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Regarding participation in the political process, how do younger Americans differ from older Americans?
older Americans tend to participate in the political process more than younger Americans (voter apathy)
What is pluralism?
a theory of American democracy that emphasizes that the policymaking process is open to the participation of all groups with shared interests, with no one group usually dominating
What is elitism?
a theory of American democracy that an upper class elite holds the power and makes policy, regardless of the formal government organization
What is hyperpluralism?
a theory of American democracy that contends that interest groups are so strong that government, which gives into the groups, is thereby weakened
What is policy gridlock?
a condition that occurs when interests conflict and no coalition is strong enough to form a majority and establish policy, so nothing gets done
Why did the British government impose taxes on the colonies?
they had to pay off the expensive French and Indian War, and they justified taxing the colonists under the logic that they fought the war to protect the colonists
What is the meaning of “natural rights”?
rights inherent in human beings and not dependent on governments, which include life, liberty and property
What is meant by “consent of the governed”?
the government derives its authority from the people
Why did Daniel Shays lead a rebellion against the state of Massechusetts?
because he and other farmers felt that Eastern Bankers were undermining farmers’ prosperity, foreclosing on farms, and failing to pay a fair price for their commodities
How did the Constitution differ from the Articles of Confederation in terms of government?
AoC: weak central government with just legislative branch
C: stronger central government with 3 branches
How did the Constitution differ from the Articles of Confederation in terms of delegation of powers?
AoC: gave states a lot of power
C: delegated powers to both central and state government
How did the Constitution differ from the Articles of Confederation in terms of legislature?
AoC: each state had only 1 vote
C: bicameral legislature
How did the Constitution differ from the Articles of Confederation in terms of what they represented?
AoC: represented a compact between just the states
C: represented a compact among both the people and the states
Why did the Framers of the Constitution establish separation of powers?
to prevent one branch of government from gaining too much power
What qualifications for holding national office does Article VI of The Constitution prohibit from being imposed?
a religious test
What was Madison’s concern regarding the tyranny of the majority?
Madison was concerned that a majority could crush the rights of a minority group by electing representatives who would favor the majority over the minority
What is the feature of the Constitution that allows each branch of government to limit the power of the other branches?
a system of checks and balances
What is a monarchy?
a form of government in which a monarch (king/queen, emperor/empress) rules a kingdom/empire
What is a theocracy?
a form of government in which priests rule in the name of God or a god
What is an oligarchy?
a form of government in which a small group has control
What was the purpose of the Bill of Rights?
to guarantee civil rights and liberties to the individual
What was the purpose of the Declaration of Independence?
to announce independence
to explain colonists’ rights to revolution
to rally troops
to build a society governed by law
What was the purpose The Federalist Papers?
to defend the Constitution
to convince New York voters to ratify the Constitution
How can the Constitution be formally amended?
through 2/3 vote in both houses of Congress and ratification by 3/4 of the states
How can the meaning of the Constitution be informally amended?
through judicial review by the Court, congressional legislation that expands upon the Constitution, and executive actions by the president
What is federalism?
a way of organizing a nation so that 2 or more levels of government share formal authority over the same area and people
What powers does the Constitution deny the states?
entering into treaties with foreign nations
coining money
issuing bills of credit
engaging in war without Congress’ consent
According to the Tenth Amendment, to whom do the powers of government belong if they are not given to the federal government?
to the states
What did McCulloch v. Maryland rule?
that the federal government has the power to create a bank and that states cannot tax the federal government
What did Gibbons v. Ogden rule?
that Congress has the power to “regulate commerce” and that federal law takes precedence over state laws
What is the difference between enumerated and implied powers?
enumerated powers are specific powers granted to the federal government, while implied powers are powers that Congress exercises that the Constitution does not explicitly define, but are necessary to execute the powers
What is the Necessary and Proper Clause?
a clause that gives Congress the power to make laws that are necessary and proper to carry out the powers granted to the government by the Constitution
What is the purpose of the Full Faith and Credit Clause?
to ensure that states respect each other’s laws and judgements and prevent conflict between states
What is extradition?
a legal process whereby a state surrenders a person charged with a crime to the state in which the crime is alleged to have been committed
What is the difference between dual federalism and cooperative federalism?
in dual federalism, the states and national government each remain supreme within their own spheres, while in cooperative federalism, the states and national government share powers and policy assignment
What is a mandate?
a constitutional, legislative, or executive statute that gives certain officers, officers, or institutions the authority to regulate specific governance areas
How does Federalism contribute to democracy?
by allowing for multiple levels of government and making political participation easier
How does Federalism hinder democracy?
by slowing political reform
What did the Incorporation Doctrine do?
it uses the Fourteenth Amendment’s Due Process Clause to apply the protections of the Bill of Rights to state actions
What did Gitlow v. New York rule?
that the First Amendment applies to state governments
What did Near v. Minnesota rule?
that prior restraint of publication is unconstitutional and violates the First Amendment
What did New York Times v. United States rule?
that the President’s attempt to prevent the publication was a violation of First Amendment protections for press freedom
What did New York Times Co. v. Sullivan rule?
that the right to publish all statements is protected under the First Amendment
What did Griswold v. Connecticut rule?
that married couples have a constitutional right to privacy that protects their access to contraception
What did Roe v. Wade rule?
that the right to privacy implied in the Fourteenth Amendment protected abortion as a fundamental right
What did Obergerfell v. Hodges rule?
that same-sex couples have the right to marry and the state has to recognize their marriages
What is actual malice?
when the defendant states something that they either know to be false or are unsure of the truth of
What is privacy?
the right to be free from unwarranted invasion or interference
What is libel?
a written or published defamatory statement that injures a person’s reputation
What is slander?
a false statement, usually made orally, that defames another person
What did Brown v. Board of Education rule?
that separating children in public schools by race was unconstitutional
What did Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978) rule?
that while racial quotas in college admissions are unconstitutional, race can be one of several factors in admission
What did the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ban?
discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin in public accommodations, employment, and federally funded programs
Why did Congress pass the Voting Rights Act of 1965?
to uphold the guarantees of the Fifteenth Amendment
What was the primary objective of the women’s suffrage movement?
to achieve voting rights for women through a constitutional amendment
What is demography?
the science of population changes
What are the main socializing agents?
the media, family, school, and peer groups
How do politicians use public opinion polls?
to detect public preferences and keep in touch with changing opinions on issues
What do liberals support?
policies that are socially progressive and promote social welfare
civil rights and liberties
What do conservatives support?
free enterprise
ownership
socially traditional values
What is the difference between civil disobedience and a protest?
civil disobedience is a conscious decision to break a law believed to be unjust, rehardless of the consequences, while protesting is designed to achieve policy change through dramatic and unconventional changes
What is the Gatekeeping Function of the Media?
the process through which information is filtered for circulation, whether for publication, broadcasting, the Internet, or some other mode of communication
What is investigative journalism?
the use of in-depth reporting to unearth scandals, scams, and schemes, and at times putting reporters in adversarial relationships with polticial leaders
What is selective exposure?
the process through which people consciously choose to get the news from information sources that have viewpoints compatible with their own
What is the primary interest of most U.S. Media organizations?
to attract and maintain an audience to increase revenue
What are some of the concerns about Agenda Setting by the media?
by increasing public attention to specific problems, the media influence the criteria by which the public evaluate political leaders
the media can have a dramatic effect on how the public evaluates specific events by emphasizing one event over others
How is the Media is a “key linkage institution” in the Policymaking System?
by connecting people to their government through increasing awareness of public issue
What is the core function of a political party?
to try to win elections
What is the advantage of open primaries?
they allow for more voters to participate in party nomination decisions
What is the disadvantage of open primaries?
there is a possibility that the partisans of one side will “raid” the other party’s primary in order to give a boost to its least viable candidate
What is a party platform?
a set of principles, goals, and strategies designed to address pressing political issues
What does the Responsible Party Model advocate for?
for parties offering clear choices to the voters and carrying out their campaign promises once in office
Where are Democratic and Republican candidates for president formally nominated at?
the Democratic National Convention and Republican National Convention, respectively
What takes place in a caucus?
voters attend an open meeting to express their presidential preference
How do political campaigns use “wedge issues”?
to attempt to drive supporters from the opponent’s camp into their own
Which age group is most likely to vote?
those over 65
What is the difference between interest groups and political parties?
interest groups:
policy specialists
may offer support to candidates for office, but do not run their own slate of candidates
political parties:
policy generalists
fight their battles through the electoral process by running candidates for public office
What is lobbying?
the process by which an individual or group communicates with policymakers in an attempt to influence policy decisions
Why do presidential candidates tend to focus their efforts on battleground states?
because battleground states are where the contest is likely to be the closest
Why are campaign contributions so important for interest groups seeking to influence government?
it helps to get the right people into office and keep them there
How has social media affected interest groups?
social media platforms:
help interest groups put their message out to where like-minded individuals will be likely to see it
provide a way to communicate with like-minded individuals faster than ever before
promote individual participation within groups by providing a mechanism for two-way conversations between interest group leaders and their memberships
What is pork barrel aid?
federal projects, grants, and contracts available to state and local governments, businesses, colleges, and other institutions in a congressional district
What is casework?
activities of members of Congress that help constituents, particularly by cutting through bureaucratic red tape to get people what they think they have a right to get
What are the advantages incumbents have in winning elections?
they have access to a detailed list of specific interests of thousands of potential or actual voters
they are usually much better known and have a more favorable public images
they are likely to face weak opponents
their opponents usually have a more difficult time raising campaign funds
What is a bicameral legislature?
a legislature divided into two houses
Who presides over the House of Representatives and plays a crucial role in determining committee assignments and leadership roles and assigning bills to committees?
the Speaker of the House
What is the title of the most prominent partisan leader of the Senate?
the Majority Leader
Where does most of the work of Congress happen?
at the committee level
Which Congressional Committee was created to reconcile differences in versions of a bill passed by the House and the Senate?
the conference committee
What is filibustering?
a strategy unique to the Senate whereby opponents of a piece of legislation use their right to unlimited debate to prevent the Senate from ever voting on the bill
How can a filibuster be brought to an end?
with 60 members present and voting
What is partisan polarization in Congress?
the divergence of political attitudes away from the center, toward ideological extremes
What is the purpose of omnibus legislation?
to pass multiple bills quickly, especially near the end of a legislative session
How can a President be removed from office?
through impeachment, in which charges are brought against a government official
What was Watergate?
the burglary and illegal wire tapping of the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee in the Watergate complex by members of President Nixon’s re-election campaign, which later led to Nixon’s resignation
What tool allows presidents to make regulations regarding how legislation will be implemented and carries the force of law?
the executive order, which is a written directive from the President of the U.S. that has the force of law and manages the federal government
Who breaks a tie in the Senate?
the Vice President
How influential are modern presidents in the legislative process compared to what the Framers intended?
modern presidents are much more influential than the Framers originally intended
Why does the perception of an electoral mandate matter in presidential politics?
because it gives credibility and legitimacy to the newly elected president’s proposals
How can Congress check the president’s war powers?
by using its constitutional authority to declare war, control military funding, and pass legislation (i.e. the War Powers Resolution)
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