Government Final Study Guide

What is a state?

Identifies a political community that occupies a definite territory and has an organized government with the power to make and enforce laws without approval from any high authority.

What are the four essential features of a state?

population, territory, sovereignty, government

What are the four theories of the origin of the state?

Evolution, Force, Divine Right, Social Contract

What are the four purposes of government?

maintain social order, provide public services, provide national security, make economic decisions

What is a constitution?

a plan that provides for the rule of the government / Supreme law of the land

What principle is concerned with a government's power and the rights of citizens?

constitutional law

Divine Right Theory

God created the state and that God had given those of royal birth a "divine right" to rule

Karl Marx

Father of Communism

Adam Smith

Free market system - Scottish economist who wrote the Wealth of Nations a precursor to modern Capitalism.

When was the constitution of the United States written?

September 17, 1787

What is politics?

the effort to control or influence the conduct and policies of government

According to Aristotle, what are the three government systems?

Federal Republic, Representative democracy, constitutional republic

What is a direct democracy?

a government in which people vote to make their own rules and laws. The people govern themselves by voting on issues individually as citizens

What is a representative democracy?

a government in which citizens choose a smaller group to govern on their behalf (the people elect representatives and give them the responsibility and power to make laws

What is a republic?

the people hold power, but elect representatives to exercise that power.

What is the Magna Carta and why is it important?

an English document that limited the powers of the king and prevented the king from exploiting its powers . It is important because it gives people more rights and freedom

What was the Mayflower Compact?

It was an agreement reached by the first Pilgrims to constitute themselves a civil body politic - document signed by men on the Mayflower, they agreed to work together and make decisions together, led to self-government in the colonies

What were the Intolerable Acts and how did the colonists react to the Intolerable Acts?

in response to Boston Tea Party, 4 acts passed in 1774, Port of Boston closed, reduced power of assemblies in colonies, permitted royal officers to be tried elsewhere, provided for quartering of troop's in barns and empty houses
Colonists responded to the Intolerable Acts with a show of unity, convening the First Continental Congress to discuss and negotiate a unified approach to the British.

Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?

Thomas Jefferson

What powers did Congress have under the Articles of Confederation?

power to declare war, appoint military officers, sign treaties, make alliances, appoint foreign ambassadors, and manage relations with Indians.

What were the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?

Congress had no power to tax.No central leadership (executive branch)Congress had no power to enforce its laws.Congress had no power to regulate trade.No national court system (judicial branch)

What did Shay's rebellion show the colonists?

Rebellion led by Daniel Shays of farmers in western Massachusetts in 1786-1787, protesting mortgage foreclosures. It highlighted the need for a strong national government.It exposed the weakness of the government under the Articles of Confederation

Who was the father of the Constitution?

James Madison

What were the key agreements of the Constitutional Convention?

The delegates generally agreed on the need for a separate executive independent of the legislature. (The executive would be called the "president.") And they also agreed on giving the president the power to veto laws but only if his veto was subject to an override.

What were the compromises of the Constitutional Convention?

the Great Compromise, the Three-Fifths Compromise, and the Electoral College.

What did the founders decide on the issue of slavery and what problems did it create?

They granted slaveholding states the right to count three-fifths of their slave population when it came to apportioning the number of a state's representatives to Congress, thereby enhancing Southern power in the House of Representatives.

Who were the Federalists and what were they concerned with?

wanted strong central government, more power to experienced, separation of church and state, stated that national government would protect individual rights

Who were the Anti-Federalists and what did they want?

Anti-Federalists wanted states' rights, bill of rights, unanimous consent, reference to religion, more power to less-rich and common people;

What is the structure of the Constitution and what does each part do?

First it creates a national government consisting of a legislative, an executive, and a judicial branch, with a system of checks and balances which prevents any one of these branches from becoming dominant. Second, it divides power between the federal government and the states. And third, it protects various individual liberties of American citizens.

Name the six major principles of the United States Government.

Popular Sovereignty, Limited Government, Separation of Powers, Federalism, Checks and Balances, Judicial Review

What does Article I of the Constitution deal with?

the responsibility for making laws to the Legislative Branch (Congress). Congress is divided into two parts, or "Houses," the House of Representatives and the Senate. The bicameral Congress was a compromise between the large states, which wanted representation based on population, and the small ones, which wanted the states to have equal representation.

Why did the founders write down the specific powers of Congress?

to solidify that the power of the government comes from the people.

What are expressed powers?

Powers directly stated in the constitution. Levy and collect taxes, raise and maintain an army, and regulate commerce.

What are enumerated powers?

power specifically given Congress in the Constitution. These included: to lay and collect taxes; pay debts and borrow money; regulate commerce; coin money; establish post offices

What is the "elastic clause" and where is it in the Constitution?

Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution, which allows Congress to make all laws that are "necessary and proper" to carry out the powers of the Constitution.

What does Article II of the Constitution deal with?

The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America

What powers does the president have?

veto bills, negotiate treaties, commander in chief of military, grant pardons, execute the laws, adjourn congress, nominate federal judges

Why did the founders separate the branches of government?

to ensure a fair and balanced central government and to prevent one branch of government from becoming too powerful, and to create a system of checks and balances.

What does Article III of the Constitution deal with?

establishes and empowers the judicial branch of the national government.

How can Supreme Court decision be changed?

By a later court decision or an amendment

Why do we have two sets of courts?

Both the federal and state governments need their own court systems to apply and interpret their laws.

What is jurisdiction?

The authority of a court to hear a case

Which court has jurisdiction over marriage and divorce, bankruptcy, treaties, and traffic violations?

Federal courts

What are the four ways the Constitution can be amended?

by the Congress, through a joint resolution passed by a two-thirds vote, or by a convention called by Congress in response to applications from two-thirds of the state legislatures.

What is an executive agreement?

an international agreement, usually regarding routine administrative matters not warranting a formal treaty, made by the executive branch of the US government without ratification by the Senate.

What is judicial review?

The Supreme Court's authority to decide if a law violates the Constitution

What is the Bill of Rights and what does it protect?

The Bill of Rights is the first 10 Amendments to the Constitution. It spells out Americans' rights in relation to their government. It guarantees civil rights and liberties to the individual—like freedom of speech, press, and religion.

What is a political party?

a group of persons who seek to control government through the winning of elections and the holding of public office

What is a one-party system and give 2 examples?

a type of party system government in which a single political party forms the government and no other parties are permitted to run candidates for election.Examples of this are the People's Republic of China under the United Front, the National Front in former East Germany

What is a multiparty system and give 2 examples?

A multi-party system is a system in which multiple political parties have the capacity to gain control of government offices, separately or in coalition.Examples of this includes the Philippines, Poland

What is a two-party system and give 2 examples?

a political system where 2 major political parties dominate because they receive the majority of votes. One of the 2 parties typically holds a majority in the parliament and forms government while the other is opposition.Examples: the United States, and United Kingdom

What is a coalition government?

Several political parties join together to make a political majority

What are the three categories of minor or third parties?

Minor parties in the U.S. include the Libertarian Party, the Green Party, Constitution Party, and others that have less influence than the major parties.

How have minor parties impacted our two-party system?

Minor parties can influence the outcome of elections. Their candidate may be popular in certain states or regions and can take a significant number of votes away from the major candidates.

What obstacles prevent minor parties from gaining more political power in the US?

Some of the minor parties play almost no role in a country's politics because of their low recognition, vote and donations. Minor parties often receive very small numbers of votes at an election (to the point of losing any candidate nomination deposit).

What is a precinct?

A voting district

What are the functions of political parties?

Recruiting and nominating candidatesEducating the electorate about campaign issuesHelping candidates win electionsMonitoring actions of officeholders

What is the ticket?

candidates for president and vice president

What is plurality?

the number of votes cast for a candidate who receives more than any other but does not receive an absolute majority.

What is a closed primary?

an election in which voters can participate in the nomination of candidates, but only of the party in which they are enrolled for a period of time prior to Election Day

What is a open primary?

A nominating election where you don't have to declare a political party but you can only vote in one party's primary

What is a runoff primary?

if a required majority is not met, the two people with the most votes run again

What is the difference between "winner-take-all" and proportional representation systems in presidentialprimaries?

winner-take-all is when delegates are awarded only to the candidate who wins the preference votes. proportion representation delegates are awarded to candidates who win at least 15% of the votes.

What is a single member district?

electoral district from which one person is chosen by the voters for each elected office

When is national Election Day?

The first Tuesday after the first Monday in November

How is the number of electoral votes determined?

by the number of legislators(senators and representatives) per state and the state population

What does the Federal Election Commission do?

The federal Election Commission administers and enforces campaign finance laws Its duties include overseeing disclosure of campaign finance information and public funding of presidential elections, and enforcing contribution limits.

What is a PAC?

a political committee that is directly or indirectly established, financed, maintained or controlled by a candidate or an individual holding federal office, but is not an authorized committee of the candidate or officeholder

What is soft money?

a contribution to a political party that is not accounted as going to a particular candidate, thus avoiding various legal limitations.

What is suffrage?

the right to vote

What amendment gave African-Americans the right to vote?

15th amendment

What is a grandfather clause?

Laws that stated that if a voter's farther or grandfather had been eligible to vote on January 1st, 1867 the voter did not have to take a literacy test.

What is a poll tax?

It's an amount of money-usually one or two dollars- that a citizen had to pay before he or she could vote.

What amendment gave women the right to vote?

19th amendment

What amendment changed the voting age to 18-years old?

26th Amendment

What are five powerful influences on voter decisions?

Moreover, key public influences include the role of emotions, political socialization, tolerance of diversity of political views and the media.

What is a cross pressured voter?

someone who is caught between conflicting elements in his or her own life, such as religion, income level, or peer group.

Contrast "straight-ticket" voters with independent voters.

straight-ticket voting is where a voter chooses candidates from the same political party for every office up for election. An independent voter s a voter who does not align themselves with a party

What is propaganda?

information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view.

What is a bicameral legislature?

Two house legislature

How long is a term of Congress?

2 years

How many members are there in the United States Congress?

There are a total of 535 Members

How many members are there in the House of Representatives?

435 members

What are the qualifications to be a member of the House of Representatives?

must be 25 years old and must have been U.S. citizens for at least 7 years

What is a census?

the official count of a population

What is reapportionment?

The redistribution of house seats based on population shifts

What is redistricting?

The redrawing of the boundaries of the congressional districts within each state.

What is gerrymandering?

The manipulation of the redistricting boundaries process for political gain

How many members are there in the Untied States Senate?

100 members

What are the qualifications to be a US Senator?

30+ years old, citizen for 9+ years, resident of selected state

What does electing senators "at-large" mean?

relating to or being a political representative who is elected to serve an entire area rather than one of its subdivisions.

What is the franking privilege?

Benefit allowing members of Congress to mail letters and other materials postage-free

What is censure?

The formal disapproval of the actions of a member of Congress by the other members.

What is exclusion?

the practice of prohibiting or restricting the entry or participation of groups in society

What is an incumbent?

current office holder

What is the main task of Congress?

make laws

Where is most of the work in Congress done?

committees

What is a constituent?

being a voting member of a community or organization and having the power to appoint or elect.

Who is the presiding officer in the House?

Speaker of the House

Who assists the party leaders in the House in overseeing how members vote?

whips are mainly responsible for counting heads and rounding up party members for votes and quorum calls, and they occasionally stand in for the majority or minority leaders in their absence.