Midterm 1

Question 1

Homeland Security

Answer 1

Government response after 9/11 created by Bush Administration

Question 2

Size of Government

Answer 2

Enormous institution effecting every aspect of an American’s daily life

Question 3

Political Efficacy

Answer 3

Belief citizens can affect government

Question 4

Citizenship

Answer 4

Informed, political

Question 5

Government

Answer 5

Formal institutions and procedures through which a land and its people are ruled

Question 6

Constitutional Government

Answer 6

Limits placed on government

Question 7

Politics

Answer 7

Conflicts and struggles over leadership, struggles, and policies of governments

Question 8

Direct Democracy

Answer 8

People vote directly

Question 9

Representative Democracy

Answer 9

Representatives vote for the people

Question 10

American Values

Answer 10

Not always upheld by the government (like Slavery)

Question 11

Liberty

Answer 11

Complete freedom from governmental control (based on limited government)

Question 12

Bill of Rights

Answer 12

First 10 Amendments of Constitution demanded by Antifederalists who were weary of new Constitution; there was a price for ratification

Question 13

“One person, one vote”

Answer 13

Political equality

Question 14

Declaration of Independence

Answer 14

1776: remarkable, philosophical document for its time as it asserted people have “unalienable rights” that could not be abridged by government

Question 15

Shay’s rebellion

Answer 15

1787: Goal to help poor farmers in Western Massachusetts; prevent court from repossessing debt-ridden lands; showed how weak the gov’t was under AofC so this served as a focal point for the Constitutional Convention

Question 16

The Great Comprimise

Answer 16

Settled debate about representation during the constitutional convention in 1787 (Big vs small states) and resulted in a bicameral legislative branch, giving small states representation in the Senate and big states representation based on population in the House of Representatives

Question 17

Bicameralism

Answer 17

Two Chambers or Houses

Question 18

Checks and Balances

Answer 18

Mechanisms through which each branch of gov’t influences other branches activities so that no branch becomes too powerful (Pres veto Congress)

Question 19

Separation of Powers

Answer 19

Division of gov’tl power among several institutions that must cooperate in decision-making; Framers employed this (& Federalism) to Constitution

Question 20

Senatorial Reelection

Answer 20

Every 2 years, 1/3 of Senate members’ terms expire & get replaced. Staggered terms protect Senate from popular pressure

Question 21

Three Branches of Government

Answer 21

Legislative, Executive, Judicial

Question 22

Supremacy Clause

Answer 22

Constitution and Federal laws are superior to state laws; Article VI Congress “Law of the Land”

Question 23

Federalists/Antifederalists

Answer 23

Federalists: Support Constitution, strong nat’l gov’t, and fear tyranny from popular majority
Antifederalists: Oppose Constitution; state gov’t, alternatives to Constitution

Question 24

Federalism

Answer 24

National gov’t shares power with lower levels of gov’t by a constitution

Question 25

10th Amendment

Answer 25

"Reserved powers" Serves to limit central gov't by reserving powers for states

Question 26

Concurrent Powers

Answer 26

Powers shared by federal government to regulate trade & currency (like taxes)

Question 27

Full Faith & Credit Clause

Answer 27

Requires states to honor the public acts, records, and judicial decisions that take place in another state (like gay marriage)

Question 28

American Federalism

Answer 28

Contributed to political stability & longevity of government by allowing many policy decisions to be made by states!

Question 29

Great Depression

Answer 29

Most influential in the rise of a more active government through federal relief and work programs

Question 30

Supreme Court's Interpretation of Federalism

Answer 30

Power to the states [through process of devolution] & limitation of federal power

Question 31

Cooperative Federalism

Answer 31

Replacing Dual federalism with national & state & cooperation

Question 32

Regulated Federalism

Answer 32

With increased funding, federal government demanded higher standards & stricter uses for funds

Question 33

Devolution

Answer 33

Transferring responsibility from federal government to state and local government; Led to new Federalism; Popular in 1970s

Question 34

"Incorporation" of Bill of Rights to the States

Answer 34

Protections in Bill of Rights applied to states using 14th Amendment

Question 35

Fourteenth Amendment

Answer 35

Constitutional basis for nationalizing Bill of Rights; forced states to abide by Bill of Rights

Question 36

The Establishment Clause

Answer 36

1st Amendment “wall of separation“ between church and state

Question 37

Strict Scrutiny

Answer 37

Places a heavy burden of proof on the government if it seeks to regulate or restrict speech to show that the law in question is constitutional

Question 38

Political Speech

Answer 38

The most consistently protected form of speech; Protected unless it leads to immediate harm

Question 39

Clear and Present Danger test

Answer 39

Test to determine whether speech is protected or unprotected, based on its capacity to present a "clear and present danger' to society

Question 40

17 Expressed powers including these 4

Answer 40

lay and collect taxes borrow money regulate commerce declare & conduct a war

Question 41

5 groups that conflicted over issues of taxation, trade, commerce

Answer 41

``` New England merchants Southern planters Royalists Shopkeepers, artisans, laborers Small farmers ```

Question 42

Substantive liberties

Answer 42

Limits on WHAT gov't has the power to do

Question 43

Procedural liberites

Answer 43

Limits in HOW gov't is supposed to act

Question 44

Civil liberties

Answer 44

Areas at personal freedom that gov'ts are constrained from interfering

Question 45

Affirmative action

Answer 45

Gov't policies or programs that seek to address past discrimination by providing them access to educational & employment opportunities

Question 46

Speech with limited protection

Answer 46

``` Libel & Slander Obscenity & pornography Fighting words Commercial speech Public school children ```

Question 47

De jure

Answer 47

Legally enforced practices "by law"

Question 48

De facto

Answer 48

Practices that occur even when there is no legal enforcement "by fact"

Question 49

Speech plus

Answer 49

Speech accompanied by conduct sit-ins, picketing, demonstrations

Question 50

Exclusionary rule

Answer 50

Ability of courts to exclude evidence obtained in violation of 14th amendment

Question 51

Ex post facto law

Answer 51

Laws that declare an action to be illegal after it has been committed

Question 52

Due process of law

Answer 52

The right of every citizen against arbitrary action by national or state gov'ts

Question 53

Necessary & proper clause

Answer 53

Implied powers