Final Exam Flashcards
Checks and Balances
mechanisms through which each branch of government can participate in and influence the activities of other branches
Separation of Powers
division of power among several institutions that must cooperate in policymaking. For example, Congress has the power to create laws, the President has the power to veto them, and the Supreme Court may declare laws unconstitutional.
Constituency
Whoever oversees putting someone in power Example, citizens are in charge of electing the president, who is then in charge of electing their cabinet etc.
Mutual Benefits
We do something and expect to get something in return.
Government
A system or organization for exercising authority over a body of people
By the one…
monarchy which can turn into tyranny
By the few…
aristocracy/oligarchy which can turn into authoritarianism
By the many…
democracy which can turn into a mob
market failure
a situation in which the competitive structures of a capitalist (free market) economy fail to provide
Monopolies
when one company controls multiply pieces of the economy
Externalities
when something is in the way of production (negative consequence.)
Asymmetric Information
when a company doesn’t give you the proper information about their product
Unprovided Public Goods
something we want or need but aren’t provided
Public Policy
a government plan of action to solve a problem for example public health, criminal justice, reproductive rights and drug use
Direct Democracy
a system of government in which citizens vote directly on decisions and policies that affect them
Initiative
citizen petitions to place a proposal or constitutional amendment on the ballot, to be adopted or rejected by majority vote, by passing the legislature
Referendum
an election in which a bill passed by the state legislature is submitted to voters for approval
Mandatory or obligatory referendum
a vote of the electorate which is called automatically under circumstances defined in the constitution or in the legislation. The consequences of the vote are usually binding. Therefore, if a proposal passes, the government or appropriate authority is compelled to implement it for example in Presidential systems, where in the case of disagreement between the President and the Legislature, a referendum may be required to resolve the dispute
Optional or facultative referendum
votes of the electorate which are called by a formal demand, which may emanate from the executive, from a number of members of the legislature, from a number of citizens or from some other defined agent. The consequences of the vote may or may not be binding
National Supremacy Clause
separates power between state and government
Republicanism
a system of government in which citizens select representatives to make public policy decisions
Articles of Confederation
the first constitution of the US (1777) creating and association of states with weak central government
Shay’s Rebellion
A grassroots uprising (1787) by armed Massachusetts farmers protesting foreclosures. it went on too long, and pointed to economic difficulties plaguing country and it was the last straw
Great (or Connecticut) Compromise
provided a dual system of congressional representation. basically gave each state an even amount of seats in House and Senate
Three-Fifths Compromise
the formula for counting five enslaved people as three people for the purposes of representation, which reconciled the northern and southern factions at the constitutional conventions
Federalists
supporters of the constitution who favored a strong centralized government. WE LOVE THE CONSTITUTION!
Anti-Federalists
advocates of the states’ rights who opposed the constitution. preferred a weak central government in fear that the states would be ruled by the rich instead of the people, they felt the states were giving up too much power to the government
Unitary Government
a system in which most or all of the governing power resides in centralized government which contrasts a federal state WE HAVE YOUR POWER STATES HAHAHA!
Federalism
A political system in which power is divided by the central and regional units
Confederalism
a form of interaction around states which takes place based on sovereign independence or government. an alliance between states. IM NOT HAPPY YOU’RE HERE BUT I GUESS WE CAN GET ALONG
Express Powers
aka enumerated powers. Straight forward powers the government needs to function. ex. make treaties, grant pardons, and nominate judges
Dual Federalism
the federal system under which the national and state governments are responsible for separate policy areas for example the Senate and House
Nullification
declaration by a state that a federal law is void within its borders
Block Grants
federal funds are provided for a broad purpose and are unrestricted by detailed requirements and regulations
New Deal
a series of programs and projects during the Great Depression by President Roosevelt aimed to restore prosperity to Americans, aimed to stabilize the economy and provide jobs to those suffering
Devolution
the transfer of powers and responsibilities from the federal government to the states
Unfunded Mandate
a federal order mandating that states operate and pay for a program created at the national level for example increased standardized testing or the reporting requirements of the no child left behind act
Full Faith and Credit
ensures that the judicial proceedings of one state are generally recognized by all the other states. If someone is married in California, for example, they are still considered married in Massachusetts.
US vs Lopez
when the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that the federal gun-free zone act of 1990 was unconstitutional because the US congress had exceeded its authority under the Commerce Clause of the Constitution
Interstate Commerce Clause
used the expand or contract the governments’ power to regulate commerce - government can control money if necessary
Federalist 10
addresses the question of how to reconcile citizens with interests contrary to the rights of others or inimical to the interests of the community as a whole
Federalist 51
addresses the means by which appropriate checks and balances can be created in government and advocates a separation of powers within the national government
Factions
literally a mob OR a group of citizens united by some common passion or interest and opposed to the rights of other citizens or to the interests of the whole community
Implied Powers
Things Congress is supposed to do. for example minimum wage laws
Necessary and Proper Clause
the power to do whatever they have to do to carry out the express powers aka the elastic clause for example ObamaCare and legalized marajuana
Judicial Review
the power of the courts to determine the constitutionality of laws
Privileges and Immunities Clause
protects the fundamental rights of individual citizens and restrains state efforts to discriminate against out of state citizens
Concurrent Powers
Powers that are shared by the Federal and State Governments
Loving vs Virginia
When a unanimous court struck down state laws which banned marriage between individuals of different races
Tenth Amendment/Reserved Powers
declares that the powers not granted to the national government nor to the state are reserved for states or the people
Civil Liberties
Individual Freedoms guaranteed to the people primarily by the Bill of Rights from government interference
Civil Rights
Citizenship rights guaranteed to the people and is protected by the government
Bill of Rights
a summary of citizen right guaranteed and protected by a government; added to the constitution as its first ten commandments in order to achieve ratification
Selective Incorporation
process by which the protections of the national Bill of Rights were applied to the states (via 14th amendment) and citizens’ liberties were guaranteed protection from state as well as national government
Imminent Lawless Action Test
the rule used by the courts that restricts speech only if it is aimed at producing or is likely to produce imminent lawless action
Free Exercise Clause
the First Amendment guarantees citizens the right to freely exchange in religious activities of their choice (prevents an assigned religion)
Establishment Clause
the First Amendment guaranteed that the government will not create and support an official state church or is likely to produce imminent lawless action
Prior Restraint
censorship of fr the expression ideas before the ideas are printed or spoken
Libel
written defamation of character!
Exclusionary Rule
the rule created by the supreme court that evidence seized illegally may not be used to obtain a conviction
The Griswold v Connecticut
Supreme court ruled that a state’s ban on the use of contraceptives violated the right to martial privacy
14th Amendment
grants citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in US including formerly enslaved people and guaranteed all citizens equal protection of the laws
Black Codes
a series of laws in the post-Civil war south designed to restrict the rights of formerly enslaved people before the passage of the fourteenth and fifteenth amendments
Restrictive Housing Covenant
prohibits the discrimination of sale, rental, and financing, etc. based on race, gender, national orientation etc.
Heightened (quasi-suspect) scrutiny
if legislation employs suspicion of discrimination (to those historically subject to it,) then those are subject to an intermediate level or review under the equal protection clause
Strict Scrutiny
a heightened standard of review used by the supreme court to assess the constitutionality of laws that limit some freedoms or that make a suspect classification
Rational Basis Test
a test to determine whether a law or regulation or action violates the equal protection clause
Minimum Rationality Test
requires that a law has a rational connection to a permissible state (a legitimate goal of government) end to be constitutional
Brown v Board of Education
the supreme court case that rejected the idea that separate could be equal in education
De Facto Discrimination
discrimination that is the result not of law but rather of tradition and habit for example a predominantly white school, not intentionally segregated just by habit and population
De Jure discrimination
discrimination that arises from or is supported by the law for example Jim Crow laws
Civil Rights Act of 1964
When congress passed a law to in-able denying a person a civil service based on race, gender, etc. began due to boycotts which restricted the economy
Employment non-discrimination act
prohibits employers to discriminate employees based on actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender, race etc
Equal Protection Clause
no state can enforce a law that bridges the rights of citizens of the US. Nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty or property without due process of the law
Americans with Disabilities Act
prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities on basis of employment, housing, transportation etc
Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad
Chicago was widening streets but was trying to use private property to do so. But due to the Bill of Rights the court decided 7-1 FOR the landowner
Political Socialization
The complex process through which people become more aware of political life, learn political facts and form political values
Primacy Principle
What is learned first is learned best for example if someone has a happy experience swimming then they will more than likely grow up loving to swim unlike someone who didn’t
Structure Principle
What is learned first structures later learning for example you learn to add so you can later learn to multiply
What are the different types off agents of socialization?
the book emphasizes identity as a source of political opinion for example ethnicity, sex/gender, age religion. Other agents include family, school, community/neighborhood/religious affiliation and media
Mass Media
the technical devices employed in mass communication
Mass Communication
the process by which individuals/groups transmit information to large, heterogenous and widely dispersed audiences
Types of Mass Communication
Print Media, Broadcast Media and New Media (cable, tv, email etc.)
Muckrakers
investigative journalists typically photographed and wrote stories on problematic stories for ex. child labor got name from T Roosevelt
Penny Press
Newspapers costing only a penny began sensationalistic story writing - crime/sex. Became localized and was easier to read making papers to be bought
Partisan Press
First US Paper. Used for economic gain since it was owned by major capitalists. Took awhile to make and wasn’t in high demand
Ida B Wells (queen)
arranged for voters to elect the first black official in Illinois. Wrote about lynching
Modern Conservatives are…
the referee - hands-off economic regulation, hands-on personal regulation. for example crime, abortion, same-sex marriage, etc. but want economic freedom
Modern Liberals are…
the coach - hands off on personal regulation hand on economic regulation for example minimum wage, tax brackets but legalized marajuana
Libertarians
the antifederalists’ idea of a hands-off government. Hands off economy and social issues
Populists
something bad is happening the government must step it! Pro hands-on economy an social regulation
Examples of left populists
Bernie Sanders Elizabeth Warrn
Examples of Right Populists
Rush Limbaugh Donald Trump
Agenda Setting
the power of the media to decide which topics will become the subject of public debate and for how long
TV
prominently used in the 1950s to now. Eisenhower (1952) used TV ads to influence his campaign, JFK used TV/Press to talk to citizens directly
Radio
prominent in the 1920s. Currently is overwhelmingly conservative (older audience). Franklin Roosevelt began “Fireside Chats” to directly inform Americans during the Great Depression this was first released in March 1933
Gatekeepers
controls what type of media we consume
What are the ideological types?
classical conservatives and classical liberals
Political Culture
a set of general widely shared beliefs, values and norms about how a political system works
What does political Culture Include?
Freedom -> order -> equality -> individualism
Ideology
exceptions made to the broad principles we share
What are classical conservatives’ main focus?
community
What are classical liberals’ main focus?
Indiviualism
Selective Benefits
Private Goods
3 Types of Selective Benefits
Material (exclusive merch) Purposive (to feel good, expressive) solidary (social, exclusive parties)
Entrepreneur Theory
people are brought together by ambitious, energetic entrepreneurial leadership
Freeriders
People who enjoy benefits they didn’t participate in acquiring
Access Inequality
regulated interests tend to infiltrate the bureaucracy and use it to promote their interests, often at the expense of broader public goods
Representation in Interest Groups
Who is active in groups, surveys show that 75% of Americans are active in one or more groups, wealthy and more educated people are more than likely to join an Interest Group
Resources for Interest Groups
Some interest groups are better funded than others, business interests make up more than 70% of interest groups with a physical presence in DC
Political Party
Any group seeking to elect governmental office holders under a given label; political parties and interest groups both engage in electioneering; political parties elect members; interest group support allies
What are the two types of Electoral and Party Systems
Party and Electoral Systems
Party System
the interactions of parties with each other and with the electoral system
Electoral System
collection of rules designed to determine who wins office after a vote is taken
What are the two types of Electoral Systems?
SMSP and MMPR
SMSP
Single Member Simple Plurality; candidate who gets the most votes wins; political unit is divided into regions/districts; have roughly equal populations (exc Senate); produces a two party system; used in the US
MMPR
Multi-Member Proportional Representation; still distinct with similarly-sized constituencies; each district/constituency elects more than one person; used in peer countries
Collective Benefits
A free public good for example water fountains, bathrooms etc
Selective Incentives Theory
People are brought together by rewards or incentives that help overcome the freerider problem
Disturbance Theory
“Common Problem” Theory; people are brought together when they are adversely affected by a disturbance - some identifiable event which alters the equilibrium in a sector of society; something bad happens, people join together to demand action
What are the 3 theories of interest group mobilization?
Disturbance Theory, Selective Incentives Theory, Entrepenuer Theory
What was identified in class as a function or role of interest groups in representative democracies?
program monitoring, agenda building, and representation
Different types of functions
Representation, Participation, Education, Agenda Building, and Program Monitoring
Neocorporatism
the theory that there should be an ordered, working relationship between important interest groups and the governmetn
Pluralism
the theory that all interest groups should be free to compete for influence in the government; the outcome of this competition is compromise and moderation
Interest Groups
Organized body of people who share common goals of what’s best for ex NRA, BLM, PEDA
Different Names for interest groups
special interest, lobby, pressure group; citizen group, professional association; social movement
Bias
Not to convey information in a neutral way - one sided
What are the different types of bias?
generalist bias (average person), individuals over institutions bias, personalities over policies bias, bad news bias and ideological/political bias
Issue Framing
the power of the media to influence how events are discussed and interpreted
Blanket Primary
each party is combined on one ballot
Open Primary
what Arkansas uses! includes more people - you can declare affiliation at that moment
Closed Primary
most common - only for those pre-registered with a party
What are the 3 types of primaries? (traditionally)
Blanket (top-two), Open, Closed
Primary Election
the vote to decide who runs for each party in the general election
Top-Two
aka the new blanket primary; all candidates are listed on the ballot, however, whomever two parties (regardless of political party) advance to the general election
Representation
the efforts of elected officials to look out for the interests of those who elect them
National Lawmaking
the creation of policy to address the problems and needs of the entire nation
Partisanship
loyalty to a party that helps shape how members see the world, define problems and identify proper solutions
Constituency
the voters in a state or district
Policy representation
congressional work to advance the issues and ideological preferences of constituents
Allocative Representation
congressional work to secure projects, services and funds for the represented district
Pork Barrel Projects
public works projects and grants for districts paid for by general revenues
earmarks
legislative provisions to allocate spending to a specific purpose or project
Casework
legislative work on behalf of individual constituents to solve their problems with governmental agencies and programs
Franking
the privilege of free mail service provided to members of Congress
Symbolic Representation
efforts of members of Congress to stand of American ideals or to identify with common constituency values
Hyperpartisanship
a commitment to a party so strong that it can transcend to other commitments
Party Polarization
greater ideological differences between the parties and increased ideological consensus within the parties
Bicameral Legislation
a legislative with 2 chambers
Congressional Oversight
a committee’s investigation of the executive and of government agencies they are acting as Congress intends
Advice and Consent
the constitutional Obligation that the Senate approves certain executive appointments
What is Bicameral Legislature?
A legislature with two chambers ex. british parliament made up of the house of commons and the house of lords
Delegate
Does what people want directly
Trustee
Entrusted with good judgement - makes a good judgement for the whole (Switzerland)
Politico
Both the delegate and Trustee
Speaker of the House
elected by the majority party as the person who presides over floor deliberations is the most powerful House member
Seniority System
the accumulation of power and authority in conjunction with the length of time spent in the office. This was reformed in the 1970s by a movement that weakened the grip of chairs and gave some power back to the committees and subcommittees but especially to the Speaker and the party caucuses
Majority Party
Decides the rules for the chamber and gets to fill the top leadership posts such as the Speaker of the House, the majority leader in the Senate, and the chairs of all the committees and subcommittees
Casework
legislative work on behalf of individual constituents to solve their problems with government agencies and programs. FOR EX. Senators and representatives also represent their states or districts by taking care of the individual problems or constituents especially problems that involve the federal bureaucracy
What are the characteristics of a Parliamentary System?
No direct vote for a chief exec from citizens; vote only for one or more members of the legislature then the legislators choose a prime minister then the prime minister then designates a cabinet; Legislative and Executive functions are FUSED, can be fast; Used by Britain
Presidential System
Used by the US; citizens vote “directly” for a chief executive; executives designate cabinet members, who are NOT current members of the legislature; Legislative and Executive functions are separate (divided government) and tends to move very slowly
Standing Committees
permanent committees responsible for legislation in particular policy areas
Select Committee
a committee appointed to deal with an issue or a problem not suited to a standing committee; committees are usually temporary and do not recommend legislation per see. They are used to gather information on specific issues. For example their subcommittee on the Covid Crisis that Pelosi established in 2020 to oversee the $2 trillion CARES Act or to conduct an investigation as did the select committee on Benghazi, established by Boehner in 2014 to investigate the deaths or four American diplomates in Libya in 2012
Rules Committee
A committee that determines how and when debate on a bill will take place; exists only in the House of Representatives: provides a “rule” for each bill that specifies when it will be debated, how long debate can last, how it can be amended, and so on. Because the house is so large, the debate would quickly become chaotic without the organization and structure provided by the committee
Legislative Agenda
the slate of proposals and issues that representatives think it worthwhile to consider and act on
Legislative Process
First: the bill has to be referred to a committee, Second the bills move on the subcommittees, where they may or may not get serious consideration. Third: bills that subcommittees decide to consider will have hearings, testimony from experts, interest groups, executive department secretaries and undersecretaries and even other members of Congress
Signing Statement
A public statement written by the president and attached to a particular bill to outline the president’s term goals
Cabinet
people who report to the president and oversee the work of implementation
Chief Administrator
the president is the chief executive officer of the country the person who more than anyone else is help responsible for agencies of the national government and the implementation of national policy
Executive Agreements
presidential arrangements with other countries that create foreign policy without the need for senate approval
Going Public
based on the expectation that public support will put pressure on other politicians to give presidents what they want
Literalist Theory
presidents can only do what is in the document/constitution
Stewardship Theory
Servant of the people, do what they want unless the constitution forbids it.
Prerogative Theory
Do what it takes, ask for forgiveness later
Honeymoon Period
the time following an election when a president’s popularity is high and congressional relations are likely to be productive
Active Positive
high self-esteem; FDR and Kennedy
Passive Positive
Not as active in the role but enjoys it; GW Bush
Active Negative
Compulsive, openly aggressive; Nixon and Johnson
Passive Negative
withdrawn, oriented to dutiful service; Eisenhower
Neutral Competence
represents the effort to depoliticize the bureaucracy or to take politics out of administration by having the work of government done expertly, according to explicit standards rather than personal preferences or party loyalties
What are the common characteristics of Government Corporations?
flexible with budgets, the government still controls their activities, complete tasks private companies won’t do (or well enough) aka unprovided public goods
Government Corporations
hybrid inside the national level, roughly 3 dozen of them for example corporation for public broadcasting (PBS) or USPS
Rulemaking
filling in the gaps left by elected policy makers ex making a very broad rule so someone will eventually take and pass it
Independent Agencies
a few dozen of them, vary in size and mission, unprovided public goods ex CIA NASA EPA
Independent Regulatory Commissions or Boards
Regulation of big areas of our economy, a few dozen of these. ex Federal Election Commission, FCC, securities, and exchange commissions and federal reserves system
Whistleblowers
individuals who publicize instances of fraud corruption or other wrongdoing in the bureaucracy
Spoils System
the nineteenth-century practice of firing government workers of a defeated party and replacing them with loyalists of the victorious party
Civil Service
nonmilitary employees of the government who are appointed through the merit system for ex allowing elected executives to use jobs to pay off political debts
Agency Capture
a process whereby regulatory agencies come to be protective of and influenced by the industries they were established to regulate
FOIA (Freedom of Information Act)
the 1966 law that allows citizens to obtain copies of most public records
National Security Council
gives the president daily updates about events around the world
What are the different types of Law?
Criminal, Civil, Constitutional, Administrative, International
Solicitor General
the third-ranking member of the Justice Department, a presidential appointee whose job is to argue cases for the government before the Supreme Court
Rule of Four
the unwritten requirement that four Supreme Court justices must agree to grant a case certiorari in order for the case to be heard
Strict Constructionism
a judicial approach holding that the Constitution should be read literally, with the framers’ intentions uppermost in mind
Judicial Interprenism
a judicial approach holding that the Constitution is a living document and that judges should interpret it according to changing times and values
Judicial Review
the power of the courts to determine the constitutionality of laws
Majority Party
Decides the rules for the chamber and gets to fill the top leadership posts such as the Speaker of the House, the majority leader in the Senate, and the chairs of all the committees and subcommittees
Senatorial Courtesy
the tradition of granting senior senators of the president’s party considerable power over federal judicial appointments in their home states
Judicial Restraint
the view that the courts should reject any active lawmaking functions and stick to judicial interpretations of the past
Judicial Activism
the view that the courts should be lawmaking policymaking bodies
