Test #1 Flashcards
ideology
the set of underlying orientations, ideas, and beliefs through which we come to understand and interpret politics
liberalism
ideas of liberty and political equality, advocates change in the social, political and economic realms to better protect the well being of individuals and to produce equality in society
conservatism
recognizes the importance of preserving tradition, emphasis on individual initiative, rule of law, limited gov authority and free market
socialism
an ideology that stressed economic eqaulity
libertarianism
gov should take a hands off approach in most matters
liberal values
freedom (to) tolerance diversity human rights life liberty happiness civil liberties in public sphere
conservative values
freedom (from) family (nuclear) faith (bible) property rights life liberty happiness through ownership of private property mans home is his castle
what age people are more liberal
younger people
millennials
born between 1980 and 2000
what do americans expect form their government?
keep us safe and yet protect individual liberty and privacy, support the weakest and yet keep taxes low, sustain a healthy environment and still promote buisness growth, keep gov small yet handle each crisis quickly and effectively
does it matter is americans trust their gov?
yes
political efficacy
the belief that one has the ability to influence what the gov does
it is decreasing
citizenship
enlightened political engagement. citizens must be aware of the facts and what can be done and be willing to take action to solve community problems
digital citizenship
ability to participate in society online
it is increasing
autocracy
gov by a single, nonelected leader
oligarchy
gov by a small group that is not accountable to the citizens
democracy
system of rule that permits citizens to play a significant part in a gov process, usually through the election of key public officials
people choose their rulers and have some say over what those rulers do
3 types of powers
totalitarian, authoritarian, constitutional
tolitarian
gov recognizes no limits on their authority
authoritarian
gov recognizes no limits on their authority but they are constrained by other institutions such as a buisness
constitutional
gov are limited both in what they can do and the methods they can employ
politics
conflict over the leadership, structure and policies of gov
representative democracy
gov are run by elected officials who represent the interests of their constituents
direct democracy
citizens themselves vote on all legislation
american political culture emphasizes the values of
liberty equality and democracy
liberty
freedom form gov control
equality
equality of oppurtunity, equality of outcome, political equality
popular sovereignty
when ultimate power rests with the citizenry
why study CA politics?
it affects you personally, statewide low levels of participation, most diverse state in the union, 8th largets economy in the world, most populous state
crisis of CA politics
prop 11 gave redistricting to a citizens commission, voters changed the legislative process for approving the state budget from 2/3 vote to a simple majority, term limits, 2/3 majority vote in legislature to raise or lower taxes
founding documents
declaration of independence, articles on confederation, constitution
thomas hobbes
constitution
social contract between absolute sovereign and people. sovereign provides protection while people relinquish rights
john locke
dec of independence and A.o.C
social contract. gov required to protect peoples natural rights in return for popular acceptance of governmental authority. right of rebellion in absence of such protection
central principles of dec of indep.
all men are equal and have rights that are unalienable
gov must be based on consent of the goverened
Thomas Jefferson drew upon work of John Locke
Articles of confederation
weak central gov, no president, only a legislature. gave each state 1 vote regardless of population. prevented colonies from making treaties. lacked an army to protect citizens. no taxing authority. established a confederation
confederation
a union of independent states in which each state retains its sovereignty, rights and power
constitutional convention in 1787
failure of the articles made the “second founding”
new constitution embodied leading political theories of the time regarding liberty, equality and democracy
representation and the great compromise
taxation and interstate commerce
power and central gov
federalists
property owners, creditors, merchants. believed nthat elites were most fit to govern. feared “excessive democracy. favored strong national gov. believed in “filtration” so that only elites would obtain gov power. Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, George Washington
antifederalists
small farmers, debtors, shoekeepers. believed that gov should be closer to the people. feared concentration of power in the hands of the ellite. favored retention of power by state gov and protection of individual rights. patrick Henry, George Mason, George Clinton
Federalist 10
promotes a republican form of gov
promotes stability through a strong national gov that protects minority rights
defines federalism
promotes a vision of pluralism
federalist 51
“if men were angels there would be no need for government”- James Madison
human beings in power are to be feared
introduces the notion and necessity of checks and balances in the new gov
seperation of powers
framers seperated the governing functions among 3 branches of gov so that no one group of governing officials controlled all the governing functions
checks and balances
framers established various mechanisms by which each branch can monitor and limit the functions of the other branches to ensure that no branch acts the detriment of citizens natural rights
legislative powers
pass fed laws contol fed appropriations approve treaties and presidential appointments regulate interstate commerce establish lower court system
executive powers
enforce laws commander in chief of armed forces makes foreign treaties proposes laws appoints supreme court justices and federal court judges pardons those convicted in fed court
judicial
reviews lower court decisions
decides constitutionality of laws
decides cases involving disputes between states
3 categories of amendments
- extended civil liberties and civil rights 2. altered the section of operation of the branches of gov 3. dealt with important policy issues
Article 1
legislative branch
- all legislative powers are vested int he congress a bicameral legislature
- enumerated powers (specific powers of congress)
- the “elastic clause” gives congress the authority to pass all laws “necessary and proper” to carry out enumerated powers specified in the article
Article 2
the executive branch
- authority to execute or carry out the laws of the nation is vested in the president of the US
- states qualifications for office and describes a mechanism for removal from office
Article 3
judicial branch
- establishes a supreme court and defines its jurisdiction
- one of the most important powers of the supreme court is that of judicial review
- congress was permitted to establish lower national courts
- marbury v madison- established the power of judicial review
Article 4
deals with relations between the state and national gov and provides for admission of new states
Article 5
addresses ways of formallly amending the constitution
Article 6
supremacy clause which provides theat the constitution “shall be the supreme law of the land”
article 7
establishes the grounds for ratification of the document. 9/13 states had to ratify before the doc would be operative
federalism
a system in which the national gov shares power with lower levels of gov
both sates and the fed gov are sovereign
unitary system
one dominated by the central or national gov, in which lower levels of government have little independent power
implied powers
grants congress the right “to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper” to execute its expressed powers
10th Amendment
the powers are not delegated to the US by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively or to the people
anti federalists pressed hard for ratification
reserved powers
powers that are not specifically delegated to the national gov or denied to the states, derived from the 10th amendment
police powers
given state has the ability to develop and enforce criminal codes, administer health and safety rules and regulate marriage and divorce laws. states can regulate individual livelihoods and define and enforce laws concerning private property
Concurrent powers
states and fed gov share these. share power to regulate commerce and affect currency, grant or deny licenses to engage in a buisness, regulate the conditions of labor and levy taxes
full faith and credit clause
requires that states give “full faith and credit” to each others “public acts, records, and judicial proceedings”
Expected to honor the public acts and judicial decisions that take place in another state
Obergefell v Hodges
ruled that marriage was an essential right and that it could not be denied to same sex couples under the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment
comity clause
gaurentees that all citizens from outside a given state enjoy the “privileges and immunities” granted to all citizens of that state
dual federalism
a constitutional interpretation that gave the fed gov exclusive control over some issues and states exclusive control over others (layer cake)
mcculloch v maryland
supreme court ruled that the us congress had, through its implied powers, the legal right to charter a national bank
gibbons v ogden
the supreme court established the supremacy of the national gov in all matters affecting interstate commerce
southern manifesto
declared that southern states were not constitutionally bound by supreme court decisions outlawing racial segregation
grant in aid
funds provided by the fed gov to a tate or local gov for a specific purpose
categorical grants
congressional grants given to states and localities on the condition that expenditures be limited to a problem or group specified by law
project grants
grant programs in which state and local gov submit proposals to fed agencies and for which funding is provided on a competitive basis
formular grant
graint in aid in which a formula is used to determine the amount of fedd funds a state or local gov will recieve
cooperative fed
model in which the various levels of gov work togeher to solve policy probs, often with the fed of providing some portion of the funding, which is spent by the states (marble cake)
regulated federalism
with increased funding, the federal gov demanded higher standards and stricter uses for funds
preemption
principal that allows national gov to override state or local actions in certainpolicy areas. occurs when state or local actions do not agree with national requirements
unfunded mandates
rules forcing states to spend their own money to comply with federal law
block grants
federal grants in aid that allow states considerable discretion in how the funds are spent
general revenue sharing
process by which one unit of gov yields a portion of its tax income to another unit of gov
