Midterms Flashcards
Essay Points
how might humans affect their environ & vice versa
envrion -> human:
- drought
- earthquakes
- floods
- hurricanes
- landslides
- space weather - refers to sun & space. could damage critical infrastructure i.e. electric grid
- thunderstorms
- tornadoes
- tsunamis
- volcanoes
- wildfires
- winter storms
humans -> environ:
- water
- tankers & offshore rigs can cause oil spills
- industries may dump chemical waste tht enters & pollutes the water supply
- feritlizers & pesticides from farms can seep into groundwater & cause harm
- untreated sewage
- land
- chemical waste poisons fertile topsoil
- solid waste is dumped in landfills
- radioactive waste from nuclear power plants & toxic runoff from chemical processing plants
- deforestation
- overplowing, etc.
- air
- burning of fossil fuels by industries & vehicles -> smog
- acidic chemicals in air pollution combine w/ precipitation to form acid rain
6 purposes of gov’t
form a more perfect Union
establish Justice
insure domestic tranquility
provide for the common defense
promote the general welfare
secure the blessings of liberty
form a more perfect Union
to form a country tht is btr than other countries in existence & a true union of the states
any action taken by the gov’t has to be done for the good of the nation.
accept losses and learn from them
establish Justice
to establish a just society; mostly Judicial Branch
“fair” doesn’t always mean “equal” - means what u deserve (segregation = “equal” but not fair)
insure domestic Tranquility
maintain a peaceful/lawful/orderly society
peace @ home
police, firefighters (police have limits, too)
provide for the common defence
to protect its citizens & sovereignty against hostile enemies
marines, navy(sea), army(land), ari force(pretty new but very good), coast guard(drug trafficking, search & rescue, illegal immigrants, boat licenses)
Why is the National Guard not really national?
most of the time, under the control of individual states, w/ the state governor acting as commander in chief
however, prez can activitate the National Guard and place it under federal control
promote the general welfare
raise the wellbeing of the general population
(Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, food stamps, welfare checks, Obamacare)
secure the Blessings of Liberty
gift of being able to choose
even free to break the law, altho u’ll be punished
passed on by the gov’t, parents, teachers, rep’s, leaders of any industry
4 characteristics of states
territory (definable boundaries)
gov’t (system of order)
population (significant amount)
sovereignty (supreme & absolute power in its own territory)
y r the 50 states not actually states?
don’t have sovereignty.
federal gov’t supreme over state gov’t
4 origins of the state
Force Theory
Evolutionary Theory
Divine Right Theory
Social Contract Theory
Force Theory
1 person/group claimed an area & forced all w/in it 2 submit
based on physical prowess
Evolutionary Theory
developed out of primitive family
1 head person = gov’t
family → network of related families(clan) → tribe → tribe w/ agriculture & not nomadic → state
what 2 theories of the origin of the state could merge together?
force & evolutionary cuz both use physical power
Divine Right Theory
widely acceptedi n much of WEstern world
15-18th centuries
state created by God, who had given royal ppl a “divine” right 2 rule
disobeying = moral sin & treason
more common form of “divine right”
chosen by God to rule
Europe, China, Japan
rare form of “divine right”
ruler = god
Alexander the Great
Social Contract Theory
ppl w/in a given area agreed 2 give up to the state as much power as was needed for all’s wellbeing
state exists only 2 serve the ppl
rulers & ruled agree to legitimate behavior
what elements of the state does the social contract theory have?
popular sovereignty
limited gov’t
individual rights
pros of social contract theory
security, civility, guaranteed certain freedoms
cons of social contract theory
loss of absolute freedom(autonomy), uncertainty of illegitimate leaders
3 gov’t categories
relationship b/w legisl & exec branches
distribution of power
who can participate
relationship b/w legis & exec branches
presidential or parliamentary
presidential gov’t
executive is elected outside of legis by populace
USA
parliamentary gov’t
Prime Minister elected from w/in legis
Parliament elects PM
UK
distribution of power
unitary
federal
confederate
unitary gov’t
a single, central level as source of power
North Korea & UK
federal gov’t
national = supreme over local
USA (Article 6, Sec. 2 National Supremacy Clause)
confederate gov’t
local = supreme over national
loose alliance of states
Articles of Confederation, Confederate States of Am
who can participate
dictatorship
democracy
dictatorship gov’t
@ least 1 person/entity
above the law
North Korea
democracy
pure/direct -or- representative/republic
pure/direct democracy
everyone votes on every issue
rare
Lord of the Flies
representative/republic democracy
the populace elects ppl to go vote on every issue
USA
5 foundations of democracy
fundamental worth of the individual
equality of all persons
majority rule & minority rights
necessity of compromise
individual freedom
fundamental worth of the individual
everything a demo society does should be done w/in the limits of this concept
democracy serves the many who, as individual, together make up a society
one person = one vote
equality of all person
everyone is equal:
- before the law
- in opportunity
equal in opportunity
no person should be held back 4 any arbitrary reasons like race, color, religion, / gender
ppl should be free 2 develop themselves as fully as they possibly can
majority rule & minority right
majority = usually right
democracy = trial & error - not looking for “right” answers but satisfactory solutions 2 public problems
majority rule can be abused, so restrained by minority rights (willing to listen, right to become majority)
compromise
process of blending & adjusting competing views & interests in order 2 find the position most acceptable 2 the largest # of ppl
absolutely necessary for progress
necessity of compromise
democracy puts individ. 1st AND insists each is equal - how else can ppl w/ so many diff opinions make public decisions?
few public decisions have only 2 sides, often several answers
individual freedom
dem. can thrive only w/ individual freedom but can’t insist on complete freedom 4 individ → anarchy
your right to choose, right or wrong, despite the consequenes guaranteed in a democracy
Magna Carta
1215
against King John (son of King Richard the Lionheart)
trial by jury. due process of law. protection against arbitrary taking of life, liberty, or property. limited gov’t
1st doc to limit power of a king
due process of law
all legal proceedings will be fair & consistent & one will be given notice of the proceedings & an opportunity to be heard before the gov’t acts to take away 1’s life, liberty, or property
Petition of Right
1628 during English Civil War
king can’t imprison political critics w/out trial by jury; can’t declare martial law during peacetime; nor require ppl 2 give gift, loan, tax, etc. w/out common consent of Parliament. quartering of soldiers. challenged divine right of kings. kings not above the law.
martial law
rule by the military
English Bill of Rights
- during Glorious/Bloodless Revolution
no standing army in peacetime unless by consent of Parliament. all Parliamentary elections = free. king can’t suspend/execute laws w/out Parliamentary consent. levying $ for/to the crown is illegal. subj’s can petition the king & prosecution for petition = illegal. right to fair & speedy trial. freedom from excessive bail & from cruel & unusual punishment.
Thomas Hobbes
- influenced by English Civil War (which was bad)
Leviathan
gov’t should be powerful cuz humans = inherently wicked/selfish.
w/out gov’t life would be “brutish, nasty, & short”
benevolent monarchy = ideal gov’t (altho monarchy could become bad)
John Locke
- influenced by Glorious Revolution.
2 Treatises of Gov’t
less gov’t = ideal cuz humans r basically moral
respected Hobbes, just didn’t agree w/ him
3 types of ppl (John Locke)
materialist - Hobbes. life has only concrete meaning
idealist - Locke. life has hidden, special meaning
dualist - Rosseau. combo of both
Jean Jacques Rosseau
Du Contract Social
“man = born free but is everywhere in chains”
believed France = beacon of light 4 gov’t style
materialistic & idealistic interpretations of Rosseau’s quote
materialist - free of clothes, ability to survive
idealist - free of rules & shame
Voltaire
1694-1778
France
wealthy family. disowned (they thought he was studying finance but actually philosophy)
champion of social justice (anti-classism)
“In praise of British Gov’t” banished for life.
spread in lots of countries including France cuz young ppl told not 2 study Voltaire
who did all of the social contract philosophers influence?
Thomas Jefferson
Hobbes - federal
Locke - life, liberty, equality, perfect Union
6 principles of the constitution
popular sovereignty
limited gov’t
separation of powers
checks & balances
judicial review
federalism
popular sovereignty
everyone has a vote in creating something (such as a law)
the source of power in our country
1852 Kansas-Nebraska Act - let ppl vote on whether to be slave state/not.
limited gov’t
gov’t is not all powerful
in democracy, no king. law is king. law = for people. ppl = source of power
rule of law
authority of gov’t = adequate to needs of society but never overpowering
separation of powers
make law (leg - Congress)
enforce law (exec - Prez)
interpret law (jud - Supreme Court)
power of king divided in 3
checks & balances
how our gov’t prevents branches from getting too powerful
judicial branch checks
L - courts may declare acts of Congress to be unconsitutional
E - judges r free from exec control
legislative branch checks
J - Congress creates lower courts, may remove judges thru impeachment
E - may override veto by 2/3 vote
executive branch checks
J - prez appoints Supreme Court justices & other federal judges
L - prez may veto legislation & call special sessions
judicial review
power to determine the constitutionality of laws AND actions
federalism
division of power among a central gov’t & several regional gov’ts
Article 6 Sec. 2 National Supremacy Clause
Federalism doesn’t exist w/out local gov’t (Amendment 10)
Marbury vs. Madison
1803
courts r empowered to interpret the consitutionality of laws and actions’
madison refuses to step down
Articles of Confederation
agreement ratified in 1781 by the 13 original states;
provided a legal symbol of their union by giving the central gov’t no coercive power over the states or their citizens
newest & oldest origin of states theories
newest: Social Contract
oldest: Divine Right
royal colonies
crown rule
governor from source of power above –> for US , from source below
pays taxes to the gov’t
Virginia
all colonies were considered this type of colony by Americans in 1776
charter colonies
self-rule
still had to follow a charter but had a lot of liberty –> both have lesser parts involved that have rights
MA, CT, RI
proprietary colonies
proprietors given land by king
owned & operated by proprietors
open minded
owner-operated (like our economy w/ businesses)
PA (William Penn from George I), Maryland
what type of thing was the Glorious/Bloodless Revolution?
a peaceful transition of power
rule of law
no one is above the law
Constitution
each application for admission to the union requires this “plan for gov’t” tht lays down the laws for the rulers & the ruled
a body of fundamental principles/established precedents according to which a state/other organization is acknowledged to be governed
formal amendment process 4 methods
1) 2/3 Congress. 3/4 state legislatures. used 26x
2) 2/3 Congress, 3/4 state conventions. used 1x
3) 2/3 national convention, 3/4 state legislatures
4) 2/3 national convention. 3/4 state conventions
informal amendment process
US Code of Titles Statutes
don’t completely change laws (Ex: No Child Left Behind Act)
1) basic legislation by Congress
2) actions taken by Prez
3) decisions of supreme court (Marbury vs. Madison)
4) activities of political parties
5) custom
basic legislation by Congress
Congress passes “statutes” that add details to existing Articles & Amendments
executive action
exhibited by the prez blocking trade w/ a country who doesn’t have a good relationship w/ the US
activities of political parties
major parties have held national conventions
Congress does many things based on parties
custom
gov’t ceremonies of tradition
Cabinet, VP -> P, no 3rd terms, Pomp & Circumstance)
formal amendment
change/addition that becomes part of the written language of the Const itself thru 1 of 4 methods set forth in the Const
informal amendment
changes 2 the Constitution that don’t lead 2 changes in the written document
Bill of Rights
a statement of fundamental rights of the US ppl, in Amendments 1-10
what supreme court decisions have caused informal amendments?
1896 - Plessy vs. Ferguson (segregation legal)
1954 - Brown vs. Board of Edu (segregation illegal)
1966 - Miranda vs. Az (accused must be read Miranda rights & told wat they’re being accused of)
1973 - Roe vs. Wade (abortion illegal)
12th Amendment
used to be lozer prez becomes VP, but now prez & VP run together
25th Amendment
allows VP to replace P if P dies/resigns (informal amendment)
VP -> speaker of the house -> pro tempore of the senate -> secretary of state -> secretary of treasury -> secretary of defense -> ……. -> secretary of homeland security
why is it so hard to formally amend the Constitution?
security
government
the body w/ the power to make &/or enforce laws 2 control a country, land area, ppl, / organization
sovereignty
(of a nation) the state of making laws & controlling resources w/out the coercion of other nations
(of a ruler) supreme authority over all things
state
a nation/territory considered as an organized political community under one gov’t
supremacy
the state/condition of being superior to all others in authority, power, or status
bicameral
having 2 separate legislative houses
unicameral
having a single legis chamber
charter
a document issued by some authority, creating a public/private institution & defining its purposes & privileges
trial by jury
a jury either makes a decision/makes findings of fact, which r then aplied by a judge
public policy
the principles, often unwritten, on which social laws r based
boycott
w/drawal frm commercial/social relations w/ a country/org/person as a punishment/protest
ratification
the act of confirming by expressing consent
legislative branch
House = 435 members, 2 yr terms
Senate = 100 member, 6 year terms
apportionment
the distribution in the House among the seats on the basis of their respective populations
House of Reps qualifications
25 years old
citizen/inhabitant in their state 7 yrs
Senate qualifications
30 yrs old
ctz/inhb 9 yrs
President qualifications
35 yrs
natural-brn citizen
lived in US for @ least 14 years
natural born citizen
born on US soil, born of 1 Am. citizen
Virginia Plan
3 branches
2 houses (1 pop based, the other donation based)
better for big states
NJ Plan
unicameral (equal representation)
better for smaller states
CT Compromise
merged the VA & NJ Plans
bicameral {House [pop. rep.] & Senate[equal rep])
3 branches (leg, ex, jud)
3/5 Compromise
each slave = 3/5 person
population including slaves in South = huge, so this made it more equal for smaller states
3 Basic Econ Q’s
What 2 Produce
how 2 produce
for whom 2 produce
what 2 produce
use readily available resources
how 2 produce
The methods and labor used as well as the quality of items produced are important factors.
for whom to produce
demographic
4 Economic Systems
traditional
market
command
mixed
traditional economy
bartering breeds inconsistent success
what 2 produce - handcrafts, farm animals and farming crops
how 2 produce - by the family unit or in small tribes/collectives all local to the area it is consumed in.
for whom 2 produce - the family, tribe etc to use or to be traded locally for other handcrafts, animals or crops.
market economy
private enterprise system
free enterprise system
capitalism
hypothetical
not influenced by gov’t, but instead by greed
demand driven by consumers
what 2 produce: whatever the consumers want
how 2 produce: firms should be both productively efficient and alloctively efficient
for whom: The free market system tends to create an unfair distribution of income. The wealthy consume a disproportionately large share of what is produced.
command economy
does exist
complete & dictatorial
gov’t controls 3Q
what: gov’t decides
how: gov’t decides
for whom:tries to be fair in distributing the output of the economy.
mixed economy
blend of command & market
what: determined by the demand of the consumer, unless the government institutes requirements for what to produce
how: determined by suppliers seeking for the most cost-effective way to produce goods, unless the government institutes regulations such as environmental standards
for whom: determined by the people who can afford to pay for goods, unless the government makes something a priority to provide (education, for example)
when may a mixed economy have gov’t interference?
to promote fair competition
to protect national security
to promote the well-being of the state
Law of Supply
microeconomic law stating that, all other factors being equal, as p of g/s increases, q offered by suppliers increases as well
Law of Demand
microeconomic law stating that, all other factors being equal, as p of g/s increases, consumer demand decreases
laws of supply & demand
theories abt the interaction b/w supply of a g/s & demand for it
equilibrium
when supply & demand r equal (when the supply & demand functions intersect)
@ this point, allocation of goods is @ its most efficient cuz amount of goods being supplied = amount of goods being demanded
results: affordability & profitability
disequilibrium
excess supply or excess demand
quantity supply is NOT equal to quantity demand
excess supply
if p too high, ppl don’t want it
surplus
excess demand
p too low, too many ppl want it & not enough supply
deficit
surplus
the amount of an asset/resource that exceeds the portion that is used
demand < supply
deficit
the amount by which expenses exceed income -or- costs outstrip revenues
supply > demand
microeconomics
individual (persons/businesses/entities)
macroeconomics
whole economies
all microeconomies interact - whole of microec interactions
demanders & suppliers
consumers & producers
demand schedule
this kind of chart can track the willingness & ability of consumers to purchase products @ variable prices
demand curve
represents what the demand for a commodity would be if its price ranged anywhere from zero to infinity
supply curve
graphic representation of the relationship b/w product price & quantity of a product that a seller is willing & able to supply
always on vertical axis
price
always on the horizontal axis
quanity (demanded/supplied)
price elasticity of demand
a measure of the responsiveness of the quantity demanded of a good to a change in its price
the range/margin of fluctuation of price for a product before demand is affected
% chage in demand / % change in price
<1 = inelastic, >1 = elastic
price ceiling
the point where demand starts too fall (price too high)
price floor
the point where price can go no lower before no profit
staple products
consumers tend to buy these necessities regardless of significant price changes
grocery - milk, bread, meats
household - gas, water, energy
gourmet food
often inelastic
may require an increase/decrease of 50% to create any perceptible changes in consumers’ behavior
these types of consumers not as value-concious as regular shoppers
unitary elasticity
in economics, situation where a change in 1 factor causes an equal/proportional change in another factor
economy by scale
the greater the quantity of a good produced, the lower the per-unit fixed cost because these costs r shared over a larger # of goods
price gouging
when someone raises the price of a g/s cuz they know it’s otherwise nonexistent/rare
4 levels of industry
raw material extraction
manufacturing
distribution
retail
raw material extraction
getting the basic material from which a product is made
manufacturing
process of taking raw material & finishing it into a product
sometimes multistage
distribution
trucks, planes, trains
refrigerated/armored trucks
allocating finished products to their retail destinations
retail
product meets consumer
bulk purchasing
retailers buy in bulk w/ discount rate & add their own cost (Costco, BJ’s, etc.)
allocation
the distribution of resources to where they need to go
cottage industry
qualitative
can do every stage urself
master craftspeople
smaller demographic but loyal
often labor-intensive
labor-intensive
more humans than machines
mass production
quantitative
uses “specialized” workers on an assembly line
capital-intensive
capital-intensive
low cost, high revenue
machines > humans
vertical monolopy
dominates 2+ levels of industry
horizontal monopoly
dominates 1 level of industry
4 factors of production
land
labor
capital
management
land
space to produce
literal/figurative
literal land
farmers, industrail
figurative land
laboratory acces, cyberspace
labor
manufacturing
quantitative/qualitative
capital
liquidating assets
fuel 4 production
management
hiring other managers (efficient & loyal, responsible 4 success)
what 2 categories r combined?
4 factors of production & 4 levels of industry
standard of living
the level of wealth, comfort, material goods, & necessities available to a certain socioeconomic class in a certain geographic area
inflation
a rise in the average price of goods & services in the macroeconomy
deflation
reduction of the general level of prices in macroeconomy
GDP
Gross Domestic Product
the total dollar value of all final products (g/s) [avoid double-counting] produced in 1 country in 1 year
measures spending to measure well-being
nominal GDP
literal count
real GDP
deflated & more realistic since previous year’s inflation factored out
GDP per capita
average amount produced per person in a country
(GDP/pop)
used 2 measure well-being per person
GDP categories (expenditure approaches)
personal consumption
business investment
trade (imports/exports)
gov’t expenditures
personal consumption
largest category in most market & mixed economies
US has largest
business investment/expenditures
growth spending - buying land/rights
measures the improvement costs encountered by companies in a nation in a year
trade (imports/exports)
Imports > Exports = deficit
Imports < Exports = surplus
US has had trade deficit since early 1970s
gov’t expenditures
most of all the gov’ts income is generated by tax revenue
40% of world’s defense spending
mostly Health & Human services & Social Security → socialist stuff in capitalist country
2nd largest GDP category
GDP flaws
can’t always accurately measure standard of living w/ GDP/capita
doesn’t consider built-in quality of products (cottage industry stuff), GDP/capita, leisure time, household work, how goods r distributed
not all countries can pay for their own census or count
leisure time
time not working
can be therapeutic or just bad
importance of household work
organization must be regular or ability to work will be affected
how does the GDP not always accurately measures the standard of living?
if 2 countries have the same area, pop, or GDP, may have drastically diff geography that may affec their spending
economic styles
socialism
communism
capitalism
socialism
state can (& usually does) own industry & capital, altho private ownership allowed too
students encouraged to get good edu to get better careers
communism
collective socialism
“state” owns all industry & capital
“state” prohibits private property
“state” prohibits classism (gov’t is upper class)
capitalism
profit-seeking
based on private ownership
Am’s have made search for profit into a moral, ethical code
profit
occurs when the amount of revenue gained from a business activity exceeds the expenses, costs, & taxes needed
determinants of demand
income
substitute products
complementary products
time period(attitude)
limited liability
unlimited liability
substitute products
uncommonly purchased products r on sale or commonly purchased ones r out of stock
replaces a predictable purchase w/ a more fortuitous one