Final Exam Flashcards
definition of government
the insitutions that make public policy decsions for a society
purpose of government
to govern a state composed of people and other resources
what is politics
who gets what when and how
political participation
the way people get involved in politics
pluralism
democracy. groups of minorities working together.
what makes pluralism harder
disappearance of public square
elitism
wealthy in charge
branches of government
legislative, executive, and judicial
legislative branch
house/senate
congress
laws, declares wars, regulates interstate/foreign commerce, taxing, spending
executive
the president, vice president, cabinet
carries out laws
judicial
evaluates laws, interprets laws, applies laws, and decides if laws violate the Constitution.
supreme courts and courts
linkage institutions
peoples concerns become political issues on the policy agenda
what makes up linkage institutions
elections, political parties, interest groups, and media
what was the failed government
failed government articles of confederation
articles of confederation
first constitution.
established continental congress as the national legislature but left most authority to state
governments policy agenda
set of issues, problems, or subjects viewed as important by officials
howis membership in the house of reps determind
based on states population
policy impacts…
people
equality in voting
one person one vote
articles of confederation equality in voting
only free men could vote
democracy and enlighted understanding
dahl.
free press and free speech are needed and a part of civic understanding
who decides voting rules
the states
natural rights
God-given rights.
cannot be taken away
not dependent on gov
political parties
team of people seeking to control the governing apparatus by gaining office in a duty constituted election
what are public policies
choice government makes in response to political issue
constitution
nations basic law
political institutions, assigns or divides powers in gov, and provides guarantees to citizens
checks and balances
requires each branch of gov to obtain the consent of the others for its actions
limits powers of each branch
common sense
not common- created and shared
Thomas Paine
rational reasoning
basic function of a political party
to win
policymaking sysetm
process of a policy coming to be
what shapes policy
peoples ideas, concerns,interests
party platform
statement of its goals and policy for next 4 years. formal statements of parties beliefs
national party organization
responsible for day-to-day operation of party at the national level
tyranny of the majority
james madison.
majority puts itself above minorities and oppresses
change is only possible through the courts
both definitions of politics
process of determining the leaders we select and the policies they pursue
produces authoritative decisions about public issues
us republic
people have say in the government (democracy)
federal gov shares supreme power with the states
representation in the senate
each state has two senate members (equal representation for every state)
conneticut compromise
established congress
two houses - house of reps (pop) and senate (equal)
democracy and sizable middle class
middle class is shrinking
no stability (fear of change)
consent of the governed
government derives it authority form the people (questioned by black lives matter protests and cops reaction)
people need to agree on who their rulers will be
seperation of powers
requires three branches of gov to be independed so no branch can take over or have more power than the other (checks and balances)
direct democracy
people decide on policies with no representative
problem with connecticut compromise
created to maximize equality but actually gives more power to smaller populations
problem with direct democracy
impossible to get everyone in same place to vote
elements of traditional democratic theory
robert dhal
equality in voting, effective participation, enlightened understanding, citizen control of agenda, and inclusion
democracy def
system of selecting policymakers and of organizing gov so that policy represents and responds to public preferences
equality in voting
up to states “one person, one vote”
effective participation
all citizens must have equal opportunity to express opinions and be apart of and express to the system
enlightened understanding
must be a marketplace of ideas
free speech and free press is essential
citizen control of agenda
citizens should have collective right to control policy agenda
if wealthy ides exceed others, agenda will be distorted
inclusion
gov must include and extend all rights to those subject to laws
citizenship must be open to all in the nation
majority rule
a fundamental principle of traditional democratic theory
majority desire must be respected
individual liberty
right to believe, act, and express yourself freely
protection of your rights and everyone else’s
forms of free speech
symbolic speech
protesting government (disagreeing)
cursing
eligibility for voting under constitution
cannot dicriminate by gender, sex, race, economic status. must be 18
constitutional convention issues
equality issues
rep in states- meant to promote equal rep but instead gave small pop greater power
slavery- cant agree on if slaves should be rep in the house (3/5 compromise- each slave was 3/5 of a person)
article vi of constitution
supreme law of the land
forbids religious tests to gov officials and holds us gov responsible for debts
supreme law of the land
constitution and federal laws are highest law of the land
establishment clause
first amendment saying congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion
bill of rights
first 10 amendments to constitution, which define such basic liberties as freedom, in religion, speech press, and gaurentees defendants rights
first amendment
freedom to press, religion, assembly, speech, and petition
second amendment
right to bear arms
4th amendment
unreasonable searches and siezures
5th amendment
“i plead the 5th”
can stay silent
6th amendment
right to lawyer and trial
8th amendment
against cruel and unusual punishment
9th amendment
rights of the people are not limited to whats in constitution (implied rights”
10th amendment
if power is not stated to federal gov in constitution, it is left to the states
14th amendment
gives citizenship and equal civil and legal rights to anyone born in the us or who became a citizen of the country
civil rights act of 1964
discrimination in public places illegal
defamation, libel, and slander
if its with malicious intent, not protected by first amendment (very hard to prove though) malania trump
libel
written
slander
spoken
freedom of assembly
people can gather and meet publicly or privately
federalism
when 2 or more levels of gov share formal authority over same area and people
why did framers adopt federalism
to prevent tyranny
to balance order in gov
large pops
how can constitution be changed
“belongs to living not the dead”
made by formal amendments or informal practices
whatdo formal amendment change to constitution
changes text
informal process change to constitution
changes unwritten or stated thing in amendment
can change the way constitutional systems function
what are shard powers between states and federal gov
setting up courts, levying taxes, spending and borrowing money
plessy v ferguson
equal but separate accommodations (seperate but equal) water fountains
civil rights
vote, expression
social rights
right to education, equality
brown v board of edu
ended segregation in schools
equity
tolls that identify and address inequality (gives more to certain people to all be the same)
jim crow laws examples
segregation of public schools, facilities, transportation
three socializing agents
family, media, school
participation and the census
census show how many people and who (how to spend money) if people dont take part in census, money wont go towards their area
random sampling
only way is to give everyone in population equal chance to be selected
boarding schools for native americans
dawes act of 1887, took kids off of reservations and could not speak language, do rituals, attempt to assimilate
social contract
government exists only by the consent of the people in order to protect basic rights and promote the common good of society.
reapportionment
senators get redistributed throughout the states based on a new population taken every 10 years.
redistricting
happens after reapportionment when the state has to divide itself into new congressional districts based on how many representatives they now have.
1924 immigration law
QUOTAS
limited the number of immigrants allowed entry into the United States through a national origins quota
No asians allowed
