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American Government > Chapter 1 > Flashcards

Chapter 1 Flashcards

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1
Q

Elements of politics

A

Power: The ability to make others act in a way that they otherwise might not have done
Resources: Anything of value to others that can be used to sway another individual
Politics: Who gets what, when, and how

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2
Q

Types of observations

A

Empirical: A claim about the “real world” based on the assessment of data or analysis of information
Value: A judgment about something in the world, typically involving whether it’s “good”, “bad”, “the best”, ect.
Normative: A claim about what ought to be in the world, which typically follows from a value judgment

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3
Q

Two theories of resource allocation

A

Elitism: government responds to small groups of elites, corporate leaders, media owners, and/or academic leaders
Pluralism: Government responds to individuals through membership in groups, service organizations, union and/or religious groups

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4
Q

Equality of outcome

A

Emphasis on providing with comparable economic and social positions
Social equality
Economic equality

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5
Q

Liberty

A

The ability to pursue your ends and objectives, tempered by socially defined boundaries and limited government obstructions: “Absolute liberty” would be the freedom to do anything a person wanted without any limits or boundaries (i.e. no punishment)
A central source of tension in politics is the conflict between liberty and social responsibility, or concern for the protection of the rights of individuals in a community or society at the expense of some degree of personal liberty

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6
Q

Ideal balance

A

Liberty, political equality, and equality of opportunity

Equality of outcome, social equality, and economic equality

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7
Q

Equality of Opportunity/Political equality/Liberty

A

Outcomes should be based on individual talents, capabilities, and interests (because people are different)
Characteristics such as race, gender, ethnicity, religion, sexuality, and nationality

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8
Q

Equality of Outcome/Social and Economic Equality/Social responsibility

A

Government should play an active role in the allocation of resources to promote a more equal distribution (because not all people are treated equally)

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9
Q

Authority

A

The right to act in an official capacity by virtue of holding an office like president or member of Congress

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10
Q

Democracy

A

A government created by the people over whom it rules

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11
Q

Direct democracy

A

Democracy without representation, where each eligible individual participates in decision making

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12
Q

Economic equality

A

A form of equality of outcome that values using government policy to minimize the economic disparities found in society

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13
Q

Elitism

A

The theory that government responds to a small, stable, centralized hierarchy of corporate and academic leaders, military chiefs, people who own big media outlets, and members of a permanent government bureaucracy
People who subscribe to this position believe the actions of regular citizens, like voting and joining groups, simply mask the real power exercised by elites

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14
Q

Empirical

A

Any statement based on the assessment of data or the analysis of information, without regard to value judgements

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15
Q

Equality of opportunity

A

One of several ways of understanding quality
This way values leveling the social and economic inequities among people, rather than attempting to give people comparable advantages for succeeding in life

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16
Q

Legitimacy

A

Widespread ublic acceptance of the official standing o a political figure or institution

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17
Q

Liberty

A

The ability to pursue your ends and objectives, tempered by socially defined boundaries and limited government impediments

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18
Q

Normative

A

Any statement that invokes a judgement or evaluation

Think of the word norm, which implies a standard for evaluating something

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19
Q

Pluralism

A

The theory that government responds to individuals through their membership in groups, assuring that government is responsive to a wide range of voices
People who subscribe to this position believe that the wide distribution of resources in society drives the decisions government officials make

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20
Q

Political equality

A

Establishing political and legal rights on the basis of the individual, so that everyone has the same right to vote and is equal under the law
An alternative would be to grant political rights to elite individuals based on wealth or social standing

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21
Q

Politics

A

The process of determining who gets what, when, and how

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22
Q

Power

A

The ability to make others act in a way that they otherwise might not have done

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23
Q

Representative democracy

A

A form of democracy in which eligible individuals choose others to make decisions on their behalf

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24
Q

Republic

A

Any nation with provisions for the selection of representatives who make decisions on behalf of these who select them
James Madison said a republic was “a government in which the scheme of representation takes place”, as compared to direct democracy

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25
Q

Resources

A

Anything of value to others that can be used to sway another individual

26
Q

Social equality

A

A form of equality of outcome that values using government policy to minimize social class distinctions found in society

27
Q

Social responsibility

A

Concern for the protection of the rights of individuals in a community or society, at the expense of some degree of personal liberty

28
Q

END CHAPTER 1

A

END CHAPTER 1

29
Q

British acts as imposition on liberty

A 
Sugar Act (1764) tax to raise revenue for British government
Quartering Act (1765) colonists forced to house British troops
Stamp Act (1765) tax to raise revenue for British government
30
Q

Tensions Rise

A

Colonists respond to taxes with protests and demands for repeal
Parliament enacts more taxes and new laws to punish colonists

31
Q

Attempt to Coordinate Efforts

A

First Continental Congress (1774) meets for the purpose of coordinating a boycott of British goods
Fighting begins at Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts (1775)
Second Continental Congress (1775) meets to coordinate war effort and in 1778 issues Declaration of Independence

32
Q

Thomas Hobbes

A

Liberty in the state of nature is absolute, but anyone can deny another’s liberty (or life by force)
Life in the state of nature is “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short”
To protect themselves from this situation people, exchange their liberty for the security of a strong government
A social contract between the government and the governed provides security in exchange for liberty

33
Q

John Locke and natural rights

A

In the state of nature all persons possess the natural right to life, liberty, and property
People enter into the social contract to protect these natural rights, agreeing to give up some individual rights in exchange for greater protect of natural rights
The purpose of government under this contract entails more than just providing physical safety, therefore government should have less power that Hobbes says

34
Q

Articles of Confederation (1777)

A

Colonists feared creating a strong national government capable of infringing on their liberty just as Britain had done
National government is created by subservient to the states: State governments were in turn created by the people of the state
Small farmers and debtors preferred rule of local governments while bankers, traders, and manufacturers wanted a strong national government

35
Q

Problems with the Articles

A

National government was unable to: regulate trade; states used a different way of measurement of currency, raise taxes, enforce national law (they could pass laws, but not enforce them), effectively conduct foreign affairs (negotiate treaties to secure loans), unanimity among states needed to amend the Articles

36
Q

Shay’s Rebellion (1786)

A

Northeastern states experience downtown in economy
Massachusetts increased taxes and creditors sought to collect debts
Small farmers and debtors took up arms and blocked the local courts from convening and sentencing debtors to failure to pay and repossessing land
National government was powerless to deal with the complaints of debtors or assist the state

37
Q

Types of Government

A

Confederal: Natioanl government is created by and remains subservient to a pre-existing set of compnent states
Unitary: Central natioanl government creats subunits, such as states, which derive their power from that national government
Federal: National government and states share authority over citizens; states are autonomous in some areas

38
Q

Constitutional Compromise

A

How will representation work in the new government: Virginia Plan, New Jersey Plan, Connecticut Compromise

39
Q

American settlers

A

Self-reliant
Risk-takers
Values liberty and opportunity

40
Q

Institutional Safeguards to Liberty

A

Power should be not concentrated inn a single place, institution, or person: Sepration of powers
Once powers are separated, they should be positioned to counteract each other: Checks and balances
Federalism
Limited government
Popular soverignty

41
Q

Three Branches

A

Executive, Legislative, and Judicial

42
Q

Executive Branch

A

Represents: entire nation
Chosen by: Electoral College
Term: 4 years, renewable once
Function: Carrying out laws

43
Q

Legislative Branch; House

A

Represents: Small districts
Chosen by: The people
Term: 2 years
Function: Writing laws

44
Q

Legislative Branch; Senate

A

Represents: States
Chosen by: The people (originally state legislatures)
Term: 6 years
Function: Writing laws

45
Q

Judicial Branch

A

Represents: The Constitution
Chosen by: The president, confirmed by the Senate
Term: Life
Function: Judging laws

46
Q

Political battle over ratification

A

Who were the sides
What groups made-up each side
What was a major point of contention between the two sides and what did it ultimately resolve in
How was Article VII written to aid passage of the Constitution

47
Q

Federalism

A

Federal systems are unusual in the world
States and federal government are independent power centers
Different perspectives on federalism: Nation -centered, state-cented, and dual federalism

48
Q

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819); Could the federal government engage in activities that were not expressly delegated to it in the Constitution

A

Yes-Article 1, Section 8- “Necessary and Proper” clause

49
Q

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819); Does the federal government supersede the states when a conflict arises between them

A

Yes-Article VI-

50
Q

The Changing Nature of Federalism

A

1789 to 1890s: Struggle between National/State/Dual federalism
1890s to 1960s: Cooperative federalism, New Deal/Great Society
1960s to???: New Federalism

51
Q

END CHAPTER 2

A

END CHAPTER 2

52
Q

Articles of Confederation

A

The first constitution of the United States, which created a loosely functioning national government to which the individual states were supreme
It addressed concerns about a strong government undermining individual liberty, but it created a national government that was unable to regulate commerce or conduct foreign policy and was abandoned in favor of the United States Constitution just 8 years after it was ratified

53
Q

Boston Massacre

A

A a precursor to the war that was still 5 years away, it was the first mortal conflict between colonists and British troops in Boston and resulted in the deaths of 5 colonists in 1770

54
Q

Boston Tea Party

A

A protest against the Tea Act of 1773 in which 50 colonists dressed as Native Americans boarded British trade ships loaded with tea and threw the contensts into the water

55
Q

Checks and balances

A

The ability of any one of the several equal and independent branches of government to keep the others from acting, designed to prevent power from being consolidated tin any one branch
Because any branch can put a check on the others, government can only act when there is cooperation between the branches, a situation that neccessitates compromise

56
Q

Coercive Acts

A

Called the Intolerable Acts in the colonies, the Coercive Acts represented the British attempt to clamp down on the colonies following the Boston Tea Party

57
Q

Confederal system

A

An arrangement for establishing a governmnet out of a set of component states, in which the national government is the creation of the states and subservient to them
The Articles of Confederation established a system like this in the United Nations may be the mist prominent example of a confederation

58
Q

Connecticut Compromise

A

A compromise between the Virginia and New Jersey Plans that broke the deadlock over representation at the Constitutional
Convention by providing for a bicameral legislature
Large states would get their demand for represnetation based on population in the House of Representatives, while every state, regardless of size, would have two senators, which pleased small states

59
Q

Constitutional Convention

A

A meeting of representatives from 12 of the 13 states held in Philadelphia in 1787, which produced the federal system of government outlined in the United States Constitution

60
Q

Cooperative federalism

A

One of several perspectives on federalism, popular during the first two-thirds of the 12th century, which was defined by join endeavors between the federal and state governments
Typically, state governments would carry out federal initiatives, using federal money and federal guidelines

61
Q

Declaration of Independence

A

The documentd

American Government (1 decks)

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