Political Science Test 2

Bill of right

outlined individual rights and liberties protected. Used as a compromise for ratification of the Constitution (anti-feds had fears)

! designed to limit the power of only the federal government

Tenth Amendment

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

Selective incorporation

Extends civil liberties protections to include state law (Gitlow v NY 1925)

Symbolic Speech

an act that conveys a political message

Lemon Test

Help identify violations (think of the Washington football coach). Incorporated in the Establishment Clause.

Public opinion

What people think about the government. Explains behavior and policy outcomes

Political socialization

process whereby political opinions are shared by one's parents, family, community, and culture. (EX: predict a teen's party is the same as parents)

Policy mood

The level of public support for expanding the government's role in society, and whether the public wants government action on a specific issue.

civil rights

Privileges granted from government to citizens.

- The courts draw the line between government action and individual freedoms

-(usually bc of discrimination, but not explicitly)

Civil liberties

basic political freedoms that protect citizens from governmental abuses of power.

- Contained in the 1st ten amendments to the Constitution (BOR)

-Protection from government action

-never absolute. Liberty vs order balance

Disenfranchised

being denied a right, such as the right to vote

Poll tax

Tax levied to exercise the right to vote

- a tool used to disenfranchise blacks

Brown vs the Board of Education

1954- court decision that declared state laws segregating schools to be unconstitutional.

- Differences in access to rights endured

after the Brown case, still creating

segregation and unequal treatment that

can be felt today

- Overturned Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

Polarization

refers to the sharp differences in

Americans' overall ideas of the size and scope of government.

Mass media

sources that provide information to average citizens on a day-to-day basis

Filtering

Editors and journalists must decide which stories to cover and how much attention they get

Framing

The way a story is described or presented can change our impression of the issue

Party systems

Periods of stability in parties, supporters, and issues

Realignment

A group of voters switches party allegiance, producing a long-term change in the political landscape.

Primary election

Which candidates get the party nominations

General election

Which nominees get to hold office

incumbancy

holding the political office for which one is running

Open Seat

an elected position for which there is no incumbent

Get out the vote or the ground game

A campaign's efforts to "get out the vote" or make sure their supporters vote on Election Day.

Political ideology

The coherent set of values and beliefs about the purpose and scope of government held by groups and individuals

incumbency advantage

institutional advantages held by those already in office who are trying to fend off challengers in an election

Direct incitement

Speech is protected "except where such Advocacy is directed to inciting or producing imminent lawless

action and is likely to incite or produce such action."

Privacy Rights

Liberties protected by several amendments in the Bill of Rights that shield certain personal aspects of citizens' lives from governmental interference, such as the Fourth Amendment's protection against unreasonable searches and seizures.

-abortion/lgbtq/

-controversial

plessy vs ferguson

(1896) The Court ruled that segregation was not discriminatory (did not violate black civil rights under the Fourteenth Amendment) provide that blacks received accommodations equal to those of whites.

- separate but equal doctrine

- Jim Crow laws

Core Beliefs

the most fundamental beliefs in a national population about human nature, the country, government, and the economy

voting cues

sources—including fellow lawmakers, constituents, and interest groups—that lawmakers often use to help them decide how to vote, especially on unfamiliar issues

Independants

individuals who stand as candidates in an election but do not belong to a political party.

political party elements

the party organization (formal structure/staff), the party in the electorate (voters/members), and the party in government (elected officials)

nonviolent protest

a way of bringing change without using violence

social movements/collective actions

the coordinated effort of a group of people or institutions working together to achieve a common goal that they could not accomplish alone

substantive due process

examines whether the government's deprivation of a person's life, liberty, or property is justified by a good enough reason

1964 Civil Rights Act

This act prohibited Discrimination because of race, color, sex, religion, or national origin by employers or labor unions

Media Concentration

The gathering of ownership of newspapers and other media in the hands of a few large corporations.

Define politics and political science

Politics equals power + who gets what and when

Ps: Systematic study of politics and government

Civil liberties vs civil rights (provide examples of each

Civil liberties (freedom of speech) are basic political freedoms that protect citizens from government abuse of power, and civil rights are privileges given to citizens by the government (voting)

What are civil rights, and how have they been extended

Civil rights are privileges given to citizens by the government

- amendments

- laws by Congress

- Supreme Court decision

Why is public opinion important, and what are three ways to evaluate public opinion polls

We have a representative congress, and we expect, as a democracy, for the government to do what we want.

- Who did the poll? (credibility)

- Sample size

- Question Wording

What is the role of the media in government

Linking institution (connects citizens to government. Government gets info about citizens through media and vice versa) and Watchdog (investigates government to find out what they're doing so the media can tell citizens)

How is news/media protected

1st Amendment of the Constitution, Bill of Rights ( freedom of the press)

2 reasons for a 2-party system

History and rules (Winner takes all elections, single-member districts)

Political parties are important because

They dominate all political competition

The difference between primary and general elections

Primary narrows the field of candidates for a political party.

The general election is the final election that chooses the next President.

party identification is a ___ atttatchment to a political party

socialogical

negative partisanship

loyalty to a party driven by hatred of the other party