FBLA Public Policy & Advocacy

political science

the systematic study of government and politics; analysis of political activity and behavior

democracy

system of government in which state power is vested in the people of the state

capitalism

economic and political system in which a country's trade and industry are controlled by private owners

Constitutionalism

government's authority is determined by body of laws or Constitution

Types of Political Power

- by force or coercive means

- by democratic or representative means

- majoritarianism: majority of people in government in charge of making decisions

- elitism: people with most resources have most power

- pluralism: power help by groups; most influential groups or groups given power

- expert: power is held by people with certain skills and capabilities

Sources of political power

Legitimate: merit or rewarded

Illegitimate: unlawful; extortion, coup d'etat, etc.

public opinion

Collective preferences and attitudes of citizens concerning matters of government and public policy

political culture

Deeply-rooted norms, values, and beliefs a society has about political power and legitimacy

relationship between political culture and public opinion

Political culture influences public opinion; sets general boundaries

components of GDP (gross domestic product)

personal consumption, business investment, government spending, net exports of goods/services

personal consumption expenditures

the expenditures of households for durable and nondurable consumer goods and services:

- durable: cars, appliances, furniture, etc.

- nondurable: clothing, food, gas, etc.

- services: banking, healthcare, education

shifting power from majority to a few

declining political participation; factors include:

- lack of voter participation

- single-issue voting (only caring about one topic)

- uninformed citizens

- nomination of candidates

- expense of campaign

differences between states, States, nations, countries, and governments

State/country: interchangeable; self-governing political entity

state: division of a federal State (i.e. USA)

nation: groups of people sharing a culture; called a nation-state when it is a political entity, but otherwise different from State or country

government: group within a State or country that holds political authority

political justice

the use of the judicial process for the purpose of gaining (or upholding or enlarging) or limiting (or destroying) political power or influence

individual rights

required to live a free and equitable life; cannot be interfered with or denied by government or other individuals

autocracy

a system of government by one person with absolute power

totalitarianism

government control over every aspect of public and private life

authoritarianism

the enforcement or advocacy of strict obedience to authority at the expense of personal freedom

transitional/provisional government

temporary government formed to manage a period of transition, often following state collapse

role and function of government

responsible for creating and enforcing rules of society, defense, foreign affairs, economy, and public services

characteristics of democracy

values of freedom, respect for human rights, and the principle of holding periodic and genuine elections by universal suffrage

purpose of legislative committees

developing specializations with Congress (defense, agriculture, etc.), through the division of work, thereby speeding up the legislative process

differences between Congress and Parliament

Congress introduces new bills, has different term lengths, completely elected via direct elections

powers and functions of legislature

makes laws, declares war, regulates interstate and foreign commerce, and controls taxing/spending

Current political parties

Democrats: more limited, more active government, equality

Republicans: more conservative, smaller government, individual freedom

History of U.S. Political Parties

created after debate over powers of government in the ratification of Constitution

role of minor political parties

they force major parties to address new issues and can take away votes from the major political party

Difference between two-party and multiple party systems

Multiple party systems allow for multiple groups and interests/values to share power; two-party systems allow just one of two to remain in power

special interest group

an organization of people with some common interest who try to influence government decisions

relationship between political parties and special interest groups

special interest groups incentivize political parties to create certain public policies

How to measure public opinion

elections, polls

statutory law

The body of law enacted by legislative bodies (as opposed to constitutional law, administrative law, or case law).

common law

a system of law based on precedent and customs

code law

a set of written rules for people to obey

administration law

rules and regulations set by government agencies

religious law

based on the officially established rules governing the faith and practice of a particular religion

regulatory law

administrative law

quota and random sampling

quota: convenience samples within smaller subsets of a population, cheaper, more efficient, less accurate

random: random sample of entire population, more accurate, more expensive, less efficient

fiscal policy

the use of government spending and revenue collection to influence the economy

how does the federal reserve develop monetary policy

managing the level of short-term interest rates and influencing the availability and cost of credit in the economy; indirectly affects currency exchange, stock prices, and wealth

types of U.S. foreign policy

trade, diplomacy, sanctions, military/defense, intelligence, foreign aid, and global environmental policy

differences between market and state-controlled economies

market: utilize private ownership as the means of production and voluntary exchanges; prices set by supply and demand

state-controlled/command: government own factors of production and sets prices and production schedules

regulatory policy

restriction placed by government to provide fair and efficient market for companies and consumers

examples of regulatory policies

removal of lead from gasoline, ban on arsenic in drinking water, installation of airbags in cars

runoff election

a "second round" election in which voters choose between the top two candidates from the first round, or if no candidate meets first threshold

recall election

a special election called by voters to remove an elected official before his/her term expires.

rationale behind reapportionment and redistricting

reapportionment: conducted after each census; reflects changes in population of each state for more equal House

redistricting: ensures that each congressional district reflects views and demographics of state

bureaucracy

body of non-elected governing officials, or administrative policy-making group

yellow media/yellow journalism

style of newspaper reporting that emphasized sensationalism over facts

Difference between globalization and nationalization

Globalization: process by which businesses develop international influence or start operating on an international scale

Nationalization: process by which private companies are put under control of government

sovereignty

supreme power or authority

direct vs indirect election

Direct: officials chosen directly by the people

Indirect: officials chosen by a special body chosen by the people; ex. electoral college

factors that influence election outcomes

State of Economy (if good then more votes in favor of the incumbent) and National issues, party identification (how popular or successful they are),

campaign strategies, demographics

How is the bureaucracy held accountable?

reorganization, presidential appointments, executive budget

social insurance programs

Programs to help the elderly, ill, and unemployed if the claimant has paid into them; ex. Social Security, Medicare, unemployment insurance

public assistance programs

government programs that make payments to citizens based on need

important veteran organizations

American Legion, VFW, etc

Bureaucracy

A large, complex organization composed of appointed officials

Individual representation

representation of a single individual or small group of individuals within political system; ex. elected officials, Senators, Representatives

Original vs. Appellate Jurisdiction

original jurisdiction: power to hear a case for the first time

appellate jurisdiction: higher court has the power to review a lower court's decision

government entity responsible for foreign policy

Department of State

party nomination

An internal contest to decide who should represent a party in an upcoming election