Exam 1 Flashcards
Direct Democracy:
ordinary people are the government and make all laws themselves. (the New England town meeting model that evolved from pilgrim days)
Indirect (Representative) Democracy:
In which people choose their delegates or representatives. (these colonial assemblies or councils were essentially self-governing due to the distance from England and Parliament & the Crown)
Why is the rule of law and property rights so important:
It’s a pillar of democracy because the King would always try to steal the property. The Rule of Law protects property rights.
What does it mean to have a shared political culture and what aspects are important in ours:
People’s collective beliefs and attitudes about government and political process. Liberty, equality, capitalism and consent to be governed: Pluralist society; diverse
Social contract:
An unofficial agreement shared by everyone in a society in which they give up some freedom for security. (Ex= The U.S. Constitution)
What does “consent of the governed” mean:
The government’s power derives from the consent of those that it governs
Monarchy:
Usually single ruler, usually hereditary king or queen traditionally with absolute authority over the people. However, most modern monarchies are constitutional monarchies. (by one, generally for the good of the rest)
Aristocracy:
power through inherited wealth or land. (by an elite few for the good of the rest)
Anarchy:
Is the state of a society being freely constituted without authorities or a governing body. (an absence of government) lack of rule
Oligarchy:
Power through ownership or control of resources. (by a powerful few for their own benefit)
Tyranny:
A Dictatorship Government who control every aspects of their citizens’ lives e.g. North Korea. (by one and regardless of the rest)
What does having an economic system of capitalism mean:
Capitalism is an economic system in which the means of producing wealth are privately owned and operated to produce profits. This means that in a pure capitalist system the marketplace determines the regulation of production (risk that pays rewards)
Hobbes (Leviathan 1651):
Social contract between absolute sovereign and people. Sovereign provides protection while people relinquish rights. Without government life would be “nasty, brutish and short” Even a tyrant is better than nothing - anarchy
Locke (Two Treatises on Civil Government 1689):
Social contract. Government required to protect people’s natural rights in return for popular acceptance of governmental authority. Right of rebellion in absence of such protection. (Optimist)
Rousseau (1712-1778):
asserted that the social contract relied on popular sovereignty or the idea that individuals possess free will and have an equal right to self-determination and the ability to consent to be governed.
Equality of Condition:
Is making everyone equal in material way.
Equality of Opportunity:
Means that there’s no discrimination
Do Americans trust their government today? Why is that good or bad?
No Americans don’t, but this just educates the citizens and keeps them on their toe. But, there needs to be a medium ground of trust
Do the majority of Americans vote?
No, most Americans don’t vote
Classical Liberalism: (what it values, who it emphasizes)
It’s a positive, humanist point of view
Modern Liberalism:
Both believe in limited government, but these liberals believe that government should be limited less in daily lives
What differentiates a Liberal from a Conservative:
Liberals believe government should promote opportunity, while conservatives want the government to have little power and protect the capitalist system (keep it traditional, self-controlled)
Citizenship:
Status wherein one is entitled to all the rights and privileges of a full fledged member of a political community
Immigration:
The action of coming to live permanently in a foreign country
The role of the virtuous citizen:
To pick the best canidate for presidency and fulfill their civic duty
What has been our history towards immigrants been generally:
We haven’t always been kind to immigrants, but our country was founded on immigrants. Now, all our cultures are mixing making us the “melting pot”.
What is the role of religion and our religious traditions in America:
Americans’s have strong religious faiths, but understand that others have their own beliefs. We have separation of church and state, but like our government to have morals. Religious diversity was the first test of diversity.
Federalists:
Were the group that supported the ratification of the U.S. Constitution
Anti-Federalists:
Individuals who opposed ratification of the Constitution because they were deeply suspicious of the powers in gave the national government and of the impact those powers would have on the states’ authority and individual freedoms. (Agreed on bill of rights)
What were the Federalist papers and why were they important:
The Federalist Papers were a series of essays that argued for the ratification of the Constitution. The Federalist were communicating their points of view with public.
Who wrote “Common Sense” and purpose:
Thomas Paine wrote Common Sense. This pamphlet encouraged hesitant colonists that breaking from England was a good thing.
What were the differences between the northern and southern colonies (why was each region first settled?):
North was industrial and urbanized with no slaves. While the South was about plantation agriculture and had slaves.
