Poli Sci 220 Exam 1 Terms

Question 1

Coordination Problem

Answer 1

Difficult to decide collectively how to make decisions about how to resolve our individual preferences

Question 2

Condorcet’s Paradox

Answer 2

Majority preferences can be inconsistent with one another – leading to cycling

Question 3

Public Good

Answer 3

Your enjoyment of a good doesn’t prevent others from using it; once provided can’t be denied to anyone | As the group gets larger, your contribution becomes smaller

Question 4

Prisoners dilemma

Answer 4

interaction b/t 2 strategic actors where neither has an incentive to cooperate even if both would be better off

Question 5

Institutions

Answer 5

In politics: institutions are the rules or set of rules or practices that determine how people make collective decisions | Establish rules | Structure Conflict: Rules for how individual demands and preferences are collectively managed; rules about who has power and constraints on power | Mitigate collective action problems | Make behavior predictable

Question 6

Tragedy of the commons

Answer 6

Commonly accessible/owned resources (i.e. “commons”) can suffer from overconsumption, undermining collective good

Question 7

Free rider problems

Answer 7

Individual’s contribution is small and inconsequential à each person is tempted to not contribute to the collective effort but still enjoy the benefit

Question 8

Articles of Confederation

Answer 8

Weak central government: No power to impose taxes, no military or currency | 1777: Continental Congress approves Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union | It includes legislative dominance with no exec branch: Each state has 1 vote in congress; 9 of 13 needed for major laws; all 13 needed to change articles

Question 9

Constitutional Convention

Answer 9

Wants: Republic (no monarcy), Federalism, Necessity of compromise

Division Areas: Large States vs Small States; Slave vs free states; merchantalists v agriculture

Initially aimed to renovate the articles of confederation, but ended up replacing it entirely.

Question 10

Virginia Plan

Answer 10

Virginia Plan 1st introduced: Bicameral legislation, appointed by people | Wide authority to legislate nat problems | Veto over state laws | Bad for small states | Made legislature proportionate to population

Question 11

New Jersey Plan

Answer 11

New Jersey Plan next: Unicameral legislature | 1 state 1 vote | Fed executive elected by nat legislature | Congress has power to raise taxes/regulate commerce & foreign affs | Better for small states

Question 12

Connecticut Compromise

Answer 12

Also known as the great compromise | House is organized by population: Close to the people and direct elections every two years | Senate has 2 per stat: More distant from the people and were selected by state leg (until 1913) ad had a 6 year term

Question 13

Three-fifths Compromise

Answer 13

Southern states wanted their slaves (large part of population) to count towards their population for their seats in the house. Did not want to recognize slaves as people, so they decided to count them as 3/5s of a person

Question 14

Federalist Papers

Answer 14

85 short essays to defend constitution to people of NY | Written by Madison, Hamilton and Jay | A guide to the thinking that guided the constitution

Question 15

Separation of Powers

Answer 15

Three independent branches: legislative, executive, judicial | Also between the states and fed (federalism) | These are reinforced by check and balances

Question 16

Checks and Balances

Answer 16

a system of government that allows each branch of government to limit the actions of the other branches |

Question 17

Federalism

Answer 17

system of government in which a constitution divides power between a central government and regional governments

Question 18

Confederation

Answer 18

System of government in which the various unions (states/regional governments) act separately from the federal government. Very uncentralized government

Question 19

Unitary government

Answer 19

A system of government in which the federal government monopolizes government. Very centralized government

Question 20

Categorical Grant

Answer 20

Given to states for very specific purposes. Still has discretion for fed gov.

SNAP and Head start

Question 21

Block Grants

Answer 21

Given for general purposes and allow state officials greater discretion over how funs will be sent.

FEMA recovery grants

Question 22

Matching Grants

Answer 22

Sum in relation to state spending on a program. State spends an equal amount as the Fed government.

Medicaid Expansion

Question 23

Regulated federalism

Answer 23

Federal government provides increased federal funding, but only if states meet stricter national standards and regulation for their use.

Question 24

Cross - cutting requirements

Answer 24

Statutes that apply certain rules and guidelines to a broad array of federally subsidized state programs | failure of any state to follow federal guidelines that prohibit discrimination can result in the prosecution of state officials as well as loss of grants across numerous policy areas

Question 25

Cross - over sanctions

Answer 25

Stipulations that to remain eligible for full federal funding for one program a state must adhere to the guidelines of an unrelated program. | Min Drinking Age

Legal if it served general welfare, is unambiguous, related to the purpose, do not require the recipient to violate the constitution and not coercive.

Question 26

Preemption

Answer 26

Allows the national government to override state and local actions in certain policy areas. Strong incentive for party in control nationally to pass laws that preempt state laws they dislike.

Question 27

Unfunded mandates

Answer 27

rules forcing states to spend their own money to comply with federal law | k-12 education

Question 28

Competitive federalism

Answer 28

Federalism as a market of competing governments. People can “vote with their feet” (Tiebout)

Question 29

Laboratories of democracy

Answer 29

“a state may, if its citizens choose, serve as a laboratory; and try novel social and economic experiments without risk to the rest of the country.” (Justice Louis Brandeis) | can appear more progressive

Question 30

Moral Pluralism

Answer 30

States might be better at deciding more decisive issues

Question 31

Log roll

Answer 31

If a legislator logrolls, he initiates the trade of votes for one particular act or bill in order to secure votes on behalf of another act or bill. Logrolling means that two parties will pledge their mutual support, so both bills can attain a simple majority.

Question 32

American Creed / core values

Answer 32

Liberty: Minimizing government intervention in every day life.
Limited government. Protection from tyranny

Egalitarianism: People are morally and equally worth

Democracy/popular sovereignty: Consent of the government. Democracy is a set of procedures that we all signed on to. Strong protection of minority rights.

Individualism: favoring freedom of action for individuals over collective or state control

Private Property/ Laissez Faire: Free labor and capitalism.

Question 33

Popular sovereignty

Answer 33

the people are the source of all political power and authority, and that the government is created and sustained by the consent of the people

Question 34

Classical liberalism

Answer 34

Values include: Private/individual rights (liberty) | Freedom and rights, personal liberty, self-interested citizenry, sum on conflicting private interests, etc.

Question 35

Ascriptive Americanism

Answer 35

In this way of thinking, society is a hierarchy, where some groups are on top and others are below. Groups on top are deserving of the rights and benefits of liberal tradition those on bottom are not (hierarchy based on race and gender)

Question 36

Multiple traditions

Answer 36

idea that America possesses both liberal and Ascriptive American Ideals at the same time

Question 37

Civic republicanism

Answer 37

Values include: Participation and responsibilities, civil liberty (collective political), virtuous citizenry, single homogenous public interest, etc. | Community obligation

Question 38

Populism

Answer 38

Bringing politics “back to the people” and away from the elites | Basic Idea that the principles of democracy are fine, but those in power are betraying them

Question 39

14th Amendment

Answer 39

National citizenship and equal protection for Black people

Question 40

15th Amendment

Answer 40

Gave Black people the right to vote in the US

Question 41

First Reconstruction

Answer 41

Federal troops occupy the south following the civil war to maintain order and ensure that they are following the law.

Question 42

Second Reconstruction

Answer 42

20th century renewed push for enforcement of Civil Rights: The Civil Rights Movement

Question 43

Poll Tax

Answer 43

A Fee Used To Disenfranchise African Americans and poor whites by making it financially burdensome to vote.

Question 44

Literacy Test

Answer 44

Made people take a literacy test to ensure they were “intelligent” enough to vote. These were often arbitrary tests that aimed to exclude Black people from voting.

Question 45

Great Migration

Answer 45

The mass movement of African Americans from the rural South to the urban North between 1916 and 1970, seeking better economic opportunities and escaping racial segregation

Question 46

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Answer 46

Passed by LBJ and did the following: banned segregation in education and public accommodations; no federal funds for states/agencies that discriminate; barred job discrimination on the basis of racism religion and gender; created the EEOC to enforce

Question 47

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Answer 47

Ends literacy tests and poll taxes; federal officers could be sent into the state to register votes directly; covered states had to obtain clearance from Justice dept b4 changing election laws

Question 48

Gaventa’s Three Dimensions of Power

Answer 48

1: Relation Among People
2: Control of the Agenda
3: Manipulation of Interest

Question 49

3 Views of the Constitution

Answer 49

Strategic/Political:
Material Self-Interest:
Document from Hell: