Term
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Definition
The authoritative allocation of values for a society.
Government policy reflects a choice between conflicting policies.
All government policies reinforce certain values at the expense of others. (Freedom v. Protection of Life) |
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Term
| 2. How would you describe the effects of globalization? |
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Definition
Interdependence of citizens and nations across the world. Increased realities of globalization is making governance and politics more complex, and may threaten national sovereignty.
Global economy is highly interdependent. |
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Term
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Definition
Legitimate use of force within specified geographical boundaries to control human behavior.
The organization or agency authorized to exercise that force. |
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Term
| 4. What would you say the longest standing of government is? |
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Definition
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Term
| 5. What was Hobbes’ focus regarding government? |
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Definition
| Complete obedience by giving unlimited power to a political sovereign, give up a bit of our liberty, is a small price to pay for the security of living in a civil society. |
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Term
| 6. Locke expressed his views on government, how and where? |
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Definition
People are rational enough to perceive and understand the higher law – the natural law – that provides a standard of human conduct.
The protection of life, liberty and property is the basic objective of government.
Greatly influenced 18th century America and the writing of the constitution.
Unalienable rights of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. According to Locke, civil society was created by a social contract, an agreement among members of the society in which they accepted existing laws and penalties as binding.
A second contract created government.
Government can possess only limited powers – it is established to protect people’s natural rights. |
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Term
| 7. What would goods be that are not provided by voluntary acts? |
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Definition
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Term
| 8. How would you best define the concept of one person, one vote? |
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Definition
| Political Equality, which is central to democratic theory. |
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Term
| 9. What is equality of outcome, what is equality of opportunity? |
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Definition
Equality of opportunity – The idea that each person is guaranteed the same chance to succeed in life.
Equality of outcome – The concept that society must ensure that people are equal, and governments must design policies to redistribute wealth and status so that economic and social equality is actually achieved. |
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Term
| 10. What does the government must try to balance? Two things, balance scale |
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Definition
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Term
| 11. What principle best describes an individual’s view or individual value pertaining to what the government should or should not do? What principle determines an individual’s value or determine how a person values the government’s involvement generally? |
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Definition
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Term
| 12. What are the different types of political systems? |
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Definition
Autocracy – Government power concentrated in the hands of one individual.
Oligarchy- Government power concentrated in the hands of a few people.
Democracy- A system of government in which, in theory, the people rule, either directly or indirectly. |
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Term
| 13. What is the origin of the term democracy? |
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Definition
Democracy: ancient Greek
Demos = common people and kratos = power |
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Term
| 14. What are the different views of democracy? What are they? |
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Definition
Democracy is a form of government.
Democracy is in the substance of government policies. |
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Term
| 15. What is the difference between a majority and a plurality? |
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Definition
Majoritarian model of democracy - The classical theory of democracy in which government by the people is interpreted as government by the majority of the people.
Mass public control, conclusive elections, centralized government, cohesive political parties with well-defined programs. Pluralist model of democracy – An interpretation of democracy in which government by the people is taken to mean government by the people is taken to mean government by people operating through competing interest groups.
Interest groups control, strong interest groups, decentralized government. |
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Term
| 16. How would you describe, generally, participation in a democracy? |
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Definition
| ?? Universal participation? One vote, one person, don’t have to vote. |
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Term
| 17.What is a referendum, initiative, recall? |
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Definition
Referendum – an election on a policy issue (votes for or against a particular law).
Initiative - Permits citizens to place a proposal on the ballot.
Recall – Citizens collect signatures on a petition to recall a political official. |
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Term
| 18. What type of groups are out there that tries to influence government action? |
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Definition
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Term
| 19. What is elite theory? What is pluralist theory? |
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Definition
Elite theory – The view that a small group of people actually makes most of the important government decisions.
Identified and stable minority makes most important government decisions.
Pluralist – struggle between competing interest groups |
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Term
| 20. What event occurred that caused the British to tax the colonies? |
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Definition
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Term
| 21. What is social contract theory? |
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Definition
| The belief that the people agree to set up rulers for certain purposes and thus have the right to resist or remove rulers who act against those purposes. |
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Term
| 22. Who would you say informed/influenced mostly Jefferson and others in writing our founding documents the most? Who was that person? |
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Definition
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Term
| 23. What specific rights are at the forefront of the declaration? |
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Definition
| Life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. |
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Term
| 24. What is a democracy? What is a republic? |
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Definition
Democracy – A system of government in which, in theory, the people rule, either directly or indirectly.
Republic – A government without a monarch; a government rooted in the consent of the governed, whose power is exercised by elected representatives responsible to the governed. |
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Term
| 25. How is a confederation in a constitutional government different? |
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Definition
| Confederation – A loose association of independent states that agree to cooperate on specified matters. |
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Term
| 26. What was Shay’s Rebellion all about? |
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Definition
Daniel Shays was an officer in the Revolutionary War
Debt relief for small farmers was being sought
State militia was of little help
National government was powerless to respond (no authority to raise and deploy and army)
The matter convinced state leaders that there was a need for a strong central government |
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Term
| 27. What was the original purpose of the 1787 convention? |
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Definition
| Revise the Articles of Confederation. |
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Term
| 28. What was the Great Compromise at that convention? |
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Definition
Connecticut Compromise: Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth
A bicameral legislature.
Number in the lower house would be allocated based on population |
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Term
| 29. I want you to be able to describe the system that divides power in the United States government? |
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Definition
Separation of Powers – The assignment of lawmaking, law-enforcing, and law-interpreting functions to separate branches of government.
Checks and balances – A government structure that gives each branch some scrutiny of and control over the other branches. |
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Term
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Definition
The division of power between a central governments and regional government.
Two or more governments have power in same territory
Powers: exclusive or shared
Two common representations: Dual federalism, Cooperative federalism |
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Term
| 31. What are the different powers made available within the Constitution? |
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Definition
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Term
| 32. McCulloch vs. Maryland |
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Definition
| The Court was asked to decide whether Congress had the power to establish a national bank and, if so, whether states had the power to tax that bank. In a unanimous opinion that Marshall authored, the Court conceded that Congress had only the powers conferred on it by the Constitution, which nowhere mentioned banks. However, Article I granted Congress the authority to enact all laws “necessary and proper” to the execution of Congress’s enumerated powers. So Congress did have the power to charter a bank by its enumerated |
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Term
| 33. United States vs. Lopez |
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Definition
| This U.S. Supreme Court rulings involving the commerce clause suggested that the states’ rights position was gaining ground once more. The Court’s 5-4 ruling in this case held that Congress exceeded its authority under the commerce clause when it enacted a law in 1990 banning the possession of a gun in or near a school. A conservative majority concluded that having a gun in a school zone “has nothing to do with commerce or any sort of economic enterprise, however broadly one might define those terms.” |
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Term
| 34. Redrawing electoral boundaries? What is that called when that happens? |
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Definition
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Term
| 35. Where are rights and liberties found? |
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Definition
| Bill of Rights (9th amendment) |
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Term
| 36. What is the establishment clause? What is the guaranteed provision? |
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Definition
The Establishment clause – The first clause in the first amendment, which forbids government establishment of religion. Make no law respecting a religion, bars government from sponsorship or support of religious activity.
The guaranteed provision – makes certain guarantees to the states, such as protection. |
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Term
| 37. What Supreme Court case decided the matter of prayer in public schools? |
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Definition
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Term
| 38. Regarding illegal search and seizures, how is evidence taken to account? |
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Definition
| Exclusionary rule – The judicial rule that states that evidence obtained in an illegal search and seizure cannot be used in trial on a federal level. |
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Term
| 39. What is the essence of the first section of the 14th amendment? |
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Definition
Due Process of the Law
Supreme Court’s interpretations applied Bill of Rights’ limitations to states
Two central meanings:
Requires government to adhere to appropriate procedures
Forbids unreasonable government action |
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Term
| 40. How would you refer to an act that was legal then subsequently became illegal? |
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Definition
| Ex post facto laws – Laws that declare an action to be criminal after it has been performed. |
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Term
| 41. How would you define civil rights? |
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Definition
| Powers or privileges guaranteed to individuals and protected from arbitrary removal at the hands of government. |
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Term
| 42. Where would you find the equal protection provision of the law in the Constitution? |
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Definition
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Term
| 43. What Supreme Court case provided the judicial principle of separate but equal? |
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Definition
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Term
| 44. What was significant about Brown vs. Board of Education II? |
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Definition
| Supreme Court decided that school systems must desegregate “with all deliberate speed” and assigned the task of supervising desegregation to the lower federal courts. |
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Term
| 45. What is civil disobedience? |
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Definition
| The willful but nonviolent breach of laws that are regarded as unjust. |
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Term
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Definition
| A refusal to do business with a firm, individual, or nation as an expression of disapproval or as a means of coercion. Refuses to buy goods from a particular company. |
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Term
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Definition
| Bearing witness on behalf of an express cause by words or actions with regard to particular events, policies or situations. Protests can take many different forms, from individual statements to mass demonstrations. Protesters may organize a protest as a way of publicly making their opinions heard in an attempt to influence public opinion or government policy, or they may undertake direct action in an attempt to directly enact desired changes themselves. |
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Term
| 48. What was Bakke case all about? |
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Definition
| Reverse discrimination resulting from Affirmative Action |
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