chapter 4: culture and ideology Flashcards
Laws should apply to the future, not punish someone who did something in the past
Prospectivity
Laws should be stated generally, not singling out any group or individual
Generality
Laws cannot be kept secret, then enforced
Publicity
Valid laws are made by those with legitimate power, and the people legitimate that power through popular consent
Authority
Laws must be enforced impartially with fair practices
Due process
people coming together, listening to each other, exchanging ideas, learning to appreciate differences; builds community and relationships
Social capital
Beliefs and attitudes about the role of gov’t
Ideology
Effect of 9/11 on civic engagement
Drastic increase
Most revered American value
Liberty
Widely shared beliefs
Political Culture
In what political doctrine is equality of opportunity written?
Declaration of Independence
Americans generally shun aristocracy
Social equality
Each individual has equal right to protection under the law and equal voting power
Political equality
Why were programs like Head Start and public schools created?
To promote equality of opportunity
Three American writers who famously promoted a belief in the common man.
Walt Whitman, Carl Sandburg, Mark Twain
Agreement of fundamental principles of governance and the values which underlie them
Democratic consensus
Ultimate power rests with the people
Popular sovereignty
Most important expression of popular consent
Elections
Government based on a body of law applied equally with just procedures
Rule of Law
What does the writing above the entrance to the Supreme Court read?
“Equal Justice Under Law”
Who was attributed with calling American system a “government of laws, not men”
Chief Justice John Marshall
How does the family teach children political culture?
Children are taught at a young age what it means to be an American
4 ways in which public schools teach about political culture
1) Pledge of Allegiance
2) History classes
3) Government curriculum
4) School elections
Complex set of ideals in the land of opportunity
The American Dream
What role does private property play in political culture?
Cements capitalism and fuels the American Dream
Individuals reap large rewards for initiative and hard work
Competitive economy
Everyone earns a decent living
Egalitarian society
The shift from an agrarian society to an Industrial one around 1900
Industrial Revolution
What kind of economy did the Great Depression lead to?
Mixed free enterprise
What document did the New Deal produce?
Roosevelt’s Second Bill of Rights
Domination of an industry by a single company by fixing prices and discouraging competition
Monopoly
Federal Laws the prevent a monopoly from dominating an industry and restraining trade
Anti-trust legislation
An economic system characterized by private property, competitive markets, economic incentives, and limited government involvement in the production and pricing of goods and services
Capitalism
A belief in the positive uses of government to bring about justice of equality and opportunity
Liberalism
A belief that limited government ensures order, competitive markets, and personal opportunity
Conservatism
An economic and governmental system based on public ownership of the means of production and exchange
Socialism
An ideology that is dominated by concern for the environment but also promotes grassroots democracy, social justice, equal opportunity, nonviolence, and feminism
Environmentalism
An ideology that cherishes individual liberty and insists on a sharply limited government, promoting a free market economy, a noninterventionist foreign policy, and absence of regulation in moral and social spheres
Libertarianism
What percentage of voters are truly Independent?
12%
What is an argument against liberalism?
Too much reliance on governmental solutions, higher taxes, and bureaucracy.
What do liberals value?
Equal access to healthcare, housing, and education; taxes which rise with income
2 famous liberals
Hilary Clinton, Truman
What do conservatives value?
Small government, strong leadership, strict moral codes
What is an argument against conservatism?
They only favor government action when it serves them (ex: abortion regulation, but not income taxes for the wealthy)
2 Famous Environmentalists
Ralph Nader and John Kerry
