American Attitudes About Government and Politics

Vocabulary flashcards covering core American values, political culture, foundational ideologies, and constitutional principles from Section 4.1.

Consensual Political Culture

A political culture where some core values and beliefs are shared among most of the population and overlap, such as the agreement that children should be educated and violent criminals punished.

Conflictual Political Culture

A political culture that occurs when groups with opposing beliefs clash over key societal issues, such as gay rights and foreign intervention.

Political Culture

The collective set of attitudes and beliefs that shape political behavior in a society, grounded in the United States by individualism, equal opportunity, free enterprise, the rule of law, and limited government.

Conservative

A political ideology that emphasizes law and order, traditional institutions, slow change, and small government that provides fewer services, preferring order over some liberties and strict eligibility for welfare.

Liberal

A political ideology characterized by an openness to experiment with policy, a focus on protecting the rights of the accused, support for higher taxes to fund more government services, and broader welfare eligibility.

Individualism

A core American value rooted in Enlightenment thought asserting the fundamental worth and inalienable rights of the individual, which precede government rather than being bestowed by it.

Self-Centered Individualism

An interpretation of individualism that prioritizes the personal interests of the individual above the group's interests and seeks minimal interference from government.

Enlightened Self-Interest

An interpretation of individualism that sacrifices some personal freedoms for the greater good and expects the government to promote public welfare.

Alexis de Tocqueville

The French author who toured the United States in the 1830s and wrote Democracy in America, warning that unrestrained individualism could lead citizens to isolate themselves and fracture society.

Equality of Opportunity

The core American belief that every individual should have an equal right and a fair chance to pursue life, liberty, happiness, and personal potential, rather than a guarantee of equal condition or ability.

Equal Protection Clause

A clause within the Fourteenth Amendment ratified in 1868 ensuring that all individuals in similar conditions in every state are treated equally under the law.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

A federal statute prohibiting employment discrimination on the basis of race, sex, national origin, color, and religion.

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)

A federal agency created by Congress in 1965 to investigate employment discrimination complaints involving hiring or termination under Title VII.

Free Enterprise

An economic philosophy holding that the market should be guided by the interactions of producers and consumers through an invisible hand with minimal government intervention, primarily limited to protection from invasion and maintaining order.

Laissez-faire

A French term translating to 'let it be,' representing a policy of minimal governmental interference in economic affairs.

Adam Smith

The Scottish economist and philosopher who authored The Wealth of Nations in 1776, outlining the fundamentals of a market economy driven by supply, demand, and an invisible hand.

Rule of Law

The principle that established laws apply equally to all members of society, ensuring a government of laws rather than whims of leaders who consider themselves above the law.

Article II, Section 1, Clause 8

The constitutional provision setting forth the presidential oath of office, obligating the president to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.

Limited Government

A government kept under control by constitutional laws, checks and balances, and the separation of powers to protect civil liberties against official overreach.

Great Society

The 1964-1965 domestic agenda introduced by President Lyndon Johnson that completed the Democratic Party's transition toward embracing expansive, liberal federal government action for the greater good.