poli sci👅👅

Natural rights

Rights granted to all people by nature of God that cannot be denied or restricted by the government

Consent of the governed

The government is only allowed to exist because the people allow them to

social contract

Individuals giving up some personal freedoms to a governing authority in exchange for collective security, protection of remaining rights, and social order

Origins of British common law

Magne Carte: establishing the crucial idea that the King and government are subject to law, not above it, setting precedents for due process, rule of law, and limited power, 

Articles of Confederation

The first constitution and government of the 13th colonies that formed a confederation, a political organization to delegate power to a central government for specified purposes

• Weaknesses: 

  • Congress could write laws but couldn’t enforce them

  • Congress had no power to collect taxes

  • Congress had no power to regulate trade among various states

  • Each state go one vote, regardless of population

What powers do both states and the federal government possess? What are those powers called? 

Concurrent powers - powers that both the national and state governments possess and exercise 

• Levy and collect taxes

• Borrow money

• Make and enforce laws

• Establish courts

• Charter banks are cooperations

• Take property for public use (eminent domain)

• Connect roads and infrastructure

Dual federalism

(layered cake federalism)

National and state governments each have their own specific areas of power and rule unquestioned within them

Cooperative federalism

(marble cake federalism)

State and national governments work together to achieve shared goals and share financial responsibility

New federalism

devolving or returning power and responsibilities from the U.S. federal government back to state and local governments

Horizontal federalism

equal relationships and cooperation between states in a federal system, focusing on how they interact, share powers, and resolve conflicts

Regulated federalism

National standards set by the federal government that require states and local governments to comply with the government for federal funding or risk penalities

Bill of rights

The first 10 amendments of the constitution

Provides rights and protections against the government (to ALL who are in the US)

Citizenship By birth

Jus soli (right of soil) (born in US)

Jus sanguinis (right of blood) (parent of US citizen)

Citizenship by naturalization

Must seek citizenship through legal steps of immigration

Plessy v. Ferguson

Supreme court decision that upheld separate but equal

Came from Jim Crow Laws

Brown v. Board of Education

Supreme court overturned Plessy v Ferguson

Separate is not equal

Straw poll

Informed and unofficial election poll conducted with a non-random population

Exit poll

Election poll taken by interviewing voters as they leave a polling place

Push poll

Politically biased campaign information presented as a poll in order to change minds

Liberals

• Big government

• Government controls the economy

• Higher taxes

• More regulations

• More social welfare programs

• The government will take care of you

• Focus on the collective

Conservatives

• Small government

• Free market economy

• Lower taxes

• Fewer regulations

• Less social welfare programs

• You take care of you

• Focus on the individual

How the president is elected

• Votes equal the number of congressional votes each state has

• 538 total across US

• 270 votes needed to win

Primary Elections

Narrows down candidates

General

• Every 4 years

• First tuesday after the first monday of november

• President, vice president elected, congress, state and local

Midterm (off year)

• Held in 2 years between general

• Congress, state, and local

Special

• Held only to fill vacant spot

Media

• Any form of communication that targets large audiences

• Influenced by what’s around us and what we surround ourselves with

Purpose of media

• Entertain, inform, and advertise

• Use as watchdogs on politicians

Biased

• Designed to influence public opinion

  • New corporations slant either democrat (liberal) or republican (conservative)

Election majority

51% wins

Election Plurality

most votes wins

Campaign manager

 oversees financial, scheduling, polling, and media events

Publicity manage

• handles media and advertising

  • Opportunity to take part in political process

  • Raising money = important

Campaign ads

• Get message out

  • Literature, radio sports, tv commercials, social media, billboards

• Negative campaigning allows candidates to discredit their opponent

Federalist Papers

Democracy safeguards against the tyranny of the majority

Interest groups

Groups of people that seek to influence public policy on the basis of a particular common interest or concern

Lobbying

Activities where an interest groups pressures legislators to support a specific cause

Lobbyist

person who seeks to persuade members of the government to enact legislation that will benefit the interest groups they represent

Executive branch

President carries out laws

Judicial branch

supreme court interprets the law

Legislative branch

congress makes the laws

How do bills become laws?

Bill must be placed in hopper

• Bill is sent to appropriate committee

• Bill goes to full chamber for debate, further amended

• Once passed by house and senate goes to conference committee

• Goes back to the two chamber floors for a final vote (must pass with 51% in both)

• Bill goes to president

Legislative requirements (Congress)

• 25+ years old

• 7+ year citizen

• State resident

• 2 year terms, no limits

Senators Requirements

• 30+ years old

• Citizen for 9+ years

•  Living in state where running

Executive requirements (President)

• Natural born citizen

• 35+ years old

• 14 year resident

• 4 year term, two term limit

Judicial Branch requirements (judges)

• No age, citizenship or term limit

• Serve during ‘good behavior” (aka for life)

judicial review

Power to determine the constitutionality of a government action

Came from Marbury vs. Madison

Presidential Cabinet

Advise the president on any subject he many require relating to the duties of each members respective office

welfare programs

government-funded initiatives providing financial aid, food, housing, healthcare, and other support to individuals and families in need

ambassador

Accredited diplomat sent by a country as its official representative to a foreign country

Vice President

• First in line for presdiential succession

• Part of the presidential cabinet

Civil responsibility

Know what is happening in your community and country and take part in it