polisci test 1

What are some goals that governments seek to accomplish?

Economic prosperity/ secure national borders/ and the safety and well-being of citizens.

What services do governments commonly provide

Education/ health care/ infrastructure for transportation.

What does politics refer to?

The process of gaining and exercising control within a government to set and achieve goals (especially regarding resource division.)

How does a democratic government promote individualism?

By allowing freedom to act as one chooses instead of being controlled by the government.

What is the relationship between capitalism and individualism?

Capitalism relies on individualism

Do democracy and capitalism always go hand in hand?

No they do not have to go hand in hand.

In socialist societies

who owns the means of generating wealth?

What is an oligarchy?

A government where only members of a certain political party or ruling elite can participate.

What are private goods?

Goods that individuals can purchase in the quantity they need.

What are public goods?

Goods or services available to all without charge.

What are toll goods?

Goods available to many people

What are common goods?

Goods that all people may use free of charge but are of limited supply.

What is egalitarianism?

The belief in equal treatment for all and the destruction of socioeconomic inequalities.

What forms can political engagement take?

Reading about politics/ discussing politics/ voting/ attending political debates.

What is a representative democracy?

A government where citizens elect representatives to make decisions and pass laws on their behalf.

What is majority rule?

The principle that the opinions of the majority have more influence in government than those of the minority.

What is a direct democracy?

A form of democracy where people participate directly in making government decisions.

What is the elite theory of government?

The belief that a set of elite citizens is in charge of government with others having no influence.

What does pluralist theory state?

Political power rests with competing interest groups that share influence in government.

What is social capital?

The collective value of all social networks.

What is committed partisanship?

The tendency to support a particular political party often blindly.

What factors influence political engagement?

Age/ wealth/ education.

What is the significance of the Magna Carta?

It laid the foundation for the rights of freemen and limited the power of the monarchy.

What is the English Bill of Rights?

A document that outlines the liberties and protections of citizens.. influenced by Locke's ideas.

What did John Locke theorize about government

That human beings.. not God.. created government and people should govern themselves.

What is the purpose of the U.S. Constitution?

To establish a government based on the necessity of compromise among its stakeholders.

How does the U.S. government still require compromise?

More than 225 years later, The division of authority across branches and levels of government forces competing political parties and interest groups to negotiate.

What event marked the beginning of the American Revolution?

The American Revolution began when colonists felt their rights were being abused by the king and Parliament.

What was the Proclamation of 1763?

A law passed by Parliament forbidding colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains.

What was the Stamp Act of 1765?

An act requiring that almost all paper goods have revenue stamps placed on them.

What were the Townshend Acts?

Acts imposed in 1767 that taxed everyday objects like glass.. tea.. and paint.

What was the significance of the Boston Tea Party

A protest against British taxation where colonists dumped tea into Boston Harbor.

What were the Coercive Acts?

Laws created by Parliament in 1774 to punish Boston for resistance to British rule.

What was the outcome of the Second Continental Congress?

On July 2, 1776, Congress declared American independence from Britain.

What were the Articles of Confederation?

The first governing document of the United States.. accepted by Congress in November 1777.

What was one major weakness of the Articles of Confederation?

The national government had no power to impose taxes.

What was Shays' Rebellion?

An uprising of Massachusetts farmers that highlighted the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.

What was the Annapolis Convention?

A 1786 meeting that failed to revise the Articles of Confederation due to low attendance.

What was the Philadelphia Convention?

A 1787 meeting where delegates decided to create a new federal government instead of revising the Articles.

What was the Virginia Plan?

A proposal for a bicameral legislature with representation based on population.

What was the New Jersey Plan?

A proposal for a unicameral legislature with equal representation for each state.

What was the Great Compromise?

An agreement that created a bicameral Congress with representation based on population in the House and equal representation in the Senate.

What was the Three-Fifths Compromise?

An agreement counting 60% of the enslaved population for representation and taxation.

What is the Supremacy Clause?

A clause stating that federal laws and the Constitution are the supreme law of the land.

What is the Necessary and Proper Clause?

A clause allowing Congress to expand its powers to execute its enumerated duties.

What is the separation of powers?

The division of government into three branches: Legislative Executive and Judicial.

What are checks and balances?

A system that prevents any one branch of government from becoming too powerful.

What was the outcome of the ratification process for the Constitution?

The Constitution required ratification by nine of the thirteen states to become law.

What did the Articles of Confederation prevent?

The national government from becoming too powerful or abusing individual rights.

Who presided over the Philadelphia Convention

George Washington.

Who is known as the 'Father of the Constitution'

James Madison for his detailed notes and contributions.

What was the primary concern of state-sovereignty advocates?

Fear of tyranny and loss of autonomy.

What was the role of Alexander Hamilton at the Philadelphia Convention?

He pushed for a strong central government.

What was a significant issue debated at the Constitutional Convention?

Balancing individual rights with social stability.

What did the framers of the Constitution believe was essential for the survival of the young nation?

The ability to maintain an army and navy/ impose taxes/ enforce compliance with laws.

What was a major source of dissatisfaction with the Constitution?

The lack of a guarantee for individual liberties.

What did many opponents of the Constitution call for?

A bill of rights.

Which state had the most extensive rights-granting document among the states?

Virginia: through the Virginia Declaration of Rights.

Who were the supporters of the Constitution known as?

Federalists.

What demographic primarily made up the Federalists?

Wealthy and well-educated landowners/ businessmen/ and former military commanders.

What were the opponents of ratification called

Anti-Federalists.

What did Anti-Federalists fear regarding the national government?

They feared it would undermine their freedoms and believed state legislatures could better protect their rights.

What was a concern regarding tariffs expressed by Anti-Federalists?

They believed Congress would impose tariffs that would harm American agricultural products in foreign markets.

What was the significance of the Federalist Papers

They were a series of essays arguing for a strong federal government and support of the Constitution.

Which state ratified the Constitution on June 25 1788?

Virginia.

What was the last state to ratify the Constitution

Rhode Island.

How many amendments have been made to the Constitution since its ratification?

Twenty-seven amendments.

Who took the lead in drafting the Bill of Rights

James Madison.

What does the First Amendment protect?

Freedom of speech/ religion/ press/ assembly/ petition.

What does the Second Amendment guarantee?

The right to bear arms.

What does the Fourth Amendment protect against

Unwarranted searches and seizures.

What does the Tenth Amendment state?

It ensures that states retain all powers not explicitly granted to the federal government.

What did the Thirteenth Amendment accomplish?

It abolished slavery in the United States.

What rights does the Fourteenth Amendment guarantee?

Citizenship to African Americans and equal protection under the law.

What did the Twenty-Third Amendment allow

Residents of Washington DC to vote for the president.

What did the Twenty-Fourth Amendment abolish

The use of poll taxes in federal elections.

What was the impact of the Twenty-Sixth Amendment?

It lowered the voting age from twenty-one to eighteen.

What is federalism?

An arrangement that creates two levels of government.. each with authority granted by the national constitution.

What is a key characteristic of federal systems?

They establish two levels of government (both elected by the people) with distinct functions.

What role do national courts play in a federal system?

They resolve disputes between levels of government.

What is the role of national courts in a federal system?

They resolve disputes between levels and departments of government.

How are subnational governments represented in national legislatures?

They are represented in the upper house of the national legislature.

What is a unitary system of government?

A system where subnational governments are dependent on the national government.

What is the main drawback of a unitary system?

It maximizes regional self-rule at the expense of effective national governance.

Where are the enumerated powers of the national legislature found?

In Article I Section 8 of the Constitution.

What is the elastic clause?

It allows Congress to make all laws necessary and proper for carrying out its constitutional responsibilities.

What are concurrent powers?

Powers shared by both federal and state governments

What does Article I Sections 9 and 10 outline

Restrictions on federal and state authority.

What is the writ of habeas corpus?

A legal petition to determine if a person's detention is lawful.

What is the full faith and credit clause?

It requires states to accept the court decisions and public acts of other states.

What does the privileges and immunities clause prohibit?

States from discriminating against out-of-staters in legal protections and rights.

What are the primary sources of federal tax revenue?

Individual income taxes and payroll taxes.

What is the main source of state tax revenue?

Sales tax.

What is the primary source of local tax revenue

Property taxes.

What does federal spending primarily focus on

Social Security/ healthcare programs/ national defense.

What is the purpose of intergovernmental grants?

To transfer money to lower levels of government during crises.

What was the significance of the Second Bank of the United States?

Created to stabilize the financial system after the War of 1812.

What was the outcome of McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)?

Established Congress's implied powers and reinforced the principle of national supremacy.

What was the key question in Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)?

Whether the federal government or a state has authority over interstate commerce.

What is the doctrine of nullification?

The claim that states can reject federal laws they deem unconstitutional.