Midterm Exam Flashcards

1
Q
  1. A(n) ________ occurs when a small group of wealthy landowners and corporate leaders
    control the government.
A

oligarchy

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2
Q
  1. Consider a system of government in which formal and effective limits are placed on the powers of the government, yet most governing decisions are controlled by a small group of wealthy people. Which of the following would best describe such a system?
A

constitutional oligarchy

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3
Q

POLITICAL CULTURE: * What are the core values underlying American political culture?

A

individualism, equality of opportunity, free enterprise, rule of law, and limited government

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4
Q

POLITICAL CULTURE: * Why do we have government in the first place? What would life be like without it? What do we want government to bring to our lives?

A

In a state of nature, people might feel free to do anything they want to do. However, their rights would not be protected and they would feel insecure.
Locke argued that people should agree with one another to give up some of their freedom in exchange for protection and security. They should consent to follow some laws in exchange for the protection that these laws would give them. This agreement is called a social compact or social contract. A social compact is an agreement people make among themselves to create a government to rule them and protect their natural rights. In this agreement the people consent to obey the laws created by that government.

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5
Q

Which speech is the most important to protect?

A

Political speech

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6
Q

Define & summarize American attitudes toward government and how they have changed over time

A

Trust decline over time
o Lack of faith, duty in jobs, participation declined, efficacy – having a say in what government is doing
o Impacts of negative view of government decline in participation unrepresentative, rules and policies don’t represent what the people actually want

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7
Q

THE FOUNDING AND FOUNDATIONAL DOCUMENTS: * Explain the conflicts and coalitions that led to the Declaration of Independence

A

Battles of Lexington and Concord initiated armed conflict between Great Britain and the 13 North American colonies (the nucleus of the future United States of America).
At that time few of the colonists consciously desired to separate from Britain. But as the American Revolution proceeded during 1775–76, Britain undertook to assert its sovereignty by means of large armed forces, making only a gesture toward conciliation.
Increasingly, the majority of Americans came to believe that they must secure their rights outside the British Empire.
The losses and restrictions that came from the war greatly widened the breach between the colonies and the mother country.
Moreover, it was necessary for the colonies to assert independence in order to secure as much French aid as possible.

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8
Q

THE FOUNDING AND FOUNDATIONAL DOCUMENTS: * Explain the conflicts and coalitions that led to the Articles of Confederation

A
  1. Annapolis Convention
  2. Shay’s Rebellion
  3. Constitutional Convention

From the beginning of the American Revolution, Congress felt the need for a stronger union and a government powerful enough to defeat Great Britain. During the early years of the war this desire became a belief that the new nation must have a constitutional order appropriate to its republican character.

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9
Q

What were some of the problems with the Articles of Confederation?

A

No Taxing Power. The national gov’t could ask the states for money but it cdould not be required.
Inflation. …
Relations between debtors & lenders. …
Tariff Wars. …
Foreign affairs were a mess! …
Dissrespect from other nations. …
Jealusy & quarreling among the states

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10
Q

What values did the Framers articulate in the Declaration of Independence?

A

People have certain Inalienable Rights including Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness. All Men are created equal. Individuals have a civic duty to defend these rights for themselves and others.

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11
Q
  • Discuss the three compromises that were made at the beginning of the Constitutional Convention.
A

The Great Compromise settled matters of representation in the federal government. The Three-Fifths Compromise settled matters of representation when it came to the enslaved population of southern states and the importation of enslaved Africans. The Electoral College settled how the president would be elected.

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12
Q
  • How did the Framers strengthen the national govt created under the Constitution compared to the one under the Articles of Confederation? Why?
A

creation of the three branches of government: the executive, legislative, and judicial. This separation of powers ensured that power would not be concentrated in one particular branch.

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13
Q
  • How did the Framers balance their interest in creating a govt based on the people with their concern that the people might not always be smart enough?
A

so that no one part of government could dominate the other. To achieve this goal, the Constitution provides “checks and balances” among the three branches.

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14
Q
  • What is federalism? Why did the Framers include it in the Constitution?
A

preserve personal liberty by separating the powers of the government so that one government or group may not dominate all powers. The Framers believed that divided power was limited power and applied this theory as they created the Constitution.

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15
Q
  • How does the Constitution try to create unity and tie the states to each other? How does it structure the relationships among the national, state, and local governments?
A

fieldwork assignment #1

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16
Q
  • How did dual federalism operate? What sorts of things caused the relationship between the states and federal governments to change?
A

the Federal government and the state governments occupied “separate spheres of influence.” The federal government had areas that it controlled and the state governments had areas that they control. The federal government and state governments were co-equal entities.
Separation of powers imposes internal limits by dividing government against itself, giving different branches separate functions and forcing them to share power.

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17
Q
  • Why does the national government sometimes expand the activities it undertakes and the services it provides?
A

Essential Purpose. There is a role for government in a market economy. Government provides certain goods and services. These services are paid for by taxes, and include such things as providing for the national defense, protecting the environment, and protecting property rights.

18
Q
  • How does the national government use its system of categorical and block grants to help the states provide services?
A

lock and categorical grants provide money to lower government levels to subsidize the cost of implementing policy programs fashioned in part by the federal government. This strategy gives state and local authorities some degree of flexibility and discretion as they coordinate with the federal government.
Categorical grants are intended to help states improve the overall well-being of their residents, but also empower the federal government to exert more power over the states within a specific policy area.

19
Q
  • What difference does federalism make for politics and government? What are some of the consequences of this system of government?
A

So, our federalist form of government has several advantages, such as protecting us from tyranny, dispersing power, increasing citizen participation, and increasing effectiveness, and disadvantages, such as supposedly protecting slavery and segregation, increasing inequalities between states, states blocking national policies

20
Q
  • What are the different layers of government? What responsibilities does each layer of government have? How has this changed over time?
A

Legislative—Makes laws (Congress, comprised of the House of Representatives and Senate) Executive—Carries out laws (president, vice president, Cabinet, most federal agencies) Judicial—Evaluates laws (Supreme Court and other courts)

21
Q
  • What are the main goals of the civil liberties laid out in the Bill of Rights?
A

individual freedom, protection against arbitrary government action, freedom of religion, freedom of speech and press, due process of law, equal protection, and privacy

22
Q
  • How are the states incorporated into the Bill of Rights? How do civil liberties apply to the federal government and the states?
A

through the Due Process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
Civil liberties protect us from government power. They are rooted in the Bill of Rights, which limits the powers of the federal government. The government cannot take away the freedoms outlined in the Bill of Rights, and any action that encroaches on these liberties is illegal.

23
Q
  • What are the two different aspects of the freedom of religion in the Bill of Rights?
A

the Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause.

24
Q
  • Does having freedom of speech mean that we can say anything at any time? Are there limits on this right? What sort of speech is considered to be most important to protect?
A

Government can limit some protected speech by imposing “time, place and manner” restrictions.

25
Q
  • Discuss the rights the Bill of Rights gives to people accused of crimes.
A

The Sixth Amendment guarantees the rights of criminal defendants, including the right to a public trial without unnecessary delay, the right to a lawyer, the right to an impartial jury, and the right to know who your accusers are and the nature of the charges and evidence against you.

26
Q
  • What is the difference between civil rights and civil liberties?
A

Civil rights are not in the Bill of Rights; they deal with legal protections. For example, the right to vote is a civil right. A civil liberty, on the other hand, refers to personal freedoms protected by the Bill of Rights. For example, the First Amendment’s right to free speech is a civil liberty.

27
Q
  • What were some of the legal developments that affected civil rights?
A

(specific policies we passed)
Civil rights legislation
Brown v. Board of Education

28
Q
  • What were some of the social movements that affected civil rights?
A

o Abolitionist movement
o Suffrage movement

29
Q
  • Name & summarize the three major pieces of civil rights legislation passed in the 1960s.
A

fair housing –

30
Q
  • Explain the difference between de facto and de jure segregation
A

defacto segregation is unintentional separation of racial groups whereas dejure segregation occurs when the government implements laws to intentionally enforce segregation.

31
Q
  • Describe the tactics used to create segregated communities
A

requiring separate housing, education and other services for people of color.

32
Q
  • What are some of the consequences of highly segregated communities?
A

lower incomes and educational attainment and higher homicide rates.

33
Q
  • Who serves in Congress?
A

Congress has two parts, the Senate and the House of Representatives.

34
Q
  • Discuss the 2 main jobs/roles of members of Congress.
A

Also referred to as a congressman or congresswoman, each representative is elected to a two-year term serving the people of a specific congressional district. Among other duties, representatives introduce bills and resolutions, offer amendments and serve on committees.

35
Q
  • What are the 2 chambers of Congress? Give details of each chamber and discuss how they are similar and different from each other.
A

Senators represent their entire states, but members of the House represent individual districts. The number of districts in each state is determined by a state’s population. Each state has a minimum of one representative in Congress. The House and Senate have evolved into very different bodies.

36
Q
  • What is apportionment? What is redistricting? How do these concepts relate to the House of Representatives?
A

Dividing House seats across states is known as apportionment (or reapportionment). Each state must receive one House seat and additional seats are distributed proportionally based on state population size.

37
Q
  • Describe the different theories of representation.
A

Trustee representation – elected representatives are entrusted by voters with the responsibility of governing for all. Representatives are free to serve the people as they think best.
Delegate representation – elected representatives are delegated the responsibility to act in the interests of the people who elected them. This means that representatives would consider their electorate, state or territory when making decisions.
Partisan representation – representatives are elected as a member of a party and have a responsibility to make decisions in line with their party’s policies.

38
Q
  • How do members of Congress build and maintain good relationships with their constituents?
A

Members of Congress represent the people of their district in the United States Congress by holding hearings, as well as developing and voting on legislation. All bills must pass Congress before they can go to the President to be signed into law.

39
Q
  • Discuss the role/influence of political parties in Congress. Be sure you to include: majority vs minority status, leadership, and party loyalty, and seniority.
A

majority party promotes parties public policy agenda; majority party has power to place major party members on strong committees in order to have their bills passed. By placing members on committees and delegating rules promote their agenda to be passed more easily.
A political party is made up of individuals who organize to win elections, operate government, and influence public policy.

40
Q
  • Why are there congressional committees? What are some of the more powerful committees? Why do representatives choose to be on certain committees?
A

Committees are essential to the effective operation of legislative bodies. Committee membership enables members to develop specialized knowledge of the matters under their jurisdiction.
The Ways and Means Committee is the oldest and most powerful committee of the U.S. Congress
The Senate Appropriations Committee is the largest committee in the U.S. Senate

Under the House Rules the chairman and members of standing committees are selected through a two-step procedure where the Democratic Caucus and the Republican Conference recommends members to serve on Committees, the majority party recommends a Chairman, and the Minority Party recommends a Ranking Member and finally ..

41
Q
  • What is the process of how a bill becomes a law?
A

After both the House and Senate have approved a bill in identical form, it is sent to the president. If the president approves of the legislation, he signs it and it becomes law. Or, if the president takes no action for ten days, while Congress is in session, it automatically becomes law.