Unit 1 Test Flashcards
What comes with politics
Power
What is government?
The rules and institutions that make up the system of policymaking
Purpose of government
-Economic Decisions
-Social Order
-Public Services
-National Security
Types of government
-Monarchy
-Anarchy
-Democracy
-Dictatorship
-Oligarchy
-Totalitaranism
Political power
The ability to make people do things
Political authority
The right to use power
Political legitimacy
Political authority conferred by a state or institution
Democracy
The rule of many
Direct democracy
Every citizen participates in all government decisions (not practical in large settings)
Representative (indirect) Democracy
Also known as a republic; competitive struggle for the people’s vote; the few represent the issues of the many
What were the framers opinions on people?
People are ignorant and easily mislead
Elite theory
Small number of rich, powerful people make decisions; rarely represents will of the people
Pluralist theory
Many groups vying for resources, no one can win; so they compromise
Participatory Theory
Individual citizens participate directly in decision making
Principles of government:
-Limited government
-Popular sovereignty
-Rule of Law
-Majority rule
-Natural rights
-Equality under the law
Framers’ view of democracy:
Popular opinion doesn’t equal the common good
What did John Locke advocate for?
Consent of the governed
Who wrote the DOI?
Thomas Jefferson
What was wrong with the Articles of Confederation?
-Weak national government
-No president
-9 of 13 states required to pass laws but no one showed up
-No good way to raise money/an army
What did Shay’s rebellion prove?
The Articles of Confederation weren’t strong enough
What was the big idea of Federalist 51?
Constitution created competitive policy-making process to ensure the people’s will is accurately represented and freedom is preserved
What is the supreme law of the US?
The Constitution
What are the 3 branches?
Executive, legislative, and judicial
What are the 3 categories of power?
-Enumerated
-Reserved
-Concurrent
Concurrent powers
Overlapping between national and states governments
Reserved powers
Power only belonging to the states
Enumerated powers
Powers delegated to the national government
What does a federal system represent?
States rights
What did the Constitution emerge from?
A debate about the weakness of the AOC. Was a blueprint for limited government
What are 2 reasons for federalism?
-National government and states both have power and sovereignty
-Federalism makes a limited govt that keeps order and protects liberty
What are categorical grants?
Grants that can only be used for a certain purpose; often have conditions of aid
What are block grants?
Grants that let states decide how to spend the money
What are mandates?
Terms set by the federal government that states must meet if they accept federal funding
What is the term for shifting power back to the states?
Devolution
What is one method devolution can be achieved by?
Block grants
