Political Science exam 2

what are civil liberties

freedoms guaranteed to the individual

What is the first amendment

the protection of government interference from fundamental rights such as freedom of religion, speech, the press, peaceful assembly, and the right to petition the government.

what is obscenity

unprotected expression that is related to government entities and the public.

Miller v. California

miller was an adult film seller in 1973 that advertised his business by mailing out graphic images to people. he was sanctioned then countersued with first amendment right. results were 5-4 against miller but created the miller test. 

what is the miller test

it is a three pronged test used to determine if something is obscene

1. does it apply to one’s own prurient (overly sexual) interest 

2. does it portray sex in a patently offensive way

3. Does it lack any artistic, scientific, literary, or cultural value

NY Times v. sullivan

in 1964, MLK was arrested, NYT put story of the officers faces and actions on the front page, there were inaccuracies in the story, so Sullivan sued for written slander. Supreme court was 9-0 in favor of NYT. Made a rule that slander can only be applied if there is actual malice, only applies to public officials and those in power.

DC V. Heller

in 2008 the supreme court had 5-4 decision in favor of giving citizens the right to bear arms. Argument over 5th amendment, whether its for military or all citizens.

What is public opinion/ why should you care abt it

the collective attitude of citizens on a given issue. We should care because it acts as an invisible hand affecting law makers decisions. 

Strengths of polling

1. hear peoples voices between election cyles

2. gets people involved who otherwise wouldnt be

weaknesses of polling

1. assumes people are knowledgeable on the topic

2. polls tend not to show the intensity, stability, or direction of public opinion. 

What makes polling scientific

it uses a representative sample accurately representing a population in a sample, and it has a margin of error which is larger the more people that are involved in the sample.

what makes polling vary

1. wording

2. order of questions

3. level of information/knowledge 

4. representative sample

what is political socialization

states that your perception in politics is based on your human experiences. 

key factors of political socialization

1. family

2. education/schooling

3. peers and community

4. political events

5. media

what are the two features of a political party

1. they are private, non- government organizations

2. they are decentralized (state based)

what are the three dimensions of a political party

1. party in voters lives

2. party in government, the majority controls every committee

3. party organization, the people that run everything

what are the four functions of political parties

1. recruit candidates

2. structure the vote

3. propose policy ideas, form the parties views

4. organize the work of the party

why only two parties

1. the structure of our elections - winner takes all, single member elections, majority wins

2. tradition - it would be hard to change

criteria for voting

1. 18+

2. citizen of the U.S.

3. residency, must vote where you live

4. must be registered to vote

5. not restricted, felons can’t vote 

what are the two stages of elections

1. primary, intra-party Dem V. Dem, inside the party

2. general, inter-party, party V party

what are two types on direct democracy

initiative: the ballot question come from the citizens, must have signatures from 10% of voting population

refrendum: the ballot questions come from the legislature. 

what are the pros of direct democracy

1. citizens can bypass the government to get what they want

2. broadens democratic opportunity, it empowers you

what are the cons of direct democracy

1. the questions can be too complex

2. interest group money, the side that spends the most wins

3. no room for compromise, a direct democracy and compromise

how do voters choose, in order

1. party identification

2. the perception of the candidates

3. where the candidate stands on issues, conflicting stances

what are the two features of the electoral college

1. indirect system: casting a recommendation

2. state based: usually winner takes all

what are the pros of electoral college

1. tradition, stability

2. forces candidates to all the states 

cons of the electoral college

1. sometimes the loser of the popular vote wins

2. swing states, candidates only visit swing states