flashcards
đ Flashcards (Q & A)
Mixed Government & Institutions
Q: What are the three forms of mixed government?
A: Monarchy, Aristocracy, Democracy.
Q: Example of monarchy in modern government?
A: Constitutional monarchy (President).
Q: Example of aristocracy in government?
A: House of Lords (UK), Senate (US).
Q: Example of democracy in government?
A: House of Commons (UK), House of Representatives (US).
Q: What is a bicameral legislature?
A: A legislature with two chambers (House and Senate).
Congressional Districts & Court Cases
Q: What did Wesberry v. Sanders (1964) decide?
A: Congressional districts must have approximately equal populations.
Q: What did Thornburg v. Gingles (1986) decide?
A: District lines cannot dilute minority representation and cannot be drawn with race as the predominant factor.
Q: What did Davis v. Bandemer (1986) decide?
A: Gerrymandering is unconstitutional if it is too biased against a political partyâs candidates.
Q: What is gerrymandering?
A: Manipulating district lines for political advantage.
Key Terms
Q: What is a referendum?
A: A direct vote by citizens on a specific issue.
Q: What is apportionment?
A: The allocation of seats in a legislature based on population.
Q: What is redistricting?
A: Drawing new district boundaries after a census.
Q: What is direct democracy?
A: Citizens vote directly on laws or policies.
Q: What is a partisan?
A: A strong supporter of a party, cause, or person.
Q: What is dual federalism?
A: A system where state and national governments each have distinct, separate powers (âlayer cake federalismâ).
Q: How does dual federalism relate to Federalist No. 51?
A: It divides authority between state and national governments to prevent corruption and protect liberty.
Collective Action & Costs
Q: What are transaction costs?
A: The time, effort, and resources needed for collective decision-making.
Q: What are conformity costs?
A: The sacrifices individuals make when following group decisions.
Q: Example of high transaction cost?
A: Amending the Constitution (requires 2/3 Congress, 3/4 states).
Q: Example of high conformity cost?
A: Dictatorship (decisions forced against preferences).
Q: What is the free rider problem?
A: Benefiting from a public good without contributing.
Q: What is the tragedy of the commons?
A: Overuse of shared resources for personal gain.
Q: What is the prisonerâs dilemma?
A: A situation where individuals pursue self-interest, harming the collective good, even though cooperation would benefit all.
Articles of Confederation
Q: What were its weaknesses?
A: Weak executive, no national judiciary, no power to tax, states had veto power.
Q: Why was it called a âleague of friendshipâ?
A: States acted independently with little national authority.
Q: How did it affect the war effort?
A: Congress couldnât enforce taxation, relied on state contributions (free riding).
Q: What rebellion exposed its weaknesses?
A: Shaysâ Rebellion.
Q: How were decisions made under the Articles of Confederation?
A: By unanimous consent of the states; each state had one vote.
Q: What sorts of decisions were not made effectively under the Articles?
A: Taxation, enforcing laws, regulating trade, and raising money for war.
Q: How did the Articles affect national and state governments after the war?
A: States acted independently with trade barriers and currencies, leading to economic disunity and debt problems.
Constitution & Compromises
Q: What did the Great Compromise establish?
A: Bicameral legislature: House by population, Senate with equal representation.
Q: What is the commerce clause?
A: Gives Congress power to regulate trade.
Q: What is the necessary and proper clause?
A: Gives Congress authority to pass laws needed to carry out its powers.
Q: What was the 3/5 Compromise?
A: Counted slaves as 3/5 of a person for representation and taxation.
Q: What was the 20-Year Compromise?
A: Slave importation could not be banned until 1808.
Q: What did the Fugitive Slave Clause state?
A: Escaped slaves must be returned to their owners.
Separation of Powers
Q: What powers belong to Congress (Article I)?
A: Makes laws, declares war, controls spending, confirms treaties.
Q: What powers belong to the Executive (Article II)?
A: Enforces laws, appoints judges, negotiates treaties, commander-in-chief.
Q: What powers belong to the Judiciary (Article III)?
A: Interprets laws, judicial review, establishes courts.
Q: What are checks and balances?
A: Each branch can limit the powers of the others.
Federalist Papers
Q: What is Madisonâs concern in Federalist No. 10?
A: Factions (interest groups) as a threat to stability.
Q: How can the effects of factions be minimized?
A: Through a large republic and pluralism of interests.
Q: What was Madisonâs main point in Federalist No. 51?
A: Separation of powers and checks & balances prevent corruption.
Q: What did Madison mean by âambition must counteract ambitionâ?
A: Each branch should check the others to prevent tyranny.
Q: According to Madison, what are factions?
A: Groups of people with shared interests who may act against the common good.
Q: How can factions be eliminated?
A: Only by destroying liberty or forcing everyone to have the same opinions (both impossible).
Ratification Debate
Q: Who were the Federalists?
A: Supported a strong national government (Hamilton, Madison, Jay).
Q: Who were the Anti-Federalists?
A: Favored statesâ rights and small government.
Q: What compromise helped ratify the Constitution?
A: The Bill of Rights.
Q: What is nullification?
A: When a state rejects or refuses to follow federal legislation.
Work of Government
Q: What are public goods?
A: Goods provided to all (ex: military, highways).
Q: What are private goods?
A: Goods/services provided by private businesses for individual benefit.
Q: What are collective goods?
A: Government-provided goods that have both public and private benefits (ex: education).
Q: How does government control behavior in public policy?
A: Through subsidies, taxes, mandates, incentives.
Framerâs Toolkit
Q: What is a plurality vote?
A: Candidate with the most votes wins (not necessarily majority).
Q: What is a simple majority?
A: 50% of votes plus one.
Q: What is a supermajority?
A: A higher threshold like 2/3 or 3/4 required for approval.
Q: What risks come with delegation of power?
A: Agents may misuse authority (tyranny), so oversight and whistleblower protections are needed.
đ Practice Short-Answer Questions + Answer Key
Q1. Federalist No. 10: What problem did Madison see with factions, and how did he think a large republic would solve it?
A: Factions pursue their own interests over the common good. In a large republic, competing factions balance each other so no one dominates.
Q2. Federalist No. 51: What did Madison mean by âambition must counteract ambitionâ?
A: Ambition drives each branch to defend its power, preventing one branch from becoming too strong (checks and balances).
Q3. Transaction vs. Conformity Costs: Explain the difference with an example.
A: Transaction costs = difficulty in making decisions (ex: constitutional amendment). Conformity costs = sacrifices when following decisions (ex: paying taxes).
Q4. Articles vs. Constitution: Name one weakness of the Articles and how the Constitution fixed it.
A: Articles had no power to tax â Constitution gave Congress taxing power.
Q5. Shaysâ Rebellion: Why was it important?
A: Showed the Articles were too weak to maintain order â pushed for the Constitution.
Q6. Great Compromise: What did it establish?
A: Bicameral legislature: House by population, Senate equal.
Q7. Court Case Example:
Wesberry: districts equal in population.
Gingles: canât dilute minority votes, race not main factor.
Bandemer: partisan gerrymandering unconstitutional if too biased.
Q8. 3/5 Compromise: What was its purpose?
A: Counted enslaved people as 3/5 for representation/taxes, boosting Southern power.
Q9. Ratification Compromise: What helped Anti-Federalists agree?
A: Bill of Rights.
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