POLS 206 Haydon Exam 1

advanced industrial democracy

a system in which a democracy government allows citizens a considerable amount of personal freedom and maintains a free-market (though still usually regulated) economy.

analysis

understanding how something works by breaking it down into its component parts

anarchy

the absence of government and laws

authoritarian governments

systems in which the state holds all power over the social order

authoritarian populism

a radical right-wing movement that appeals to popular discontent but whose underlying values are not democratic

authority

power that is recognized as legitimate, or right

capitalist economy

an economic system in which the market determines production, distribution, and price decisions, and property is privately owned

citizens

members of a political community having both rights and responsibilities

classical liberalism

a political ideology dating from the seventeenth century emphasizing individual rights over the power of the state

communist democracy

a utopian system in which property is communally owned and all decisions are made democratically

conservatives

people who generally favor limited government and are cautious about change

critical thinking

analysis and evaluation of ideas and arguments based on reason and evidence

democracy

a government that vests power in the people

democratic socialism

a mixed economy that combines socialist ideals with a commitment to democracy and market capitalism, keeping socialism as its goal

digital native

an individual born after the advent of digital technology who is proficient in and dependent on its use

disinformation

false information deliberately disseminated to deceive people

economic liberals

those who favor an expanded government role in the economy but a limited role in the social order

economics

production and distribution of a society’s material resources and services

elite democracy

a theory of democracy that limits the citizens’s role to choosing among competing leaders

evaluation

assessing how well something works or performs according to a particular standard or yardstick

gatekeepers

journalists and the media elite who determine which news stories are covered and which are not

government

a system or organization for exercising authority over a body of people

hashtag activism

a form of political engagement that occurs by organizing individuals online around a particular issue

ideologies

sets of beliefs about politics and society that help people make sense of their world

immigrants

citizens or subjects of one country who move to another country to live or work

individualism

the belief that what is good for society is based on what is good for individuals

information bubble

a closed cycle, sometimes self created, in which all the information we get reinforces the information we already have, solidifying our beliefs without reference to outside reality checks

institutions

organizations in which government power is exercised

laissez-faire capitalism

an economic system in which the market makes all decisions and the government plays no role

legitimate

accepted as “right“ or proper

liberals

people who generally favor government action and view change as progess

libertarians

those who favor a minimal government role in any sphere

media

the channels - including television, radio, newspapers, and the internet - through which information is sent and received

mixed economies

economic systems based on modified forms of capitalism tempered by substantive values

naturalization

the legal process of acquiring citizenship for someone who has not acquired it by birth

normative

a term used to describe beliefs or values about how things should be or what people ought to do rather than what actually is

norms

informal, unwritten expectations that guide behavior and support formal rule systems; often most noticeable when broken

participatory democracy

a theory of democracy that holds that citizens should actively and directly control all aspects of their lives

pluralist democracy

a theory of democracy that holds that citizen membership in groups is the key to political power

political culture

the broad pattern of ideas, beliefs, and values that a population holds about citizens and government

politicala narrative

a persuasive story about the nature of power, who should have it, and how it should be used

politics

who gets what, when, and how; a process for determining how power and resources are distributed in a society without recourse to violence

popular sovereignty

the concept that the citizens are the ultimate source of political power

power

the ability to get other people to do what you want

progressives

a contested concept that social liberals use to refer to a philosophy demanding radical structural change to create more equality

public-interested citizenship

a view of citizenship focused on action to realize the common good

refugees

individuals who flee and area or a country because of persecution on the basis of race, nationality, religion, group membership, or political opinion

regulated capitalism

a hybrid system that prioritizes economic health more than political and social goals

republic

a government in which decisions are made through representatives of the people

rules

directives that specify how resources will be distributed or what procedures govern collective activity

self-interested cizitenship

a view of citizenship focused on action to realize an individual citizen’s interests

social conservatives

those who endorse limited government control of the economy but considerable government intervention to realize a traditional social order; based on religious values and hierarchy rather than equality

social contract

the notion that society is based on an agreement between government and the governed, in which people agree to give up some rights in exchange for the protection of others

social democracy

a mixed economy that uses the democratic process to bend capitalism toward socialist goals (like more equality)

social order

the way we organize and live our collective lives

socialist economy

an economic system in which the state determines production, distribution, and price decisions, and property is government owned

subjects

individuals who are obliged to submit to a government authority against which they have no rights

substantive guarantees

government assurance of particular outcomes or results

values

central ideas, principles or standard that most people agree are important

amendability

The provision for the Constitution to be changed, so as to adapt to new circumstances

Anti-Federalists

Advocates of states’ rights who opposed the constitution

Articles of Confederation

The first constitution of the United States (1777), creating an association of states with a weak central government

bicameral legislature

a legislature with 2 chambers

Bill of rights

a summary of citizen rights guaranteed and protected by a government; added to the constitution as its first ten amendments in order to achieve ratification

checks and balances

the principle that allows each branch of government to exercise some form of control over the others

confederation

a government in which independent states unite for common purpose but retain their own sovreignty

constitution

the rules that establish a government

constitutional convention

the assembly of fifty-five delegates in the summer of 1787 to recast the Articles of Confederation; the result was the US constitution

Declaration of Independence

the political document that dissolved the colonial ties between the US and britain

electoral college

an intermediary body that elects the president

executive

the branch of government responsible for putting laws into effect

factions

groups of citizens united by some common passion or interest and opposed to the rights of other citizens or to the interests of the whole community

federalists

supporters of the constitution who favored a strong central government

french and indian war

a war fought between france and england, and allied native americans, from 1754 to 1763; resulted in France’s expulsion from the new world

great compromise

the constitutional solution to congressional representation: equal votes in the senate, votes by population in the house

judicial power

the power to interpret laws and judge whether a law has been broken

judicial review

the power of the supreme court to rule on the constitutionality of laws

legislature

the body of government that makes laws

new jersey plan

a proposal at the constitutional convention that congressional representation be equal, thus favoring the small states

popular tyranny

the unrestrained power of the people

ratification

the process through which a proposal is formally approved and adopted by vote

separation of powers

the institutional arrangement that assigns judicial, executive, and legislative powers to different person or groups, thereby limiting the powers of each

shay’s rebellion

a grassroots uprising (1787) by armed Massachusetts farmers protesting foreclosures

the federalist papers

a series of essays written in support of the constitution to build support for its ratification

virginia plan

a proposal at the constitutional convention that congressional representation be based on population, thus favoring the large states

block grants

federal funds provided for a broad purpose and unrestricted by detailed requirements and regulations

categorical grants

federal funds provided for a specific purpose and restricted by detailed instructions, regulations, and compliance standards/coercive federalism

concurrent powers

powers that are shared by the federal and state government

confederal systems

governments in which local units hold all the power

cooperative federalism

the federal system under which the national and state governments share responsibilities for most domestic policy areas

dual federalism

the federal system under which the national and state governments are responsible for separate policy areas

enumerated powers of congress

congressional powers specifically named in the constitution (Article 1, Section 8)

federalism

a political system in which power is divided between the central and regional units

Gibbons v. Ogden

the supreme court ruling (1824) establishing national authority over interstate business

McCulloch v. Maryland

the Supreme Court ruling (1819) confirming the supremacy of national over state government

necessary and proper clause

constitutional authorization for congress to make any law required to carry out its powers

nullification

the declaration by a state that a federal is void within its borders

supremacy clause

constitutional declaration (Article VI) that the constitution and laws made under its provisions are the supreme law of the land

unfunded mandate

a federal order mandating that states operate and may for a program created at the national level

unitary system

governments in which all power is centralized