intro to Poli Sci Flashcards
What is Government?
the institution through which a society makes and enforces its public policies
public policies
all of the things that a gov decides to do (laws)
If a gov. can’t control a society it will_____
Fail
Power is___
control
Control is obtained and maintained through some combination of __
force and influence
6 types of power
- physical force
- wealth
- state action
- social norms (make people change( marriage equality))
- ideas
- numbers (amount of people)
first law of power
-power is never static, if you aren’t taking action, your being acted upon
Second law of power
- Power is like water, it flows and moves and changes
third law of power
power compounds
3 main types of governmental power
- legislative: laws
- executive: executes the laws (enforces)
- Judicial: Judges if laws are constitutional or not (limits gov.)
4 key features of a country
- population
- territory(land)
- sovereignty (independence, freedom)
- government
purpose of a gov?
The preamble… in order to form a more perfect union
- establish justice
- ensure domestic tranquility
- provide for the common defense
- promote the general welfare
- and secure the blessings of our liberty to ourselves and our posterity
Force theory
one person or a group claimed control over an area and forced all within it to submit to that persons rule
evolutionary theory
the primitive family of which one person was the head and thus the “government”.
- was the first stage in political gov. overtime this family became a network of relatives, a clan. once this clan stopped being nomadic , it settled down and state was born
divine right theory
god created state, and had given royal birth the “divine right” to rule. opposition to the king was considered treason/ mortal sin
social contract theory
created by hobbes, harrington, locke, and rosseau.
- no gov. existed, people were only as secure as their own physical strength/ intelligence. agreed to create state to provide safety for all
political parties
groups of people with a similar ideology seeking to control political power and influence
democrat
blue, donkey, focus on equality, gov. must regulate economy and buisness, pro social programs (welfare, medicare), favor diplomacy over military intervention (doves)
republican
red, elephant, economic freedom, limited gov in economy, more traditional/ christian values
- critical of social programs, favor individual accountability
- favor stronger military, less diplomacy (hawks)
partisian
supporting 1 party
bi partisian
working with both parties
hyperpartisian
extreme partisianship
media
how we are informed
gatekeeper
controls what info is shared
dictatorship
1 man rule over all
aristocracy
wealthy inherited power of a group
oligarchy
small group that seized power, small self appointed elite
democracy
all citizens vote on all decisions
authoriratarian
dictatorship, aristocracy, oligarchy
- rulers control people
- cannot be held accountable
- oldest and most common gov.
democracy
- supreme power rests with the people
- gov. has “consent of the governed”
republic
falls under democracy
citizens elect leaders to make decisions
unitary
single, central agency holds all power
federal
power is shared between national and local gov
confederate
alliance of independence states, with a limited central gov
relationship between legislature and executive power
- presidential: power separated between 2 branches
- legislature selects executive
secretary of state
John Kerry
secretary of treasury
Jacob Lew
secretary of defense
ashton carter
attorney general
loretta lynch
chief justice
john glover roberts
speaker of the house
John Boehner
senate majority leader
mitch McConnell, and Harry Reid
PA senators
Pat toomy
Bob Casey Jr.
GV representative
Pat Meehan
