Introduction to U.S. Government and Civic Engagement

Vocabulary flashcards summarizing key terms, thinkers, and concepts from the lecture on U.S. government, economics, and civic participation.

Government

The system or means by which a society organizes itself and allocates authority to accomplish collective goals and provide public benefits.

Politics

The process of gaining and exercising control within a government in order to set and achieve goals, especially about resource distribution.

Natural Rights

God-given rights to life, liberty, and property, first articulated by philosopher John Locke.

Social Contract

An agreement in which citizens consent to be governed as long as government protects their natural rights.

Capitalism

An economic system in which private individuals own the means of production and operate for profit with minimal government interference.

Adam Smith

Scottish philosopher who argued for free markets and private property in 'The Wealth of Nations' (1776).

Socialism

An economic system where the government owns major means of wealth creation and redistributes resources through social programs.

Public Goods

Goods or services provided by government that are available to all without direct charge, e.g., national defense, public schooling.

Private Goods

Products and services provided by the market that people purchase for personal use, such as food and clothing.

Toll Goods

Goods that many can use but only if they pay the price, like private schooling or turnpikes.

Common Goods

Resources available to all without cost but of limited supply, such as fisheries or clean water, requiring protection from overuse.

Representative Democracy

A system where citizens elect officials to make laws and decisions on their behalf; the U.S. model.

Direct Democracy

A form of democracy in which people participate directly in decision-making, e.g., New England town meetings.

Republic

Another term for representative democracy—political power rests with the people who elect representatives.

Monarchy

Government ruled by a single hereditary leader; power may be absolute or constitutionally limited.

Oligarchy

Government in which political power rests with a small elite group, often a single party or class.

Totalitarianism

A nondemocratic system where government is more important than citizens and controls nearly all aspects of life.

Majority Rule

Principle that the preferences of the majority of voters have greater weight than those of the minority.

Minority Rights

Protections ensuring that individuals or groups who are not part of the majority cannot be deprived of certain liberties.

Elite Theory

The idea that a small, wealthy, well-educated minority holds most political power; advanced by C. Wright Mills.

Pluralist Theory

The concept that power is distributed among many competing interest groups that influence government.

Tradeoffs Perspective

View that public policy emerges from a series of compromises between competing interests and values.

Civic Engagement

Participation that connects citizens to government, such as voting, protesting, or volunteering.

Social Capital

The value of social networks and the trust, cooperation, and reciprocity they foster within a community.

Partisanship

Committed allegiance to a political party, often leading to polarized views and voting behavior.

Ideology

A set of beliefs and ideals that help shape political policy and viewpoints.

Necessary and Proper Clause

Article I, Section 8 clause granting Congress the power to make all laws required to carry out its constitutional duties; also called the Elastic Clause.

John Locke

17th-century English philosopher whose ideas on natural rights and consent of the governed influenced American political thought.

C. Wright Mills

Sociologist who argued in 'The Power Elite' that government is controlled by business, military, and political elites.

Robert Dahl

Political scientist who advanced pluralist theory in 'Who Governs?', emphasizing the role of interest groups in democracy.

___ was an English philosopher who influenced American beliefs about  the relationship between government and natural rights, which were believed to be God-given rights to life, liberty, and property.

> Thomas Jefferson 

> John Locke 

> George Washington 

> King James II

John Locke

___ is the process which decides how resources will be allocated.

> Government 

> Politics 

> Congress 

> None of the above

Politics

Which of the following is considered a weakness of the political system created by the Articles of Confederation?

> The national government could not impose taxes 

> The national government could not raise an army 

> The national government could not regulate foreign trade 

> All of the above

All of the above

Cooperative federalism is a style of federalism which led to the blending of governmental layers as in a marble cake.

> True or False

True

The US Constitution is a document written in 1776 in which the American colonists proclaimed their independence from Great Britain and listed their grievances against the British King.

> True or False

False

In a confederate system power is concentrated in the states; in a unitary system it is concentrated in the national government.

> True or False

True

The social contract is an agreement in which citizens will consent to be governed as long as government protects their natural rights.

 > True or False

True

After agreeing to the Great Compromise at the Constitutional Convention, how was representation in Congress to be apportioned?

Representation in the House would be proportional and each state would have 2 Senators

A federation is a form of government in which power is divided between state governments and a national government.

> True or False

True

A 2018 Harvard poll found that young Americans are more or less likely to be put off by partisan politics?

> More or Less

More

Toll goods are available to all without direct payment.

> True or False

False

The clause of Article I, Section 8, which enables the national government “to make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying” out all its constitutional responsibilities is an example of an elastic clause.

> True or False

True

The Bill of Rights are powers given to Congress in Article I of the Constitution.

False

In Federalist #51, what is it that Hamilton and Madison are explaining?

 > structure of government

 > separation of power

 > checks and balances

 > all of the above

All of the above

Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay wrote a series of essays, beginning in 1787, arguing for a strong federal government and support of the Constitution.  Today these papers as known as:

> The Constitutionalists

> The Bill of Rights

> The Federalist Papers

> The Articles of Confederation

The Federalist Papers

Slavery was abolished at the Constitutional Convention of 1787.

 > True or False

False

The Great Compromise successfully resolved differences between _____.

 > large and small states

> slave and non-slave states

 > the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution

 > the House and the Senate

large and small states

A _________ is a political framework in which most if not all of the power resides in the local state governments.

 > Republic

 > Confederation

 > Federation

 > Unitary

Confederation