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American Government 1
test 1
53
History
Undergraduate 1
09/12/2012

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Term
What term describes the public resolution or management of conflict within a basic consensus of community
Definition
politics
Term
In question 1, the term “conflict” refers to the fact that we __________ with each other
Definition
disagree
Term
In question 1, the term “consensus of community” refers to the __________ we establish for dealing with conflict
Definition
rules
Term
According to the definition, an ideology is a collection of __________ and __________.
Definition
beliefs and values
Term
List three "classic" political ideologies
Definition
Classic conservatism, classic liberalism, classic socialism
Term
What are the beliefs of classic conservatism and classic socialism? How do they differ?
Definition
Classic conservatism and classic socialism both believe that humans belong in groups. Classic conservatism believes that humans are unequal and God orders society, whereas classic socialism believes that humans are equal, there is no God, and the market is unfair.
Term
What are the values of classic conservatism and classic socialism? How do they differ?
Definition
Both classic conservatism and classic socialism value that the government "should be responsible for the welfare of the citizens." Classic conservatism values that change is bad, religion and government are related, the church and the aristocracy hold the authority to govern. Classic socialism values that the sole purpose of society should be to advance human welfare, members of a society should not compete, equality is most important, religion should be kept separate from the government, and authority to govern comes from the people
Term
What are the values of classic liberalism? How do they differ from classic conservatism and classic socialism?
Definition
Classic liberalism values that government should not be responsible for the welfare of citizens, change as result of market is good, authority to govern should be secular, religion and the market should be kept separate, and social advancement of individuals is good. Classic conservatism and classic socialism value the government being responsible for the welfare of the citizens. Classic conservatism values that change is bad, religion and government should relate, and the church has the authority to govern. Classic socialism values equality the most, that members of any society should not compete, and people hold the authority to govern
Term
What are the beliefs of classic liberalism? How do they differ from classic conservatism and classic socialism
Definition
The beliefs of classic liberalism are that humans are individual, equal, and competitive in order to make progress, and the market runs independently of religion. Classic socialism believes that humans belong in groups and the market is unfair, which differs from classic liberalism. Classic conservatism also differs from classic liberalism because of their belief that humans are not equal and are also members of groups
Term
What is the "American" political ideology?
Definition
The American political ideology is classic liberalism
Term
What distinguishes a "modern liberal" from a "modern conservative"?
Definition
A modern liberal does not agree with the government interfering with personal issues but agrees with the government getting involved in economic life. A modern conservative believes the opposite: they think the government should get involved in personal life, but not in economic life
Term
What term describes a government that people believe to be right or moral and therefore ought to be obeyed?
Definition
democracy
Term
Rousseau’s major contribution to the framers’ ideas about democracy was that the only moral government is one in which the people give themselves what?
Definition
rules
Term
Locke believed in an indirect form of democracy called what?
Definition
Representative democracy
Term
In one sentence for each, list and briefly explain the seven elements of America's version of democracy
Definition
Personal liberty gives citizens the right to choose to take part in political situations. Legal equality allows only one vote per person. Choice amount alternatives gives citizens the ability to choose between multiple candidates who have different political views from one another. Freedom of speech allows citizens to reasonably express their opinions. Regularly scheduled elections able citizens to participate in political actions. Decision rule is the way the people say they've made a political decision. Connection makes it so the candidate should do in office what they said in the political process
Term
What is natural law? How did it influence the framers?
Definition
Natural law is defined by a natural moral order that guides and restricts people and cannot be altered. This influenced the framers because they believed that government's sole purpose is to protect the natural rights.
Term
The framers distrusted the power of both the __________ and the __________. (1 point)
Definition
People and the rulers
Term
What is the clockwork universe? How did it influence the framers
Definition
The clockwork universe is a concept that if all the parts of a clock were put in tension, the clock would be able to tick by itself. It influenced the framers because they believed the desire for power would be the tension that makes the government run.
Term
Explain the framers’ concerns about economic inequality. What, if anything, did they do to eliminate economic inequality?
Definition
The framers' concerns about economic inequality was impacted by Shay's Rebellion, so they knew that if there were any riots between the social classes the government needed to have the ability to stop them.
Term
According to de Tocqueville, how did Americans' feelings of equality differ from Europeans’ feelings? To what did he attribute this difference?
Definition
De Tocqueville noticed that Americans felt a greater sense of equality to each other than Europeans did because America lacked hereditary monarchy and aristocracy.
Term
From your reading of the Declaration of Independence, cite two examples of natural law
Definition
“…They are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.” “…The separate and equal Station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent Respect to the Opinions of Mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the Separation.”
Term
What did Noah Webster feel was essential to develop a common political culture in the United States? What did he do to achieve this?
Definition
Noah Webster felt that a single language was essential to develop a common political
culture in the United States. To achieve this, he banned British textbooks from the
classroom and published an American English Dictionary.
Term
Describe the weaknesses of the government created by the Articles of Confederation.
Definition
The Articles of Confederation had a super majority, no executive or judicial branch, no power to tax or regulate trade between states or other countries, no national currency, unicameral congress, and military quotas.
Term
Explain what groups of Americans most wanted a new central government and why.
Definition
People like merchants and bankers didn’t like that there was no regulation of commerce because they had to pay important duties when going to a different state when conducting interstate commerce, much like with a foreign country. Businessmen and bankers thought the country should have a national currency because since states could print their own money, some would print too much and cause inflation. Lack of foreign policy made it difficult for merchants to do business with foreign countries since other countries were reluctant to do business with America.
Term
What two men were most responsible for bringing about the Constitutional?
Definition
James Madison and Alexander Hamilton
Term
List four tactics used by the pragmatic politicians to establish the Constitutional Convention
Definition
Dramatization, patriotic rhetoric, charismatic leaders, appear innocuous
Term
List five techniques used by the pragmatic politicians to ensure that the Convention was able to create a new constitution.
Definition
Agenda control, protect the participants, delegation, vagueness, and judicial branch
Term
“S.I.S.P.” is an abbreviation for what phrase?
Definition
Separated Institutions Sharing Power
Term
In five sentences or less, explain the two "irreconcilable" problems the framers worked at in the Constitution.
Definition
The framers thought the people should have the power to govern, but they didn’t trust the people. They also believed the government should be powerful but there was a problem since they didn’t trust the people. Federalist 10 explains that representative democracy was the solution for the power of the people because various factions would form and cancel each other out. Federalist 51 explains the framers’ construction of a “double security” which limits the power of the government by dividing the government into separation of powers and federalism.
Term
Explain why the United States has a two-house legislature and how the membership of each house is determined.
Definition
The United States has a two-house legislature so representation could be based on population as well as the states. In the House of Representatives members are elected by voters and in the Senate members are selected by state legislatures.
Term
Explain some of the consequences of the Constitution as discussed in the commentary. Were these accidental or deliberate?
Definition
Consequences included government is inefficient which creates slow results, and the Constitution is violated when the government creates fast results. These were deliberate and the Constitution must be violated when the government needs to respond quickly.
Term
In Federalist 10, Madison addresses the problem of faction. Explain what faction is. What was Madison's solution to faction?
Definition
Faction is a group of individuals from a larger group who share a common interest. Madison’s solution to faction was controlling its effects, since removing the causes of faction would be impossible to remove. A republican government can control these effects and be the solution to faction.
Term
List and explain two provisions in the Constitution meant to protect property.
Definition
Amendment IV explains that people’s property cannot be searched unless there is a valid reason and warrant that explains the place being searched and for what items/people. Amendment V states at the end that private property cannot be taken for public use unless compensated.
Term
According to your textbook, what was the effect of the Three-Fifths Compromise on the political power of slave holders? Briefly explain your answer.
Definition
The slave holders became more powerful and since there were more slaves in the south and they were now being counted as three-fifths of a person, the southern whites became more powerful than the northern whites when electing the House of Representatives and the presidents.
Term
Explain the differences between unitary, confederal, and federalist governments.
Definition
Unitary government consists of the national government having all the power and no regional governments. Confederal government has a loose bond between states that are independent from each other, so there may be a central government but it is not authoritative. Federalism is a hybrid of unitary and authoritative governments and it divides power between central and regional governments.
Term
According to Madison in Federalist 51, federalism helps protect against tyranny by providing what?
Definition
Providing sufficient power for the government to function while checking for excessive power.
Term
List and briefly explain six important sources of federal government power in the Constitution
Definition
Supremacy clause explains that the federal government wins whenever there is conflict between the federal law and state constitutions or state law. The Necessary and Proper Clause gives Congress the right to stretch its powers when necessary, even if it’s not listed in the Constitution
Term
Which court case helped to give power to the federal government through its interpretation of two key constitutional clauses?
Definition
McCulloch v. Maryland
Term
What two constitutional clauses did Marshall interpret as giving power to the federal government in the Supreme Court decision in question 4?
Definition
Supremacy and Elastic clauses
Term
List and briefly explain the four sources of state power in the U.S. Constitution.
Definition
Enumerated Powers limits the power of the federal government by providing a list of powers in Article I, the Tenth Amendment protects reserved powers such as the right to regulate intrastate commerce and establish militia, Concurrent Powers grants some power to both federal and state governments, Eleventh Amendment gives state governments immunity from lawsuits by anyone.
Term
7. The nature of American federalism has changed many times in our history. In two sentences each, explain the following forms of federalism: (2 points)
A. State-centered federalism
B. Nation-centered federalism
Definition
A. State centered federalists believe that our constitutional system should give priority to state sovereignty over the national government. This is because the states created the national government, so the state centered federalists believe that the states should be superior to the national government.
B.Nation-centered federalists believe that the Constitution was written by representatives of the people as well as ratified by the people. They also feel that the national government should have higher power than state governments.
Term
Before the federal government was able to really expand, what had to be created in the Sixteenth Amendment
Definition
The federal income tax.
Term
What are four advantages of a federalist system? Briefly explain why each is an advantage
Definition
Madison’s Argument is an advantage because Madison argued in Federalist 51 that federalism has helped to control the abuse of power. Flexibility allows the government to acclimate to different traditions. Experimentation allows states to develop their own policies without putting the whole country at risk. Participation gives citizens the opportunity in running the government, which is vital to democracy
Term
What are two disadvantages of a federalist system? Briefly explain why each is a disadvantage
Definition
Civil Rights is a disadvantage because it is still a problem in the United States, since each state has the power to resist reform. National unity is also a disadvantage because of the independence of the states.
Term
The effort to shrink the federal government and to return powers and responsibility to the state governments is called what?
Definition
Devolution
Term
One example of devolution brought about through the policymaking process is the change from Aid to Families with Dependent Children to what agency?
Definition
Temporary Assistance to Needy Familes
Term
On what four constitutional clauses has the Supreme Court relied to challenge the power of the federal government?
Definition
Enumerated powers, Tenth Amendment, Concurrent Powers, Eleventh Amendment.
Term
How many constitutions has Missouri had?
Definition
Four
Term
What is the major difference between the U.S. Constitution and the fifty state constitutions?
Definition
The fifty state constitutions are a lot longer than the U.S. Constitution and have also been amended many more times
Term
Articles Three, Four, and Five of the Missouri Constitution describe what aspects of the state government?
Definition
Article three describes the legislature, Article four describes the executive branch, and article five describes the judicial branch.
Term
Briefly explain how the Missouri executive branch is different from the federal executive branch.
Definition
In the federal executive branch the president is the only elected executive branch official, whereas the state level of the executive branch includes many elected officials, including both Republicans and Democrats.
Term
Although there are several different procedures for amending Missouri’s Constitution, each of them ultimately requires the approval of a majority of what group before a change becomes official?
Definition
Population
Term
In Federalist 51, Madison describes a double security against tyranny. Explain the two securities.
Definition
The power to govern is divided by giving some authority to the federal government while still allowing some power to the state governments.
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