Exam 1: Study Guide Terms Pt 1

Question 1

Government

Answer 1

organization with a monopoly on the legitimate use of force to control human behavior

Question 2

State of nature

Answer 2

Total Freedom - “Life in a state of nature is nasty, brutish, and short”

Question 3

Social contract theory

Answer 3

members of a society agree to form and recognize a gov’t and give that govt adequate power to ensure protection/welfare of all its individuals.

Question 4

Order

Answer 4

Government’s basic role

• Defend against attack (external/intl order)
• provide internal order (stop/punish crime)

Question 5

Public goods/services

Answer 5

Government’s basic role
Essential services that individuals cannot prove for themselves (eg building/maintaining roads, welfare programs, operating public schools, preserving natl parks)

Question 6

Resolving conflicts

Answer 6

There will always be disagreement among groups in regards to distribution of resources, policies, etc. Conflicts are resolved through Power (ability to influence behaviour) and Authority (ability to legitimately exercise power). The US does this through laws/policy and the Judicial Branch/ supreme court.

Question 7

Democrats and Republicans

Answer 7

Democrats: Liberal political party of USA
Republicans: Conservative political party of USA

Question 8

GOP

Answer 8

See Republicans

Question 9

Majority party in House/Senate

Answer 9

House of Rep (GOP)
Senate (D)
[President (D)]

Question 10

Divided government

Answer 10

When the Senate and House majorities are held by different political parties.
Current: Democrats hold majority w/ President and Senate

Question 11

Bush tax cuts

Answer 11

Bush tax cuts have been extended indefinitely (in place since 2001/03.
They cut all 3 tax types: Income Tax, Capital Gains Tax, and Eliminated Estate Tax.

Question 12

Democrats’/GOP’s preferred solution to debt and poor economy

Answer 12

GOP wants less taxes/govt control of money so we have more money to spend and stimulate the economy and use taxes to pay off debts.
Democrats want to tax more to stimulate economy through government spending and help distribute resources to the poor.

Question 13

Sequestration (sequester)

Answer 13

General cuts are made to all areas of govt in order to limit budget, not strategically made. No one likes them, all parties unhappy. In effect through 2021.
Cuts made to military/defense programs (conservatives dislike), cuts made to domestic programs (liberals dislike).

Question 14

Debt limit

Answer 14

There is a limit on national debt (all deficits accumulated over time). We usually just raise it every few years. Dems and GOP can’t agree on how to fix the matter…. Shocker.

Question 15

Syria

Answer 15

It’s a country. In the middle east. People are killing each other after peaceful protests (2011) which the gov crazy reacted to by killing/torturing people.. Now theres a civil war.
Sectarian Rebalancing (rebalancing of power among religious/ethnic lines) and Assad Regime was not sustainable (clawing their way down?).
Russia has naval bases in Syria, cold war mentality, and Syria buys weapons from Russia. Syria also protects Iran (Israel and USA are threats).
There are no viable options to fix it but they have chemical weapons. If we bomb them it sends a message to the world (regulation of war tactics)?
Killing will likely continue for years and Syria will be a broken society for generations+, Russia will block intl action. Eventually Syria conflict will cool (partial victory or exhaustion).

Question 16

Juan Peron

Answer 16

ARG history: President Juan Peron
Member of miliitary, studied tactics in WWII Italy under Mousalinni (sp?) aka Fascist influence, was placed in charge of working people (wages/condits). He used $$ for healthcare/education, anti-foreign companies/involvement, Elected in 1946, reelected in 1951, Grew unpopular with inflation/debt increases and made unpopular measures (pay freezes, limited press freedom, etc). Peron urged violent response after bombing of casa rosada, exiled, returned in 1973 and reelected 1 yr.

Question 17

Monarchy/dictator

Answer 17

Monarchy: Form of Autocracy (Govt where power is in hands of single person) King/Queen/Emperor/Empress/Tsar/etc is the highest govt authority. Usually inheritance of power.
Dictator: Absolute power is held by a person/group whose power is not supported by tradition.

Question 18

Direct democracy

Answer 18

System of Government where all political decisions are made by the people themselves, not an elected representative. (e.g.- ancient Greece)

Question 19

Representative democracy

Answer 19

Political decisions are made by an elected representative whose views reflect the majority who then makes decisions.

Question 20

Republic

Answer 20

Representative democracy where there is no king or queen and people are sovereign.

Question 21

Income

Answer 21

Money someone earns through working or other matters (measured annually)

Question 22

Wealth

Answer 22

Accumulation of income not spent and other sources of value one owns.

Question 23

Flat tax

Answer 23

Everyone pays same % proportion on their income. (Linear pos corr graph)

Question 24

Progressive tax

Answer 24

The more $$ you earn the higher % proportion of tax on income you pay. (Pos corr exp graph)

Question 25

Political culture

Answer 25

Set of ideas, values, and attitudes about govt and political process held by a community or nation. (Compare/Contrast USA/ARG?)

Question 26

American creed

Answer 26

Equality, Democracy, Limited Government

Question 27

Equality (2 types)

Answer 27

Equality of Opportunity (Chance for success; everyone has education/run for office/etc)
Equality of Outcome (Everyone has the same level of success- controversial)

Question 28

Limited gov’t

Answer 28

Govt does not control private life (economy, religion, etc)

Question 29

Property

Answer 29

Not only limited to personal possessions such as automobiles/houses. Also consists of assets that can be used to create/sell goods/services like factories, shops, farms. Property gives owners political power and liberty to do what they want (within legal limits).

Question 30

Religion (US is different)

Answer 30

Freedom of Religion in US although based on christian values at founding of our country. (???)

Question 31

Communism

Answer 31

State enforces equality. Government controls and rations the economy and social aspects of a nation. Currently China and few other nations. (Extreme breakaway from Socialism)

Question 32

Natural rights

Answer 32

Rights inherent of the fact one is a human being (life, liberty, and property)

Question 33

Totalitarian government

Answer 33

Govt controls EVERYTHING (opposite of Limited Govt)

Question 34

Capitalism

Answer 34

An economy based on private ownership of wealth producing property, free markets, and freedom of contract. General american value but relationship of govt and capitalism ideas vary.

Question 35

Ideology

Answer 35

A system of political ideas that are rooted in religious or philosophical beliefs concerning human nature, society, and govt.

Question 36

Liberalism/progressivism

Answer 36

“Those who want to be free from tradition and establish new policies/practices”
Arrose in 1960s with medicare/medicaid. “Big Govt?” Liberals strongly value separation of church and state, relative negative view of military action.
Popularly called “Progressives” as opposed to “Liberals”.

Question 37

Conservatism

Answer 37

“Those who wish to conserve traditional social and political habits/institutions”
USA: Freedom from govt control or regulation of most business enterprise. The general view that little or no govt involvement/action on social and economic matters is optimal.
note- New Deal programs under Roosevelt and big govt ideals were greatly opposed.

Question 38

Libertarianism

Answer 38

Oppose almost all govt regulation of economy and income. True libertarians oppose govt involvement in issues of private morality, more in common socially with liberals. But Economic issues remain more important, generally support Republican party.
Tea Party Movement: 2009 w/ Obama opposition. Opposes big govt and current levels of taxation and rejects political compromise. Less liberal socially than Libertarians.

Question 39

Moderate

Answer 39

Those who fall in the middle of the political spectrum. Generally more democrats identify as moderates. We call Moderates “Independents”. Regardless, they do not identify as Republican or Democrat.

Question 40

What corporations can’t build

Answer 40

A Sentence.
Increasing use of written communication, lack of writing skills are evident. Corporations are increasingly spending a lot of money on training for writing and expression of ideas for employees. People are typing incoherently, text language, too wordy and non-consice manners. Overuse of punctuation and emoticons are used/unprofessional.