PLS 2010

PLS 2010 for CPP | 9/21/2026

What is government?

The institutions and procedures by which people are ruled.

Why is trust in government important?

Government policies affect people's rights, obligations, and aspirations, and trust influences civic behavior and political participation.

What factors have reduced trust in U.S. government?

War, civil unrest, political scandals, economic crises, ineffective government, negative views of elected officials, and declining political knowledge.

What is the mistrust loop?

Lower trust causes public disengagement, which can create less responsive or accountable institutions, producing even more distrust.

What is a state?

An organized political unit with a geographic territory, stable population, government, and recognition by other states.

What is sovereignty?

The authority of a state to control matters within its territory, including government, economics, security, and internal affairs.

What is the significance of the legitimate use of force?

It reflects the state's recognized authority to enforce laws and maintain political order.

What is Hobbes's state of nature?

A condition without effective government where life would be insecure and disorderly, described as "nasty, brutish, and short."

What is Hobbes's Leviathan?

The powerful state used to resolve conflict between individual interests and society's need for law and order.

Why do people accept government according to Hobbes?

People accept coercive authority because it provides peace, stability, and protection from disorder.

What was John Locke's main political idea?

Government should protect natural rights and should be limited rather than possessing unlimited power.

What was Montesquieu's main political idea?

Government powers should be separated so that no person or institution becomes too powerful.

What was Rousseau's main political idea?

The people are sovereign and legitimate government should reflect the general will.

What is the social contract?

The idea that people consent to government authority in exchange for order, protection, and government serving the public.

What Enlightenment ideas influenced American government?

Natural rights, popular sovereignty, social contract, limited government, and separation of powers.

What colonial conditions increased conflict with Britain?

High taxation, lack of representation, British control, and political conflict.

What did "no taxation without representation" mean?

Colonists argued Britain should not tax them when they lacked meaningful representation in Parliament.

How did the Declaration of Independence reflect liberal political philosophy?

It argued that people possess rights and can alter or abolish a government that becomes destructive of those rights.

What was a major purpose of the Declaration of Independence?

To justify separation from Britain and explain why the colonies believed independence was legitimate.

Who were audiences for the Declaration of Independence?

The colonists, Britain, and the international community.

What were the Articles of Confederation?

The first written national governing framework of the United States, operating until 1789.

Where was most political power located under the Articles of Confederation?

In the individual states.

What did Article II of the Articles of Confederation emphasize?

Each state retained its sovereignty, freedom, and independence.

Why did the Articles create a weak central government?

The states feared creating another powerful central authority similar to the British monarchy.

Why was there no executive branch under the Articles?

The founders feared concentrated executive power and tyranny.

How did voting work under the Articles of Confederation?

Each state received one vote.

What were major weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?

The central government was weak, states competed over commerce, foreign policy was difficult, and the national government could not respond effectively to crises.

Why was Shays' Rebellion important?

It demonstrated the weakness of the central government and its inability to respond effectively to domestic unrest.

What is Madison's Dilemma?

Government must have enough power to control the governed while also being forced to control itself.

Why did Madison believe factions could not simply be eliminated?

Eliminating factions would require eliminating liberty, so institutions instead had to control their effects.

What solutions did Madison support for the problem of factions?

Representative government, federalism, and a large national union.

What was the Virginia Plan?

A proposal favoring national representation based largely on population.

What was the New Jersey Plan?

A proposal favoring equal representation for each state.

How did the Constitution compromise between the Virginia and New Jersey Plans?

It created a bicameral legislature with population-based representation in the House and equal state representation in the Senate.

How are House seats determined?

By the population of each state.

How is representation in the Senate determined?

Each state receives equal representation.

Why was an executive branch created?

To make the national government more decisive and capable of responding quickly and uniformly.

What presidential powers were emphasized in the lecture?

Commander in chief, foreign affairs leadership, veto power, and appointment power.

Why was the Supreme Court created?

To resolve conflicts involving federal and state laws and constitutional questions.

What is judicial review?

The power of courts to determine whether legislative or executive actions violate the Constitution.

What case is associated with judicial review?

Marbury v. Madison (1803).

What is separation of powers?

The division of governmental authority among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches.

What are checks and balances?

Overlapping powers that allow each branch to limit the others.

What does Article V establish?

The process for amending the Constitution.

What is the general constitutional amendment process emphasized in lecture?

Two-thirds approval to propose an amendment and ratification by three-fourths of the states.

Why was the Bill of Rights important to Anti-Federalists?

It provided explicit protections against excessive centralized government power.

What is federalism?

The division of powers and functions between the national government and state governments.

What does the concept of two sovereigns mean?

Both the federal government and state governments possess legitimate governing authority.

What are enumerated powers?

Powers specifically assigned to the federal government by the Constitution.

What federal powers were emphasized in lecture?

Taxation, currency, declaring war, and regulating commerce.

What are implied powers?

Powers not explicitly listed but considered necessary for carrying out enumerated federal powers.

What is the Supremacy Clause?

The principle that valid federal law takes priority over conflicting state law.

What are reserved powers?

Powers not given to the federal government and generally left to states and the people.

Which amendment is associated with reserved powers?

The 10th Amendment.

What state powers were emphasized in lecture?

Criminal law, safety regulation, professional licensing, property law, estate law, education, and public health.

Why did the United States choose federalism?

To protect state sovereignty while creating a national government capable of handling shared national problems.

What is dual federalism?

A system where state and federal governments operate in relatively separate areas of authority.

What nickname describes dual federalism?

Layer-cake federalism.

What is cooperative federalism?

A system where state and federal governments work together to accomplish common policy goals.

What is regulated federalism?

A system where the federal government uses rules, funding conditions, mandates, and preemption to influence state policies.

What is new federalism?

An effort to return more discretion and authority to states, often through block grants and reduced federal control.

What is a grant-in-aid?

Federal money given to states to encourage achievement of national policy objectives.

What is a categorical grant?

Federal funding restricted to a specific purpose or policy area.

What is a block grant?

Federal funding for a broad purpose that gives states more flexibility in deciding how to spend it.

What is federal preemption?

The national government overriding state or local action when it conflicts with federal law or regulation.

What is an unfunded mandate?

A federal requirement imposed on state or local government without full federal funding to carry it out.

How did the federal government influence the national drinking age?

It threatened the loss of federal highway funds for states that did not comply.

How was the 55 mph speed limit an example of federal influence?

States risked losing federal highway funds if they did not adopt the required limit.

Why is the Commerce Clause important to federalism?

It has been used to expand federal authority over activities connected to interstate commerce.

What issue does Gonzales v. Raich illustrate?

Federal Commerce Clause authority can reach locally grown marijuana even where state law permits its use.

What happened in Coats v. Dish Network according to the lecture?

A medical marijuana user lost a wrongful termination case because the activity was not lawful under both state and federal law.

What is the Full Faith and Credit Clause?

The principle that states should recognize certain legal acts and proceedings of other states.

What examples of Full Faith and Credit were given in lecture?

Restraining orders, some permits, and marriages.

Who is Cliven Bundy in the federalism unit?

An example used to illustrate conflict between federal control of public land and claims of state or local sovereignty.

What does the Bureau of Land Management do?

It manages federal public lands and competing uses such as grazing, mining, and conservation.

What was the Sagebrush Rebellion?

A movement seeking reduced federal control and greater state or local control over western public lands.

What does the California fuel-efficiency dispute illustrate?

A conflict between national standards and California's desire to enforce stricter environmental rules.

Why does California have influence in national vehicle policy?

Its very large automobile market gives its state standards national economic importance.

What does the Texas border dispute illustrate?

A state-rights argument that conflicts with federal authority over immigration and border policy.

What larger federalism question does the Texas border dispute raise?

Who has final authority when state claims of sovereignty conflict with federal law?

How does COVID-19 illustrate federalism?

Public health is largely a state responsibility, while the federal government can coordinate national responses and establish broad standards during crises.

What are civil liberties?

Protections of individuals from improper government action.

What are civil rights?

Requirements that government protect people from unequal or discriminatory treatment.

What amendment is especially important to civil rights?

The 14th Amendment.

What is selective incorporation?

The gradual application of Bill of Rights protections to state governments through the 14th Amendment.

What does the First Amendment protect?

Religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition.

Why is political speech strongly protected?

Citizens must be able to criticize government and participate in politics without being silenced by the state.

What was the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002?

A law also associated with McCain-Feingold that attempted to restrict certain forms of political campaign spending, including soft money.

What did Citizens United v. FEC hold according to the lecture?

Corporations and labor unions may spend independently to advocate for or against candidates, although direct contributions to federal candidates remain restricted.

What forms of protest receive First Amendment protection?

Nonviolent speech and actions intended to communicate political messages.

When may government restrict a protest?

When restrictions are justified by legitimate public safety concerns or public endangerment.

What did Snyder v. Phelps involve?

The Supreme Court protected highly offensive public protest by the Westboro Baptist Church from civil liability for emotional distress in that context.

Why was the Westboro Baptist Church allowed to protest?

Its protest involved protected speech on matters of public concern despite being highly offensive.

How does the First Amendment apply to private social media companies according to the lecture?

Private companies generally are not required to provide the same First Amendment protections that government must provide.

What is secularism?

The principle of separation between church and state.

What was the Lemon Test?

An older three-part test used to evaluate government involvement with religion.

What approach replaced the Lemon Test in the lecture?

A history-and-tradition approach.

Why can religious displays on government property produce different outcomes?

Context, historical tradition, purpose, and the relationship between government and religion can differ.

What does the Second Amendment protect?

The right to keep and bear arms.

What federalism issue is connected to the Second Amendment?

How much authority states versus the federal government should have over firearm restrictions and carry rules.