Midterm Study Guide Flashcards
Types of Democracy
Direct and Indirect
The Etymology of Democracy
Greek
Demos- the people
Kratos- to rule
Definition of Direct Democracy
- Every eligible citizen gathers at the polis.
2. Decisions are made based on group consensus.
Definition of Indirect Democracy
- People rule through elected officials.
- Citizens must participate in elections.
- Constitutional responsibility to the public
The Three Principles of Representative Government (and def)
- Political Sovereignty: the people ultimately rule
- Political Equality: each person carries equal weight in the conduct of public affairs
- Political Liberty: citizens are protected from government interference in basic rights.
The Taxonomy of American Government (bottom to top)
- Structural Level
- Linkage Level
- Government Level
- Government Action (Policy) Level
Define Structural Level
-Culture, economy, domestic/international forums and constitutional framework
Define Linkage Level
Intermediaries between structural and government levels.
-Voting/elections (citizen participation), Media, Interest groups, social movements, political parties.
Define Government Level
Legislative Branch (Bicameral vs. Unicameral), Executive branch, judiciary branch, and federal bureaucracy.
Define Government Action Level
Making laws, waging war, national defense and settling civil disputes.
3 Main Arguments of the DofI
- Human beings possess rights that cannot be legitimately given away or taken by any government (unalienable rights)
- People create government to protect these rights.
- If government fails to protect people’s rights, the people can work to fix it or withdraw their consent from the government and create a new one that will work harder to protect the rights of the people.
Social Contract Theory Theorists
- John Locke (Two Trestises of Government)
- Jean Jaques Rousseau (Origins of Inequality and the Social Compact)
- Thomas Hobbes (Leviathan)
Themes of the Social Contract
- State of Nature (Wilderness)
- Natural Rights (Right to life, own property, live healthy, liberty
- Establishment of Civil Society
Themes of Common Sense
- Now is the time of Independence
- We are ready to declare this to be true.
- We are ready and capable to fight GB and win!
- We dare not wait! (If not now, then when?)
What did “Common Sense” change about people’s attitudes?
- Stop fighting for seats in British parliament.
- Fight instead to establish our own government.
Definition of Federal Constitution
Codified frameworks of law that prescribes what government can and cannot do.
Definition of Confederation
A government based entirely on state power. A loose association of states with limited or no federal government to attend to national affairs.
4 Main Failures of the Articles of Confederation
- No means to finance governmental activities.
- No standing army or navy.
- No means to defend American interests in foreign affairs.
- No means to prevent interstate conflict.
Majority Tyranny
The abuse of power that emerges from 51-49 popular sovereignty.
The Connecticut (or Great) Compromise
There shall be a Bicameral Legislative Branch. This will include two Legislative Houses, on based on state population and one with equal representation (2 members) from each state
Federal System of Government
A system in which significant governmental powers are divided between a central government and states.
Federalist Papers (Authors)
James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay
How many Federalist Papers were published?
85 (in response to the anti federalist papers)
Definition of our Federal Constitution
The Supreme Law of the Land. Declares what government can and cannot do.
Define the Bill of Rights (1791)
- The first 10 amendments to our Constitution
- Limit central power
- Establish civil liberties
What was the major Debate of Federalism?
State vs Federal Power
Structure of the Federal Constitution
7 articles and 27 amendments
The First 3 Articles
The Institutional Articles
The Institutional Articles do what?
Define what our congress, president and courts can do.
Article 1 of the Constitution
Prescribes the powers and limitations of congress.
Establishes bicameral legislature.
House and Senate.
Sets very specific rules for congress.
Article II
Establishes executive branch with a single President.
Describes the powers and responsibilities of the Executive.
Establishes the office of the Vice President.
-ambiguity has allowed expansion of presidential power
Article 3
Establishes the Judicial Branch.
Establishes the office of “chief justice.”
-describes more the power of congress relative to the courts.
-the most ambiguous article.
Article 5
Establishes the Amendments Clasue.
Allows the constitution to change as needed.
2/3 of congress or 2/3 of state legislative bodies can call for an amendment convention.
The Bill of Rights
first 10 amendments that limit central power and establish civil liberties.
The First Amendment
- Freedom of religion.
- Freedom of speech.
- Freedom of peaceable assembly.
- Freedom of the press.
- Freedom to petition the government.
The Second Amendment
Right to bear arms.
The Fourth Amendment
No unreasonable searches or seizures.
No warrants issued without probable cause.
How does media aid in the working of democracy?
The people must know what their government is or isn’t doing in order to affect it and this information comes from Media.
The 3 Roles of Media
- Watchdog (Pentagon Papers, Watergate and Bill Clinton)
- Clarify electoral and policy choices.
- Presenting full and enlightened sets of ideas.
Types of Media
Newspapers, Magazines, Radio, Television and New Media (internet, Net-Roots)
Newspaper Innovations
- Penny Press- cheapened the process of making newspapers and made printing A LOT easier.
- Literacy Rates- people became empowered to read because of the sudden availability of newspapers (formerly only the wealthy)
- Yellow Journalism- Sensationalism used frequently by Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst(big, bold titles, first uses of color, full page adds to offset costs)
- The Struggle of Modern Newspapers- Internet provides excellent competition.
How did yellow journalism affect the quality of stories?
Stories became shorter and less in-depth, more applicable to more people.
Magazine Characteristics
- Attempt to fill vacuum created by yellow journalism.
- Magazines transcend time and space (geography)
- Homogenous News- more aesthetically pleasing
Radio was considered the first _______
Passive Media
FDR’s Fireside Chats
- March of 1933
- Tried to create “Social Intimacy” between the people and their politicians.
Characteristics and Impacts of Television
- Hyper-Emphasis on Aesthetics
- 1960 Presidential Debate
- Currently the primary conduit for news.
Characteristics and Impacts of New Media
- “The Net-Roots”
- News, networking and participation: people can engage in the dialogue
- Near instantaneous updates.
- How do we balance the speed and balance and content with the integrity of the story.
- Largely threatens other media businesses.
How the Media Works
- Corporate Ownership (1st paradigm)
- Concentration of Ownership
- Profit Driven (2nd paradigm)
- Breadth over depth
- Newsworthiness
- Objectivity and Interpretation
- Media is subject to the human condition (inherent bias)
Newsworthiness
includes novelty, celebrity, drama and human interest, action, conflict, and violence comprehensibility (understandable), relevance to the lives of American people.
The Impact of Media
- Influencing of public opinion
- Shaping of Public Policy
- Culture of Cynicism and Irrelevance- cynical perception of the people has grown with the media
