Intro to american governemnt

Civil Liberties

Basic freedoms protected from government interference.

1st Amendment

Protects freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition.

Establishment Clause

Prohibits the government from establishing a religion.

Free Exercise Clause

Prevents government interference with religious practices.

Lemon Test

A 3-part test for religion laws (purpose, effect, entanglement).

Lemon v. Kurtzman

Supreme Court case that established the Lemon Test.

Kennedy v. Bremerton

Allowed public school prayer by a coach.

Agostini v. Felton

Permitted public employees to work in religious schools.

Lynch v. Donnelly

Established that religious displays are allowed in public settings.

Sherbert v. Verner

Set a standard of strict scrutiny for limits on religious practices.

Oregon v. Smith

Held that neutral laws can limit religious practices.

Freedom of Expression

Ensures protection for speech and symbolic speech.

Texas v. Johnson

Protected flag burning as a form of speech.

Miller v. California

Supreme Court case that defined obscenity.

Obscenity

Not protected speech if it is offensive and lacks value.

Freedom of the Press

Safeguards the publication of information.

NY Times v. Sullivan

Public officials must prove actual malice to sue for libel.

Public Opinion

Views of citizens on issues.

Scientific Polling

Involves random, representative samples.

Margin of Error

Possible variation in poll results.

Strength of Polls

Measures public views.

Weakness of Polls

Can be biased or lead to inaccurate responses.

Political Socialization

The process of forming beliefs.

Key Agents of Socialization

Influences include family, school, media, and peers.

Political Party

A group seeking to gain power through elections.

Party Platform

Beliefs and goals of a political party.

Three Party Dimensions

Electorate, organization, and government.

Party Functions

Nominate, mobilize, inform, and act as a watchdog.

Democrats

A liberal-leaning political party.

Republicans

A conservative-leaning political party.

Two-Party System

Result of winner-take-all elections.

Voting Criteria

Includes party ID, candidates, issues, and incumbency.

Election Stages

Stages include primaries, conventions, and general elections.

Direct Democracy

Citizens vote directly on laws.

Initiative

Citizens propose laws.

Referendum

Citizens vote on laws.

Representative Democracy

Elected officials make decisions.

Electoral College

System for electing the president.

Electoral College Feature

Electors are based on congressional representation.

Winner-Take-All

Most states give all electors to the winning candidate.

Electoral College Pro

Balances state power.

Electoral College Con

Popular vote winner can lose the election.