Exam 1 Flashcards
Gerrymandering
The manipulation of district boundaries to favor political preference.
Federalism
The division of power between state and national government.
Separation of Powers
The division of authority within a government.
Federalist 51
An essay by James Madison made to emphasize the importance of separation of powers.
Federalist 10
An essay by James Madison made to discuss the importance of democracy to prevent tyranny of the majority.
Enumerated Powers
The powers granted to the Federal Government, especially congress.
Implied Powers
The powers granted to individual State Governments, as not otherwise specifically granted to the Federal Government.
Containment
To corral all democratic minded forces into a broad coalition to isolate and defeat antidemocratic extremists.
Defensive Democracy
The government authority and the law can be used to exclude and prosecute antidemocratic forces. (a la Donald Trump)
Article I, Section 8
The Federal Government’s power to regulate commerce among states, collect taxes, declare war, and make rules concerning captures on land and water.
Supremacy Clause of Article 6
The constitution is the supreme law of the land. The Federal Government reigns over state laws.
The 10th Amendment
Powers not given to the Federal Government are reserved to individual states.
Police Powers
The capacity of the states to regulate behavior and enforce order within their territory.
Nationalization Era
Early interpretation of the Constitution emphasizing implied powers and the supremacy clause. (1789-1834)
John Marshall
Chief Justice during the Nationalization Era. Committed federalist in favor of a stronger national government.
Dual Federalism
Powers were shared between federal and state governments, emphasizing the 10th amendment. (until 1933)
Cooperative Federalism
A flexible relationship between state and federal governments. (until 1980)
New Federalism
Efforts to grant more power to the states by narrowing federal powers and allowing more use of federal grants. (since 1981)
Marijuana Policy
Federal and state governments have gone through different proceedings of the legality of marijuana, leading to legal controversy
Immigration Policy
The United States Congress has authority over immigration policy in the United States.
Civil Rights Act of 1964
Prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin.
Voting Rights Act of 1965
Prohibits racial discrimination in voting.
Multiracial Democracy
A political system with regular, free, and fair elections in which adult citizens of all ethnic groups possess the right to vote.
“One of the greatest threats to democracy is the idea that it is unassailable.”
No form of government is perfect, and to think that Democracy defies that rule defeats the point of Democracy.
Why did democracy in the U.S. seem to be so unassailable?
The U.S. is the first successful democracy with many documents in place to keep it strong. As the U.S. became powerful, many thought that Democracy was unassailable.
America’s Global Freedom Index Score
Declined from 90 to 83 after Donald Trump’s presidency.
Why are recent issues in the U.S. not entirely unique?
Growing diversity as a result of immigration has lead to political issues across the globe.
Why does the U.S. stand apart from other countries in immigration issues.
The reaction to growing diversity has been unusually authoritarian. Extremist forces actually ascended to national power, whereas in Europe they have been largely confined to the opposition.
Election of 1800
This was the first US election where the people changed their minds. Jefferson lost to Adams 4 years earlier, then won.
Constitutional Hardball
Exploiting of gaps in written laws to legally, but unethically, achieve political power.
Lawfare
The strategic use of legal proceedings to hinder or intimidate political opponents.
13th Amendment
Abolished Slavery
14th Amendment
Birthright citizenship
15th Amendment
All citizens may vote
Civil Rights act of 1875
Extended the Fourteenth Amendment’s guarantee of equal treatment to all places.
How did the republican party switch in the 1930s?
Millions of urban working-class voters rejected the Republicans, establishing the Democrats as the new majority party. The Democrats won five consecutive presidential elections between 1932 and 1948. The Republicans risked becoming a “permanent minority.”
How did the Civil Rights revolution shake up America’s party system?
When the Civil rights act was passed, segregation became consistent with republicanism.
What are the three basic principles that democratic parties must follow?
Accept election results, reject the use of violence to gain power, reject antidemocratic extremists.
How does social media affect the way political offices were designed?
Politicians have more power now than they ever have to communicate directly to the people, thus creating much more intense movements across the nation.
Madison’s take on human nature
Man is ambitious, and will do what they can to influence based on their personal perception of what’s right. A government must first be enabled to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself.
How is Madison’s vision of separation of powers and checks and balances working today?
There is polarization and gridlock in congress, and the executive and judicial branch have grown far more powerful than originally planned.
Is the bill of rights counter-majoritarian?
Yes, the first ten amendments were added to protect individual liberties and limit the power of the government.
Is the supreme court counter-majoritarian?
Yes, the supreme court’s job is to interpret the constitution, and therefore protect individual rights.
Is federalism counter-majoritarian?
Somewhat. The focus on division of powers to all of the states prevents the existence of one overarching power, but it may grant individual states more power than others.
Is bicameral congress counter-majoritarian?
While congress is designed to represent the people fairly, the fact that all states have two senators plays towards majoritarianism.
Is senate appointment counter-majoritarian?
Yes, the indirect nature of voting and potential to deviate from majority preferences therein makes senate appointment counter-majoritarian.
Is the electoral college counter-majoritarian?
Yes, the electoral college gives more power to sparsely populated districts, which leads to minority rule.
Why has the US “always been excessively counter-majoritarian?”
In fear of creating a majority-rule system comparable to Britain’s rule over the colonies, the constitution was framed to be so counter-majoritarian, that it gives the minority too much power.
Why is government necessary?
Maintain order, protect property, and provide public goods.
US government system
Representative democracy
Democratic Backsliding
Power given to the public becomes more arbitrary and repressive.
Three Basic Political Science Questions
Empirical: identifiable facts. Analytical: why? Normative: what “should” be.
Data
Factual information collected and used as the basis for reasoning, analysis and inference.
