Exam 1: Concepts from lecture

Question 1

Political Ideology

Answer 1

Defn: Coherent system of beliefs and values that explains what structure of government and what activities of government are legitimate
Sig: the prevailing ideas of the West have developed over the past 1000 years because of a clash of political ideologies

Question 2

Classical Conservatism

Answer 2

Defn: political ideology that intertwined government and religion and contends that change and competition are bad
Sig: Not important in US histor

Question 3

Classical Liberalism

Answer 3

Defn: political ideology whose inherents believe that people should earn their wealth or power, meaning competition is good
Sig: Most important political ideology in US history
Illustrates the foundational political ideology of the american government.

Question 4

Classical Socialism

Answer 4

Defn: political ideology whose inherents value human equality and cooperation
Sig: Somewhat important in US democratic policy since 1932

Question 5

Modern Conservatism

Answer 5

Defn: political ideology whose inherents believe that government should regulate personal life but not economic life
Sig: Illustrates a system of beliefs and values somewhat corresponding to the republican party of the US.

Question 6

Modern Liberalism

Answer 6

Defn: political ideology whose inherents believe that government should regulate economic life but not personal life
Sig:

Question 7

Ideological Opinions

Answer 7

Defn: Opinions about government on the general level
sig: shows a discrepancy in public opinion: 2/3 country is ideologically against government in general, but 2/3 supports gov expansion on specific policies

Question 8

Operational Opinions

Answer 8

Defn: Opinions about specific policies
sig: shows a discrepancy in public opinion: 2/3 country is ideologically against government in general, but 2/3 supports gov expansion on specific policies

Question 9

Government Shutdown

Answer 9

Defn: A budget war between President Obama and Congress in 2013 causes a shutdown of government funded programs such as social security
Sig: People who previously were ideologically against the government realize they need it for their daily lives

Question 10

Beliefs

Answer 10

Defn: notions people hold about the facts of the world
sig:

Question 11

Values

Answer 11

Defn: notions people hold about morality
sig:

Question 12

Legitimacy

Answer 12

Defn: notions that people hold that the government is morally grounded
sig: therefore we have an obligation to follow the law

Question 13

Democracy

Answer 13

defn: a government whose moral legitimacy is based on people’s participation in government
sig:

Question 14

single-member district system

Answer 14

defn: Country is divided into districts (states) and each district sends one representative to congress
sig: Creates a two-party system by grouping parties together to try to get a higher percentage of the vote (coalition of interests)

Question 15

proportional representation

Answer 15

defn: The percentage of the seats in the legislature is approximately the percentage of the popular vote
sig: Parties have no incentives to make deals with other parties and combine

Question 16

party voting cohesion

Answer 16

defn: The tendency of members of the same party in a legislature to vote together
sig: US’s cohesion was so low compared to other democracies that we don’t have parties at all
had to invent a new weaker measure of party cohesion: party vote (majority of democrats votes against majority of republicans) now US party cohesion is going up

Question 17

class bias in voter turnout

Answer 17

defn: In every election, people with more education and income vote at higher rates than those with less
sig:

Question 18

direct primary

Answer 18

defn: An election held within a party to nominate candidates for the general election OR to choose delegates to a presidential nominating convention.
sig: In most countries, the party leaders decide who their party’s candidate is, but in the US, the people decide. This means the parties do not function as teams.

Question 19

Linda McMahon and Meg Whitman (2010)

Answer 19

defn: Most expensive senate race in Connecticut (41 million vs 6 million) and governors’ race in California (160 million vs 32 million)
sig: Shows that you don’t necessarily win if you spend the most money

Question 20

Republican Governors Public Policy Committee (2008-2014)

Answer 20

defn:
sig:

Question 21

majority rule

Answer 21

defn: The idea that decisions should be made by the majority
sig: Must be paired with the minority rights and is essential for establishing legitimate democracy

Question 22

legal equality

Answer 22

defn: everybody gets exactly one vote
sig: laws apply equally to everyone

Question 23

choice among alternatives

Answer 23

defn: a democracy can’t suppress certain choices
sig:

Question 24

freedom of speech/expression

Answer 24

defn: authorities must allow expression of every possible idea
sig:

Question 25

public processes

Answer 25

defn: authorities must make policy in a manner that allows the public to see it sig:

Question 26

Obama Care - ACA

Answer 26

defn: required everyone to buy health insurance Sig: the debate showed the different definitions of liberty between conservatives and liberals

Question 27

selling out on principles

Answer 27

defn: compromising with other factions to get the best result, often by bending a party’s, or the individual’s fundamental principles (considered by more than half of americans to be a bad thing) sig: This is a problem because Democracy relies on compromise when addressing difficult, ambiguous issues.

Question 28

22nd amendment

Answer 28

defn: (1951) president can only serve two terms sig: explicitly violates democratic theory because we can't elect the people we want to elect (the majority of one era tells the majority of another era who they can vote for)

Question 29

consent

Answer 29

defn: 18th century word for participation derived from a puritan idea of consent to join a religious community sig: a central aspect of democracy rests on religious ideas

Question 30

virtue

Answer 30

defn: the belief that a government should appeal to the public good and pursue public interest sig: major component of republicanism

Question 31

articles of confederation

Answer 31

defn: sig:

Question 32

Republicanism

Answer 32

defn: belief that a government should appeal to the public good and that humans will always abuse power sig: leads to the extremely limited government outlined in the articles of confederation

Question 33

reconciling the irreconcilable

Answer 33

defn: The Constitution tried to reconcile to contradictions, We like democracy but we dont trust the people. We fear power but we need a government that can govern. sig: How ingrained was the Republican and Puritan (see consent) ideologies in the drafters political view.

Question 34

ambition to counteract ambition

Answer 34

defn: A phrase from Federalist 51 (essay written by Madison in 1787 to convince people to ratify the constitution, in which he recommends competition to achieve the public interest) Visualized government like a marketplace, where competition is good. If there is competition in government, politicians are required to be “honest” so they can be re-elected. (Only the best products survive) sig: Rooted from the Republican Ideology that said that the government is made to serve the people and private interests

Question 35

10th amendment

Answer 35

defn: 10th amendment to the constitution says that the federal government has no implied powers. sig: Government cannot make any arbitrary laws, meaning that the government would remain legitimate to the people. contradicts the necessary and proper clause

Question 36

annexation of texas

Answer 36

defn: 1845 An event in which Congress admitted Texas into the union using a joint resolution instead of the 2/3 majority required by the constitution sig: Illustrative example that the constitution is so obstructive that sometimes we just ignore it

Question 37

The contract clause

Answer 37

defn: clause in article 1 of the constitution that was written in specifically to protect property "no state shall pass any law impairing the obligations of contracts sig: protecting property from democratic majority

Question 38

tyranny of the majority

Answer 38

defn: the majority of the public will often want to deny minorities expression of opinion sig: "The people" threaten democracy-Need to protect minority's rights to express opinions

Question 39

schenck vs US

Answer 39

defn: The court rules that no one has the right to make an expression that is a clear and present danger sig:

Question 40

marketplace of ideas

Answer 40

defn: Holmes says that we should encourage all ideas and let the marketplace take care of bad ones sig:

Question 41

NY Times vs Sullivan

Answer 41

defn: 1964 supreme court case in which the court ruled that anything true or untrue may be stated about a public official sig: endorses the marketplace of ideas

Question 42

Skokie vs National Socialist Party

Answer 42

defn: Supreme court orders Skokie to allow the Nazis to parade, even though Skokie is heavily jewish sig: "Hate Speech Decision" US has free-est expression of any country ever

Question 43

Westboro Baptist Church

Answer 43

defn: anti-homosexual church that demonstrated at veterans funerals, federal court rules this constitutional sig: Shows that freedom of expression is very protected in the US

Question 44

Freedom House

Answer 44

defn: an international organization that rates countries according to their levels of freedom sig: US is very free

Question 45

participation

Answer 45

defn: the act of contributing to or having an influence on the political process sig:

Question 46

rules of citizen participation

Answer 46

``` defn: if formal organizations are strong, participation is NOT class biased. If they are weak, it is. sig: ```

Question 47

weak parties

Answer 47

defn: have psychological, not formal membership sig: class bias participation

Question 48

American vs foreign party organization

Answer 48

defn: sig:

Question 49

party identification

Answer 49

defn: psychological membership in a party sig: The United States has party identification, as opposed to other democracies which have formal membership (one aspect of the weak parties in the united states)

Question 50

national comparative turnout

Answer 50

defn: sig:

Question 51

voter turnout

Answer 51

defn: percentage of the adult eligible population that actually votes on election day sig: US has the lowest in the world because of class bias

Question 52

rules of formation (of interest groups)

Answer 52

defn: 1. people who feel strongly are more likely to participate 2. the larger the proportion of a group that one person constitutes, the more likely that person is to join 3. groups that offer individual goods mobilize more potential members to join than groups that only offer collective goods sig: some groups are more organized than others and they have more political power

Question 53

individual goods

Answer 53

defn: a good which someone can own to the exclusion of other people sig: Will motivate people to join interest groups when offered

Question 54

collective goods

Answer 54

defn: goods that cannot be owned by one person but must be used by people as a group sig: won't mobilize people to join an interest group as much as an individual good will

Question 55

access

Answer 55

defn: Having a personal "in" to policy makers sig: the best way to gain access is to make monetary contributions to a campaign, and the best way to ensure access is to hire an ex-congress member

Question 56

PhRMA

Answer 56

defn: The pharmaceutical research and manufacturers of america sig: illustrates private influence over public policy

Question 57

Graduate School of Political Management

Answer 57

defn: School in DC that trains professional lobbyists sig:

Question 58

iron triangles

Answer 58

defn: Interest groups contribute money to campaigns and lobby congress→ congressional groups accept this and make laws that reflect their supporting interest groups→ the investments made by the interest groups show great return with the taxpayers dollar. sig: Illustrates a theory behind private influence over public policy.

Question 59

citigroup

Answer 59

defn: sig: illustrates private influence over public policy

Question 60

MADD

Answer 60

defn: Mothers against drunk driving: an organization responsible for 2300 laws intended to lower the annual deaths caused by drunk driving sig: Shows how ordinary citizens who are motivated enough can improve life through interest groups

Question 61

dialogue of democracy

Answer 61

defn: Rules that must be present in an election for the election to be considered legitimate (basically national debate of the issues) sig: 2012 was not a good democratic election because Mitt Romney was so deceptive and ambiguous

Question 62

electoral college

Answer 62

defn: the institution used under the constitution to elect the president sig: This violates democratic theory because every person does not have an equal vote due to each state's representation in congress

Question 63

reagan coalition

Answer 63

defn: the combination of groups that normally vote for the republican party (economic conservatives + social conservatives) sig: Illustrates a historical shift in the base of the republican party. Also the system that Raegan and George Buh won on.

Question 64

democratic coalition

Answer 64

defn: the combination of groups that normally vote for the democratic party (economic liberals and social liberals) sig: Illustrates the belief and value system that Clinton and Obama won on.

Question 65

retrospective voting

Answer 65

defn: voting based on whether economic times are good or bad sig: makes voting easier because people don't have to research candidates

Question 66

politifact

Answer 66

defn: A non-partisan fact checking organization designed to evaluate politicians' statements to determine who is telling the truth sig:

Question 67

hispanic vote

Answer 67

defn: The percentage of hispanics who vote for democrats is increasing, as is the hispanic percentage of the population sig: Becoming an important chunk of voting citizens; Growing problem for republicans

Question 68

gerrymandering

Answer 68

defn: drawing the district lines to the disadvantage of some party/candidate and to the advantage of another sig: This violates minority rights

Question 69

good democratic election

Answer 69

defn: allows us to approach the dialogue of democracy sig:

Question 70

The Keating 5

Answer 70

defn: 5 Senators in 1987 who bullied the government to not come down on “Lincoln Savings” which ended up costing the taxpayers an extra $1 billion down the road. sig: demonstrates the hold private influence has over public policy, a recurring problem in US politics

Question 71

personal liberty

Answer 71

defn: the freedom of the citizens to make choices between candidates and parties and in their personal lives sig: according to democratic theory, people must be free to make choices if there is to be democratic legitimacy

Question 72

necessary and proper clause

Answer 72

defn: sig: contradicts the 10th amendment, meaning supreme court justices need to make the decisions

Question 73

ambition to counteract ambition

Answer 73

defn: phrase from federalist 51 (1787) that madison wrote to construct a government in which people in institutions compete, which leads to compromise sig: