U.S. Government & Politics Flashcards

Flashcards generated from U.S. Government & Politics lecture notes.

What is the Social Contract Theory?

The relationship between the government and the people that allows the people to escape the state of nature. They create rules, guidelines, and expectations to live by.

According to John Locke, what are the inalienable natural rights?

Life, liberty, and property.

What is Popular Sovereignty?

People + Ruler = Self-ruling country, “We the people”

What is a Direct Democracy?

Each person votes on every issue.

What is a Representative Democracy?

People choose leaders (by vote) to represent and to make political decisions for them.

What is a Republic?

A government where elected representatives make the decisions.

What is Participatory democracy?

Emphasizes broad participation in politics and civil society (e.g. town hall meeting)

What is Pluralist democracy?

Recognizes group-based activism by non-governmental interests satirizing for impact on political decision making (e.g. NRA)

What is Elite democracy?

Emphasizes limited participation in politics and civil society (e.g. The electoral college)

What are the requirements for a country to be a state?

Population, territory, sovereignty, government.

What is a Unitary System?

National government has all the power (one government).

What is a Confederation?

States have the power.

What is a Federal System?

States and National governments share Power.

What did the Federalist Papers try to address?

Fears about a strong central government to win 9 states.

What is the Tyranny of the Majority?

Majority in a democracy wins, minorities don't have a voice.

What does Federalist 10 say is the best way to combat factions?

BIG Republic: too many fractions keep one from becoming too powerful. Filtered through the representatives to counter the passions of the masses.

What was Shay's Rebellion about?

Bankers own farms and charge interest to farmers, failing to make a profit, bank would take farms back and send them to jail.

What was the Virginia Plan?

Provided for representation to be based on the population of each state (Big State).

What was the New Jersey Plan?

Proposed equal representation for every state.

What did the Connecticut Compromise create?

A Bicameral (two chamber) Congress.

What are the powers exclusive to the Federal government?

Coining money, declaring war.

What are the powers exclusive to the State government?

Elections, ratifying an amendment.

What powers are concurrent (shared) between the Federal and State government?

Taxes and laws.

What is the 10th 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 (not written on constitution, reserved for the states).

What is the 14th Amendment?

No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

What is the Full Faith and Credit Clause?

States honor other state's legal decisions.

What is Interstate Extradition?

A person charged in any state with a crime, who shall flee from Justice, and be found another State, shall on Demand of the State form which he fled, be returned to the state where the crime was committed.

What is the Privileges and Immunities Clause?

All citizens of the United States have equal access to all states and each state's privileges.

What is a Block Grant?

Use the money at the State’s discretion (however they want to spend it) (over general areas e.g. safety).

What is a Categorical Grant?

Federal Government providing money to the States for a specific purpose (to be used exactly the way they are told).

What is a Funded or Unfunded Mandate?

A requirement from the federal government that a state must obey. Money can be provided to the State, IF they comply. INSENTIFY.

What are Enumerated Powers?

Powers given to the federal government directly stated in the Constitution.

What are Implied Powers?

Powers given to the federal government, but not mentioned specifically in the Constitution.

What is the Commerce Clause?

To regulate commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several states, and with the Indian Tribe.

What is the Necessary and Proper Clause?

To make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.

What is the Supremacy Clause?

This constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States,shall be the supreme Law of the Land.

What is a Delegate Representative/Senator?

Votes based on what his represented population prefers, even if it is something he/she is personally not for.

What is a Trustee Representative/Senator?

Votes based on what he/she thinks is best.

What is a Politico Representative/Senator?

Is a mixture of both Trustee and Delegate.

Who is the Speaker of the House?

The leader of the House of Representatives, becomes the president if the president and vice president are unable (2nd in line for Rep).

What is a RIDER?

A part added to a bill that does not match the topic of the Bill.

What is the job of Standing committees?

Permanent committees whose jurisdiction is identified in the House RUles, each has subcommittees.

What is the job of Select committees?

Created by resolution to conduct investigations or consider measures, usually on a specific topic, and are not renewed on a permanent basis.

What is the job of Joint Committees?

Have both house and senate members and typically conducts studies rather than consider measures.

What is a Conference Committee?

(Temporary joint committees) When similar bills are being proposed at the same time in the House and Senate, they meet to discuss them and work out the differences.

What does it mean to Table a bill?

This is the process of putting a bill in limbo.

What is the job of the House Ways and Means Committee?

Taxation, is the first committee in Congress.

What is the job of the House Budget Committee?

Total amount of money given.

What is the job of the House Appropriations Committee?

Spends that money.

What is the job of the House Rules Committee?

Decides which bills get to go to floor, decides the Rules for debate, and how the bill is to be voted on.

What are the responsibilities of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee?

Debates treaties; the senate must approve treaties with a ⅔ vote.

What are the responsibilities of the Judiciary Committee?

Approves appointments for judges (Supreme Court appointments are reviewed here).

What is Filibustering?

Waste time, no bills being passed, nothing getting done.

To end a filibuster, what is needed?

Cloture - 60 votes.

What is Senatorial Courtesy?

Senators will support each other when opposing a nominee from the Senator's State.

What are Entitlement Programs?

The government is legally required to pay it back to people who meet eligibility requirements.

What is Mandatory Spending?

Those which the federal government has, by law, already guaranteed to pay. Mandatory spending includes entitlement programs, such as Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and required interest spending on the federal deb (¾ total spending).

What is Discretionary Spending?

Spending that is subject to the appropriations process. Most of the direct activities of the federal government, such as those of the federal Bureau of Investigations and Department of Defense, are funded through the annual appropriations process. Almost all education programs are discretionary spending programs (⅓ total spending).

What are EarMarks?

Setting aside budget for specific projects. (Specific addition to a bill only money.)

What is Log Rolling?

The idea where Congress members team up to support a bill.

What is Pork Barrel Spending?

Funding for government programs whose benefits are concentrated in a particular area but whose costs are spread among all taxpayers.

What is Gerrymandering?

Drawing congressional district lines to benefit one party over another.

How often does the Census occur?

Every 10 years.

What is reapportionment?

The changing of the number of seats each state has.

What is redistricting?

Redrawing the lines for district representation after reapportionment.

What are Formal Presidential Powers?

The explicitly listed in the Constitution.

What are Informal Presidential Powers?

Not stated in the Constitution, but argued to be necessary.

What is an Executive Order?

Presidential acts that do not require congressional approval.

What is an Executive Agreement?

An international agreement between the president and another country, which does not require the consent of the Senate.

What is a Signing Statement?

Statements presidents issue when they are signing a bill into law.

What does the Office of Management and Budget do?

Prepares the President's annual budget proposal to Congress, monitors and reviews agency performance and expenditures.

What does the National Security Council do?

Advises the President on national security and foreign policy matters and advises on national defense.

What is the Senate's Power of Advice and Consent?

Confirmation - Senate approval of a presidential nomination.

What is the War Powers Act of 1973?

The president cannot send troops into armed combat abroad for more than 60 days without Congressional approval.

What is Executive Privilege?

The president should keep some things secret from the people, especially military matters.

What is a Bully Pulpit?

A great platform with which to speak.

What is a Bureaucracy?

A hierarchical chain of command in which the top bureaucrat has ultimate authority, distinct division of labor with each worker doing a specific job, clearly written set of formal rules, which all employees agree to follow.

What is discretionary authority?

Decide whether or not to take certain courses of action when implementing existing laws.

What is Rule-Making Authority?

To make uses that affect how programs operate and force states and corporations to obey these rules as if they were laws.

What is Political Patronage?

Spoils System - Awarding jobs and promotions based on political ties.

Pendleton civil service Act

Created in response to the assassination of president Garfield. Civil Service (bureaucracy): The general term for career bureaucrats who are hired based on professional merit.

What is the Power of the Purse?

Congress can set budgets, pass laws, create new departments/agencies, confirmation of appointments, committee hearings.

What is congressional oversight?

Congress ensures legislation is implemented as intended by it using committee hearings to question agency staff and hold them accountable.

What is an Iron Triangle?

Mutually-beneficial relationship between an interest group, congress, and bureaucratic agency devoted to similar issues.

What are American Core Values?

Individualism, equality of opportunity, free enterprise, rule of law, limited government.

What is Political Culture?

The values that influence individuals' attitudes and beliefs about the relationship between citizens and the federal government.

What is Political Socialization?

The process by which a person develops political values and beliefs, including through interactions with family, friends, school, religious and civic groups, and the media.

What are Lifecycle Effects?

The changes in a person's life as they age, marry, have children, buy a home, or retire.

What are Period Effects?

Major events and social trends that affect the political attitudes of the entire population.

What are Generational Effects?

Experiences shared by a group of people who came of age together that affect their political attitudes.

What is a Mass Survey?

Asks a lot of people about issues, candidates, law.

What is a Benchmark Poll?

At the beginning of a campaign sees how people feel about a certain issue or candidate, then the rest of the campaign you can compare to that benchmark.

What are Entrance and Exit Polls?

As people enter or leave a voting booth, ask them how they voted.

What is a Tracking Poll?

Continuing to ask the same group of people about an issue or candidate multiple times over a length of time.

What is a Focus Group?

Focused on a particular group and how they feel about an issue/candidate

What is the Democratic Party platform?

A list of goals outlining a party’s positions on issues and political priorities.

What is a Monetary Policy?

Government decisions about how to influence the economy using control of the money supply and interest rates.

What is Fiscal Policy?

Government decisions about how to influence the economy by taxing and spending.

What is Keynesian economic theory?

Liberal, an economic philosophy that encourages government spending in order to promote economic growth.

What is Reaganomics?

Conservative, an economic philosophy that encourages tax cuts and deregulation in order to promote economic growth.