POL1101 Exam 1 Study Guide

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Government is the ______ where decisions are made to resolve conflicts.

Politics is the ______ for resolving conflics.

institution, process

What is Government?

The means by which a society

• organizes itself

• allocates authority to reach certain goals

• and provide necessities and benefits that the entire society needs.

What are types of government?

• Direct Democracy

• Representative Democracy

• Oligarchy

• Monarchy

What is Democracy?

A form of government where the people have the power

What is a Direct Democracy?

Democracy where people participate directly in making government decisions

What is a Representative Democracy?

Democracy where people choose representatives to make decisions on their behalf.

What is an Oligarchy?

Government where only specific members of a party or the ruling elite can govern.

What is a Monarchy?

Government where there is one ruler: a hereditary ruler, who holds all political power

The United States is a _________ democracy.

Representative

Some governments are _______.

Mixed

What are Politics?

The process of gaining and exercising control within a government to achieve certain goals.

Economic System

The means by which a society or government organizes and distributes resources, services, and goods across a region or country.

Capitalism

• An economic and political system in which a country’s trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit.

• The means to wealth are privately owned

Socialism

A political and economic system where

• the means of generating wealth are owned by the government

• wealth is distributed to its citizens through social programs like free healthcare

Totalitarianism

A type of government where the governmnet controls all aspects of the citizens rights

Types of goods are based on _________ and ____________

rivalry, excludability

2 Types of goods

• Private

• Public

Private goods

Goods and services provided by private businesses in return of profit.

Public goods

Goods provided from the government that are available to all and free of charge

Excludable Goods

Goods for which not everyone has access to, usually by use of a price barrier.

Rival goods

Goods that can only be consumed by one person at a time or cause scarcity and competition among consumers.

What are toll goods?

Example: Netflix

Goods that are available to many people, but that you must pay to use.

What are Common Goods?

Ex: Fish

Goods that people may use free of charge but that are limited in supply

Private goods are _______ and ______

excludable, rival

Public goods are _______ and _______

non-excludable, non-rival

Toll goods are _____ and ______

excludable, non-rival

Common goods are ______ and ______

non-excludable, rival

Elite Theory

The belief that a set of elite citizens have all the control over the US Gov.

Pluralist Theory

The belief that political power rests within competing interests groups who share influence in government

In pluralist theory citizens may influence the government by

• becoming involved with groups that share similar interests

• engaging with their representatives at a local, state, and national level.

What is John Lewis known for saying?

“We have to make good trouble.”

What is The Articles of Confederation?

The first constitution of the United States drafted in November 1777.

What were the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?

• Weak Central Government

• Inability to tax

• Inability to regulate foreign trade or interstate commerce

• Inability to raise an army

• Articles could not be changed without a unanimous vote

• No national judicial system

• No national currency

What was Shay’s Rebellion?

An uprising of Massachusetts farmers who were in heavy debt and owed taxes that they hadn't paid while fighting in the British Revolution.

Who led Shay’s Rebellion

Daniel Shay

What event highlighted the weaknesses of the articles of confederation?

Shay’s Rebellion

Who were the first to create constitutions in the US?

The states

What powers did the national government have during the articles of confederation?

• Could request money

• Could request soldiers from states

How could the articles be changed?

All 13 states had to approve

What was the constitutional convention and where did it take place?

A meeting in Philadelphia to address the problems under the Articles of Confederation.

What did the delegates decide to do at the Constitutional Convention?

Get rid of the articles of confederation and draft a new form of government

Name the disagreements of the Constitutional convention.

• Slavery

• States’ rights

• State representation

• Power of the central government

When did the Constitutional Convention take place?

May to September 1787

What was the New Jersey Plan?

Plan that advocated for equal representation for all states in the national legislature, regardless of size or population.

What is a unicameral legislature and what plan used it?

One house in which each state has one vote and is used in the New Jersey Plan.

What was the Virginia Plan?

A plan created during the constitution convention that called for

• a strong central government with three branches

• a bicameral legislature with representation based on population, which favored larger states.

What is bicameral legislature and what plan used it?

• Legislature that consists of two houses

• Number of representation depends on population

• Used in the Virginia Plan

What was the Great Compromise?

Also known as the Connecticut Compromise,

• resolved the debate between the large and small states over representation in the legislative branch.

What was the three-fifths compromise

Agreement stating that enslaved individuals would be counted as three-fifths of a person for determining a state's population.

The constitution was written in __________ between ___________________

1787, May and September

What are enumerated powers?

Powers that are clearly stated by the constitution for the federal government.

What did the powers given to the federal government address?

The weaknesses in the articles of confederation

What were the enumerated powers that were granted by the constitution to the federal government?

Power to:

• regulate commerce

• collect taxes

• declare war

• coin money

• create courts

What are reserved powers?

Powers that are not specifically granted to the federal government by the United States Constitution and are therefore reserved for the states or the people.

What are examples of reserved powers?

The ability to:

• to regulate interstate commerce

• establish and maintain schools

• conduct elections

What are the three branches of government?

• Judicial

• Executive

• Legislative

What is seperation of powers?

A division in the democratic system where power is divided in between three branches preventing any one branch from becoming too powerful.

The legislative branch (U.S. Congress) is composed of

• House of Representatives

• Senate

What does the legislative branch do?

• Make laws

• Overrides vetoes

• Controls impeachment process

What does the executive branch do?

enforce laws

What does the judicial branch do?

Interpret laws

What is the supremacy clause?

An article in the constitution that establishes that the federal constitution, and federal law generally, take precedence over state laws, and even state constitutions.

What is the necessary and proper clause?

A clause that allows congress the ability to make laws or to act where the constitution doesn't give it authority to act.

Who were the federalists?

Those who supported the ratification of constitution

Who were anti-federalists?

Opponents of ratification of the constitution

Federalist Papers

Series of 85 essays written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison to persuade New Yorkers to ratify the constitution.

The Ratification Process

The document had to be approved by 9/13 states to be law and create a new government

How were senators approved according to the original constitution?

By the state legislature

What is the bill of rights?

The first ten amendments of the constitution

Why were ratifying conventions in states used to pass the Constitution, rather than having state legislators approve the Constitution?

Because the people in conventions were delegates chosen by their neighbors and

• They were not the ones having their power taken away

• The government could claim that ratification was the will of the people

What things did anti-federalists not like about the constitution?

• The newly founded power of the president

• The creation of a new federal justice system

• The lack of guarantee of individual liberties

T: What state did not send delegates to the constitutional convention?

Rhode Island

Why was the bill of rights added?

To appease the anti-federalists

What does the 1st amendment guarantee?

Guarantees general freedoms

Freedom of RAPPS:

• Religion

• Assembly

• Petition

• Press

• Speech

What does the 2nd amendment protect?

Right to own and bear arms

What does the 5th amendment do?

• Ensures no double jeopardy, right against self-incrimination, due process

• Enforces the Takings Clause: Private property should not be taken for public use without compensation

What does the 6th amendment guarantee?

A fair and speedy trial and assistance of an attorney

What does the 10th amendment do?

Reserves powers that are not given to the U.S. government under the Constitution to the people and the States.

What did the 13th amendment do?

Abolished of slavery and involuntary servitude

What does the 14th amendment say and guarantee?

• All people born or naturalized in the US are citizensand are equally protected

What did the 15th amendment guarantee?

The right to vote not denied by race

What did the 17th amendment do?

Established popular voting to elect senator

What did the 19th amendment do?

Gave women the rights to vote

What did the 24th amendment do?

Abolished poll taxes

What did the 26th amendment do?

Lowered the voting age from 21 to 18

How do you make an amendment to the constitution?

• Must be passed by 2/3 of both houses in congress

• or Ratified by 3/4 of all state legislatures

What is unique to Georgias constitution?

The state can not take out a deficit

What is cooperative federalism?

A system of government in which powers and policy assignments are shared between states and the national government to address problems

What is an example of cooperative federalism?

The Great Depression

What is competitive federalism?

Competition among different regional or local governments that may create conflict of state and federal laws

What is an example of competitive federalism?

Marijuana use: Some states allow it, but it’s still illegal under federal law

What is dual federalism?

Type of government where the federal government has it’s own powers, state government have their own powers, but they can cooperate to better serve their citizen’s needs.

What are concurrent powers?

Powers that both state and federal governments have

Examples of concurrent power?

• Power to collect taxes

• Power to create courts

• Power to create and enforce laws

• Power to borrow

What is new federalism?

A plan under Richard Nixon and Reagan looking to give more power to the states, almost like anti-federalists.

What is the term length for a senator?

Six years

What is the term length for a Representative?

Two years

T: The Georgia General assembly is like a state version of the U.S. ___________.

Congress

T: What is a special power of the House of Representatives?

The power to impeach a government official, acting as a prosector.

T: What is a special power of the Senate?

The power of conducting impeachment trials, acting as the jury and judge.