Exam 1 Flashcards
Distinguish between different types of government by inclusiveness
Autocracy- ruled by one person
Oligarchy- ruled by small group
Democracy- ruled by majority
Distinguish between different types of government as evaluated by limitations on power
Totalitarianism- gov has no limits and eliminate rivals
Authoritarianism- gov has no limits but constrained by institutions
Constitutionalism- gov are constrained by codified rules
Define politics
Politics is how we determine “who gets what, when, and how”
Identify the main purposes of American government
They make, enforce, and interpret laws to protect citizens and provide services
American Revolution- Thomas Hobbes
Believed government is necessary to maintain order
American Revolution- John Locke
Believed all government is limited and all men are born free with life, liberty, and property
American Revolution- Montesquieu
French political theorist who advocated for separation of powers
Key compromises for constitution
Bicameral legislature- big and small states
Three-fifths compromise- north and south states
American Revolution- Founding Fathers
Washington and John Adams- war leaders
Jefferson- wrote Declaration of Independence
Madison- political leader
Thomas Paine- common sense pamphlet
Alexander Hamilton- fought and built financial system
Political efficacy
Citizen’s feeling that political and social change is possible
Fundamental values of American political culture
Liberty, equality, and democracy
Purpose of each branch of gov
Legislative- make laws, executive- signs/enforce laws, judicial- interpret laws
Define bicameralism
Legislature with two branches
Define separation of powers
Distinct functions for each branch of government
Differences between Articles of Confederation and Constitution
Greater centralization of power in the national government
Differences between Federalists and anti-federalists
Federalists- wanted strong government
Anti-federalists- wanted weak government and a Bill of Rights
Define federalism
Power divided between central and regional
Why a federation might be chosen as the best way to organize the powers of a government
Better for diverse ethnic groupings or geographically large countries
Define reserved powers and where it is in the Constitution
10th amendment- reserved powers are those not specifically delegated to the national government or denied to the states
Dual federalism
Both federal and state have exclusive control over areas
Cooperative federalism
Expanded federal government power
Regulated federalism
Congress requires states to meet national standards
New federalism
Returns some power and flexibility to the states
McColloch vs Maryland (1819)
Congress had legal right to charter a national bank
Gibbons vs Ogden (1824)
National government controls interstate commerce
Substantive vs procedural liberties
Substantive- limits on what gov can do
Procedural- rules on how gov must act
14th amendment
Applied Bill or Rights to states
Barron vs Baltimore (1833)
Bill of Rights does not apply to state governments
Plessy vs Ferguson
Separate but equal
Brown vs Board of Education
Overturned Plessy vs Ferguson and fought discrimination
Gideon vs Wainwright
Everyone has the right to an attorney
Amendments ratified to the constitution post-Civil War
13th- abolished slavery
14th- equal protection under law
15th- voting rights for former slaves
Civil Rights Act of 1964
Public accommodations could no longer be segregated
Voting Rights Act of 1965
Banned use of literacy tests as condition to vote and made it a crime to interfere with efforts to vote
Essay- Describe problems of Articles of Confederation which led to Constitution
Weak central gov and shays rebellion
Essay- Compromises of constitution
Great compromise- bicameral legislature
Three-fifths compromise- 60% of slave population when allocating seats in house of rep.
Essay- separation of powers and federalism
Separation of powers- checks and balances
Federalism- power divided between federal and states
Essay- nationalization of Bill of Rights
14th amendment applied bill of rights to states
Selective incorporation- liberties were selectively incorporated into due process clause and made applicable
