Exam 1 Study Guide - Honors Government

Demographic Profile of the United States

Melting pot

Who are the early Settlers?

Siberians; Native Americans

Waves of Immigration (3)

1) Spain and France, 2) Great Britain, England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, 3) Germany

What religions did the three waves of immigration each bring with them?

1) Catholicism, 2) Protestantism, 3) Catholicism and Protestantism

When and where did the three waves of immigration happen?

1) 1600-1700, LA, 2) early 1700’s, New England, 3) early 1800’s, Midwest

Protestant work ethic

Work hard and suffer now for a potential reward in the future; people should be productive; Calvinism

Calvinism

Everything is predetermined and already chosen before birth, nothing will change it so just focus on work/labor

Alien and Seditions Act

4 laws passed by congress in 1798 to make it easier to discriminate against immigrants/minorities

The four laws of the Alien and Sedition Act were:

Alien Friends Act, Alien Enemies Act, Naturalization Act, and Sedition Act

Chinese Exclusion Act

Legal Chinese residents couldn’t become citizens and it extended the ban on Chinese Immigration from 10 years to 20 years

What years was the Alien Sedition Act passed and repealed?

Passed in 1798 and repealed in 1800

When were Chinese Exclusion Acts I and II passed?

I in 1882 and II in 1890

Alien Contract Labor Law

Prevented employers from trying to recruit immigrant labor

When was the Alien Contract Labor Law passed?

1885

Quota System

Set specific limits or desires on immigrants depending on where they were coming in from

Preferential Treatment

One or more groups of immigrants are more preferred to immigrate into the US than others

Consequences of illegal immigration from Mexico (5)

Political divisions, anti-immigrant movements (such as the minuteman project), religious diversity, economic and demographic diversity, and the development of identity politics

Benefits of Mexican Immigration

Fills jobs people don’t want to do, cheap labor, and good for economy

Political Cleavages (divisions)

Democrats vs Republicans, Church vs State, Urban vs Rural, etc

Minuteman Project

Led by Jim Gilchrist, a militia to protect the border that used illegal tactics and abused human rights

Nativist Movements

Political organizations that advocate for the interests of native-born citizens over immigrants

Know Nothing Party

Wanted to stop immigration, stop the spread of Catholicism so the pope wouldn’t rule, and targeted Italy, Ireland, and Chinese

Religious Diversity

People fled from countries with religious prosecution to the US because it has no set religion

Economic and Demographic Diversity

Dominant groups targeted minority groups like the Irish (wouldn’t get hired for jobs if you had a Mc… last name)

Regional Differences

Western and Eastern states are more developed than Southern States

Identity Politics

Your race, class, ethnicity, religion, region, and gender influence your views and cause support of groups (factions)

Political Culture

Pluribus Unum - out of many people, one; shared sets of beliefs, behaviors, values, and attitudes; determines if a nation is a democracy or a dictatorship

How Political Culture is learned (5)

1) Parents, 2) peers/friends, 3) media ecosystem, 4) social/economic status, and 5) state/city location

Core Values of American Political Culture (5)

1) Belief in personal freedoms, 2) belief in political equality, 3) majority rule, 4) minority rights, and 5) economic/property rights

Individual Liberty

The inherent right of a person to make their own personal choices without arbitrary/undue interference from the government

Communitarianism

Advocates for a moral-led society; people have common moral values, collective responsibility, and social importance

Political Equality

Everyone gets one vote; democracy

Majority rule

Agree to disagree; majority rules for now, then minority (now majority), and things stay in balance due to this switch

Minority rights

The majority still has to obey minority rights even after they gain control

Economic rights

Access to food, water, healthcare, housing, property, and employment

Adam Smith

Laissez Faire - let things take their course without interfering; believes this is the best form of government

Why is Laissez Faire controversial?

The gap between the rich and the poor will just get wider

Direct Democracy

“Mob rule,” everyone represents themselves only and everyone must get a say

Indirect Democracy

Republic, people elect who we want to represent us as a whole

Trusteeship Model

We should handle our assets as trustees not as entitled owners

Plebiscites/Referendums

Signatures can be gathered, authenticated, and voted upon on the ballot in the next election

Political Participation

Voting, protesting, congress ranking, joining organizations, and getting involved in your government

Why is political participation in the US at an all time low (10 reasons)?

Invention of television, average household income has decreased, less educated, minority population has increased, young people are less likely to vote, elections are held on weekdays, two-party system, negative campaigns, growth of interest groups, and no compulsory voting laws

Civic Mindedness

People wanted to be including and they care about others

Robert Putnam was known for stating that

Technology has had major effects on why voter turnout is low

Pluralist Model of Democracy

Power is distributed among many interest groups

Continental Congress

The legislative body present in the early US during the Articles of Confederation

Confederal System

The league of association between states that adopts a decnetralized form of government

What modern document did the Articles of Confederation serve as?

The constitution

Provisions of the Articles of Confederation

Each of the 13 original states were able to retain their own sovereignty and act as their own independent country

Problems with the Articles of Confederation (6)

No executive branch, no support for merchants, weak national army, states saw national laws as voluntary, farmer rebellions, and America had no national identity

Shays’ Rebellion

Led by Daniel Shays, advocated for farmers, seized weapons from Springfield, MA, blocked legislative buildings, and kidnapped legislators

Was Shays’ Rebellion successful?

No

Nathaniel Gorham

President of continental congress and a great tradesman, wanted to become a territory of Prussia, he wrote a letter to their king/prince but it was never sent

What country is modern-day Prussia?

Germany

Who stopped the letter to Prussia from being sent?

Alexander Hamilton

Barbary Invasions

Invasions from pirates on US ships that traveled near Northern Africa

What was the conflict between large and small states? (? vs ?)

Federalists (large) vs Anti-federalists (small)

Constitutional Convention

Emergency meeting called by the Constitutional Congress in 1787, held in Philadelphia, PA with the purpose to create a better government system

What state boycotted the Constitutional Convention?

Rhode Island

Who acted as a middle-man to keep the C. Con. running smoothly?

James Madison

James Madison

Neither federalist nor anti-federalist, so charismatic and savvy that people considered him fake, master diplomat and critical to the C. Con.

Who were the founding mothers (4)?

The Daughters of Liberty, Mercy Otis Warren, Mary Goddard, and Margaret Corbin

What government did the federalists want to have more power?

More power to the national gov.

What government did the anti-federalists want to have more power?

More power to the state govs.

Who were the federalists led by?

Alexander Hamilton

Alexander Hamilton

Bigger states should have more power, force farmers to pay their debts, stronger state banks, and favored a president and a senate that were elected for life

Who were the anti-federalists led by?

Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry

Patrick Henry

Fought for the Bill of Rights, “give me liberty or give me death”

Thomas Jefferson

States power should be coequal to the national govs. power, protect people from national gov., didn’t want a dictatorship

Trusteeship Model of gov.

Elected officials exercise their own judgement to make decisions they believe are best for everyoone

Sources of conflict at the C. Con. (3)

Representation, slavery, and taxation

What were the three plans proposed to solve the conflict of representation?

The Virginia Plan, the Patterson/New jersey Plan, and the Great (Connecticut) Compromise

Who proposed each of the representation plans at the C. Con.?

Virginia - James Madison, Patterson/New Jersey - William Patterson, and Connecticut - Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth

Was the Virginia Plan a large or small state plan?

Large state

Was the Patterson/New Jersey Plan a large or small state plan?

Small state

Was the Great (Connecticut) Compromise a large or small state plan?

Small state

Why was slavery a conflict during the C.Con.?

The north felt that the south would state to dominate because the slave population would make them appear more populous than the north, why should slaves count towards the population is native americans couldn’t count?

How was slavery compromised on at the C. Con.?

The 3/5 compromise, each slave only counted as 3/5 of a person

Consequences of the 3/5 compromise

Southern states gained more leverage and influenced slave trade policies more

Why was taxation a conflict during the C. Con.? What did the north want?

The north wanted a free trade system, one currency, and more gov. regulation on economy and banks, and taxes on imports so people would be more likely to buy from the north instead

Why was taxation a conflict during the C. Con.? What did the south want?

The south didn’t want taxes on imports because they’re the ones who buy them and the countries who sell them may start to tax as well and this would make the north more powerful than the south

The north is to manufacturing as the south is to ______

Agriculture

The south is to agriculture as the north is to ______

Manufacturing

Features of the Constitution (5)

Republic, Fragmentation of powers, adoption of federalism, separation of powers, and checks + balances

How was fragmentation of powers achieved?

By splitting the government into three branches

How was federalism adopted?

National gov. = state gov. unless in a conflict, where national gov. > state gov. but the senate can still check the executive branch

How were powers separated?

Bicameral legislature and taxing + spending must originate in the house, the leaders of each institution are elected at different times for different term lengths

Checks and balances

Each branch is able to check the others so no branch is more dominant than another

Why are election times staggered?

To prevent one political party from ruling all 3; no sudden shifts in policies, change must be slow

How are members of the house of representatives elected, how often, and how long are their term limits?

Direct elections, serve for 2 years, and no term limits

How are members of the senate elected, how often, and how long are their term limits?

Elected by state legislatures, serve for 6 years, no term limits

How was the conflict of taxation settled between the north and the south?

Congress will impose taxes on imports but no tax on exports

What were the chief motivators of our founding fathers? (3)

Philosophical ideas, political experience, and economic interests

How did philosophical ideas motivate our founding fathers?

Social contract theorists influenced the founders ideas of government

Two main social contract theorists:

John Locke and Thomas Hobbes

Who was the most influential philosopher to our founding fathers?

John Locke

What were John Locke’s most influential ideas? (4)

The pursuit of happiness, giving up certain rights but not all, strong banking and military system, and majority rule

What was Thomas Hobbes’ most influential idea? (1)

Give up all your rights and freedoms to the government

What did Montesquieu believe about government?

The best form of government is one that divides powers into 3 or more branches