First test

politics

process by which political leaders are selected and the policies they pursue

political participation

the ways people get involved in politics

single-issue groups

interest groups whose members vote based on a single issue

4 linkage institutions

political parties, elections, mass media, and interest groups

4 policy making institutions

legislative, executive, and judicial branches and bureaucracy (unelected people who work for the government)

public policy

a choice that the government makes in response to a political issue

policy impacts

the effects that a policy has on people and problems (ex. court decisions)

democracy

a system in which policy represents and responds to the public’s preferences. needs views from all sides to function effectively

pluralist theory

policy is mainly a competition among groups, each one pressing for its own preferred policies. groups must come to a compromise.

elitist theory

societies are decided along class lines and the upper-class with rule. policies benefit those with money and power.

participatory theory

the more people who vote the better it is for everyone

challenges to democracy

increased complexity of issues makes it harder for citizens to make decisions, limiting participation in government

five elements of american political culture

liberty, egalitarianism, individualism, laissez-faire, populism.

liberty

freedom

egalitarianism

equality of opportunity

individualism

people can/should get ahead on their own

laissez-faire

promotes free market and limited government in the economy

populism

supporting the rights of averaged citizens in their struggle against privileged elites (ex. against big pharma)

declaration of independence

clearly lists the reasons for the separation from england

articles of confederation

first form of government, loose association between states, unicameral legislature

aoc unicameral legislature

each state with one representative, president over the congress, no us president, no taxes, no military, passes laws with super-majority.

military was disband

congress had to ask states for money, but they didn’t provide it

shay’s rebellion

were supposed to be paid for fighting in the war, but they weren’t. they marched on banks and courthouses because their farms were going to be foreclosed on. they couldn’t be fought against bc there was no army.

aoc weaknesses

difficult to pass legislation, amendment needed unanimous vote, no executive branch, congress couldn’t regulate trade, no monetary system.

philadelphia convention

secret meeting to create a new government

washington and franklin

limited national authority based on separation of powers

rutledge and morris

didn’t trust the common man to govern

hamilton and others

wanted a monarch

madison and wilson

wanted a central government founded on popular support

the great compromise (connecticut) why it was needed

small states wanted equal representation and big states wanted representation based on population

the great compromise (connecticut)

created a bicameral legislature

house of representatives

based on population

senate

each state has two members

separation of powers

james madison, legislative/create, executive/enforce, judicial/interpret.

checks and balances

each branch has specific powers and can restrict the powers of another branch

the constitution needed -/- votes to be ratified

9/13

federalists

were in favor of a strong central government and pushed for the constitution

anti-federalists

wanted a weak central government and tried to block the constitution

bill of rights

first ten amendments

we have to bill of rights because

support was needed by the necessary number of states so that the constitution would pass

first amendment

freedoms of speech, religion, assembly, petition the government, press

second amendment

right to bear arms

third amendment

not to quarter soldiers

fourth amendment

unreasonable search and soldiers

fifth amendment

guarantees rights in a criminal case

rights in criminal cases

indicted by grand jury, protect from self-incrimination, protects from double jeopardy, right of due process, eminent domain

eminent domain

private property shall not be taken for public use without just compensation

sixth amendment

protects the right of those accused of a crime

sixth amendment rights

speedy, public trial, informed of charges, to question witnesses, to a lawyer

seventh amendment

right to a jury trial in civil cases worth over twenty-dollars

eighth amendment

cruel and unusual punishment and excesive bail

ninth amendment

we enjoy other rights not listed in the constitution

ninth amendment rights

live where we want, work any job we want, get education, marry, and travel freely

tenth amendment

powers not specifically given to the federal government are then given to the state

eleventh amendment

if you sue a different state the case is heard in the state being sued

twelfth amendment

president and vice president run on the same ballot

thirteenth amendment

outlawed slavery

fourteenth amendment

equal protection under the law

fifteenth amendment

african americans have the right to vote

sixteenth amendment

created income tax

seventeenth amendment

created direct election of senators by the people

eighteenth amendment

prohibition

prohibition

illegal to manufacture, transport, and sell alcohol

nineteenth amendment

right for women to vote

twentieth amendment

lame-duck amendment- limited time between vote to office nov-march to nov-jan

twenty-first amendment

repealed prohibition

twenty-second amendment

limited the president to two terms

twenty-third amendment

gave washington dc a vote in the presidential election

twenty-fourth amendment

prohibits poll taxes

twenty-fifth amendment

order of presidential succession, president to appoint vice, president to turn power over

twenty-sixth amendment

lowers voting age from 21 to 18

twenty-seventh amendment

any raised granted to congress doesn’t take affect until the next election

proposing an amendment

2/3 vote by both bodies of congress or a special convention of both state legislatures

ratifying an amendment

¾ of state legislatures must approve it or a special convention in each state

federalism

organizing a nation so that two or more levels of government have formal authority over the same land and people

unitary government

organizing a nation so all power resides in the centeral government

why is federalism so important

decentralizes politics and policies

what it means to decentralize our politics

more opportunities for political participation

what does decentralizes our policies

federal and state governments handle different problems

states are often _____

testing grounds for new federal policies

supremacy clause

article vi of the constitution states the us constitution, laws of congress, and treaties are supreme

implied powers

not written but obvious

mcculloch v maryland

congress had implied powers in addition to its enumerated powers

gibbons v odgen

defined commerce very broadly to encompass virtually every form of commercial activity

Constitution article that focuses on federalism

fourth amendment

full faith and credit

article iv of constitution requires each state to recognize the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of all other states

privileges and immunities

constitution requires states to give citizens of each state the privilege of citizens of other states

dual federalism

a system of government in which both states and national government remain supreme within their own spheres, each responsible for

dual federalism is called

layered cake

cooperative federalism

a system of government in which powers and policy assignments are shared between states and the national government

cooperative federalism is also called

marbled cake

concurrent power

both state/fed govs have powers that overlap

devolution

transferring responsibility for policies from the federal government and local government

fiscal federalism

pattern of spending, taxing, and providing grants in the federal system

the grant system

distributing the federal pie

unfunded mandates

federal government forcing programs on states without giving them money

categorical grants (project grants and formula grants)

can be used for specific purposes and have strings attached

block grants

support programs in community development and social services

equal access act

law that restricts the ability of public high schools to exclude religious extracurricular groups

american civil liberties union

ensures that american individual rights and liberties are not being infringed