Chapter One Flashcards

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1
Q

Government

A

Institutions and procedures through which a territory and its people are ruled

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2
Q

Politics

A

Conflict over the leadership, structure, and policies of governments

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3
Q

Political Efficacy

A

The ability to influence government and politics

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4
Q

Citizenship

A

Informed and active membership in a political community

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5
Q

Autocracy

A

A form of govrnment in which a single individual-a king, queen, or dictator-rules

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6
Q

Oligarchy

A

A form of government in which a small group-landowners, military officers, or wealthy merchants-controls most of the governing decisions

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7
Q

Democracy

A

A system of rule that permits citizens to play a significant part in the governmental process, usually through the election of key public officials

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8
Q

Constitutional Government

A

A system of rule in which formal and effective limits are placed on the powers of the government

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9
Q

Authoritarian Government

A

A system of rule in which the government recognizes no formal limits but may nevertheless be restrained by the power of other social insititutions

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10
Q

Totalitarian Government

A

A system of rule in which the government recognizes no formal limits on its poer and seeks to absorb or eliminate other social institiutions that might challenge it

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11
Q

Power

A

Influence over a government’s leadership, organization, or policies

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12
Q

Representative Democracy (Republic)

A

A system of government in which the populace selects representatives, who play a significant role in governmental decision making

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13
Q

Direct Democracy

A

A system of rule that permits citizens to vote directly on laws and policies

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14
Q

Pluralism

A

The theory that all interests are and should be free to compete for influence in the government; the outcome of this competition is compromise and moderation

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15
Q

Ploitical Culture

A

Broadly shared values, beliefs, and attitudes about how the government should function. American political culture emphasizes the values of liberty, equality, and democracy

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16
Q

Liberty

A

Freedom from governmental control

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17
Q

Limited Government

A

A principle of constitutional government; a government whose powers are defined and limited by a constitiution

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18
Q

Laissez-faire Capitalism

A

An economic system in which the means of production and distribution are privately owned and operated for profit with minimal or no government interference

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19
Q

Equality of Opportunity

A

A widely shared American ideal that all people should have the freedom to use whatever talents and wealth they have to reach their fullest potential

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20
Q

Political Equality

A

The right to participate in politics equally, based on theprinciple of “one person, one vote”

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21
Q

Popular Sovereighnty

A

A principle of democracy in which political authority rests ultimately in the hands of the people

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22
Q

Majority Rule, Minority Rights

A

The democratic principle that a government follows the preferences of the majority of voters but protects the interests of the minority

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23
Q

Federal Immigration Policies

A

Set the terms for entry into the United States and for obtaining citizenship

24
Q

American Political Values

A

Liberty, Equality, and Democracy

25
Q

1929

A

Stock Market Crash

26
Q

1933

A

The Great Depression & run on banks

27
Q

2008-2009

A

Threat of deep recession & the federal government stepped in to shore up the financial system

28
Q

National Government

A

Enormous institution with programs and policies reaching into every corner of American Life (oversees nation’s economy; it is the nation’s largest employer; provides citizens with services; controls the military; and regulates wide range of social and commercial activites)

29
Q

September 11, 2001

A

Terrorist attacks on the United States - The government’s response helped lift popular trust above the 50 percent level for the first time in decades

30
Q

2013

A

Only 19 percent of Americans trust the government

31
Q

March 2007

A

54 percent of americans surveryed believed the Bush Administration deliverately misled the American public about whether Iraq had weapons of mass destruction

32
Q

Fall 2011

A

Only 10 percent of Americans trusted government to do the right thing - the lowest level of trust ever recorded

33
Q

Affordable Care Act

A

A new social program supported by President Obama to rform the American Health care system, led to a government shutdown in 2013 - another dramatic showdown over raising the national debt limit - americans trust dipped to historically low levels

34
Q

2014

A

78 percent of Americans said that elected officials don’t care what people like them think; in 1960 only 25 percent felt shut out of government

35
Q

2012

A

57 percent of the public disagreed with the idea that the “government is really run for the benefit of all the people.” These views are widely shared across the age spectrum - Bad news for American democracy

36
Q

John Locke (1632-1704)

A

Argued that governments need the consent to the people

37
Q

John Stuart Mill (1806-73)

A

Presented a ringing defense of individual freedom in his famous treatise On LIberty. His work influenced Americans’ relationship between government and the individual

38
Q

1924

A

The year Native Americans became citizens

39
Q

1868

A

Whe the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution conferred citizenship on the freed slaves

40
Q

1790

A

Federal Government sought to limit the nonwhite population stipulating only free whites could become naturalized citizens

41
Q

1870

A

Congress lifted the ban on the naturalization of nonwhites

42
Q

1882

A

The Chinese Exclusion Act outlawed the entry of Chinese laborers to the United States

43
Q

1943

A

The Chinese Exclusion Act lifted when China became America’s Ally during World War II

44
Q

1930

A

Census counted Mexican origin as nonwhite but reversed its decision a decade later after protests. In 1970 census officially began counting Hispanic origin, noting they could be any race

45
Q

1965

A

Congress loosened restrictions on immigration, laaowing millions of people from Latin America & Aisa to enter. In 2002 Hispanics were the larges minority group in the United States

46
Q

2000

A

New census category of “two or more races”

47
Q

2012

A

13% of the population was born outside of the United States. Over half of the foreign born came from Latin America or the Caribbean.

48
Q

12 Million

A

Estimated number of undocumented immigrants in the United States

49
Q

1982

A

The Supreme Court ensured access to education & funding for undocumented students could not be denied

50
Q

1986 - EMTALA

A

Congress guaranteed emergency medical care to all people regardless of immigration status when they passed the Emergency Medical Treatment & Active Labor Act (EMTALA)

51
Q

“Give me Liberty or Give me Death”

A

Patrick Henry’s famous speech demanded freedom at any cost and has resonated with Americans throughout the nations’s history

52
Q

Essential documents of the American Founding

A

The Declaration of Independence and the Constitiution

53
Q

The Declaration of Independence

A

“Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”

54
Q

The preambel to the Constitution

A

“the Blessings of Liberty”

55
Q

Bill of Rights

A

The Constitutions first 10 amendments (above all preserve individual personal liberties and rights)

56
Q

laissez-faire

A

(literally, “leave alone” in French)