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A.P. Government > Semester 1 Review > Flashcards

Semester 1 Review Flashcards

1
Q

Bureaucratic rule

A

Bureaucratic rule- the tendency for large scale organizations to develop into the bureaucratic form, with the effect being that administrators make key policy decisions

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2
Q

Capitalism

A

Capitalism- an economic system based on the idea that government should interfere with business as little as possible, free enterprise and self reliance are the collective and individual principles that underpin capitalism

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3
Q

Communism

A

Communism- an economic system where government owns most or all of the major industries and also takes responsibility of the management of the economy

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4
Q

Constitutionalism

A

Constitutionalism- the idea that there are definable limits on the rightful power of a government over its citizens

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5
Q

Democracy

A

Democracy- a form of government where the people govern, either through direct rule or through elected representative rule

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6
Q

Elitism

A

Elitism- the view that the U.S is essentially run by a tiny elite (composed of wealthy or well connected individuals) who control public policy through direct and indirect means

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7
Q

Equality

A

Equality- the idea that all people are equal in moral worth, political voice, and protection by law

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8
Q

Individualism

A

Individualism- the idea that people should take and accumulate the material advantages necessary for their well being

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9
Q

Liberty

A

Liberty- the principle that people should be free to act and think as they choose, provided they do not violate the rights of others

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10
Q

Majoritarianism

A

Majoritarianism- the idea that the majority prevails in not only elections, but also policy making

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11
Q

Pluralism

A

Pluralism- theory of American politics that states society’s interests are substantially represented through the activities of groups; helps break of the majority as a tyrant rule

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12
Q

Political Culture

A

Political culture- is the characteristic and deep seated beliefs of a particular people. America’s political culture is centered on the set of core ideals; liberty, equality, and self government. They serve as a common bond for the people. They are what Americans regard as reasonable and acceptable, and they try to achieve them.

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13
Q

Politics

A

Politics- the process which a society resolves its conflicts and sets policies by which they will be governed. It is often seen as a struggle for power and the ability to decide who gets what, when, and where.

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14
Q

Public Policy

A

Public policy- a decision of a government to pursue a particular course of action

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15
Q

Social Contract

A

Social contract- the theory that the people enter into an agreement with the government, giving up some rights and bestowing power upon the government in return for their protection by such government; theory originated from Thomas Hobbes and his book Leviathan

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16
Q

Socialism

A

Socialism- an economic system where e the government owns and controls many of the major industries

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17
Q

Anti-Federalist

A

Anti-Federalist- describes opponents of the Constitution during the debate over ratification, also inspired a series of written pamphlets and letters, they were responses inspired by the Federalist papers

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18
Q

Bill of Rights

A

Bill of Rights – the 1st 10 amendments to the constitution outlining the rights of citizens, they include freedom of speech, religion, protest etc

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19
Q

Checks and Balances

A

Checks & balances- the elaborate system of divided spheres of authority provided by the Constitution as a means of controlling the power of the government; the separation of powers among branches, federalism and the different methods of election and appointment are all parts of this system

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20
Q

Constitutional Democracy

A

Constitutional democracy- a government that is democratic in its provisions for the majority influence through elections, and constitutional in its provisions for majority rights and rule by law

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21
Q

Electoral College

A

Electoral College- an unofficial term that refers to the electors who cast their states’ electoral votes for the president

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22
Q

Federalist

A

Federalist- proponents of the Constitution during the ratification debate, also a series of written and distributed papers to argue for the cause of ratification

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23
Q

Inalienable Rights

A

Inalienable rights- rights due to all people, i.e. life liberty and property, they are considered rights of nature before government therefore it is the duty of the government to protect these rights

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24
Q

Judicial Review

A

Judicial review- the power of the courts to decide whether a government institution has acted within its constitutional powers, and if not, to declare the action null and void

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25
Q

Republic

A

Republic- a form of government in which the representative officials meet to decide on policy, they were expected to represent their people’s interests, but were not subject to the people’s immediate control

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26
Q

Separation of Powers

A

Separation of powers- the division of powers among the separate branches of government as delineated in the constitution

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27
Q

Trustees

A

Trustees- elected representatives whose obligation is to act in accordance with their own conscience as to what policies are best for the interest of the public

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28
Q

Delegates

A

Delegates- elected representatives whose obligation is to in accordance with the expressed wishes of the people they represent

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29
Q

Tyranny of the Majority

A

Tyranny of the majority- the potential of a majority to monopolize power for its own gain to the detriment of the minority rights and interests

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30
Q

Progressive Reforms

A

Progressive Reforms- the progressive era rejected the idea of trustees and embraced the idea of delegates, during this era the direct election of senators began

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31
Q

Jacksonian Democracy

A

Jacksonian Democracy- linking the people to the presidency, Jackson believed the president was the only true representative of the whole American people, so he connected the people to the presidency by linking the popular vote to the electoral vote in a state

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32
Q

Federal System of Government

A

Federal System of Government- a system where the national government holds the power over the states, but the states still have rights and powers of their own, the power is ideally split and shared for the betterment of all the national congress, executive, and court is the highest authority in the chain

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33
Q

Court Packing

A

Court packing- attempting to sway decisions in one’s favor by adding judges in one’s favor, or adding more judges to alter the balance of partisanship, the best examples would FDR and his attempt to get new deal legislation approved by adding more justices to the bench that he could appoint

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34
Q

Block Grant

A

Block grant- federal in aid grants that can be used only for designated uses

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35
Q

Categorical Grant

A

Categorical grant- federal in aid grants that permit use of the money as the officials receiving it see fit, as long as it is within a general area such as education or health

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36
Q

Cooperative Federalism

A

Cooperative federalism- federalism where the states and national government share the role of power and responsibility of protecting the people and enacting policy

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37
Q

Devolution

A

Devolution- a process that occurred during a period of U.S history in which the powers of the federal government were lessened and the states slowly gained more control over their affairs directly

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38
Q

Dual Federalism

A

Dual federalism- a period in U.S history where the roles of the federal government on the state and national level wee clearly defined and strictly adhered to

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39
Q

Enumerated Powers

A

Enumerated Powers- powers given to the national government directly by the constitution

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40
Q

Federal-grant-in-aid

A

Federal-grant-in-aid- federal cash payments to states and local governments for programs they administer

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41
Q

Implied Powers

A

Implied Powers- powers derived the enumerated powers in the constitution, they are implied because they are not directly stated and subject to judicial review and interpretation

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42
Q

Inherent Powers

A

Inherent Powers- powers that are not stated nor implied, but understood, these rights are rights of all governments regardless of constitution i.e. to protect against invasion etc

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43
Q

Necessary and Proper Clause

A

Necessary and proper clause- an expansion of congress’s power in the constitution, stating that congress may expand their power by creating laws that are necessary and proper for the function of the United States government, the Supreme Court has the power to review and shoot down these laws if they overstep the bounds of the constitution

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44
Q

Reserved Powers

A

Reserved Powers- powers that are not enumerate, implied, or inherent of the national government are reserved for the powers of the states

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45
Q

Supremacy Clause

A

Supremacy clause- basically reaffirms the notion that the federal government is the highest law in the land along with the constitution and the Supreme Court

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46
Q

Agents of Socialization

A

Agents of socialization¬- those agents, such as the family and the media that have a significant impact on citizens’ political socialization

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47
Q

Conservatives

A

Conservatives (types) economic conservatives: those who believe the government tries to do too many things that should be left to firms and economic markets
Social conservatives: those who believe government power should be used to uphold traditional values

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48
Q

Liberals

A

Liberals (types) economic liberals: those who believe government should do more to assist people who have difficulty meeting economic needs on their own
Social liberals: those who believe the government should not uphold traditional values at the expense of unconventional or new values

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49
Q

Ideology

A

Ideology- a consistent pattern of opinion on particular issues that stems from a core belief or set of beliefs

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50
Q

Liberatarians

A

Libertarians- those who are economically conservative and socially liberal

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51
Q

Party Identification

A

Party identification- the sense of loyalty that an individual may feel toward a particular political party

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52
Q

Political Socialization

A

Political socialization- the learning process by which people acquire their political beliefs, opinions and values

53
Q

Public Opinion

A

Public opinion- the politically relevant opinions held by ordinary citizens that express them openly

54
Q

Public Opinion Sampling

A

Public opinion polling- a device for measuring public opinion whereby a relatively small number of individuals (the sample) are interviewed for the purpose of estimating the opinions of a whole community (the population)

55
Q

Sampling Error

A

Sampling error- a measure of the accuracy of a public poll, the sampling error is mainly a function of sample size and is usually expressed in terms of percent

56
Q

Impact of Public Opinion on Policy

A

Impact of public opinion on policy- the impact of public opinion on policy changes from issue to issue, era to era, and leader to leader, however it is understood that in many cases a strong surge of public opinion can lead to the acceptance or disapproval of some major policy i.e. the ending of the Iraq War. On the flip side, when Americans are unsure, public opinion simply supports whatever decision the president or congress makes as long as the decision is not on a hotly debated issue and has sound logic and reasoning to back it

57
Q

Group Thinking

A

Group Thinking- Americans tend to group up and “think” on issues that concern them. For example farmers get together and fight for the rights and needs of farmers. Businessmen do the same for Wall Street. Factors of group thinking include; class, region, race/ethnicity, gender and age. Some cross cutting cleavages can occur, or that people are apart of 2 or more groups at once and fight for those many groups

58
Q

Ideological Thinking

A

Ideological Thinking- this is based on ideologies such as conservatives and liberals in the categories social and economics

59
Q

Cultural Thinking

A

Cultural Thinking- this is based on common ideas and ideals, often the ones that this country is based and founded on

60
Q

Alienation

A

Alienation- a feeling of personal powerlessness that includes the notion that government does not care about the opinions of people

61
Q

Apathy

A

Apathy- a feeling of personal discontent, disinterest, or unconcern with politics

62
Q

Political Participation

A

Political participation- the extent to which people participate in the political policy making process

63
Q

Registration

A

Registration- the practice of placing citizens’ names on an official list of voters before they are eligible to exercise their right to vote

64
Q

Motor Vote

A

Motor vote- a law that requires states to permit people to register to vote when applying for a driver’s license or public assistance, registration is not automatic in these situations; the citizen must voluntarily fill out the registration form

65
Q

Social Capital

A

Social capital- the sum of face to face interactions among citizens in society

66
Q

Political Movement

A

Political movement- active and sustained efforts to achieve social and political change by groups of people who feel that government has not been properly responsive to their concerns

67
Q

Suffrage

A

Suffrage- the right to vote

68
Q

Voter Turnout

A

Voter turnout- the proportion of people of voting age who actually vote in a given election

69
Q

Factors of Voter Participation

A

Factors voter participation- registration requirements, eligibility, frequency of elections, scale of the election, meaningfulness of the election, age, education, income, and civic attitudes

70
Q

Conventional Participation

A

Conventional participation- voting, campaign and lobbying activities, virtual participation, and community activities

71
Q

Unconventional Participation

A

Unconventional participation- social movements, political movements, protests and rallies

72
Q

Candidate-Centered Politics

A

Candidate-centered politics- election campaigns and other political processes in which candidates, not the parties, hold most of the initiative and influence

73
Q

Minor/3rd Parties

A

Minor/3rd parties- reform parties: a minor party that bases its appeal on the claim that the major parties are having a corrupting influence on the government and policy
Single issue parties: a minor party that is formed around a single issue of overriding interest in interest to its followers
Ideological party: a minor party characterized by its ideological commitment to a broad and non-centrist philosophical position
Factional party a minor party created when a faction within one of the major parties breaks away to be on its own

74
Q

Grassroots Party

A

Grassroots party- a political party organized at the level of the voters and dependent on their support for strength

75
Q

Hard Money

A

Hard money- campaign funds given directly to candidates to spend as they choose

76
Q

Hired Guns

A

Hired guns- professional consultants who run campaigns for high office

77
Q

Nomination

A

Nomination- the designation of a particular individual to run as a political party’s candidate in the general election

78
Q

Packaging of a Candidate

A

Packaging of a candidate- the process of recasting a candidate’s record into an appealing image

79
Q

Party-Centered Politics

A

Party-centered politics- election campaigns and other political processes in which political parties, not individual candidates, hold most of the initiative and influence

80
Q

Party Coalition

A

Party coalition- the groups and interests that support a political party

81
Q

Party Organizations

A

Party organizations- the party organizational unit at national, state, and local levels; their influence has decreased over time due to many factors

82
Q

Party Realignment

A

Party realignment- is an election or set of elections in which the electorate responds strongly to an extraordinary powerful issue that has disrupted the established political order. Realignment has a lasting impact on public policy, popular support for the parties and the composition of the party coalitions

83
Q

Primary Election

A

Primary election- election held within a party to determine who will be the candidate to represent that party, all members of the party, politician or not can vote in it

84
Q

Proportional Representation

A

Proportional representation- is a form of representation in which seats in the legislature are allocated proportionally according to each political party’s share of the popular vote. This allows smaller parties to compete successfully for seats

85
Q

Prospective Voting

A

Prospective voting- a form of electoral in which voters choose the candidate whose policy positions most closely match their own preferences

86
Q

Retrospective Voting

A

Retrospective voting- a form of electoral judgment in which voters support the incumbent candidate or party when its policies are judged to have succeeded and oppose the incumbent candidate or party when its policies are judged to have failed

87
Q

Service Relationship

A

Service relationship- the situation in which party organizations assist candidates for office but have no power to require them to support the party’s main policy positions

88
Q

Soft Money

A

Soft money- campaign contributions that are not subject to legal limits and are given to parties and not directly to candidates (these contributions are no longer legal)

89
Q

Split-Ticket

A

Split ticket- the pattern of voting in which the individual voter in a given election casts a ballot for one or more candidates of each major party

90
Q

Two-Party System

A

Two-party system- a system in which only 2 political parties have a real chance of acquiring control of the government

91
Q

Coattalis

A

Coattails- when lesser level politicians gain election victories and seats because they are of the same party, or have similar opinions, to the national election winner

92
Q

Citizens Groups

A

Citizen groups- organized interests formed by individuals drawn together by opportunities to promote a cause in which they believe but that does not provide them significant individual economic benefits

93
Q

Collective Goods

A

Collective goods- benefits that are offered by groups as an incentive for member ship but that are non-divisible (such as a clean environment) and therefore are available to non members as well as members

94
Q

Economic Groups

A

Economic groups- interest groups that are organized primarily for economic reasons but that engage in political activity in order to seek favorable policies from government

95
Q

Free-Rider

A

Free-rider- people that benefit from the effects of a donation based service for free, or when they obtain the fruits of someone else’s labor without working for it themselves i.e. the NPR issue

96
Q

Grassroots Lobbying

A

Grassroots lobbying- a form of lobbying designed to persuade officials that a group’s policy position has strong constituent support

97
Q

Interest Group Liberalism

A

Interest group liberalism- the tendency of public officials to support the policy demands of self-interested groups (as opposed to judging policy demands according to whether they serve a larger conception of “the public interest”)

98
Q

Iron Triangle

A

Iron triangle- a small and informal but relatively stable group of well positioned legislators, executives, and lobbyists who seek to promote policies beneficial to a particular interest

99
Q

Issue Network

A

Issue network- is an informal and relatively open network of public officials and lobbyists who have a common interest in a given area and who are brought together by a proposed policy in that area. Unlike an iron triangle, an issue network disbands after the issue is resolved

100
Q

Outside Lobbying

A

Outside lobbying- a form of lobbying in which an interest group seeks to use public pressure as a means of influencing officials

101
Q

Inside Lobbying

A

Inside lobbying- direct communication between organized interests and policymakers, this is based on the assumed value of close contacts with policymakers

102
Q

Private Good

A

Private good- individual good, benefits that a group (most often an economic group) can grant directly and exclusively to individual members of the group

103
Q

Agenda Setting

A

Agenda setting- the power of media through news coverage to focus the public’s attention and concern on particular events, problems, issues and personalities

104
Q

Common-Carrier

A

Common-carrier- a function the media plays by carrying messages from officials and making them available to the public

105
Q

Framing

A

Framing- the process of selecting certain aspects of reality and making them the most salient part of the communication, thereby conveying a particular interpretation of the situation

106
Q

Objective Journalism

A

Objective journalism- a model of news reporting that is based off of facts rather than opinions and is fair in its presentation of all sides

107
Q

Partisan Function

A

Partisan function- efforts by media actors to influence public opinion, response and support for a particular leader, policy, law or viewpoint

108
Q

Signaling Function

A

Signaling function- the accepted responsibility of the media to alert the public of breaking stories and the subsequent developments as they happen

109
Q

Watchdog Function

A

Watchdog function- the accepted responsibility of the news media to protect the public from incompetent or corrupt officials by standing ready to expose any official who violates the law, or accepted ethical practices

110
Q

Gatekeeper

A

Gatekeeper- is the process through which information is filtered for dissemination, whether for publication, broadcasting, the Internet, or some other mode of communication

111
Q

Attention to News

A

Gatekeeper- is the process through which information is filtered for dissemination, whether for publication, broadcasting, the Internet, or some other mode of communication

112
Q

Impact of Internet

A

Impact of Internet- the internet has opened up levels of new and power outlets, petitions on the internet have changed international policy, and news is instantaneous on the internet. Countries that wish to shut down internal rebellions shut down the internet 1st to prevent the spread of messages, support, communication, and ideas

113
Q

Stewardship Theory

A

Stewardship theory- a theory that argues for a strong, assertive presidential role, with presidential authority limited only at points strictly prohibited by law

114
Q

Whig Theory

A

Whig theory- a theory that prevailed in the 19th century and held that the presidency was a limited or restrained office whose occupant was confined to expressly granted constitutional powers

115
Q

Veto Power

A

Veto power- the president has the power to deny legislation from being enacted

116
Q

Executive Orders

A

Executive orders- the president may give orders without the immediate approval of the other branches, i.e. short time agreements of cease fire, ordering Japanese people into internment camps

117
Q

Two Presidencies Theory

A

Two presidencies theory- a theory that holds the president is actually 2 presidents, the president of the longstanding, slow moving domestic policy, as well as the president of the fast moving, unknown future of foreign policy

118
Q

Relations with Congress

A

Relations with Congress- the president may call congress into session on an issue and force them to solve it before breaking the session, he can also call a joint session to deliver a speech, he also deliver the state of the union to congress

119
Q

Appointment Process

A

Appointment process- all presidential appointments have to through the senate

120
Q

Commander in Chief

A

Commander in chief- the president runs the army, navy, and the air force

121
Q

Chief Diplomat

A

Chief diplomat- the president can receive diplomats and foreign ministers, he can also (with 2/3s senate approval) ratify treaties

122
Q

War Powers Act

A

War Powers Act- requires the President to notify Congress within 48 hours of committing armed forces to military action and forbids armed forces from remaining for more than 60 days, with a further 30 day withdrawal period, without an authorization of the use of military force or a declaration of war. The resolution was passed by two-thirds of Congress, overriding a presidential veto

123
Q

Presidential Campaigns

A

Presidential Campaigns- long process starting within the party, candidates need money and early momentum in order to succeed, and they release TV ads, debate each other, give speeches, go on special talk shows and tour the country gaining support especially in battleground states

124
Q

Impeachment Process

A

Impeachment Process- charges are brought up in the House of Representatives and the president is tried in the senate a 2/3s majority is necessary in both levels in congress for impeachment

125
Q

Vice President

A

Vice President- a role that has been redefined to help candidates gain support in elections, also VP’s are no longer considered useless. They are usually assigned some role by the president and have their own staff. The presidential candidate, with influence from the party, selects their VP running mate

126
Q

Primary

A

Primary- the election that decides who will be the candidate for a party

127
Q

Caucus

A

Caucus- meetings at which a party’s candidates for nomination are voted on

128
Q

Nomination Election

A

Nomination election- in some states people directly vote for the nomination of the candidate, in other states, people vote for a delegate, who in turn votes on the nominee candidate

129
Q

General Election

A

General Election- the election in which all states and eligible people participate, this is where the final candidates after all of their campaigning, discover if they won or not

A.P. Government (2 decks)

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