Unit 1 (Concepts/Keywords) Flashcards
politics
The process of influencing the actions and policies of government
How do the actions of Boyd County students and Bridget Mergens demonstrate the balance between “liberty” and “order”?
- School officials & “order”
- Students & “liberty”
- Order prevents infringement of others’s liberties
Main concepts of American political culture
Democracy, natural rights, Popular sovereignty, Republicanism, liberty, pursuit of happiness, religious freedom
Democracy
Concept from Enlightenment era: Power held by the people
Natural rights
Right given to individuals at birth (right to life, liberty, property), cannot be revoked by gov’t (Enlightenment)
Social contract
People allow governments to rune over them to ensure an orderly society (Locke) [Enlightenment]
American political culture
Set of beliefs, customs, traditions, and values that Americans share
5 Parts of Declaration of Independence
i. Preamble
ii. Where Jefferson set stage for argument that British gov’t no longer legitimate
iii. Defense of the rights of citizens
iv. List of grievances against King
v. Statement separating colonies from GB
Popular sovereignty
Principle of American political culture that states the idea that the government’s right to rule comes from the people
Republicanism
A system that allows for the gov’t’s power to be viable via the people they protect
Inalienable rights
Rights granted to an individual that are self-evident, and that the gov’t can’t remove
Liberty
Social, political, and economic freedoms (liberty from gov’t, liberty to pursue one’s dreams/desires)
How is Republicanism reflected in American society?
Elections are held in order to determine those in power; elections in the hands of the people.
How might changing values influence American political culture in the future?
American culture can shift with national events. For example, welfare programs more acceptable during GD b/c equal hardship. Less receptive post-war. Americans believe in equality of opportunity, not equality of outcome.
Participatory democracy
Theory that widespread political participation is essential for democratic government
Civil society groups
Independent associations that are outside of government control, strongly emphasized in participatory democracy
Pluralist theory
A theory of democracy that emphasizes the role of groups in the policymaking process (groups compete = no domination)
Elitist theory
Theory of democracy saying elites have disproportionate amount of influence in policymaking process.
Political institutions
The structure of government, including the executive, legislature, and judiciary systems
Constitutional republic
Democratic system with elected representatives in which Constitution is supreme law of land
Questions to ask when devising a system of government
1) How much power will the government have?
2) How is political power going to be distributed?
Articles of Confederation
A governing document that created a union of thirteen sovereign states in which the states, not the national government, were supreme.
Why were the AoC formed?
- States operated independently, only came together to defeat British.
- Policy makers distrusted a far away government making laws, too much central authority
- Led to the creation of loose league of friendship among states; had most authority in policymaking; central structure = weak, ineffectual.
-States are sovereign not the national government
Limits on Power of Confederal Gov’t
- Unable to tax (power lay with states, refused to send $$)
- Fed gov’t could declare war, but states can impose tariffs
- System was unicameral and favored small state representation (one state = one vote)
- No executive/judiciary branch
