public policy and advocacy !!

the REAL one aka the one i made

political science

the study of politics and power from domestic, international, and comparative perspectives

role of politics in government

politics influence laws and how society is run

conflicts of politics in government

ideological differences can lead to no laws being passed

democracy

a system of government where citizens have the power to choose their leaders and participate in decision-making through voting; “rule by the people

capitalism

an economic and political system where trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit

constitutionalism

governments that establish documented rules or principles about the legal limits through a doctrine (aka a constitution)

coercive power

power from a threat of punishment

persuasive power

power from influencing others

legitimate power

power from a formal position within an organization’s hierarchy

what is the impact of power going from a majority to a few?

power is now unbalanced and inaccurately represents the people

political culture

the set of shared beliefs, values, and norms that shape a political community's behaviors and attitudes towards governance and policy

public opinion

the collective opinion on a particular topic/policy

relationship between public opinion and political culture

political culture shapes public opinion and vice versa

citizen

a participatory member of a political community, actively partaking in democratic processes

civil society

the collective of non-governmental organizations

what is the role of civil society organizations?

they advocate for people’s rights and demands and provide charity and relief in those in need by pressing the government and private sector

political justice

the use of the judicial process for the purpose of gaining or limiting political power or influence

individual rights

rights that are required to live a free and equitable life and cannot be interfered with or denied by the government or other officials (guranteed by the constitution)

gross domestic product

or gdp, the total value of goods produced and services provided in a country during one year

components of gdp

personal consumption, business investment, government spending, and net exports

personal consumption

spending by households + consumers on goods and services

business investment

a firm purchase’s of goods and services

government spending

the actual amount the government spends

net exports

total amount of money made by exports

country

a geographic territory with defined borders

nation

a group of people with a common culture, history, language, territory, and/or descent

state

a politically organized body of people with a defined territory and population

government

the governing body of a nation, state, or community with the authority to make and enforce laws

history of political parties within the u.s.

• founders originally did not want them → seen as cause of major division

  • original parties: democratic-republicans and federalists

• the parties have been extremely polarized over the years, particularly over issues such as slavery

• parties eventually evolved into the two-party system of democrats and republicans

history of republican party

• founded in 1854 as an anti-slavery party (lincoln!!)

• became a pro-business party during the gilded age

• shifted to conservative throughout the 20th century

history of democratic party

• founded in 1828 from the democratic-republican party

• originally a conservative party, split into regional factions over slavery

• became the progressive party during the progressive era (woodrow wilson) and fdr’s election

two-party government system

two parties dominate the political field at all levels of government

multi-party government system

political system where 2+ meaningful-distinct political parties regularly run for office and win elections

current political parties

democrat & republican with multiple third parties running during elections (but they don’t win)

minor political parties

parties with little impact, rarely getting political offices

special interest groups

group of individuals who unite to support common concerns and interests

how do interest groups affect political parties?

interest groups support candidates, through public endorsement and/or financing

private interest groups

organizations that advocate for benefits that would help their members

public interest groups

organizations that advocate for issues that benefit society as a whole

how do special interest groups influence public policy?

they sway public opinion and influence government officials

history of civil liberties in the united states

• first civil liberties guaranteed by the constitution

  • amendments added to guarantee those rights for everyone: 13th, 14th, 15th, 19th, 24th

  • equal rights amendment gave equal rights to women but was never ratified by the states

importance of 1st amendment rights

allows a freer society and a place to express opinions/beliefs

limitations of 1st amendment rights

it can lead to violence, defamation, and obscenity

procedural rights for the accused

• right to remain silent

• right to an attorney

• right to due process / a speedy and fair trial

• innocent until proven guilty

right to privacy

the ability to be free from unwarranted publicity / surveillance from the government

right to bear arms

the ability to have guns (2nd amendment)

civil liberty case

a court case that concerns basics rights and freedoms, challenging government actions and eventually leading to a decision regarding those rights

how do courts decide civil liberty cases?

courts interpret the constitution, apply laws, and consider the specific facts of the case in order to make a fair decision

history of civil rights

• movement truly began in the 1950s/60s

• aim is to get the basic rights guranteed in the constitution for EVERYONE

• major bills:

  • civil rights act of 1964

  • voting rights act of 1965

basic civil rights for all

the idea that there are fundemental rights and freedoms that are inherent to individuals and are protected by the law (housing, hiring practices, etc)

14th amendment

prohibits states from denying any person within their jurisdiction, ensuring all citizens are treated equally under the law

civil rights for women

• 19th amendment gives suffrage

• civil rights act of 1964 prevented discrimination on the basis of gender

american with disabilites act

prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in public areas

role of governments

purpose is to make and enforce laws, collect taxes, provide services, and represent interests of the people, while also ensuring stability and promoting general welfare

functions of government

maintaining order, providing services, ensure security, and make economic decisions

characteristics of a democracy

citizens are involved in decision-making, individual rights, rule of law, accountability of leaders, and respect for human rights

autocracy

a form of government in which absolute power is held by one person (the head of state; an autocrat)

totalitarianism

a political system and form of government in which the government has unlimited control (typically held by an individual/single political party). governments in these cases control every part of its citizens’ lives and individuals have few rights.

authoritarianism

form of government in which there is blind submission to authority and the repession of indivdual freedoms/actions. power is concentrated within a small group and decisions are made without regard for the people.

transitional governments

a type of government that is put into place during a change from one type of government to another. these are typically created following a state collapse, revolution, civil war, or a similar crisis, until a new, regular political process can establish a permanent government.

legislature

a governmental body in charge of making laws.

in the u.s., this branch: makes all laws, declares war, regulates interstate and foreign commerce, and controls taxing and spending policies.

congress

a formal meeting of delegates for discussion and action

parliament

an assembly of representatives, usually of an entire nation, that makes laws.

legislative committees

a group of lawmakers within a legislative body that are assigned to review specific issues or proposed bills in more detail than the entire chamber can. they often propose changes to these bills and are the ones who finalize a bill before it is put to a vote.

u.s. electoral college system

• every state gets a set number of votes

• the votes are delegated to each candidate based off of the popular vote

• it is a winner takes all concept—whoever wins the popular vote in one state, gets all the votes in the state

• the system was made in order to ensure equal representation for states with smaller populations

direct elections

system of choosing politicians in which the voters directly cast ballots for the person/party

indirect elections

system of voting in which voters don’t directly choose politicans but instead elect people who in turn choose candidates or parties

individual representation

the act of representing the interests of a particular group or even a single individual within a political system

primary elections

elections held to determine which candidates run in the general election

election runoffs

a second election held to determine a winner when no candidate in the first election met the required threshold for victory. these keep happening until one winner is decided.

recalls

a procedure that allows voters to remove an elected official before the end of their term

role of congress

making legislation, checks and balances between executive & judicial branch, regulating interstate commerce, managing finances (the budget!)

electoral evolution of congress

• has become more democratic over the years

• split into two chambers with different systems of selection (2 senators per state, reps vary by population) to appease constitutional factions

reapportionment

the process of redistributing the seats in the house of representatives based on changes in population

why are congressional districts reapportioned and distributed?

to better represent the changing population and ensure more equal representation

party nomination

the selection of a candidate for a particular party (primary elections!!)

what national forces influence congress?

state of the economy, media, will of the people

presidential campaign

larger scale, has a greater impact on the country as a whole

congressional campaign

typically smaller scale, targeted towards a specific region rather than the entire country

what factors influence election outcomes?

state of economy (country votes for the current party if the economy is good, votes for the other party if the economy isn’t good), national & international issues, party identification, campaign strategies

state courts

courts within a specific state, interpreting and applying state laws

supreme court

law of the land, interpreting laws based on the constitution

federal judiciary

the judicial branch of the federal government (supreme court + federal courts), with jurisdiction over cases involving the constitution and federal laws

federal court system

• district courts: general trial courts, handling civil and criminal trials

• circuit courts: looks at cases that were decided in district courts but then appealed to the US court of appeal

• supreme court of the us: highest court with the power to decide appeals on all cases brought in federal court or brought in state court but dealing with federal law

checks and balances on scotus

• the president nominates justices, court of appeals judges, and district court judges

• senate confirms presidential nominations

• congress can impeach justices/judges

original jurisdiction

a court’s authority to hear and decide a case for the first time

appellate jurisdiction

the power to review a case with an already decided decision from a lower court

selection process of scotus justices

• the president nominates a candidate

• the senate interviews the justice then votes to confirm or reject them

how do interest groups use litigation strategies to influence government policy?

filing lawsuits, amicus brief (supporting one side in a case, supporting a cause), supporting test cases, challenging laws/regulations/government actions

judicial decision-making process

the process by which judges interpret and apply legal principles to particular cases, basing decisions based on their interpretation of the constitution

bureaucracy

a system of government in which most of the important decisions are made by state officials rather than by elected representatives

history of the federal bureaucracy

• the bureaucracy grows through presidential actions

• first grew with the first three cabinet department (treasury, war, state), established by g. dub

• grew massively during fdr’s presidecy (new deal!!)

role of the federal bureaucracy

• bureaucracy means vague laws are clarified (ex: the epa interprets the laws established by congress, which are intentionally vague)

• disputes settled without courts

• implementing/enforcing laws

problems with the federal bureaucracy

• red tape (harder to do stuff)

• accountability issues

• redundant programs (duplication)

• conflicting interpretations of laws

what is the relationship between the president, cabinet, and congress when determining legislation?

• congress creates and passes legislation

• the cabinet advises the president

• the president vetoes or passes the bill

how does the public perception of the government affect elections?

elections are majorly dependent on what the public thinks of the government. typically, if the majority is unhappy with the current government, in the next election, they’ll vote for the other party. elections are a big test of who looks better to the public.

explain the bureaucratic accountabililty process

• bureaucrats are under the control of the executive branch

• congress decides the extent/range to which bureaucrats can operate

• courts ensure that bureaucrats are legally enforcing/implementing laws

impact of media/journalists on politics

• the media informs voters/the public of major events & things politicians do → influencing the public!

• what’s reported in the media reflects what issues politicians should be focusing on

privately controlled media

freedom of speech, the government does not impede on the actions of private media.

state-controlled media

the news and general media are censored and controlled by the government. the people get limited and biased information.