Test 1 Ch 1-3

Question 1

How are we all small ‘l’ liberals?

Answer 1

We believe in limited government, individual rights

Question 2

How are we all small ‘d’ democrats?

Answer 2

We believe in representative government with citizen participation and basic freedoms

Question 3

What happened in the Armenian Genocide?

Answer 3

Occured in 1915
Regarded as the first “genocide” of the 20th century
1.5 million killed by deporting to killing fields

Question 4

Who recognizes the Armenian genocide and why?

Answer 4

While most European countries recognize the Armenian genocide, the Turkish government denies it (it is a crime to mention). The US congress has not officially recognized the genocide either, Turkey is a NATO ally and cooperates with the US.

Question 5

Why is the Armenian genocide significant for this class?

Answer 5

First time a government said it would hold another government accountable. Governments of UK, France, Russia all sent a diplomatic note to turkish officials saying they would hold turkey accountable.

Question 6

Why would a government be considered “free” before the Armenian genocide?

Answer 6

Governments operated under the National Sovereign Doctrine, wherein governments were not held accountable for their actions. The National Sovereign Doctrine is no longer valid, we would now put these people on trial

Question 7

What is significant about the aftermath of the Holocaust?

Answer 7

first time international committee was formed to put members of a government on trial

Question 8

Cambodian genocide

Answer 8

1975, killed ⅓ to ½ of their own people

Question 9

Rwanda Genocide

Answer 9

1990s, trails were conducted of those officials

Question 10

Define Universal Jurisdiction

Answer 10

every government had a right to prosecute war crimes even if that crime didn’t happen in that country
not as important now as there is an international crime court
Ex: Henry Kissinger might be arrested for war crimes by a france judge

Question 11

What was the US’s involvement in the anti ABM treaty?

Answer 11

ABM: anti ballistic missiles, the treaty was intended for mutually assured destruction (ballistic missiles were developed that made defense of cities from nukes possible)
US unsigned

Question 12

What are the four different ideas describing who governs?

Answer 12

Elite Model, Pluralism, Bureaucratic, Marxist

Question 13

Describe the Elite Model of government

Answer 13

Popularized in the 1950s with the book “the power elite” C Wright Mills
American Elites numbering in the thousand form self perpetuating groups (attend the that control ownerships of major corporations (presidents tend to attend the same schools, be from the same denominations).
Ideas and policies are said to be shaped from the top (elite) down. The own media, corporations, and control “think tanks” (policy planning groups)

Question 14

Describe the Pluralistic model of government

Answer 14

Gets the most attention by political scientists
In some ways a “takeoff” of elitism (pluralism meaning many elites)
There is no single group, there are people with wealth and influence but there are many elites
Many interest groups with varying power. Competition between them determines public policy

Question 15

Give examples of interest groups

Answer 15

Retail
Dairy
Abortion
Labor Unions
Chamber of Commerce
NRA
MADD
AARP
NAACP
Amer Med Assn
Amer Dental Assn
Drug industry
etc

Question 16

Describe the Bureaucratic model of government

Answer 16

Those who hold executive positions and are employed in government play a role in government (not talking about elected officials, talking specifically about employees who remain in their jobs when a new president takes office)

Question 17

Give historical examples that support the theory of Bureaucratic model of government

Answer 17

Kennedy in 1961 wanted missiles out of turkey. In 1962 the order had not been carried out. Career diplomats disregarded the order due to worries about Turkey relations.
This causes the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)
Kennedy said “nothing unless I ordered it” (militarily).
A soviet submarine came too close to an american destroyer around a blockade of cuba, the destroyer fired depth charges.
Kennedy didn’t know anything about this

Federal government wanted speed limits to be 55, eventually this was relaxed.
Many career employees did not favor this but they could not stop it. However, they could slow it down since they were in charge of replacing the signs

Question 18

Describe the Marxist model of government

Answer 18

Class conflict between the working class and the ruling class. The working class (proletariat) would eventually overthrow the ruling class (bourgeoisie) and create a dictatorship of the proletariat. Government would eventually wither away after the dictatorship was established, and people would live in a Utopia.
In reality the dictatorship would not wither away, and would be brutal (Soviet Union, People’s Republic of China)

Question 19

Define State of Nature. Who wrote about it and what were their beliefs?

Answer 19

State of nature is the absence of government, police, etc
According to Hobbes, the state of nature is dangerous
According to Locke, it isn’t so bad
It is why we should subscribe to a social contract

Question 20

Define Social contract and the theory behind it

Answer 20

Hobbes and many other theorists based their idea on social contract

Transfer all political rights to the king in order to gain security
It would be irrational for the king to harm those that are inside the new political structure

ability to lead private life as you see fit

theme of order

Question 21

Describe how you would be released from a social contract

Answer 21

If the king comes after you (Ex: for violation of a rule) that would break the social contract

Question 22

What book did Hobbes write? What was the idea behind that book?

Answer 22

Leviathan.
Citizens would give their freedom over to an all powerful sovereign who wields absolute authority. This would avoid people having to live in a State of Nature

Question 23

What was the primary purpose of government according to Hobbes?

Answer 23

The primary purpose of government is to ensure survival

Question 24

What book did John Locke write? What was the idea behind that book?

Answer 24

Two Treatises on Government
Locke believed that humans were basically good, a state of nature is therefore not bad, because life isn’t constantly bad/violent
People would want to leave a state of nature because of property and trade

Question 25

What was the primary purpose of government according to John Locke?

Answer 25

The primary purpose of government is to protect property

Question 26

What were the values of government according to our forefathers?

Answer 26

“life, liberty, pursuit of happiness” -> Life, freedom, property This theory of government is very libertarian

Question 27

Describe the theory of public goods.

Answer 27

The government should provide for things needed by people but too expensive for private citizens to provide

Question 28

Give examples of public goods

Answer 28

Cumberland trial by James Monroe At the time he wasn’t sure he had the authority to do that Interstate highway by Eisenhower

Question 29

What is the alternate theory to public goods?

Answer 29

Privatization

Question 30

Describe Privatization

Answer 30

Selling off to companies with the assumption that they can do the job better Operated for profit Possible flaws with that

Question 31

Give some examples of privatization and the flaws with them

Answer 31

``` Prison system (he showed website with ads for products for prisoners) Flaws -We want people OUT of prisons -Repeat offenses high -Running a prison to make money could be harsh No AC -Shouldn’t citizens have a say? ``` Possible for interstate? Possible for social security? Government’s do not have to make a profit

Question 32

PAYGO

Answer 32

social security is set up “pay as you go” - taxes that go into social security now pay for current social security - Privatizing social security would therefore require more money - From taxpayers or (more likely) more borrowing Individual social security accts 18-50 Would require $25 Privatized military Mercenaries/security firms

Question 33

Simply define majoritarianism

Answer 33

giving more political power to the hands of the public

Question 34

What are the three majoritarian political actions?

Answer 34

Initiative, referendum, recall

Question 35

Initiative

Answer 35

Initiative = petitions circulated St. Louis county thing Put on ballot if enough signatures were gathered Proposed statutes or constitutional amendments Takes money to have initiatives on the ballot

Question 36

Referendum

Answer 36

State legislature says “we don’t want to deal w. this issue (bc too constitutional) and pass it off to voter

Question 37

Recall

Answer 37

A recall election is a procedure by which voters can remove an elected official from office through a direct vote before that official's term has ended. California- Arnold

Question 38

Where are town hall meetings still held?

Answer 38

New England

Question 39

Describe Ross Perot

Answer 39

independent presidential candidate 92, 96 received highest percentage of vote of any independent (19% ‘92, 9% ‘96) Meant Bill Clinton was never elected with a majority 49% in ‘96 43% in ‘92 Called for electronic town hall meeting Vote via touch-tone telephone (landline)

Question 40

How are we not a pure “democracy”?

Answer 40

We are a republic (Representative Democracy)

Question 41

How would we theoretically remove the electoral college?

Answer 41

We would have to amend the constitution (⅔ votes both houses of congress, ¾ of the states ratifying) to remove the electoral college

Question 42

When was the only year from only one time from ‘92 - ‘16 where republicans won the popular vote?

Answer 42

2004

Question 43

Describe the great britain constitution

Answer 43

unwritten, collection of documents here and there, works through tradition

Question 44

Know arguments for electoral college vs arguments against

Answer 44

-

Question 45

What are the concepts that identify the values pursued by governments?

Answer 45

Freedom, Order, and Equality

Question 46

What are the concepts that describe models of democratic government?

Answer 46

Majoritarian democracy, Pluralist democracy

Question 47

Differentiate between the original dilemma of government and the modern dilemma

Answer 47

The original dilemma of government was freedom vs order, the modern dilemma of government is freedom vs equality

Question 48

How did Ben Franklin realize he wasn't British?

Answer 48

Members of the British Parliament are questioning a commonly dressed Ben Franklin. Franklin went to London thinking he was just going to answer a few questions and realises that he is not british, not part of the political power. He realizes there is a need to break off from the british government. Ben Franklin was very important to the revolution, so this is a critical moment to the revolutionary struggle.

Question 49

Who was the mind behind the Declaration of Independence? Who was the writer?

Answer 49

John Adams (2nd pres) was the mind, Jefferson was the writer.

Question 50

Describe the Sons of Liberty

Answer 50

group that destroyed taxed items and forced the official stamp distributors to resign

Question 51

Describe the Daughters of Liberty

Answer 51

encouraged the elimination of British goods (cloth, tea, food) from colonial markets, created colonial tea and cloth Example of how women were involved in revolutionary struggle

Question 52

How did the revolutionary war affect Colonial communities?

Answer 52

Ripped families and communities apart William and Benjamin Franklin were very close, after the war started they saw each other only one more time. (William favored the British)

Question 53

What percent of colonists remained loyal to britain? What happened to them after the war?

Answer 53

20%. Most settled in Canada after the war

Question 54

What was the first constitutional document?

Answer 54

Articles of Confederation

Question 55

Describe the Articles of Confederation

Answer 55

Very weak Couldn’t inforce States were at war over territory No concept of “United States” Established “League of Friendship”, not a nation Provided for a presiding officer Not much was accomplished, government was dependent on money from the states

Question 56

Who was the first presiding officer under the Articles of Confederation? What did he accomplish?

Answer 56

John Hanson (argued to be first US president by some) Established very small “military” Best known for establishing Thanksgiving

Question 57

Describe Shays rebellion

Answer 57

The New government did not walk away from their debt to great britain, and imposed heavy taxes in order to pay. Farmers in west massachusetts were losing their farms to this debt. They rose up in powerful rebellion. Took a great deal of effort to put down revolt. Emphasized the need for a strong central government

Question 58

What happened in 1787 as a result of a need for stronger government?

Answer 58

Philadelphia Constitutional convention

Question 59

What was the purpose of the Philadelphia Constitutional convention?

Answer 59

To revise the articles of confederation. Instead delegates rewrote the whole thing

Question 60

What was the key division of the Philadelphia constitutional convention?

Answer 60

Representation in the new congress

Question 61

Describe the Virginia Plan

Answer 61

Based representation in congress on population

Question 62

Describe the New Jersey Plan

Answer 62

Each state had one vote regardless of size

Question 63

Describe the Great Compromise

Answer 63

Connecticut Compromise, House of Representatives was established based on population with members serving two year terms. The Senate was set up based on the new jersey plan, each state had two senators serving six year terms. Elections for Senate were staggered (⅓ every 2 years). Senate was made to be slow in producing change.

Question 64

Describe the 3/5ths compromise

Answer 64

Greatest Compromise, Solution to the Slavery | Slaves counted as 3/5ths of a person

Question 65

Describe the suggestion of 3 presidents. What is the issue with this?

Answer 65

Plural Executive One president for North, One with Central, One with South The government would likely not stay together

Question 66

Why would a constitutional convention be a bad thing now?

Answer 66

Everything in the constitution would be up for consideration

Question 67

Supermajority

Answer 67

Certain things cannot be enacted on a simple majority vote in the US Do not have this in Britain, major decisions can be passed by a 51% vote

Question 68

Describe the parliamentary system of government in Great Britain

Answer 68

Political Parties are more important than candidates Prime Minister must be a member of parliament British voters do not directly vote for their prime minister, they vote indirectly for their districts. If Theresa May is defeated in her area she would not be eligible. Prime Minister is head of gov. Head of State (Queen) occupies a ceremonial role that is meant to unify the country

Question 69

Describe the Responsible Party Model

Answer 69

More like a parliament Product of a group of political scientists, APSA developed in 1950 Clear distinctions between each party, elections for the party rather than a candidate. If that party wins they have complete control of the government- they are a responsible party Would allow more things to get done Implemented only in the sense that our political parties have become very distinct

Question 70

What were the terms for people who favored/opposed ratification?

Answer 70

Federalists favored ratification, they wanted a stronger central government Anti-Federalists opposed ratification, they wanted more power in the hands of the states

Question 71

What were the federalist papers?

Answer 71

AKA “The Federalist” | Argued for ratification

Question 72

How many states needed to approve the constitution for it to go into effect? What was needed for this to happen?

Answer 72

9 States needed to approve. They did so only with a Bill of Rights added to the Constitution

Question 73

How many amendments were proposed for the Bill of Rights? How many were initially included in the constitution?

Answer 73

Over 100, only 10 were put in the Bill of Right