Chapter 1-2 Review: Power, Civic Engagement, and Constitutional Convention

Question-and-answer flashcards covering elitist vs pluralist theories of power, civic engagement, local vs national government participation, representation conditions, trade-offs between liberties and public safety, and Constitutional Convention compromises.

What is the basic claim of elitist theory about who holds power in the United States?

A small group of wealthy elites run the country and use their wealth to influence government decisions, leaving ordinary citizens with little to no influence.

What does pluralist theory say about the distribution of power?

Power is shared among many groups (e.g., labor unions, environmentalists, corporations) that compete to influence government decisions.

How does civic engagement strengthen democratic governance?

By empowering ordinary citizens to influence policies through education, voting, and active participation in community and government.

How does participation in local government differ from participation in national government in terms of impact and speed?

Local government tends to produce faster, more tangible community changes (e.g., park cleanups) and closer ties to organizations, while national government involves slower, larger-scale changes and more impersonal processes (e.g., presidential elections, national advocacy).

What conditions does government create to support effective representation?

Encourages political life and provides education, tools, and space so citizens can choose who represents them.

What trade-off between individual liberties and public safety is recognized in modern states?

Governments must balance protecting public safety with respecting individual freedoms.

Which compromises at the Constitutional Convention illustrate the framers' balancing of interests?

The Great Compromise, the Three-Fifths Compromise, and the Slave Trade Compromise.

Why did the framers create a bicameral legislature?

To resolve disputes over representation between big and small states.

Why did the framers separate powers among three branches?

To prevent the concentration of power and safeguard against tyranny by ensuring no one group has too much power.