US Gov: Unit 1

Government

The institutions through which public policies are made for a society.

Politics

The process determining the leaders we select and the policies they pursue.

Linkage Institutions

Political channels through which people's concerns become political issues on the policy agenda. (political parties, elections, interest groups, the media, etc.)

The 5 Basic Duties Each Government Should Perform

1. Maintain a national defense.

2. Provide public goods and services.

3. Preserve order.

4. Socialize the young.

5. Collect taxes.

Political Culture

An overall set of values widely shared within a society

Democracy

A system of selecting policymakers and of organizing government so that policy represents and responds to the public's preferences.

6 Elements of Traditional Democratic Theory

1. Equality in voting.

2. Effective participation

3. Enlightened. understanding.

4. Citizen control of the agenda.

5. Inclusion

6. A belief in majority rule while also protecting minority rights

Pluralism

Democratic theory that states that the government is comprised of several different groups that compete to reach compromise, no one group dominating another.

Elitism

Democratic theory that states that society is divided by class lines, with the upper class elite in power

(Policies benefit those with money/power)

Hyperpluralism

Democratic theory that states that he government is comprised of several groups, all of which are too strong, which leads to muddled policy and gridlock \--- the government suffers because of groups

5 Elements of American Political Culture

1. Liberty.

2. Egalitarianism.

3. Individualism.

4. Laissez-faire.

5. Populism.

Political Participation

All the activities by which citizens attempt to influence the selection of political leaders and the policies they pursue.

Political Issue

an issue that arises when people disagree about a problem and how to fix it.

Policymaking institutions

The branches of government charged with taking action on political issues.

Public Policy

A choice that government makes in response to a political issue. A course of action taken with regard to a problem.

Policy Impacts

The effects a policy has on people and problems.

Policy Gridlock

A condition that occurs when interests conflict and no coalition is strong to form a policy, so nothing gets done.

Political Apathy

Lack of interest or concern regarding politics and policy making

Political Socialization

The process by which we develop our political attitudes, values, and beliefs.

Liberty

Freedom

Egalitarianism

A belief in the equality of all people

Individualism

The unique importance of each individual

Laissez-faire

Idea that government should play as small a role as possible in economic affairs

Populism

A movement that emphasizes support for the concerns of ordinary people

Political Polarization

The process by which the public opinion divides and goes to the extremes

4 Challenges to Contemporary Democracy

1. Increased Complexity of Issues

2. Limited Participation in Government

3. Escalating Campaign Costs

4. Diverse Political Interests

Liberals

people who generally favor government action and view change as progress

Conservatives

people who generally favor limited government and are cautious about change

Inalienable Rights

Found in the Declaration of Independence. Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

Committee of Five

Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Robert Livingston, Roger Sherman

Thomas Jefferson

Main author of the Declaration of Independence

Right to Revolt

The idea that one can revolt against government if it no longer protects their natural rights

2nd Continental Congress

1775-1776 colonial meetings that approved the creation of a Continental Army and the Declaration of Independence.

John Adams

The Colossus of Independence; 2nd President of the United States

Common Sense

A pamphlet written by Thomas Paine that claimed the colonies had a right to be an independent nation

John Dickinson

Pennsylvania politician; Quaker; moderate who was the main author of the Olive Branch Petition

George Washington

Commander of the Continental Army; President of the Constitutional Convention

July 4th, 1776

When was the Declaration of Independence signed?

Despotism

the exercise of absolute power, especially in a cruel and oppressive way.

All men are created equal

What major Enlightenment ideas did Jefferson call self-evident truths?

Protect our natural rights

The purpose of Government according to John Locke

Richard Henry Lee

Virginian who made the resolution to break ties with England at the 2nd Continental Congress

John Hancock

President of the Second Continental Congress; first to sign the Declaration of Independence

unitary government

A way of organizing a nation so that all power resides in the central government. Most national governments are these today.

10th amendment

the part of the US Constitution that grants reserved powers to the states

McCulloch v. Maryland

A 1819 Supreme Court decision that established the supremacy of the national government over state governments. The Court, led by chief justice John Marshall, held that Congress had certain implied powers in addition to the powers enumerated in the Constitution.

elastic clause

Authorizes Congress to pass all laws "necessary and proper" to carry out the enumerated powers.

full faith and credit clause

A clause in Article IV of the constitution requiring each state to recognize the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of all other states.

38

Number of States (3/4 of 50) required to pass an Amendment to the Constitution

Enumerated (Expressed) Powers

"Delegated" powers of the federal government that are specifically addressed in the constitution. Examples are coin money, declare war, make "naturalization" laws

Inherent Powers

Powers of the national government that are naturally the powers of a national government. Examples are border control, immigration policy.

Implied Powers

Powers of the federal government that go beyond those listed in the Constitution, in accordance with the Elastic Clause. Examples are create an interstate highway system, make a draft for the military

Reserved Powers

State powers. Examples include making driving and marriage laws

11th Amendment

You can't sue a State in federal court

Defense of Marriage Act (1996)

Congressional law that defined marriage as a union between a man and a woman and allowed states to refuse to recognize same sex unions in other states. Parts of it were found unconstitutional in 2013

State Legislatures

Originally chose the US Senate

federalism

A way of organizing a nation so that two or more levels of government have formal authority over the same land and people. It is a system of shared power between units of government.

intergovernmental relations

The workings of the federal system - the entire set of interactions among national, state, and local governments, including regulations, transfer of funds, and the sharing of information.

fiscal federalism

The pattern of spending, taxing, and providing grants in the federal system; it is the cornerstone of the national government's relations with state and local governments.

categorical grants

Federal grants that can be used only for specific purposes, or "categories," of state and local spending. They come with strings attached, such as nondiscrimination provisions.

project grants

Federal categorical grant given for specific purposes and awarded on the basis of the merits of applications.

formula grants

Federal categorical grants distributed according to a formula specified in legislation or in administrative regulations.

block grants

Federal grants given more or less automatically to states or communities to support broad programs.

marble cake federalism

metaphor for cooperative federalism

layer cake federalism

metaphor for dual federalism

crossover sanctions

The federal government uses federal grant dollars in one program to influence state and local policy in another (example: highway funds and drinking age).

crosscutting requirements

When a condition on one federal grant is extended to all activities supported by federal funds, regardless of their source (example: discrimination).

federal mandate

A requirement the federal government imposes as a condition for receiving federal funds.

1956 Federal Highway Act

brought about national system of interstate highways (Eisenhower)

2001 No Child Left Behind Act

mandated sanctions against schools that failed to meet federal performance standards

Necessary and Proper Clause

Elastic Clause (The root of implied powers)

State and Local

Level of government that provides the most funding of public schools

Natural rights

Rights inherent in human beings, not dependent on government, Which include life, liberty, and property. Central two English philosopher John Locke's theory about government and was widely accepted among America's founders

Consent of the governed

The idea that government derives its authority from the people

Limited Government

The idea that certain restrictions should be placed on government to protect the natural rights of citizens.

Articles of Confederation

The first Constitution of the United States, adopted by Congress in 1777 and ratified in 1781

Shays rebellion

A series of attacks on court houses by a small band of farmers led by Revolutionary war Capt. Daniel Shays to block foreclosure proceedings

US Constitution

The document written in 1787 and ratified in 1788 that sets forth the institutional structure of the US government, the tasks these institutions performed, and the relationships among them. It replaced the articles of Confederation

Factions

Groups such as interest groups that, according to James Madison, arise from the unequal distribution of property or wealth and have the potential to cause instability in government.

New Jersey Plan

The proposal at the Constitutional convention that called for equal representation of each state in Congress regardless of the size of the state population

Virginia Plan

The proposal at the Constitutional convention that called for representation of each state in Congress to be proportional to its population

Connecticut Compromise

The compromise reached at the Constitutional convention that established two houses of Congress: the house of representatives, in which representation is based on a state population; in the Senate, in which each state has two representatives