POLS 2305 Chapter 1

politics

non-violent process of determining how power and resources are distributed within a society; the political process allows for social order and means to put political ideals into action

power

the ability to influence political decisions or actions

authority

legitimate power; the organized power of government and its officials to exercise and enforce decisions

freedom

individual liberty, limited government influence in everyday life

ideologies

sets of normative ideas about politics and society that define individuals' opinions about government and policy issues

government

system designed to exercise authority within a society that is based on shared values

institutions

organizations in which government authority is exercised

political narrative

persuasive story about the nature of power and the political processes; who has it, how it should be used, how it is used, etc.

gatekeepers

those who determine what news or information is communicated to the public; journalists, politicians, pundits, etc.

democracy

- a type of government that vests power in the people and provides procedural guarantees to preserve individual rights
- the right of self-government, the US is a representative democracy

theoretical types of democracy

- elite democracy
- pluralist democracy
- participatory democracy

popular sovereignty

concept that citizens are the ultimate source of political power

social contract theory

society is based on an agreement and the governed; citizens agree to give up some rights in exchange for the government's protection of other rights

republic

democratic system of government in which political decisions are made by representatives elected by the people

classical liberalism

political view that emphasizes individual freedom and rights over government intervention; government's goal should be to allow all individuals the freedom to develop their intellectual, moral, and personal capacities to the fullest by making decisions for themselves

citizenship

citizen's responsibility in a democracy

values

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

normative

used to describe beliefs or values about how the world ought to be; the ideal way the world should function; prescriptive, not descriptive

political culture

based on a population's widely shared values and beliefs of a nation about the role of government and its citizens

a nation's political culture

- defines the political culture the people have with each other and the government
- influences the accepted system of government and design of its. institutions
- is generational and rooted in a country's political history

equality

ideal that everyone is treated equally under the law

American political divisions

the nation is defined and united by three core values, but how groups of citizens interpret those ideals creates divisions among citizens

two ends of the ideological spectrum

conservative and liberal

analysis

breaking the political system down to its individual components to understand government activity, actions, and how decisions are made (institutional design, constitutional authority, timing, current political condition, public opinion)

critical thinking

a process that requires objectively evaluating and analyzing information; reaching a conclusion based on evidence, not assumptions or personal preferences

evaluation

assessing performance based on a particular set of standards or ideals

First Continental Congress, Sept. 1774

formed and declared England's taxation on paper, sugar, and other imported goods and punishments for Boston TeaParty participants void and colonies would stop trading
- colonies demanded government representation, trials conducted by local juries, and end of British military occupation
- king responded by sending British troops to arrest colonists for "rebellion"
- "the shot heard around the world" Battle of Lexington, start of the American Revolution, April 1775

Second Continental Congress, May 1775

first task was to establish an army (initially comprised of local militia)
- named George Washington Commander-in-Chief
- Thomas Paine's "Common Sense" published Jan. 1776

Declaration of independence, July 1776

identified founding principles that "all men are created equal" and collective values of liberty, self-government, individual rights, governing authority granted by laws
- defines American political culture
- Jefferson was influenced by philosopher John Locke's social contract theory and concept of popular sovereignty

constitution

established and documented rules of framework of a government

Articles of Confederation

first US constitution
- adopted during the American Revolution
- established a confederate system of government states were the primary governing authority
- Congress was the only national government institution, weak authority
- no power to tax
- each state has one vote
- amendments required a unanimous vote; legislation required 9 out of 23 votes

US House

state representation based on population; House members represent equally populated districts within a state, regardless of population each state must have at least one House member, directly elected by the people, 2 year terms, eligibility criteria

US Senate

states equally represented; regardless of population each state has two senators who represent the state as a whole

executive branch (Article II)

branch that implements the law; headed by a president, the vice-president cannot fulfill the duties of the office; implies the creation of a federal bureaucracy

- the electoral college directly elects the president; 4-year term, eligibility criteria
- powers of the chief executive: what the president must do, what the president can choose to do
- Article II also states the reasons for impeachment of the president, VP, or other government officials

judicial power

authority to interpret the US Constitution and laws and judge whether or not they have been broken
- establishes the US Supreme Court (SCOTUS); Congress granted the authority to design the lower courts system
- federal judges are appointed, not elected; serve life terms

judicial review

authority SCOTUS or any federal court to examine the actions taken by the Legislative or Executive branches and determine the constitutionality of those actions
- ruling on Marbury vs. Madison (1803) established this power; based on implied power

federalism

a system in which authority and power are divided between two or more levels of government (national/federal and state government)

concurrent powers

power and authority shared by both national and state governments
- tax, pass, and enforce laws, fund government programs and projects, etc.

US Constitution

lists governing power exclusive to the national government and prohibited state actions

dual federalism

when there is a clear distinction between the federal and state government's policy jurisdiction and governing responsibilities
- Layer Cake model
- approach to federalism prior to the Great Depression

cooperative federalism

federal and state government's policy jurisdictions and responsibilities overlap
- Marble Cake Model
- model of federalism after the Great Depression and creation of programs and policies under the New Deal

no involvement

states create and pay for their own programs and activities to address public issues

categorical grants

federal money appropriated to states to fund specific programs or specific actions related to that program; federal aid spending by states is very restricted

block grants

federal money appropriated to states to fund programs or activities related to a general issue area; states permitted more discretion on how to spend federal aid

unfunded mandates

federal laws directing the states or local governments to comply with a national policy without federal funds to offset the cost of implementation; status risk penalties for non-compliance

civil liberties

individual freedoms citizens have as a member of a free society
- individual rights (stated and implied) that are protected from government interference
- limits on government power is provided in the US Constitution, particularly the Bill of Rights

Article I, Sec. 9

government may not suspend or pass
- Writs of Habeas Corpus: right of an accused person to be brought before a judge and informed of the charges and evidence brought against them
- Bill of attainder: laws directed against specific persons or groups allowing them to be detained and sentenced without trial
- ex post facto laws: laws making an action illegal after the fact

14th amendment (1868)

defines citizenship

equal protection clause

legitimately establishes the idea that "all men are created equal," guarantees that state governments must treat individuals or a class of individuals the same it would anyone else under the same or similar circumstances

due process clause

reaffirms legal protections and procedures listed in the Bill of Rights for individuals accused of crimes

1st amendment

five freedoms:
- freedom of religion
- freedom of speech and expression
- freedom of the press
- right to peaceably assemble
- rights to petition government

sedition

speech criticizing the government

alien and sedition acts of 1798

federal law made "any false, scandalous writing" against the US government illegal; the law was repealed by 1802

clear and present danger test

created by SCOTUS when deciding Schenck v. United States (1919)
- SCOTUS ruled (9-0) that Schenck's speech was not protected under the 1st amendment

imminent lawless action test

established by SCOTUS in ruling on Brandenburg v. Ohio (1969); replaced clear and present danger test, burden of proof is on the government

four approaches by Congress to influence state governments

- decide not to influence states' policy decisions
- categorical grants
- block grants
- unfunded mandates

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

necessary and proper clause

Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)

commerce clause

miller test

Miller v. California
- is the material "patently offensive" based on current "community standards" according to a "reasonable person?"
- does the material have any "redeeming social value?"
- ruling shifted the power to determine what is obscene to the states
- recent case challenged a state's ban on violent video games

bill of rights

first 10 amendments of the US Constitution