POLS 1101 Exam 1 – American Government

What is the basic idea behind national sovereignty?

The principle that a state has supreme authority over its own territory and political affairs without being subordinate to another state.

Why is national sovereignty important to a government?

It establishes the government's authority to make and enforce decisions within its territory.

Which three values are central to the dilemmas of American government?

Freedom, order, and equality.

What does freedom mean in the context of government?

The ability of individuals to make choices and act without unnecessary government interference.

Why can freedom and order conflict with each other?

Rules that increase safety and stability can restrict some individual freedom.

Why is a speed limit an example of the trade-off between freedom and order?

Speed limits restrict individual behavior in order to increase safety and maintain order.

What does order mean as a goal of government?

Maintaining stability, safety, and predictable rules through laws, regulations, and enforcement.

What does equality mean as a goal of government?

The principle that people should be treated equally in important political and legal ways.

What is political equality?

Equal political participation, especially the principle that eligible citizens should have an equal vote.

What is social equality?

Equal treatment under the law regardless of wealth, education, or social status.

What is the difference between equality of opportunity and equality of outcome?

Equality of opportunity focuses on equal chances, while equality of outcome focuses on people ending up with more similar results.

Which situation best demonstrates political equality?

Two eligible citizens each having one vote that carries the same political weight.

Which situation best demonstrates social equality?

People receiving the same legal protections regardless of their income or social status.

What is the main dilemma involving freedom, order, and equality?

Government must balance these values because increasing one can sometimes reduce or complicate another.

What is the oldest major purpose of government?

Maintaining order.

What are the three major purposes of government discussed in the lecture?

Maintaining order, providing public goods, and promoting equality.

What are public goods?

Resources or services provided for public use, such as roads, education, water, sanitation, and parks.

Why does government provide public goods?

They benefit society but may not be produced adequately through voluntary individual action.

Does public mean free when discussing public goods?

No. Public goods are commonly paid for through taxes, fees, or other government revenue.

What is redistribution of income?

Government uses collected resources to provide programs or services intended to help people and reduce economic inequality.

Why is promoting equality more controversial than providing some public goods?

People disagree about taxation and how much responsibility government should have for reducing economic or social inequality.

What was the New Deal?

A set of programs created under Franklin D. Roosevelt during the Great Depression to provide economic assistance and recovery.

What did Thomas Hobbes believe about government?

He believed strong government was necessary to maintain order because life without government would be insecure and conflict-prone.

What did Hobbes mean by the state of nature?

A condition without government in which people lack a common authority to maintain order and security.

Which political thinker is most closely associated with the idea that government is necessary to prevent disorder and insecurity?

Thomas Hobbes.

What did John Locke believe was the purpose of government?

To protect individual rights, including life, liberty, and property, while maintaining order.

How did Locke's ideas influence American government?

His ideas about natural rights and legitimate government influenced the Declaration of Independence.

What is the major difference between Hobbes and Locke?

Hobbes emphasized security and order through strong government, while Locke emphasized government protecting individual rights and liberty.

What did Karl Marx believe about private ownership of productive property?

He rejected private ownership of the means of production and favored collective ownership.

Which thinker is most associated with the ideas that became the foundation of communism?

Karl Marx.

How does Marx's view of society differ from Locke's?

Marx emphasized collective ownership and economic equality, while Locke emphasized individual rights and private property.

What is liberalism in the political sense discussed in the lecture?

The belief that government should generally leave individuals free to pursue their own goals and interests.

What is capitalism?

An economic system based primarily on private ownership of property and the means of production, with economic activity coordinated largely through markets.

What is socialism?

An economic system in which government or society has greater control or ownership of resources and economic activity in order to promote greater economic equality.

What is communism?

A system based on collective ownership of productive resources and the goal of eliminating class divisions and private ownership of the means of production.

What is the key difference between capitalism and communism?

Capitalism emphasizes private ownership and markets, while communism emphasizes collective ownership and economic equality.

What is the key idea behind socialism?

Using greater collective or government control of resources and economic activity to promote social and economic equality.

What is totalitarianism?

A system in which the government seeks extensive control over political, social, and personal life and does not allow meaningful political opposition.

What is libertarianism?

A political philosophy that places a very high value on individual freedom and favors limited government intervention.

What is conservatism?

A political viewpoint that generally emphasizes tradition, stability, order, and caution toward rapid government or social change.

What is liberalism?

A political viewpoint that generally emphasizes individual rights, social change, and a greater willingness to use government to address social or economic problems.

Why should classical liberalism associated with John Locke not automatically be treated as identical to modern American liberalism?

They are related historically but refer to different political ideas and contexts.

What is democracy?

A system of government in which the people participate in political decision-making.

What is autocracy?

A system of government in which political power is concentrated in one individual.

What is oligarchy?

A system in which political power is controlled by a small group of people.

How does oligarchy differ from democracy?

Oligarchy concentrates political power in a small group, while democracy involves the people in political decision-making.

How does autocracy differ from oligarchy?

Autocracy centers power in one ruler, while oligarchy centers power in a small group.

What is procedural democratic theory?

The view that democracy is defined primarily by whether democratic procedures, such as elections, voting, and representation, are properly followed.

What is substantive democracy?

The view that democracy should be judged not only by procedures but also by whether government produces meaningful democratic outcomes such as rights and equality.

What is participatory democracy?

A model emphasizing active and direct citizen participation in political decision-making.

What is the major difference between procedural and substantive democracy?

Procedural democracy focuses on whether democratic processes are followed, while substantive democracy focuses on whether democratic values and outcomes are achieved.

How does participatory democracy differ from representative democracy?

Participatory democracy emphasizes citizens actively participating in political decisions, while representative democracy relies heavily on elected officials to make decisions.

What is majoritarianism?

The principle that political decisions generally reflect what more than half of the people support.

What is the basic premise of majoritarian democracy?

Majority rule: the preference of the majority generally determines the outcome.

What is pluralism?

The idea that many competing groups and interests influence government policy.

What is the basic premise of pluralist democracy?

Multiple competing interest groups attempt to influence government decisions rather than one group controlling everything.

What is elite theory?

The theory that government is controlled or heavily influenced by a relatively small group of powerful people.

Which theory argues that government is controlled or heavily influenced by a small group of powerful people rather than the population as a whole?

Elite Theory.

Which theory argues that many different groups compete to influence government policy?

Pluralism.

Which principle means that political decisions generally reflect what more than half of the people support?

Majoritarianism.

How does elite theory differ from pluralism?

Elite theory emphasizes a small powerful group controlling important decisions, while pluralism emphasizes many competing groups influencing government.

How does pluralism differ from majoritarianism?

Majoritarianism emphasizes majority rule, while pluralism emphasizes competition among interest groups.

What is the most important difference between majoritarianism, pluralism, and elite theory?

Majoritarianism = majority rules; pluralism = competing groups influence government; elite theory = a small powerful group has major influence.

Is the United States purely majoritarian or purely pluralist according to the lecture?

Neither; the United States contains both majoritarian and pluralist elements.

Why does the United States have majoritarian elements?

Citizens vote in elections and majority or plurality principles are used to determine many electoral outcomes.

Why does the United States have pluralist elements?

Interest groups, lobbyists, competing interests, and decentralized government influence political decisions.

What is an interest group?

An organized group that attempts to influence government policy.

What is lobbying?

Attempting to influence government officials or policymakers about public policy.

How can lobbying affect government without directly controlling government?

Lobbyists communicate with policymakers and attempt to persuade them about legislation and policy.

Why can pluralism limit majority rule?

Interest groups, institutions, and competing interests can prevent a policy supported by a majority from automatically becoming law.

What three features did Robert Dahl associate with a functioning pluralist system?

Divided authority, decentralization, and open access.

What does divided authority mean?

Political power is spread among different institutions rather than concentrated in one person or institution.

What does decentralization mean?

Government authority is divided among different levels, such as federal, state, and local governments.

What does open access mean in pluralism?

Different groups have opportunities to participate and influence government.

What is direct democracy?

A system in which citizens directly make policy decisions.

What is indirect or representative democracy?

A system in which citizens elect representatives to make political decisions for them.

What is an initiative?

A process through which citizens propose a measure and attempt to place it on the ballot.

What is a referendum?

A process in which an issue or proposed measure is placed on the ballot for voters to decide.

What is a recall?

A process that allows citizens to attempt to remove an elected official before the official's term ends.

What is the easiest way to distinguish initiative, referendum, and recall?

Initiative = citizens propose; referendum = voters decide on a measure; recall = citizens attempt to remove an official.

A group of citizens collects signatures to place a proposed law on the ballot. What process is this?

Initiative.

A government places a proposed law on the ballot so voters can approve or reject it. What process is this?

Referendum.

Citizens attempt to remove an elected governor before the governor's term ends. What process is this?

Recall.

What is the Declaration of Independence?

The 1776 document that declared the American colonies independent from Great Britain and expressed principles of natural rights and legitimate government.

How is John Locke connected to the Declaration of Independence?

Locke's ideas about natural rights and legitimate government influenced the Declaration's political philosophy.

What is social contract theory?

The idea that government is created through an agreement between people and rulers, with government gaining legitimacy from the governed.

What does social contract theory say about rulers who violate the purposes of government?

People have the right to resist or remove rulers who violate the purposes for which government was established.

Which theory states that people agree to establish rulers but may resist or remove rulers who act against certain purposes?

Social Contract Theory.

What is the Articles of Confederation?

The first governing framework of the United States, which created a weak national government with most power remaining with the states.

Why was the government under the Articles of Confederation considered weak?

The national government lacked important powers, including strong taxing and enforcement abilities.

What was the Great Compromise?

The agreement that created a bicameral Congress with representation based on population in the House and equal representation for states in the Senate.

Why was the Great Compromise necessary?

Large and small states disagreed over how states should be represented in Congress.

What is the Supremacy Clause?

The constitutional principle that federal law takes precedence over conflicting state law.

In which clause of the Constitution is the assertion that national law takes precedence over state law?

Supremacy Clause.

What is the Bill of Rights?

The first ten amendments to the Constitution, protecting important individual liberties and limiting government power.

Why did the omission of a Bill of Rights become a major obstacle to ratification of the Constitution?

Anti-Federalists feared the new national government could threaten individual liberties without explicit protections.

What was the chief obstacle to ratification of the Constitution by the states?

The omission of a Bill of Rights.

What is federalism?

A system in which governmental power is divided between a national government and state governments.

What is dual federalism?

A system in which federal and state governments have separate and distinct areas of authority.

Which statement best describes the doctrine of dual federalism?

State and federal governments have separate areas of authority and responsibilities.