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Government Exam Ch. 1-4
Q & A
31
Other
Undergraduate 1
10/05/2008

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Cards

Term
Why are our freedoms not “absolute”
Definition
personal liberty—doing what you want when you want to is not absolute: one person’s freedom can directly or indirectly impinge on another’s –e.g., freedom to smoke interferes with others’ desire to breathe smoke-free air; freedom to listen to music loudly may interfere with others’ desire for quiet
Term
What are the political rights of the Declaration of Independence?
Definition
–“life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”
Term
Types of democracies
Definition
•Direct democracy the people rule directly
•Representative democracy: the American government -the people choose public officials to represent them.
Term
What constitutes a true democratic election?
Definition

–Universal suffrage

–Meaningful choice

–Informed Judgment.

Basically: Voters should be informed people who are traeted equally when voting and are able to make a meaningful choice.

Term
3 branches of gov:
Definition

Legislative (makes bills), executive (pres signs bills into laws), judicial(court system enforce laws)

 

Term
What was the First Continental Congress
Definition
The first national American government.
Term
Details and significance of Shay’s Rebellion
Definition
Shay’s Rebellion underscored the weakness of the national government under the Articles of Confederation.
Term
Large-State/Small-State Compromise
Definition
representation in the the House of Representatives would be based on population and representation in the the Senate would be equal for every state
Term
North/South Compromise
Definition
Slaves equal to three 5ths of a person..
Term
What is popular sovereignty?
Definition
government is based on the consent of the people and is accountable to the people for its actions
Term
Principles of limited government
Definition
•Limited Government (expressed, implied, and inherent powers)
wanted to make sure gov. is restricted to expressed powers.
Term
What is federalism?
Definition
•The Constitution divides power not only among the branches of the national government but also between the national and state governments. The result is federalism.
Term
Reserved powers
Definition
powers given to the states in 10th ammend.
Term
Differences between nation-centered and state-centered
Definition
•The Federalists believed that the national government could protect and promote the health, safety, and welfare of the people themselves; its interests and obligations did not end with state governments but applicable to the American people as a whole.
Term
What was the Doctrine of Nullification?
Definition
– whenever a state found an act of Congress to be in violation of the Constitution, that state could declare the congressional act null and void within its own borders
Term
Details and significance of the Dred Scott case
Definition
Dred is a slave who it transfered to a no slave state and stays there long enough to end his bondage and his owner dies. He sues for his freedom but is not considered a citizen, so he has no rights and cant win. intensifies slave crisis.
Term
What is Dual Federalism?
Definition
recognized separate and distinct spheres of authority for the national and state governments.
Term
Significance of the railroad system in the late 1800’s
Definition
–During the 1890’s, Supreme Court began to cut back the powers of the Interstate Commerce commission (regulat railroads / commerce.) due to a potential monopoly…who controls the trains, controls the commerce
Term
What was Cooperative Federalism?
Definition
•The Great Depression did away with dual federalism and ushered in cooperative federalism (mid 1930’s-1960’s) which stressed a partnership and a sharing of functions, responsibilities, and programs between the states and the national government.
Term
Grant-in-Aid programs,
Definition
programs through which the national government shares its fiscal resources with state and local governments.
Term
Elements of FDR’s New Deals and their significance
Definition
He gave huge grants 7bil. For public programs. 132 total programs.

•RESULT: Huge reliance on federal grants…especially in social welfare, housing and transportation
Term
Freedoms behind the First Amendment
Definition
freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of the people peaceably to assemble , freedom of the people to peacfully express greviences with the gov.
Term
Logic behind Freedom of Speech
Definition
-right of people to express their views no matter how unpopular those views may be
Term
What was the Clear and Present Danger Doctrine?
Definition
a doctrine used by the Supreme Court to determine the bounds of speech protected by the 1st Amendment
–Unless the speech presents a clear and present danger, it is protected by the Constitution
Term
What is the difference between libel and slander?
Definition
What is the difference between libel and slander?
Libel is false statement about a person or defamation of his or her character in print or in a visual portrayal on television

Slander is a statement or defamation by speech
Term
Know the amendments granting suffrage: which ones and to whom
Definition
•Fourteenth Amendment: Equal Protection of the Laws which is the principle that all people are equal under law and must be protected equally by the law Nineteenth Amendment, were all women granted the right to vote in the United States.
Term
Tactics used to discourage minority voting after the American Civil War
Definition
–Poll Taxes
–Literacy Tests
Term
What were the Jim Crow Laws?
Definition
–Jim Crow laws separated the races in public transportation and accommodations and discriminated against African-Americans in other ways.
Term
What did the case Plessy v/ Ferguson establish?
Definition
–The Court struck down as unconstitutional the Civil Rights Act of 1875, and upheld Louisiana's maintaining “separate but equal” (Plessy v. Ferguson 1896) facilities in railroad cars for the races.
Term
What was the significance behind the case Brown v/ Board of Education?
Definition
Decision: Court overturned Plessy v. Ferguson and declared that state laws which established separate public schools for black and white students denied black children equal educational opportunities and violated the 14th Amendment
Term
What were the elements behind the Civil Rights Act of 1964?
Definition
–Major advance in ending racial segregation. Forbid schools to practice racial segrigation
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