American Government Exam 1 Definitions

Politics

Who gets what, and when, and how; a process of determining how power and resources are distributed in a society without resource to violence

Power

the ability to get other people to do what you want

Media

the channels - including television, radio, newspapers, and the internet - through which information is sent and received

Social Order

the way we organize and live our collective lives

Democracy

ensures opportunity for everyone to fight for what they want

Tools of Politics Are:

-compromise and cooperation
-discussion and debate
-deal making
-bargaining
-storytelling
-bribery and deceit

Government

a system or organization for exercising authority over a body of people

Authority

the power that people recognize as legitimate

Legitimate

accepted as "right" or proper

Rules

directives that specify how resources will be distributed or what procedures govern collective activity

Norms

informal, unwritten expectations that guide behavior and support formal rule systems; often most noticeable when broken

Institutions

organizations in which government power is exercised

Political Narrative

a persuasive story about the nature of power, who should have it, and how it should be used

Major Part of Politics

competing to have a narrative accepted as the authoritative account

Gatekeepers

journalists and the media elite who determine which news stories are covered and which are not

Economics

the production and distribution of a society's material resources and services

Procedural Guarantees

government assurance that the rules will work smoothly and treat everyone fairly, with no promise of particular outcomes

Substantative Guarantees

government assurance of particular outcomes or results

Socialist Economy

an economic system in which the state determines production, distribution and price desicions, and property is government owned

Capitalist Economy

an economic system in which the market determines production, distribution, and price decisions, and property is privately owned

Laissez-Faire Capitalism

an economic system in which the market makes all decisions and the government plays no role

Mixed Economies

economic systems based on modified forms of capitalism tempered by substantiative values

Regulated Capitalism

a market system in which the government intervenes to protect rights

Social Democracy

a mixed economy that uses the democratic process to bend capitalism toward socialist goals (like more equality)

Democratic Socialism

a mixed economy that combines socialist deals with a commitment to democracy and market capitalism, keeping socialism as its goal

Authoritarian Governments

systems in which the state holds all power over the social order

Totalitarian

a system in which absolute power is exercised over every aspect of life

Authoritarian Capitalism

a system in which the state allows people economic freedom but maintains stringent social regulations to limit noneconomic behavior

Advanced Industrial Democracy

combines a considerable amount of personal freedom with a free-market economy

Communist Democracy

democracy that also tries to heavily regulate the economy, like Marx's theoretical radical democracy with communally owned property

Anarchy (the most extreme form)

the absence of government and laws

Authoritarian Systems have:

- people have no effective power against the government
- strict government control over the narrative and flow of information

Nonauthoritarian Systems have:

- power rests with individuals or the collective will to make decisions concerning their lives

Democratic Government

government that vests power in the people; based on popular sovereignty

Popular Sovereignty

the concept that the citizens are the ultimate source of political power

Populism

social movements based on the idea that power has been concentrated illegitimately among elites at the people's expense

Who are the individuals in authoritarian systems?

Subjects that are obliged to submit to a government authority against which they have no rights

Who are the individuals in democratic systems?

Citizens that are members of a political community having both rights and responsibilities

The Ancient World (500-300 BCE)

athenian democracy and Roman republic

Middle Ages (600-1500 AD)

politics based largely on the divine right of kings (the principle that earthly rulers receive their authority from God)

Social Contract

the notion that society is based on an agreement between government and the governed in which people agree to give up some rights in exchange for the protection of others

Early Modern Europe (7th century)

government should allow for order and progress

Classical Liberalism

a political ideology dating from the 7th century emphasizing individual rights over the power of the state

Iroquois Confederacy

alliance of five east coast Native American nations (early federalism)

James Madison's idea of a republic

where decisions are made through representatives

Digital Native

an individual born after the advent of digital technology who is proficient in and dependent on its use

Mediated Citizens

those for whom most personal and commercial relationships, access to information about the world and recreational or professional activities, and communication with others passes through third-party (often electronic media) channels, which may or may not modify or censor that information

Public-Interested Citizenship

a view of citizenship focused on action to realize an individual citizen's interests

Self-Interested Citizenship

a view of citizenship focused on action to realize and individual citizen's interests

Governments in Authoritarian

- dictatorship
- theocracy
- fascism
- oligarchy

Dictatorship

one-person rules

Theocracy

where religion rules all aspects of life

Fascism

is where the state is the ultimate authority

Oligarchy

where a ruling class runs the state

Past Examples of Founders: The Ancient World

- consent of the individual citizen
- rule of law protected people's natural rights
- mixed government was the best

Middle Ages

make a secular (non-religious everyday aspects of life) government

Identity Politics

the assertion of power, or discrimination, by a group--or an appeal for support to a group--based on their common perception of who they are

Fundamental Element of Democracy

legal description of citizens and how to obtain citizenship

American Citizenship

- right of the soil
- right by blood

Immigrants

citizens or subjects of one country who move to another country to live or work

Naturalization

the legal process of acquiring citizenship for someone who has not acquired it by birth

Asylum

protection or sanctuary, especially from political persecution

Refugees

individuals who flee an area or a country because of persecution on the basis of race, nationality, religion, group membership, or political opinion

Nativism

the belief that the needs of citizens ought to be met before those of immigrants

Political Culture

the broad patterns of ideas, beliefs, and values about citizens and government held by the citizens of a country

Values

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

Normative

a term used to describe beliefs or values about how things should be or what people ought to do rather than what actually is

Procedural guarantees

government assurance that the rules will work smoothly and treat everyone fairly, with no promise of particular outcomes

Individualism

the belief that what is good for society is based on what is good for individuals

Ideologies

sets of beliefs about politics and society that help people make sense of their world

Conservatives

people who generally favor limited government and are cautious about change

Liberals

people who generally favor government action and view change as progress

The economic dimension

Divergence between conservatives and liberals after the Great Depression

The social order dimension

- Increased focus on issues of morality and quality of life in the 1980s and1990s - Question of how much government control there should be over the moral and social order

Colonists left England for many reasons

- Make their fortunes - Practice their religion without interference - Become landowners

Framing of British Colonial Authority as Illegitimate

Rejection of the sovereignty of the British Parliament

National government had a Congress with powers:

- Decide matters of war and peace - Coin money - Direct the armed forces - Enter treaties

Virginia Plan

- favored large states
- Based on popular sovereignty
- Bicameral legislature
- Congressional seats
- Broad powers
- A National Executive
- Federal court system
- Ratification by the people

New Jersey Plan

- favored small states
- Based on state sovereignty
- Unicameral legislature
- Equal votes
- limited powers
- Multiple executive
- Supreme tribunal with narrow powers
- Ratification by the states

The Great Compromise

strong federal structure headed by a central government with sufficient power to tax its citizens, regulate commerce

Three-fifths compromise

Each slave counted as three-fifths of a person

Federalists

- Supported ratification of the Constitution
- Wanted strong central
- Concerned about security and order

Anti-Federalists

- Opposed ratification of the Constitution
- Wanted states to have power
- Corruption best kept in check at the local level

The Federalist Papers

- Written by Madison, Hamilton, and Jay under the pen name Publius
- Called for ratification of the Constitution
- Published in New York papers to persuade legislators to ratify the Constitution

How many votes are required for support?

9 of the 13 state legislatures

Bicameral legislature

has two chambers: the House of Representatives and the Senate

What are the three branches of government?

- Congress (Legislative) - Presidency (Executive) - Federal Court System (Judicial)

Unicameral

a legislature with only one chamber

House of Representatives

depends on the state's population

Senate

two members regardless of the state's population

Norms that support the legislature

- Compromise - Dignity and good sportsmanship

Parliamentary system

The executive is a member of the legislature, chosen by the legislators themselves, not by a national electorate

Norms that support the Executive

- Independence, dignity, and unity - Limited executive who could be removed from office and is bound by law

The Judicial Branch

the power to interpret laws and judge whether a law has been broken

Legislative supremacy

An alternative to judicial review, the acceptance of legislative acts as the final law of the land

Separation of powers

the institutional arrangement that assigns judicial, executive, and legislative powers to different branches of the government, thereby limiting their powers

Checks and balances

the principle that allows each branch of government to exercise some form of control over the others

Federalism

a political system in which authority is divided between different levels of government

The Supremacy Clause (Article VI):

the Constitution and laws made under its provisions are the supreme law of the land. When federal and state law conflict, federal law prevails

Effects of federalism

- Tax system - Unclear lines of responsibility - Enforcement from the national government