final Flashcards
100%
Linkage institution
Parties, elections,
media, interest
groups
policy making institutions
Legislature,
executive, courts,
bureacracy
pluralist theory
Competition among groups for preferred policies
Groups will work together
Public interest will prevail
elite and class theory
Societies are divided along class lines and an
upper-class elite will rule
Not all groups are equal
Policies benefit those with money / power
hyperpluralism
Groups are so strong that government is weakened
Too many ways for groups to control policy
Confusing / contradictory policies
common law
judge-made law grounded in tradition and previous judicial decisions, instead of written law
bill of rights
the first 10 amendments to the Constitution, which were ratified in 1791, constituting an enumeration of the individual liberties with which the government is forbidden to interfere
social contract theory
the idea that individuals possess free will, and every individual is equally endowed with the God-given right of self-determination and the ability to consent to be governed
natural rights/ unalienable rights
the rights possessed by all humans as a gift from nature, or God, including the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness
popular sovereignty
the theory that government is created by the people and depends on the people for the authority to rule
enumerated powers
the powers of the national government that are listed in the constitution
the “conservative” revolution
Restored rights the colonists felt they
had lost
Not a major change of lifestyles
economic turmoil
States had different currencies
States had laws that favored debtors
Shay’s Rebellion
A series of attacks on courthouses by a small band of
farmers led by Revolutionary War Captain Daniel Shays
to block foreclosure proceedings.
Articles of Confederation
Each state retains its sovereignty, freedom, & independence
Unicameral Congress (w/one vote per state)
No Executive
No Federal Judiciary (courts @ state level)
proportional representation system
an electoral structure in which political parties win the number of parliamentary seats equal to the percentage of the vote the party recieves
balance of power system
a system of international alliances that, in theory, would balance the power of one group of nations against the power of another group and thus discourage war
New Jersey Plan
the proposal presented in response to the Virginia Plan by the less populous states at the Constitutional Convention, which called for a unicameral national legislature in which all states would have an equal voice (equal representation), an executive office composed of several people elected by Congress, and a Supreme Court whose members would be appointed by the executive office.
Virginia Plan
the new governmental structure proposed by the Virginia delegation to the Constitutional Convention, which consisted of a bicameral legislature (Congress, an executive elected by the legislature, and a separate national judiciary; state representation in Congress would be proportional, based on state population; the people would elect members to the lower house, and members of the lower house would elect the members of the upper house
Connecticut Compromise/Great Compromise
the compromise between the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan that created a bicameral legislature with one chamber’s representation based on population and the other chamber having two members for each state
bicameral legislature
legislature comprising two parts, called chambers
Three-Fifths Compromise
the negotiated agreement by the delegates to the Constitutional Convention to count each slave as three-fifths of a free man for the purpose of representation and taxes.
habeas corpus
an ancient right that protects an individual in custody from being held without the right to be heard in a court of law
clear and present danger test
established by Shneck v. US. the government may silence speech or expression when there is a clear and present danger that this speech will bring about some harm that the government has the power to prevent
bad tendency test
established by Giltow v. New York. determines that any speech with the likelihood of inciting crime or distributing the public peace can be silenced
clear and probable danger test
a standard established in the 1951 case Dennis v. US whereby the government could suppress speech to avoid grave danger, even if the probability of the dangerous result was relatively remote; replaced by the imminent lawless action (incitement) test in 1969.
imminent lawless action test/incitement test
a standard established in the 1969 Brandenburg v. Ohio case, whereby speech is restricted only if it goes beyond mere advocacy, or words, to create a high likelihood of immediate disorder or lawlessness.
Miranda rights
a criminal procedural rule, established in the 1966 case Miranda v. Arizona, requiring police to inform criminal suspects, on their arrest, of their legal rights, such as the right to remain silent and the right to counsel; these warnings must be read to suspects before interrogation.
separation of powers
the Constitution’s delegation of the authority for the primary governing functions among three branches of government so that no one group of government officials controls all the governing functions.
checks and balances
a system in which each branch of government can monitor and limit the functions of the other branches.
federal system
a governmental structure with two levels of government in which each level has sovereignty over different policy matters and geographic areas; a system of government with dual sovereignty.
federalist paper 10
factions
Factions are bad…but in a Democracy they are
inevitable
They check and balance each other…no one faction
can grow too powerful
federalist paper 51
checks and balances
“If men were angels, no government would be
necessary – you must first enable the government to
control the governed; and in the next place, oblige it
to control itself.”
Ambition must be made to counteract ambition
federalist papers
a collection of 85 article written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison under the name “Publius” to defend the Constitution.
McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)
supremacy, implied powers, elastic clause
Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)
expanded commerce clause to navigation and beyond (“backdoor”)
process for amending the constitution
- congress can propose an amendment by a 2/3 vote in each house or national convention can propose an amendment by 2/3 of the states
- state legislatures can ratify an amendment by a vote of 3/4 of the states or state conventions can ratify an amendment by a vote of 3/4 of the states
the twenty-first amendment was ratified by
going from congress to state conventions approval
how many times has a national convention proposed an amendment
never
judicial review
Power of courts to strike down laws or governmental
actions (Marbury v. Madison)
ratification
the process by which constitutions and constitutional amendments are formally confirmed, thereby becoming law
technology
Mass media, bureaucracy, atomic weapons,
communications have changed the functioning of
govenrnment
increasing demands on policymakers
Superpower, huge budget increase power of the president
to pass a bill
simple majority of both houses of congress
to override a presidential veto
2/3 of both houses
to ratify a treaty
2/3 vote in the Senate is required
to confirm a federal court judge, or a Supreme Court justice nominated by POTUS
majority vote in the Senate
to confirm heads of bureaucratic agencies nominated by the POTUS
majority vote in the Senate
to report a bill out of a House or Senate committee or subcommittee
majority vote is necessary
full faith and credit
Each state must honor the laws and legal
proceedings of other states, e.g., marriages, debts.
(DOMA)
extradition
Governors must return suspects to the states in
which they allegedly committed their crimes.
privileges and immunities
Each state must grant to citizens of other states the
same rights and privileges that they grant to their
own citizens, i.e., states cannot unreasonably
discriminate against citizens of other states.
dual federalism
Definition: A system of government in which both the states and the
national government remain supreme within their own spheres, each
responsible for some policies.
“layer cake federalism”
Ended in the 1930’s
cooperative federalism
Definition: A system of government in which powers and policy
assignments are shared between states and the national government.
Shared costs, shared administration
States follow federal guidelines
“marble cake federalism”
new federalism/ devolution
Shifting of some authority from national govt. back to the states.
Associated with Nixon, Reagan, and esp. associated with 104th and 105th
Republican Congress: “Devolution Revolution”
Example: use of block grants in welfare reform bill of 1996.
(Class of ‘07 termed this “cupcake federalism”)
categorical grants/ grants-in-aid
federal grants that can be used for specific purposes. They have strings
attached.
Project Grants: based on merit
Formula Grants: amount varies based on formulas
block grants
Federal grants given more or less
automatically to support broad programs.
how much money is given in grants every year?
$400 billion
universalism
a little something for everybody
mandates
direct states or local governments to comply with
federal rules under threat of penalties or as a condition of
receipt of a federal grant.
unfunded mandates
requirements on state & local
governments - but no money
reapportionment
The process of
reallocating seats in the
House of
Representatives every
10 years on the basis of
the results of the
census.
political socialization
the process through which an individual acquires their particular political orientation
process of political socialization
The Family
Time & emotional commitment
Political leanings of children often mirror their parent’s
leanings
The Mass Media
Generation gap in TV news viewing
School / Education
Used by government to socialize the young into the political
culture
Education produces better jobs and a more positive view
of government
aging
increases political participation and strength of party attachment
political ideology
a coherent set of beliefs about politics, public policy, and public purpose
what are the current statistics of liberals and conservatives?
about 37% conservative, 23% liberal, 40% moderate
ideologues
think in ideological terms- 12% of the population
group benefits
rely on party labels- 42% of the population
nature of the times
current times are good or bad- 24% of the population
no issue content
based on personalities- 22% of the population
initiative petition
Voters in some states propose legislation to be
voted on.
Requires a specific number of signatures to be
placed on the ballot.
Can still be voted down by the people.
referendum
Voters are given the chance to approve or
disapprove a legislative act, bond issue, or
constitutional amendment proposed by the
legislature.
political efficacy
the belief that one’s political participation really matters
civic duty
the belief that in order to support democratic government, a citizen should always vote
how are voter turnouts in the US?
low
