Unit One Flashcards
Government
formal institutions and processes in which decisions are made for a group of people
4 Ps of Government
People, Power, Policy, Politics
Categories of People
Elected Officials, Appointed Officials, Hired by Merit, Governed
3 Types of Power in Government
Legislative, Executive, Judicial
Legislative
the power to make laws
Executive
The power to enforce laws
Judicial
The power to judge laws
Policy
decision is made for the pursuit of some goal
Politics
process in which decisions are carried out
State
political unit with power to make and enforce laws over a group of people living within a defined territory
4 characteristics of a State
- Functioning Government
- Territory
- Population
- Sovereignty
Sovereignty
ultimate authority to act over the population of a territory and control external affairs
functions of Government
- Ensure national security
- Provide Services
- Public Good
- Maintain Order
- Resolve Conflict
Public Good
promote general welfare of society
Provide Services
controversial role of government, because these may be exclusionary (that is some people get them and others don’t)
Legitimacy
rulers of a state are seen as right and proper by important section of population
Divine Rights of Kings
the kings were only answerable to God, they were above the law and had absolute power due to the “mandate from heaven”
Social- Contract theory
government form from people agreeing to be governed in exchange for safety and support
Hobbes- Social Contract
invest absolute power in a ruler to govern the citizenry
Locke- Social Contract
People have natural rights and they consent to government to protect those rights, including life, liberty and property.
Anarchy
state of lawlessness and disorder (usually from failure of gov) in which each individual is at war with one another
Monarchy
gov ruled by king or queen, where power is inherited, and ruler have great deal of power
Constitutional Monarchy
citizens, through the constitution, puts limits on power of monarchs, with real power in another brance, may coexist with representative democracy
Dictatorship
one person has absolute power and makes all decisions, violence may be used to maintain order since legitimacy is lacking
Totalitarian Regimes
Gov controls all aspects of life and there are no formal or informal limits on gov power
Oligarchy
small group of powerful ppl make most decisions for their benefits (membership in group may be based on wealth, family, or military powers)
Theocracy
ruled by religious leader who claim to represent and be directed by religious ideas
Direct Democracy
gov in which ppl come together and discuss and pass laws without elected officials.
works best in small settings
Republic/Representative Democracy
gov in which citizens are source of power but elected representatives make gov decisions on their behalfs
Unitary System of Power Division
national gov –> state only
Federal System of Power Division
national <— –> state both have sovereignty.
power is balanced
Confederal System of Power Division
state –> national ONLY.
advantage of presidential system
- president more directly accountable to voters
- term of president is set
- separation of power to prevent abuse
- independence of executive from other brances
- president can quickly act to implement policy
disadvantages of presidential system
- difficult to remove president if unfit
- risk of gridlock & inefficiency
- separate branches may have conflict
- presidents may be too strong
- risk of authoritarian executive
advantage of parliamentary system
- efficiency in that legislative & executive are combined
- prime minister is accountable to parliament
- easier to pass legislation
disadvantages of parliamentary system
- fewer checks and balances
- prime minister chose by parliament not people
- prime minister lacks independence
- chance of more frequent election
- often require coalitions to form gov
Ideal
conception of something in its most perfect form
Key American Ideals
Liberty, Equality, and Self-Gov
Liberty
ability to act and think as they choose so long as it does no harm to the liberty or well-being of others
self-gov
belief that ordinary people could aspire to rule themselves and do as as political equals (ppl are source of soverignty)
Thomas Jefferson quote on equality
“We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal and that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.”
Examples of Inequality noted by Alexis de Tocqueville in 1830s
slavery, treatment of natives, incomplete equality which puts liberty at risk
Despotism
political system in which rule is given too much power and exercises that power nearly absolutely, creating a tyranny
Principles of American Democracy
- Worth of the Individual
- Rule of Law
- Balance of Majority Rules and Minority Rights
- Compromise
- Citizen participation
- Free Market Economics
worth of individual
individual liberty and self-reliance that respects the rights of individuals to choose their own course
rule of law
limits power of gov because leaders & citizens are both accountable to the laws
liberal democracy
individual rights and liberties, including those in minority, are balanced with the will of the majority
citizen participation
voting, running for office, participating in juries, paying taxes
free enterprise
economic system based on competition, which allows ppl to make their own economic choices about how to best maximize their potential w limited interfference from gov.
economic freedoms in US
- earn and save money
- purchase and own property
- spend money on goods and services
- choose their own jobs
- determine how to invest their captial
- open new businesses
John Locke list of natural rights
Life
Liberty
Property
Centrally Planned Economy
gov makes key economic decisions, thereby limiting the economics liberty of individuals
gideon vs. wainwright
US supreme court regarding the ideal of equality.
Holding that the right to an attourney from 6th amendment extends even to those who can’t afford it
Ruby Bridges attending an integrated school
example of American ideal of equality, implementing the 1954 Brown vs. Board decision that said separate educational facilities were fundamentally unequal
referendum
vote by the people which make laws is the most common example of direct democracy in US
(EX: Colorado legalizing recreational marijuana)
