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Poli Sci 104 > Midterm 1 > Flashcards

Midterm 1 Flashcards

1
Q

government

A

a collection of institutions and procedures that rule over a territory and people - always have a defined geo territory and constituencies

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2
Q

Government is unique for its legitimate use of…

A

force and coersion

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3
Q

Social Contract

A

It is an agreement among members of a society to form and recognize the authority of a centralized government that is empowered to make and enforce laws governing the members of their society

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4
Q

Public Goods and Services

A

Public goods are products or services that all citizens enjoy that cannot easily be provided by anyone other than the government

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5
Q

Politics

A

The process by which advantages and disadvantages are distributed

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6
Q

Independent variable

A

what we think will influence the dependent, what we think might explain it
–Causal factor, explanatory factor

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7
Q

Dependent Variable

A

The thing we want to explain: The probability of how someone will vote

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8
Q

Keys to Political Anaylsis

A
  1. Correlation des not equal causation
  2. Avoid overgeneralizing
  3. Look for the three I’s: interest, institutions, and ideas
  4. People (in politics) are goal-orientated
  5. People are usually rationale but not always (may discount data that goes against their views)
  6. Losses are harder than never hads (ex: tax break)
  7. Consider alternative explanations
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9
Q

Constitutional Democracy

A

a form of democracy in which there is a foundational document that describes the structure powers and limits of the government

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10
Q

parliamentary system

A

head of the executive branch is selected by members of the legislature rather than by popular choice

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11
Q

political culture

A

the orientation of citizens toward the political system and toward themselves as actors in it
–>Orientation = basic values beliefs attitudes predispositions and expectations

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12
Q

American Creed

A 
Thought to be inherent, not granted
• Individualism
• Property
• Liberty
• Democracy
• Religion
I Probably Like Dancing in Rain
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13
Q

Individualism

A

a belief that all individuals should be able t succeed to the maximum extent possible given their talents ad abilities regardless of race religion etc.
–>More an equal chance for success then equal results

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14
Q

gov’t is necessary because…

A

only government has the broad right to force citizens to do things - give this right so that we gain public goods

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15
Q

political science

A

focuses on politics and government and how government leaders and citizens behave

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16
Q

representative democracy

A

people through free elections select reps to make laws on there behalf and set policies adopted by the gov’t

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17
Q

Why our political culture

A
  • white men were given the vote early in the country’s history, the political system in the United States was relatively more open to working-class influence that in other countries
  • prosperity int the US made it difficult for competing political cultures to take firm root; the creed seemed to work
  • US did not experience the same history of strict and hierarchal class relations hat might have been necessary for an alternative to the creed to take root
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18
Q

democracy

A
  • government should reflect will of the people
  • are consented by the governed
  • Equal opportunity to influence government
  • –do corporations have too much say
  • Equal treatment by the law
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19
Q

liberty

A

the belief that the government should leave people free to do as they please and exercise their natural rights to the maximum extent possible; natural rights; government secures rights and restricts only when they have negative impact

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20
Q

natural rights

A

rights inherent in the essence of people as human beings; gov’t does not provide these rights and cannot restrict them

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21
Q

property

A

People should be able to acquire, own, and use goods and assets free from government constraints, as long as it does not interfere with other’s rights

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22
Q

religion

A

individuals should be free to practice their religious faith
-akin to free speech
-why so religious:
 always been & diverse scope of religious choices

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23
Q

Consequence of creed: limited gov’t

A
  • seen as last resort for solving problems
  • Our gov’t goes through more private organizations then hiring more public employees
  • Weak sense of sovereign power: final decision maker, ultimate authority
  • ->There’s an idea that the people are the final authority, but even there the people don’t have the final authority - there are checks and balances on them, as well
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24
Q

consequence of creed: often do not trust gov’t will do right thing

A
  • Perhaps because of the difficult events
  • Politics among activists candidates and officials have become more diverse and media has been there to show conflict and not accomplishment
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25
Q

Consequence of creed: competing ideas are viewed with suspicion

A

•We tend to assume the superiority of the creed’s values - don’t look at other’s policies ads examples
•One way we discredit ideas is to label it as socialist
–>Un-American Beliefs: competing ideas not only challenge the American creed but also sometimes deemed “un-American”
Because creed is to intwined with our identity
oAppeals to social class:
–>Appealing to us as members of social classes are often considered a danger to national harmony

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26
Q

Consequence of Creed: Difficult to identify and promote the public interest when everyone is set on individualism and is skeptical of government

A

How do you convince there is a public interest?
Tocqueville: Americans will do thing that are in “the public interest” because it is in their self interest, as well
• Find it as beneficial to their self interest, make it not conflict

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27
Q

Consequence of Creed: Tension caused by clashing beliefs and by arguing over meaning of beliefs

A

o Underlies political party competition

o Can’t always maximize at the same time

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28
Q

Challenges to American Creed

A

•Discrimination
–Hierarchy, racism
•Multiculturalism
–Group focus, group heritage
•Libertarianism
–Few, if any, federal government limitations on individuals are valid
•Classical republicanism/communitarianism
–Civic duty, sacrifice private interest to public good, politics not primarily about achieving you self interest
–Dominant in colonial and revolutionary period

So “Don’t Meet Lilly Collins”

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29
Q

Communitarianism

A

prevalent today: the view that the needs of the community are of higher priority in government than the needs of the individual, even if the result is a restriction of individual liberties.

o Individuals are not self made, society makes us and we owe something to society in return
o Doesn’t say we shouldn’t work hard and be responsible but that we depend on each other
o Rights of individuals and the interests of the community are not necessarily in conflict, but when they are, the public good trump private interests
o takes rough edges off American creed without necessarily rejecting it

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30
Q

Moralistic Political culture

A

most prominent in northern states and Pacific NW, views gov’t as a positive force and tends to place heavy emphasis on the needs to the community and gov’t ability to satisfy those needs, more active gov’t is welcomed and popular participation is encouraged

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31
Q

Traditionalistic Political Culture

A

southern states, favors limited gov’t that worlds to sustain the social relations and values already dominant in society and the economy, popular participation is not strongly encouraged and historically was discouraged

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32
Q

individualistic political culture

A

middle tier and California, politics ash neither as a means to transform society (as moralism does) or a way to preserve society (as traditional does) but as a mechanism through which privet interests are advanced and government is expected to encourage, enable, and support private initiative

33
Q

Mulitculturalism

A

view that group identity influences political beliefs and that because groups are naturally diverse in their beliefs, the idea of a shared or dominant political culture merely reflects the impositions of a dominant group’s beliefs of subordinate groups

  • call for tolerance
  • or extreme: Rejection of a common culture
  • conflict with American culture comes through in conflicts with laws
34
Q

libertarianism

A

he belief that individuals are responsible for their own lives and society is best off like that
–not a whole lot of extreme libertarianism’s, usually take parts

35
Q

to create political change

A
  1. convince people that your idea is truer to American creed beliefs than is current practice
  2. OR redefine the meaning of the beliefs in the creed
  3. OR convince people to reach a different balance among beliefs
36
Q

Navigation Acts

A

British Government passed them between 1651 and 96, were series of laws that set the rules for trade to and from the colonies
o Because economic growth in America benefited England, wanted to regulate it

37
Q

Molasses and Sugar Acts

A

1733, Molasses act imposed a heavy tax on shipments of it from locations other than the British West Indies, which drove up the costs to producers and merchants in America
o Then after smuggling, the 1764 sugar act provided for a lower rate but also promised much stricter enforcement

38
Q

Currency Act 1764

A

established that the colonial govt could issue paper currency but it could not be used as a legal tender in the repayment of public or private debts (helped british of being paid I paper currency of depreciated value)

39
Q

Stamp Act

A

o It required all legal documents licenses commercial contracts newspapers and pamphlets to obtain a tax stamp. The colonists rebeleed
o The stamp act congress = the first time that a number of the colonies sent reps to a meeting to discuss a response

40
Q

Intolerable Acts

A

acts against colonists for boston tea party
o Response: 12 of 13 colonies banded together to establish the First Continental Congress in Sept and Oct 1774
o T Jefferson writes “A summary view of the rights of British America” - it led some scholars to consider it his first draft of the Dec. of Independence

41
Q

Nation

A

different meaning than country in politics - refers to shared sense of understanding among a people that they are

  1. different and separate from other peoples
  2. that basic ideals unite them and
  3. that they have a right to self-gov’t

(declaration of Independence - for nationhood not gov’t or state)

42
Q

Shay’s Rebellion

A

protest by farmers in western Massachusetts to stop foreclosures on property by state courts, gov’t didn’t have resources to do anything - bad sign, called for national security because people could cripple gov’t through force

43
Q

5 Objections of Constitution

A
  1. Resolve fundamental disputes over representation in the new government
  2. Encourage public input while limiting both “excessive” democracy and concentrated power.
  3. Protect commerce and property
  4. Create legitimacy for the new system
  5. Provide a coordinated approach to international relations and national defense
44
Q

Weak national gov’t in A of C:

A
  • limited taxing power
  • no judiciary
  • difficult to pass legislation
  • no national military
45
Q
  1. Resolve basic elite divisions
A

big states vs. small states and slave states vs. free states

-issue of representation

46
Q

Great Compromise

A
  • Agreement between small states and large states that the reps in the senate would be equal for each state, as small states preferred and reps in the House would be based on population
  • Five states in favor, four opposed and one state was divided and didn’t count
47
Q

3/5 Compromise

A

agreement between slave states and free states that a state’s slave population would be counted at 60 percent for purposes of determining a state’s rep in the House

48
Q
  1. Protect commerce and property
A
  1. national control over commerce and finance - between states and countries
  2. supremacy of national laws and treaties
  3. states will not discriminate
  4. Contracts must be honored
  5. will protect against domestic violence
  6. President as counter weight to congress (at time, congress though to e narrow parochial view about industries - president can veto)
49
Q
  1. Prevent ‘excessive democracy’
A
  1. Bi-cameral legislature (slows things down, checks and balnace)
  2. checks and balances
    - pres vetos
    - congress overwrites veto
    - SC can overwrite both
  3. indirect election
  4. staggered terms
50
Q

Legislature Executive Judiciary

A

o Legislature: make law
o Executive: implement law
o Judiciary: interpret law

51
Q

Federalism

A

Form of government that distributes power across a national government and subnational governments and ensures the existence of the subnational governments

52
Q
  1. Establish legitimacy
A
  1. legitimacy: people accept that the system is fair and appropriate
    - ->less about what the government is doing and more about why is this government in place, about do we want to tolerate it
  2. representativeness
  3. Direct popular election of House of Reps. (I)
  4. Oath of office to constitution (VI)
  5. constitution as a “social contract”
  6. Combine ADAPTABILITY with SUSTAINABILITY
53
Q

supremacy clause

A

Article VI of the Constitution, which makes the Constitution, national laws, and treaties supreme over state laws when the national government is acting within its constitutional limits.

54
Q

equal privilege and immunities clause

A

state are to treat their citizens and citizens of other states similarly

55
Q

full faith and credit clause

A

states are to honor the official acts of other state

56
Q
  1. establish national defense
A
  • pres is comander in chief
  • congress has power to declare war and set military budgets
  • US diplomacy and treatise supreme
  • Pres and senate set treaties
57
Q

Antifederalists

A

Want loose union of states, don’t feel good about the centralized government, felt it was too far from states

58
Q

“Cooperative”

A

Both work in the same policy area…
o Independently
• States/localities set graduation requirements, feds determine Guaranteed Student Loan Program rules
o Collaboratively
• Feds set environmental regulations, states may be allowed to exceed them
o Feds issue mandates or orders
• States must follow
o Feds try to persuade states to take particular action 

59
Q

“New Federalism”

A

• Yes: More block grants, more devolution of authority (putting more running program authorities to states), courts getting more strict on “interstate commerce” and dual sovereignty

60
Q

Progressive Movement

A

initiative: process in which a proposal for legislation is placed on the ballot and voters can either enact or reject the proposal without further action by the governor or legislature
recall: process in which voter can petition for a vote to remove officials between elections

61
Q

1960s state constitutions

A

were more powerful

62
Q

charters

A

document that like a constitution specifies the basic polices procedures and institutions of a local government

63
Q

counties

A

basic administrative unities for welfare and environmental programs; courts and law enforcement; registering land, births and deaths ; and for holding elections

64
Q

most local gov’ts are special districts:

A

they focus on a particular function or service (like a school district)

65
Q

dual federalism

A

• A form of federalism in which the national and state governments have distinct areas of authority and power and individuals have rights as both citizens of states and citizens of the US
• Dominated American politics until 1930
(dual sovereignty and dual citizenship)

66
Q

police powers

A

reserved to state governments in the 10 amendment - protection of public safety, health, welfare, and morality

67
Q

Cooperative Federalism

A
  • A form of federalism in which the national and state governments share many functions and areas of authority
  • Dual federalism sharp line of separation between national and state responsibilities was blurred by this - rose to prominence in 1930s
68
Q

Mandate

A

order from federal that requires state to take certain action

69
Q

constitution protects civil liberties through:

A

bill of rights AND articles - separation of power, balance

70
Q

due process

A

procedural safeguards that government officials are obligated to follow prior to restricting righs of life, liberty and property (5 amend)

71
Q

civil liberties

A

individual rights and freedoms that government is obliged to protect, normally by not interfering in the exercise of these rights and freedoms

72
Q

civil rights

A

•Freedom “to share fully and equally in American society - to vote, to hold a job, to enter a public place, to go to school. It is the right to be treated I every part of our national life as a person equal in dignity and promise to all others.”
–usually GROUPS

73
Q

sovereign immunity

A

the principle that state governments cannot be sued by private parties in federal court unless they consent to the suits or congress has constitutionally provided an exemption that allows suits to be filed.

74
Q

devolution

A

the transfer of authority over program details and implementation from a higher level of government to a lower level of government

75
Q

‘race to the bottom’

A

if states are trying to become more competitive, cuts can be made for the citizens that already live there

76
Q

establishment clause

A

part of the 1st amendment; states that Congress cannot favor a certain religion

77
Q

free exercise clause

A

part of 1st amendment; states Congress cannot prohibit or interfere with the practice of religion

78
Q

The Lemon Test

A

used by the supreme court; established in Lemon v. Kurtzman; determines whether a practice violates the first amendment’s establishment clause

Poli Sci 104 (2 decks)

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