PLS 2010 Midterm 2

What are civil rights?

Legal protections that guarantee equal treatment and prevent discrimination.

What was the separate but equal rule?

The rule from Plessy v. Ferguson that allowed racial segregation as long as facilities were supposedly equal.

What did Brown v. Board of Education decide?

The Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional because separate schools are inherently unequal.

How is Brown v. Board connected to selective incorporation?

Brown helped apply equal protection principles against state governments through the Fourteenth Amendment.

What was the Civil Rights Act of 1964?

A law that prohibited discrimination in places such as employment, schools, and public accommodations.

What was the Voting Rights Act of 1965?

A law designed to protect voting rights and stop discriminatory practices that prevented minorities from voting.

What were literacy tests?

Tests used to prevent people, especially Black voters, from registering to vote.

What were poll taxes?

Fees charged to voters that were used to discourage or prevent poor and minority citizens from voting.

How did literacy tests and poll taxes show the need for government action?

They showed that state governments could deny equal rights, so the federal government had to intervene.

What are current issues involving voting rights?

Voter ID laws, restrictions on mail voting, access to polling places, and debates over election security.

What is the SAVE Act?

A proposed law requiring proof of citizenship for federal voter registration.

What is affirmative action or positive discrimination?

Policies intended to increase opportunities for groups that have faced historical discrimination.

What is promotional policy?

Government action that encourages or promotes a certain activity, such as education or renewable energy.

What is regulatory policy?

Government rules that control or limit behavior by individuals, businesses, or organizations.

What is redistributive policy?

Policy that shifts resources from one group to another through taxes, benefits, or government programs.

What is fiscal policy?

Government decisions involving taxes, spending, and borrowing.

What is social policy?

Government action intended to address social needs such as healthcare, education, housing, or poverty.

What are subsidies?

Government financial support given to individuals, businesses, or industries to encourage certain activities.

What is a possible problem with education subsidies?

They may increase access, but they can also raise costs or benefit some groups more than others.

What is a possible problem with farming subsidies?

They can support farmers, but they may favor large agricultural businesses and distort the market.

What is a regulatory tax?

A tax used to discourage behavior, such as a tax on cigarettes, pollution, or gasoline.

What is the purpose of a gas tax?

It raises revenue and may discourage fuel use while supporting transportation programs.

What is a California rebate program?

A program that returns money to residents to help offset costs such as high energy or fuel prices.

What is a progressive tax?

A tax system in which people with higher incomes pay a higher percentage of their income.

What is the purpose of progressive taxation?

To raise government revenue while placing a larger share of the tax burden on people who can afford it.

What is one concern about very high progressive taxes?

They may discourage investment, reduce economic activity, or encourage wealthy people to avoid or move their income.

What is a millionaires tax plan?

A tax proposal that places an additional tax on very high incomes or large amounts of wealth.

What is a national sales tax?

A tax placed on goods and services purchased by consumers.

What is wealth redistribution?

The transfer of resources through taxes and government programs to reduce economic inequality.

Why does the United States have social welfare programs?

To help people meet basic needs and reduce problems related to poverty, unemployment, illness, and old age.

What are examples of social welfare?

Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, food assistance, unemployment benefits, and housing assistance.

What are arguments against too much social welfare?

Critics argue that it can be expensive, create dependency, discourage work, or increase government control.

How is immigration policy connected to social welfare?

Immigration debates often involve whether immigrants can access public benefits and how much they contribute in taxes.

What is the difference between asylum and economic opportunity?

Asylum is protection for people escaping persecution, while economic migration involves moving mainly for jobs or better financial conditions.

What is asylum?

Protection given to people who fear persecution in their home country because of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or group membership.

What was the Remain in Mexico policy?

A policy that required some asylum seekers to wait in Mexico while their U.S. immigration cases were processed.

What are different arguments about border security?

Some support stronger enforcement and physical barriers, while others emphasize humanitarian treatment, legal immigration, and addressing the causes of migration.

What role does the president play in foreign policy?

The president leads diplomacy, directs the military, negotiates with other countries, and sets major foreign policy goals.

What is a foreign policy doctrine?

A broad set of principles that guides how a president deals with other countries.

What was the containment doctrine?

The strategy of limiting the spread of communism, especially during the Cold War.

What was the Bush Doctrine?

A foreign policy approach that supported preemptive action against perceived threats and emphasized fighting terrorism.

What role does Congress play in foreign policy?

Congress declares war, controls funding, approves treaties, regulates trade, and oversees the president.

What was Wilson’s League of Nations example?

President Wilson supported the League of Nations, but the Senate rejected U.S. membership, showing Congress can limit presidential foreign policy.

How do special interest groups influence foreign policy?

They lobby officials, provide information, donate to campaigns, and pressure the government to support their preferred policies.

What is the military-industrial complex?

The relationship between the military, defense companies, and government officials that can encourage continued military spending.

How can corporations influence foreign policy?

Companies can lobby the government and push policies that protect their markets, investments, contracts, or resources.

What is isolationism?

The belief that a country should avoid unnecessary involvement in international conflicts and alliances.

What is unilateralism?

When a country acts alone in foreign affairs without relying heavily on allies or international organizations.

What was the Monroe Doctrine?

A U.S. policy warning European powers not to interfere in the Western Hemisphere.

What is multilateralism?

When countries work together through alliances, agreements, or international organizations.

What is collective security?

The idea that countries will work together to respond to aggression against one member.

What is the purpose of the United Nations?

To promote international cooperation, peace, security, and diplomacy.

What is the purpose of NATO?

A military alliance in which members agree that an attack against one member is an attack against all.

What is brinkmanship?

The practice of pushing a dangerous situation close to conflict in order to pressure another side to back down.

What is diplomacy?

The use of negotiation and communication to manage conflicts between countries.

How did Trump and Obama generally differ in dealing with international organizations?

Obama generally emphasized diplomacy and cooperation, while Trump more often emphasized unilateral action and pressure.

How can North Korea and Iran be examples of foreign policy strategies?

They can show the differences between diplomacy, sanctions, military threats, negotiations, and brinkmanship.

What is deterrence?

The strategy of preventing an attack by convincing an opponent that the cost will be too high.

What is MAD?

Mutually Assured Destruction, the idea that nuclear war would destroy both the attacker and the target.

What is preemptive war?

Starting a war because a country believes an attack from an opponent is likely or imminent.

Why is Iran important as a foreign policy case study?

U.S.-Iran relations show the effects of presidential decisions, special interests, revolution, sanctions, diplomacy, and military threats.

What was the relationship between the United States and the Shah of Iran?

The United States supported the Shah, whose government was overthrown during the Iranian Revolution.

What was the Iranian Revolution?

The 1979 revolution that overthrew the Shah and created the Islamic Republic of Iran.

How did the Iranian Revolution affect U.S.-Iran relations?

It led to hostility, the hostage crisis, and decades of tension between the two countries.

How can the Iran case show presidential influence?

Presidents have used diplomacy, sanctions, military threats, and agreements to shape U.S.-Iran relations.

How can the Iran case show special interest influence?

Groups connected to national security, defense, Israel, and energy can pressure officials to support certain policies toward Iran.

How can the Iran case show unilateralism and multilateralism?

The United States has acted alone through sanctions and threats but has also worked with other countries through negotiations and international agreements.

What is the two-state solution?

The creation of separate Israeli and Palestinian states.

What is the one-state solution?

The creation of one political state that includes both Israelis and Palestinians.

What is political knowledge?

A person’s understanding of political facts, institutions, issues, and leaders.

Why is unequal political knowledge a problem?

People with less political knowledge may have more difficulty evaluating candidates, policies, and political information.

Who tends to have more political knowledge?

People with more education, political interest, time, resources, and exposure to political information.

Why is political knowledge often low?

Politics can be complicated, people have limited time, and many political facts do not directly affect daily life.

What is rational choice decision-making?

The process of choosing the option believed to provide the greatest personal benefit.

Why is rational decision-making difficult in politics?

People have limited information, emotions, biases, unclear choices, and may not know the results of different policies.

What are opinion polls?

Surveys that measure public attitudes or opinions about political issues, candidates, or events.

What is one strength of opinion polls?

They can show public trends and give people information about what others believe.

What is one weakness of opinion polls?

Results can be inaccurate because of poor wording, biased samples, low participation, or changing opinions.

What makes a good survey?

A representative sample, neutral wording, clear questions, and a reasonable method of collecting responses.

What makes a bad survey?

A biased sample, leading questions, confusing wording, or too few participants.

What are decision-making shortcuts?

Simple mental strategies people use to make decisions without examining every detail.

What is cognitive consistency?

The tendency to prefer information that matches our existing beliefs and avoid information that challenges them.

What is an evoked set?

The small group of choices that immediately comes to mind when making a decision.

What is a mirror image?

The tendency to see our own side as reasonable and the opposing side as hostile or unreasonable.

What is groupthink?

The tendency for group members to value agreement so much that they ignore problems or opposing opinions.

What does skim and scan mean?

Quickly looking over information to find the main points instead of studying every detail.

What are the benefits of decision-making shortcuts?

They save time and help people make decisions when they cannot learn everything about an issue.

What are problems with decision-making shortcuts?

They can create bias, misinformation, stereotypes, and decisions based on incomplete information.

What is political socialization?

The process through which people develop political beliefs, values, and attitudes.

How does family influence political socialization?

Families expose children to political views, party loyalties, values, and opinions about government.

How has social media changed political socialization?

It allows people to receive political information quickly but can also create misinformation, polarization, and echo chambers.

What other factors shape political socialization?

Schools, religion, friends, race, gender, income, geography, major events, media, and personal experiences.

What is the difference between political values and political attitudes?

Values are broad beliefs about what is important, while attitudes are opinions about specific issues or policies.

Why does the difference between values and attitudes matter?

People can share the same basic values but disagree about the best policy or political solution.

What is political ideology?

A connected set of beliefs about government, society, the economy, and public policy.

What are common liberal beliefs?

Liberals generally support government action to reduce inequality, protect civil rights, regulate business, and provide social programs.

What are common conservative beliefs?

Conservatives generally emphasize limited government, individual responsibility, traditional values, free markets, and national security.

Are liberalism and conservatism enough to represent all political attitudes?

No. They simplify politics and leave out moderates, independents, libertarians, socialists, populists, and people with mixed beliefs.

What is a political party?

An organized group that seeks to win elections and influence government policy.

What are the main functions of political parties?

Recruiting candidates, organizing elections, mobilizing voters, creating platforms, simplifying choices, and linking citizens to government.