last clause of Article I, Section 8, which enables the national government “to make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying” out all its constitutional responsibilities
ex post facto law
law that criminalizes an act retroactively; prohibited under the Constitution
federalism
an institutional arrangement that creates two autonomous levels of government, each possessing the capacity to act directly on the people with authority granted by the national constitution
How were the issues of slavery and representation dealt with at the constitutional convention?
They mostly pushed it off. They adopted the 3/5th compromise for purposes of representation in the house and taxation as well as prohibiting congress from banning the slave trade until 1808.
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
