gov test 1

Government

The system for implementing decisions made through the political process.

Factions

Group o like-minded people who try to influence the government. American government is set up to avoid domination by any of these groups.

Seperation of Powers

The divisions of government power across the judicial, executive and legislative branches.

Checks and Balances

A system in which each branch of government has some power over the other.

Public Goods

Services or actions (such as protecting the environment) that, once provided to one person, become available to everyone. Government is typically needed to provide public goods because they will be under-provided by the free market.

collective action problem

Situations in which the members of a group would benefit by working together to produce some outcome, but each individual is better off refusing to cooperate and reaping benefits from those who do the work.

free rider problem

The incentive to benefit from others' work without making a contribution, which leads individuals in a collective action situation to refuse to work together.

What did Aristotle call a government ruled by the many?

Polity

Which term describes giving each branch of government power over the other two?

Checks and Balances

Which term describes the inability to get individuals to cooperate to achieve a common goal?

Collective action problem

Three key ideas that explain politics:

1. Politics is conflictual
2. Political Process Matters
3. Politics is everywhere

Politcs

the process that determines what government does

What is the main reason why politicians have a hard time resolving the issue of abortion?

The country is closely divided on what abortion policy should look like.

Which concept describes the idea that actions by the government touch most aspects of your life?

Politics is everywhere

Rules, such as those regulating debate in the Senate or limiting who can vote in elections, serve as evidence that \__________.

Political process matters

free market

An economic system based on competition among businesses without government interference.

redistributive tax policies

Policies, generally favored by Democratic politicians, that use taxation to attempt to create greater social equality (for example, higher taxation of the rich to provide programs for the poor).

Culture wars

Political conflict in the United States between "red-state" Americans, who tend to have strong religious beliefs and "blue-state" Americans, who tend to be more secular.

Ideology

a cohesive set of ideas and beliefs used to organize and evaluate the political world

conservative

the side of the ideological spectrum defines by support for lower taxes, a free market, and a more limited government; generally associated with Republicans.

liberal

The side of the ideological spectrum defined by support for stronger government programs and more market regulation; generally associated with Democrats.

libertarians

Those who prefer very limited government and therefore tend to be conservative on issues such as welfare policy, environmental policy, and public support for education, but liberal on issues of personal liberty such as free speech, abortion, and the legalization of drugs.

The country is closely divided on what abortion policy should look like.

redistributive; more

Which issue is commonly associated with the culture wars?

Same-sex marriage

An individual who opposes government social welfare policy and supports the legalization of drugs is most likely a \_____.

Libertarian

Norms

unwritten rules and informal agreements among citizens and elected officials about how government and society should operate.

democracy

Government by the people. In most contexts, this means representative democracy in which the people elect leaders to enact policies. Democracies must have fair elections with at least two options.

liberty

Political freedom, such as the freedom of speech, press, assembly, and religion. These and other legal and due process rights protecting individuals from government control are outlined in the Bill of Rights of the U.S. Constitution.

equality

In the context of American politics, equality means equality before the law, political equality (one person, one vote), and equality of opportunity (the equal chance for everyone to realize their potential), but not material equality (equal income or wealth).

Which type of equality is not typically agreed upon in American politics?

Material equality (such as equal income_

What did James Madison argue was "worse than the disease"?

Giving up liberty to get rid of conflict

Which of the following would be the best source of information regarding a Congress member's position on a particular bill?

An article in a national newspaper written by a staff reporter covering Washington, D.C.

Articles of Confederation

Sent to the states for ratification in 1777, these were the first attempt at a new American government. It was later decided that the Articles restricted national government too much, and they were replaced by the Constitution.

Limited Government

A political system in which the powers of the government are restricted to prevent tyranny by protecting property and individual rights.

Monarchy

A form of government in which power is held by a single person, or monarch, who comes to power through inheritance rather than election.

Shays's Rebellion

An uprising of about 1,500 men in Massachusetts in 1786 and 1787 to protest oppressive laws and gain payment of war debts. The unrest prompted calls for a new constitution.

Republicanism

As understood by James Madison and the framers, the belief that a form of government in which the interests of the people are represented through elected leaders is the best form of government. Our form of government is known as a republican democracy.

Popular Sovereignty

The idea that government gains its legitimacy through regular elections in which the people living under that government participate to elect their leaders.

Natural rights

Also known as "unalienable rights," the Declaration of Independence defines them as "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." The Founders believed that upholding these rights should be the government's central purpose.

Federalists

Those at the Constitutional Convention who favored a strong national government and a system of separated powers.

Antifederalists

Those at the Constitutional Convention who favored strong state governments and feared that a strong national government would be a threat to individual rights.

How were members of Congress selected under the Articles of Confederation?

By the state legislature

What power did the president have under the Articles of Confederation?

There was no president under the Articles of Confederation.

At the American Founding, what is the best way to describe the economic inequality among classes and the economic diversity among regions?

Low inequality/ High diversity

Pluralism

The idea that having a variety of parties and interests within a government will strengthen the system, ensuring that no group possesses total control.

Virginia Plan

A plan proposed by the larger states during the Constitutional Convention that based representation in the national legislature on population. The plan also included a variety of other proposals to strengthen the national government.

New Jersey Plan

A plan that was suggested in response to the Virginia Plan; smaller states at the Constitutional Convention proposed that each state should receive equal representation in the national legislature, regardless of size.

Great Compromise

A compromise between the large and small states, proposed by Connecticut, in which Congress would have two houses: a Senate with two legislators per state and a House of Representatives in which each state's representation would be based on population (also known as the Connecticut Compromise).

Parliamentary System

A system of government in which legislative and executive power are closely joined. The legislature (parliament) selects the chief executive (prime minister) who forms the cabinet from members of the parliament.

reserved powers

As defined in the Tenth Amendment, powers that are not given to the national government by the Constitution, or not prohibited to the states, are reserved by the states or the people.

National Supremacy Clause

The part of Article VI, Section 2, of the Constitution stating that the Constitution and the laws and treaties of the United States are the "supreme law of the Land," meaning national laws take precedence over state laws if the two conflict.

Three-Fifths Compromise

The states' decision during the Constitutional Convention to count each slave as three-fifths of a person in a state's population for the purposes of determining the number of House members and the distribution of taxes.

Madison argued that the best way to prevent the tyranny of factions was to \___________.

Have various groups compete against one another in the government.

The great compromise provided solutions to which issue?

Allocating power between big and small states

How are executives chosen in most other established democracies?

Through selection by the legislature

The outcome of the Three-Fifths Compromise was that each enslaved person counted for three-fifths of a person for the purposes of \___ and __.

Congressional representation; taxation

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the Constitution. They protect individual rights and liberties.

What group was concerned about the Constitution's provisions for the strength of the president and the lack of specific guarantees of civil liberties?

Antifederalist

A series of arguments originally published in New York newspapers supported the Constitution and outlined the political theory behind it. What are these assembled works called?

Federalists Paper

enumerated powers

Powers explicitly granted to Congress, the president, or the Supreme Court in the first three articles of the Constitution. Examples include Congress's power to "raise and support armies" and the president's power as commander in chief.

Power of the Purse

The constitutional power of Congress to raise and spend money. Congress can use this as a negative or checking power over the other branches by freezing or cutting their funding.

Necessary and Proper Clause

Part of Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution that grants Congress the power to pass all laws related to one of its expressed powers; also known as the elastic clause.

Impeachment

A negative or checking power over the other branches that allows Congress to remove the president, vice president, or other "officers of the United States" (including federal judges) for abuses of power.

judicual review

The supreme court's power to strike down a law or an executive branch action that it finds unconstitutional.

The "necessary and power" clause gives flexibility to which part of government?

The congress

Which branch has the fewest explicit powers?

The president

Which of the following negative powers does the president enjoy?

The power to veto legislation

implied powers

Powers supported by the Constitution that are not expressly stated in it.

Which route for proposing a constitutional amendment has been used for all successful amendments to date?

Approval by two-thirds of the members of Congress

After an amendment is successfully proposed, what step must occur in order for it to become part of the Constitution?

Ratification by three-fourths of the states

Which part of government often defines the boundaries of implied powers?

The supreme court

Federalism

the division of power across the local, state and national government

sovereign power

the supreme power of an independent state to regulate its internal affairs without foreign interference

exclusive powers

Policy-making responsibilities that are exercised only by the national government.

police powers

the power to enforce laws and provide for public safety

concurrent powers

Responsibilities for particular policy areas, such as transportation, that are shared by federal, state, and local governments.

Unitary Government

A system in which the national, centralized government holds ultimate authority. It is the most common form of government in the world.

Confederal Government

a form of government in which states hold power over a limited national government

What system of government did the Articles of Confederation establish?

confederal

Which is an example of concurrent power?

Building roads

Full Faith and Credit Clause

Part of Article IV of the Constitution requiring that each state's laws be honored by the other states. For example, a legal marriage in one state must be recognized across state lines.

Privileges and Immunities Clause

Part of Article IV of the Constitution requiring that states must treat nonstate residents within their borders as they would treat their own residents. This was meant to promote commerce and travel between states.

State's right are protected in which constitutional provisions?

the 10th amendment

Which of the following would be best explained by the 10th amendment?

State and local control over education policy

Dual Federalism

The form of federalism favored by Chief Justice Roger Taney in which national and state governments are seen as distinct entities providing separate services. This model limits the power of the national government.

states' rights

The idea that states are entitled to a certain amount of self-government, free of federal government intervention. This became a central issue in the period leading up to the Civil War.

Cooperative Federalism

A form of federalism in which national and state governments work together to provide services efficiently. This form emerged in the late 1930s, representing a profound shift toward less concrete boundaries of responsibility in national-state relations.

picket fence federalism

A more refined and realistic form of cooperative federalism in which policy makers within a particular policy area work together across the levels of government.

Which analogy best describes the federalism arrangement today?

Picket fence federalism

Which case bolstered the federal government's power over the states?

McCulloch v. Maryland

When did the federal government begin cooperating with the states on policy goals?

1930s

Fiscal Federalism

A form of federalism in which federal funds are allocated to the lower levels of government through transfer payments or grants.

Coercive Federalism

A form of federalism in which the federal government pressures the states to change their policies by using regulations, mandates, and conditions (often involving threats to withdraw federal funding).

Federal Preemption

Imposition of national priorities on the states through national legislation that is based on the Constitution's supremacy clause.

unfunded mandates

Federal laws that require the states to do certain things but do not provide state governments with funding to implement these policies.

categorical grants

Federal aid to state or local governments that is provided for a specific purpose, such as a mass-transit program within the transportation budget or a school lunch program within the education budget.

block grants

Federal aid provided to a state government to be spent within a certain policy area, but the state can decide how to spend the money within that area.

Competitive Federalism

A form of federalism in which states compete to attract businesses and jobs through the policies they adopt.

remedial legislation

National laws that address discriminatory state laws. Authority for such legislation comes from Section 5 of the 14th Amendment.

Which form of grants is given to the states by the federal government with explicit conditions on how funds are to be allocated?

Categorical grant