Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

POSC 100 Midterm #1 > Terms > Flashcards

Terms Flashcards

survive. (52 cards)

Start Studying
1
Q

The “Fine-Tuned Liberal Democracy” Hypothesis

A

The theory is that everything has to be perfect for liberal democracy to work; anything bad is a result of an imperfect setting.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Socialism

A

No private ownership of anything, everything is public.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Democratic Socialism

A

More equal opportunities for everyone by focusing on taxing the rich.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Capitalism

A

Private individuals and organizations control the economy

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act

A

The public has access to emergency medical care regardless if you can pay or not; this leads to free rider issue

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Affordable Care Act

A

basic healthcare would be covered; more healthcare more accessible to low-income individuals

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Government

A

Formal institutions where territory and people are ruled; are important because they provide structure in diff ways (economic, defense, etc.)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Free Rider/Collective Action Problem

A

Free riders are freeloaders who let everyone else do everything bc they can get the benefits for free; a collective action problem is when a group should work together but they fail to

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Collective Goods

A

Benefits that are available to everyone and can’t be denied to nonmembers

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Selective Incentives

A

Usually, an incentive is given to curb free-riders (ex. if you donate to company A you get to go to a party)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Principal-Agent Problem

A

conflict when the actor is given power by the principal but does not pick decisions that the principal would want (ex. a manager making bad financial decisions that the franchise owner did not want)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

The Problem of Ignorance

A

People aren’t politically educated leading to bad decisions.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

California Proposition 1 (2018)

A

The state sold $4 billion in bonds to fund veterans and affordable housing; an example of the problem of ignorance because no one knew if 4 billion was enough to solve those issues but just picked it because of “funding veterans and affordable housing”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Representative Democracy

A

The people pick representatives that make decisions for them

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Direct Democracy

A

citizens vote directly on laws/issues, can lead to ignorance problem

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Oligarchy

A

The powerful control the government/make the decisions (ex, the rich)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Autocracy

A

One person rules (ex. queen/king)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Constitutional Government

A

explicit limits are placed upon government powers

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Authoritarian Government

A

no formal limits are placed on government powers but other institutions can limit them (ex. the church)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Totalitarian Government

A

no formal limits are placed on the government and it makes sure to oppress any other form of power (ex. the government in the Hunger Games)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Liberal Democracy

Study These Flashcards
A

A democracy but your rights and property are protected

22
Q

History of and Current Threats to Liberal Democracy (Fukuyama)

Study These Flashcards
A

Threats to liberal democracy are when people try to use their status to avoid power constraints (ex. trump breaking the rules)

23
Q

Popular Sovereignty

Study These Flashcards
A

Majority wins; government based on the people

24
Q

Political Equality

Study These Flashcards
A

people participate equally; one person one vote

25
Equality of Opportunity
people can use whatever to reach their fullest potential (ex. wealth and talent)
26
Majority Rule
Follow the majority rule, protect minority interests
27
Minority Rights
Rights that everyone has (ex. unalienable rights)
28
Founding Fathers
(look on the doc)
29
Declaration of Independence
Paper that America declared independence from England, stated things such as unalienable rights, liberty, pursuit of happiness
30
Articles of Confederation
First ever constitution was basically the basis of the government (very weak, kind of sucked)
31
Confederation
A bunch of independent states that are in a group but still have their own power
32
Bicameral Legislature
Assembly with two chambers/houses (ex. Senate and the House of Representatives)
33
Virginia Plan
representation based on the population; 3 branches (executive, judicial, legislative); likes bicameral legislature
34
New Jersey Plan
equal representation regardless of population; likes unicameral legislature
35
Great Compromise
representation in House of representative would be based on population; every state would still have 2 votes (basically mashed New Jersey and Virginia)
36
Separation of Powers
division of power between the 3 branches + state and federal; government keeps each other in check
37
Checks and Balances
The 3 branches keep each other in check (ex. presidential veto power over congressional legislation, Senate approves presidential election, Supreme Court judicial review over congressional decisions)
38
Judicial Review
power of courts to review actions of legislative and executive, can declare them unconstitutional (ex. Marbury v. Madison)
39
Three-Fifths Compromise
compromise that made it so only three-fifths of enslaved people were counted for the representative population
40
Ambiguous Wording in the Constitution
ambiguous wording means that the Constitution can adapt as society progresses and that there is no set-in-stone rule, basically, it depends on how you interpret it; the Supreme Court interprets it
41
Necessary and Proper Clause
Article I, section 8 of the Constitution, basically lets Congress make laws "necessary and proper" for their enumerated powers
42
Federalists
People that loved strong government; mainly strong central government (ex. Alexander Hamilton)
43
Anti-Federalists
People that loved strong state government, hated strong central government; hated the Constitution proposed in 1787
44
Federalist Papers
Papers written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay to support the ratification of the constitution (reasons in the paper: indirect elections of government officials, longer term limits, as well as representative democracy over direct democracy)
45
Federalist Paper 10
James Madison argued that direct democracy would lead to factions, that's why we should let the chosen higher-ups make decisions (basically the large republic is better because then factions won't split the nation apart)
46
Federalist Paper 51
James Madison talked about separation of powers/checks and balances, every level of government must work together to get stuff done
47
Electoral College
Voting used to pick the president, 538 electors, 270 majority vote to win; works based on winner-takes-all/popular vote for the states (ex. California being mainly democrats so majority will always vote blue), third parties get royally fucked by this, swing states become the main focus of the two parties Alternative: Instead of doing winner-takes-all for each state, we should just do a popular vote for everyone (a person =1 vote)
48
National Popular Vote Interstate Compact
Keeps the electoral college however the popular vote winner would win (states give their electoral college votes to the popular winner)
49
Faithless Electors
A voter that says they will vote for candidate A but then votes for candidate B
50
Electoral Count Act of 1887
Basically how they count electoral votes following an election (might get changed though due to its vague and outdated language which people have abused)
51
Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act of 2022
Reformed the 1887 version, more concrete rules, limited the power of the vice president during the electoral votes, protected voters by making sure that Congress respects state decisions, put in safeguards for people that try to dismiss the results, Congress must count votes that have been determined to be compliant w/ state and federal law
52
Constitutional Amendments
Amendments must have 2/3 vote in Congress or 2/3 in a conventional; 3/4ths of the state legislature must ratify it; no amendment has ever succeeded through convention; the most successful is by the 2/3 vote by Congress and 3/4th ratification of the state legislature

POSC 100 Midterm #1 (1 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions