Government Exam 1

Front 1

Schattschneider’s Operational Definition of Democracy

Back 1

• Democracy is a competitive political system in which competing leaders and organizations define the alternatives of public policy in such a way that the public can participate in the decision making process
• Conflicts are won or lost by the success that the contestants have in getting the audience involved in the fight of in excluding it.
o In the US, there are more conflicts because more people have their say, The conflicts are socialized so everyone gets involved.

Front 2

Socialization of Conflict

Back 2

• Refers to the pattern that conflict is contagious. As individuals get involved in a conflict, others watch and may join in. The outcome of a conflict is dependent upon how contagious it is.
o Conflicts are won or lost by the success that the contestants have in getting the audience involved in the fight of in excluding it

Front 3

Representative Democracy

Back 3

• A form of government founded on the principle of elected individuals representing the people. Removes some of the practical problems but creates issues involving people maintaining control over their representatives.
o During a U.S. campaign, candidates promise to take certain positions on key issues, and voters elect the candidate who most closely matches their preferences on those issues.

Front 4

Electoral Incentive

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• The desire of officials to be elected or re-elected causes them to disagree on their views of governmental programs and policies due to the constituents they represent.
o The desire of officials to be elected or re-elected causes them to disagree on their views of governmental programs and policies due to the constituents they represent.

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Permanent Campaign

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• The campaign never ends when someone gets elected into a public office. Preparation for the next election begins as soon as the last one has finished.

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Retrospective Voting

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• Voting on the basis of past policies rather than guessing at the results of future policies.
o Voters should decide whether incumbents have done a good or bad job. If the voters approve, voters reelect those who are in office; if they disapprove, they choose new leaders.

Front 7

Government Trust

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• the public belief that the government will act in the right way
o A certain degree of citizen trust is necessary for political leaders to make binding decisions and to commit resources to attain certain goals without coercion.

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Scarce Resources

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• Believed to be the necessary root of all government. Structures of authority arise to solve the ever present conflict of scarcity. The society has insufficient resources to fulfill all human wants and needs.
o Conflict is why government exists and scarce resources are the root of conflict.

Front 9

Oligarchy

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• A form of government in which the power rests with a few people.
o The Communist Party leaders in China

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Government

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• Almond, Powell, Dalton and Strom state that: governments are organizations of individuals who have the power to make binding decisions on behalf of particular community.
o 1) protects citizens from unlawful activity
o 2) regulates social and economic relationships
o 3) provides services
o 4) defends country from foreign aggression

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Socialist Democracy

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• A type of democracy in which the government has full control over the economy.
o Sweden

Front 12

Policy Window

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• Policy Windows are transitory opportunities during which the likelihood of adopting new policies or legislative proposals is greater than usual. A policy window occurs when the three steams intersect.
o Problem stream
• The perceptions of problems as public problems requiring government action
o Policy stream
• Experts examining problems and proposing solutions to them
o Political stream
• A swing in national mood, administrative or legislative turnover, and interest group pressure

Front 13

Domestic Policy

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• all government programs and regulations that directly affect those living within a country
o education, healthcare, welfare, taxes etc.

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Externalities

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• A consequence of an activity that has an impact on those not responsible
• for the action.
o bad externality- pollution (don’t work for factory, but affected by pollution)
o positive- new business coming in, you do not work for them. but they set a good tax policy

Front 15

Medicaid

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• Federal health program that provides medical services to persons living below the Federal Poverty Line.
o a response to the Republicans’ objection that Medicare on the grounds that it was only designed to help the middle class and not the poor.

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Regulation

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• Rules and standards that control economic, social and political activities. A compulsory instrument used by the government to keep the country in check.
o Example during progressive era horrible sanitation of meat packing industry so meat inspection act of 1906. In order for the country to run smoothly programs, laws and policies must be regulated because as the time passes society is changing and so must the laws that govern us.

Front 17

Entitlement programs

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• Programs that distribute benefits by law to people in eligible categories
o Ex: Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid

Front 18

Interest Groups

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• Any body of individuals who work together to lobby political figures to get legislation through government. This legislation is usually beneficial to a group of people that the interest group represents.
o Ex. Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

Front 19

Policy-Making Cycle

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• Agenda setting: process narrows this set of conceivable subjects to the set that actually become the focus of attention
• Policy formation: The elimination of policy options, until one or only a few are left amongst which the policy makers make their final selection
• Decision making
• Policy implementation: The process whereby programs or policies are carried out; it denotes the translations of plants into practice
• Policy evaluation: The process of finding out about a public policy in action, the means being employed and the objectives being served

Front 20

Policy Evaluation

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• The process of finding out about a public policy in action, the means being employed and the objectives being served
o relates to policy diffusion in which other governments from different states and countries can evaluate a certain policy and if they should adopt it or not based on its success or failure

Front 21

Welfare Regime

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• The American welfare regime consists of three linked elements:
• 1. the network of direct-spending social programs
• 2.the constellation of more indirect or hidden government interventions. (gov encourages behavior on private business with subsidies and tax breaks)
• 3. private social protections.
o Welfare State - The use of the power of the central government to protect people from income losses inherent in an industrial society—especially those arising out of unemployment, accidents and illness, and retirement—to provide for a minimum standard of economic well-being for all citizens irrespective of circumstances.

Front 22

. Social Construction of Target Populations

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• In this argument groups are viewed by the public as positive or negative, further the groups are strong or weak politically. This creates four categories: advantaged (positive and strong), contenders (negative and strong), dependents (positive and weak) and deviants (negative and weak).
o By understanding the construction of target populations, we can better understand the aspects of the policy cycle and why policies benefit or burden certain groups more than others.

Front 23

Deficit

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• The amount by which annual spending exceeds revenue.
o A deficit in a countries spending can lead to distrust in government

Front 24

Business Cycle

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• the alteration of periods of economic growth with periods of economic slowdown.
o By understanding the business cycle the government can try and minimize the disruptions in the business cycle.

Front 25

Monetary Policy

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• the actions taken by government to vary the supply of money in an effort to stabilize the business cycle

Front 26

Fiscal Policy

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• the sum total of government taxing and spending decisions, which determines the level of the deficit or surplus
o Fiscal policy can be used to control the economy through surplus and deficit.

Front 27

Recession

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• A part of the business cycle where there is a decline in the economic activity for 6 months straight.
o Understanding recessions allows the government to set economic policies to prevent them from occurring.

Front 28

Inflation

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• a rise in the general level of prices of goods and services in an economy over a period of time.
o If inflation rates become too high, those who have savedmoney discover they can purchase much less than when they earned that money. Rising food and fuel prices in 2008, for example, prompted many Americans to cut down on other spending, because they had to spend more money to pay for these basics, which hurts the economy.

Front 29

TARP

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• Program of the United States government implemented to purchase assets and equity from financial institutions to strengthen its financial sector
o Otherwise known as rescue plan to bail out bankers, it was the largest government intervention in the economy since the Great Depression.

Front 30

Federal Budget

Back 30

• The plan for the federal government’s revenues and spending for the coming year.

Front 31

Tax Burden

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• Analysis of the effect of a particular tax on the distribution of economic welfare.
o The tax burden in the US is among the lowest of major industrialized countries: less than 34% of GDP. Other countries provide more services in exchange for the money they collect in taxes.

Front 32

Checks and Balances

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• constitutional division of power into separate institutions, giving each institution the power to block the actions of the others.
o Checks and Balances eliminates momentary majority to seize total.

Front 33

Anti-Federalists

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• Believe that the central governing authority of a nation should be equal or inferior to, but not having more power than, its sub-national states (state government)
o Helped bring upon the creation of the Bill of Rights

Front 34

Judicial Review

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• Court authority to declare laws null and void on the grounds that they violate the Constitution.
o When the Supreme Court decides that a law of Congress is unconstitutional it expands the sovereignty of the states but when the Supreme Court decides a state law to be unconstitutional it has the opposite effect. allows the people the ability to overturn laws that infringe on rights

Front 35

Patronage

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• The power to hand out jobs and benefits.
o Done by President Jackson during his campaign. Otherwise known as “spoils system.”

Front 36

Separation of Powers

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• A system of government in which different institutions exercise the different components of governmental power.
• Legislative power- the making of law
• Executive power- the enforcement of the law
• Judicial power- the application of the law to particular situations
o Separation of powers protects against tyranny

Front 37

Bill of Rights

Back 37

• The first ten amendments to the Constitution, which guarantee civil liberties and protects states’ rights.
o A response to criticism by anti federalists (it was enacted by the federalists to win ratification)

Front 38

Constitution

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• document that establishes the basic rules of decision making, rights, and the distribution of authority in a political system
o It provides framework for rule of law. Provides 4 key components for allowing government to operate: legitimacy, organization, operation, limitation

Front 39

Supremacy Clause

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• Part of the Constitution that says the Constitution is the “supreme Law of the Land”, to which all judges are bound.
o Originally there were differences in it interpretation until the Supreme Court’s final decision gave the Court the power of judicial review over both federal and state laws

Front 40

Popular Sovereignty

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• the political principle that the legitimacy of the state is created by the will or consent of its people, who are the source of all political power.

Front 41

Positive Law Tradition

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• Constitution makers incorporate practices into the fundamental law which is normally established by statute.
• Western and southern states adopted the positive law tradition as a reaction to reconstruction (12 year period after civil war)

Front 42

1876 Constitution

Back 42

• Backlash against Radical Republicans and Davis administration: wanted to lower the amount of power the gov has in people lives
o Significant because it showed how a reactionary constitution is flawed.

Front 43

Categorical Grants

Back 43

• Grants issued by the US congress which may be spent for defined purposes.(Example: Education and highways) They are the main source for federal aid to state and local governments.
o The War on Poverty was a series of categorical grant programs that came under scrutiny because of their implementation

Front 44

Necessary and Proper Clause

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• Says congress has the power to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution its other powers. Congress has a number of specific powers, including the power to tax, coin money, regulate commerce, declare war, and maintain an army. In addition, they have the power to make laws that are necessary for the country (very ambiguous so the delegates can interpret the language into their own liking)
o This clause was implemented in the McCulloch v. Maryland case, and has since strengthened the power of Congress.

Front 45

McCulloch v. Maryland

Back 45

• McCulloch v. Maryland is a Supreme Court decision that deals with the distribution of power in the United States’ federal system. The Court held that the federal government has the constitutional authority to enact laws that are “necessary and proper” for executing its enumerated powers.
o This case is important in the federalism context because it clarified the scope and nature of dual sovereignty, and strengthened the power of the federal government relative to the states.

Front 46

Commerce Clause

Back 46

the constitutional provision that gives Congress the power to regulate commerce "among the states".
This was important in the opposition to the New Deal since people wanted to know if newly enacted laws violated the commerce clause. One of these was as NIRA(National Industrial Recovery Act of 1933) which involved Roosevelt regulating the poultry industry in New York alone. This was later declared unconstitutional in court by the definition of the commerce clause.

Front 47

Devolution

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the granting of powers from the central government to a local or state government. Return of governmental responsibilities to state and local governments.

significance: in 1994 Republican candidates campaigned in favor of governmental devolution, but the Republican lawmakers soon proved that they were not immune to the practice.

Front 48

Dual Sovereignty

Back 48

A theory of federalism saying that both the national and state governments have final authority over their own policy domains.

significance - The very existence of such system is a clear practice to ensure that neither tyranny nor anarchy should occur.

Front 49

Policy Diffusion

Back 49

Occurs when one government’s decision about whether to adopt a policy innovation is influenced by previous choices by other governments.

Significance: Based on competition and policy learning, states are more likely to emulate their geographic neighbors and those with similar political, demographic, and budgetary characteristics

Front 50

Federalism

Back 50

Based on competition and policy learning, states are more likely to emulate their geographic neighbors and those with similar political, demographic, and budgetary characteristics

Front 51

Marble Cake Federalism

Back 51

The theory that all levels of government can work together to solve common problems.

Significance:

Front 52

Unfunded Mandates

Back 52

Federal regulations that impose burdens on state and local governments without appropriating enough money to cover costs.

Front 53

NIMBY

Back 53

Federal regulations that impose burdens on state and local governments without appropriating enough money to cover costs.

Front 54

Snow Ball Effect

Back 54

Locals pass the laws eventually state law passes it; Increases pressure on State Wide Policies. (small effect that is increased b/c it eventually becomes larger leading state to take action) symbolic: Increases pressure on State to take action unlike the pressure valve effect where it is more local than state wide.
professional legislatures lead to a snowball effect
strong interest groups will generate a snowball effect


significance: Increases pressure on State to take action unlike the pressure valve effect where it is more local than state wide.

Front 55

Ethnoculturalism

Back 55

sets rigid boundaries on group membership. Extreme ethnoculturalism maintains that Americans are white, English speaking Protestants of northern European ancestry.

significance - Although United States gradually became an integrated multicultural society, this tendency often contributes to segregation if not altogether violence that inherently defeats the very idea of a multicultural society.

Front 56

Political Culture

Back 56

sets rigid boundaries on group membership. Extreme ethnoculturalism maintains that Americans are white, English speaking Protestants of northern European ancestry.

significance - Although United States gradually became an integrated multicultural society, this tendency often contributes to segregation if not altogether violence that inherently defeats the very idea of a multicultural society.

Front 57

Political Socialization

Back 57

The set of psychological and sociological processes by which families, schools, religious organizations, communities, and other societal units inculcate beliefs and values in their members. the end result of all the processes by which individuals form their beliefs and values in their homes, schools. churches, communities.
- children vote the same way their parents vote
- source of public opinion
- it is an ongoing process

significance – people’s beliefs on politics is based on political socialization. What you are exposed to affects how you view the world.

Front 58

Red Scare

Back 58

The term Red Scare denotes two distinct periods of strong anti-communism in the United States: the First Red Scare, from 1919 to 1920, and the Second Red Scare, from 1947 to 1957. The First Red Scare was about worker (socialist) revolution and political radicalism. The Second Red Scare was focused on national and foreign communists influencing society or infiltrating the federal government, or both.

The term Red Scare denotes two distinct periods of strong anti-communism in the United States: the First Red Scare, from 1919 to 1920, and the Second Red Scare, from 1947 to 1957. The First Red Scare was about worker (socialist) revolution and political radicalism. The Second Red Scare was focused on national and foreign communists influencing society or infiltrating the federal government, or both.

Front 59

Liberalism

Back 59

The term Red Scare denotes two distinct periods of strong anti-communism in the United States: the First Red Scare, from 1919 to 1920, and the Second Red Scare, from 1947 to 1957. The First Red Scare was about worker (socialist) revolution and political radicalism. The Second Red Scare was focused on national and foreign communists influencing society or infiltrating the federal government, or both.

Front 60

Equality of Opportunity

Back 60

The term Red Scare denotes two distinct periods of strong anti-communism in the United States: the First Red Scare, from 1919 to 1920, and the Second Red Scare, from 1947 to 1957. The First Red Scare was about worker (socialist) revolution and political radicalism. The Second Red Scare was focused on national and foreign communists influencing society or infiltrating the federal government, or both.

Front 61

Civic Republicanism

Back 61

The term Red Scare denotes two distinct periods of strong anti-communism in the United States: the First Red Scare, from 1919 to 1920, and the Second Red Scare, from 1947 to 1957. The First Red Scare was about worker (socialist) revolution and political radicalism. The Second Red Scare was focused on national and foreign communists influencing society or infiltrating the federal government, or both.

Front 62

Values

Back 62

Refer to a conception of the desirable, not something desired. Values transcend particular objects and specific situations; they are relatively abstract and durable claims about virtue and good society. They are significant b/c they help structure the world, what is good and bad; dictate how people should behave.

Front 63

Texan Creed

Back 63

The Texan Creed is built upon five ideals.
1. Individualism
2. Liberty
3. Equality
4. Constitutionalism
5. Democracy
Significance: Texas, unlike other states , was once its own country. Texas has a lot of pride; people from the state take pride in being from Texas.

Front 64

Limited Government

Back 64

A belief system that argues against a strong central government and wishes to bound the size and scope of government.

Front 65

Selection Bias

Back 65

he distortion caused when a sampling method systematically includes or excludes people with certain attitudes from the sample

significance: the credibility of a general public opinion is based upon the fact that the people surveyed must be picked randomly. Therefore, the credibility of a survey goes down when selection bias is apparent.

Front 66

Public Opinion

Back 66

Public opinion is the aggregation of people’s views about issues, situations, and public figures. There are many ways that public opinion are formed, including socialization, education, personal experiences, self-interest, reference groups, and the media. Public opinion often shapes policy outcomes by setting bounds for the officials who chose public policies. public opinion can be help by private persons which governments find it prudent to heed. some peoples opinion are more important than others.

Front 67

Political Efficacy

Back 67

Political efficacy is the belief that the citizen can make a difference in politics by expressing an opinion or acting politically. Higher education is often associated with a greater sense of political efficacy.
This leads many college students and graduates to view political involvement as a duty to carryout rather than a chore, in turn leading to a higher voting rate among this group.

Front 68

Political Knowledge

Back 68

knowledge about the political world involving key issues and candidates running for political office. Civic knowledge provides the raw material that allows citizens to use their virtues, skills and passions in a way that is connected meaningfully to the empirical world.

significance: Although many people don’t know everything about politics, we can use heuristics to guide us to make informed decisions.

Front 69

Hard and Easy Issues

Back 69

Hard issues are highly technical issues that require a lot of calculation on the part of the voters. weigh goods vs bad, pros vs. cons
Easy issues are long-standing
emotional issues that have been ingrained into the public’s mind over time. there is no calculation.
An example of a hard issue could be a bill to reform the tax code. An example of an easy issue could be a bill to cut education funding.

Front 70

Ideology

Back 70

A system of beliefs in which one or more organizing principles connect the individuals’ views on a wide range of issues. (A bundling of beliefs)
Significance: One can refer to ideology to make decisions on a number of issues, policies, and candidates.

Front 71

Heuristics

Back 71

refers to experience-based techniques for problem solving, learning, and discovery. Heuristic methods are used to speed up the process of finding a satisfactory solution, where an exhaustive search is impractical. Mental shortcuts that allow individuals to make decisions without a great deal of information

significance: a way to overcome the information hurdle

Front 72

Political Elites

Back 72

Activists and officeholders who have well-structured ideologies that bind together their positions on different policy issues; people who are deeply involved in politics

Front 73

Creed

Back 73

That which is believed; accepted doctrine; a particular set of beliefs; any summary of principles or opinions professed or adhered to
- religious traditions may provide guidance for believers about appropriate behavior in secular realms, such as politics
ex. The Texan Creed
- religious creed- helps you understand how you should operate within the word and how the world works

importance – religion is a type of socialization that can shape the way people think about politics.

Front 74

Separation of Church and State

Back 74

The idea of separation of Church and State is set forth by the Establishment and Free Exercise clauses of the First Amendment, which respectively state that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” Separation of Church and State is the belief that under no circumstances should the ruling body of government formally recognize any single religious ideal.
- the state cannot endorse a specific church or religion
Can anyone add some back up info relating this term to the video we watched in class? I think this and religious freedom will be on the test considering we watched an entire video over it.

Front 75

Religious Freedom

Back 75

It is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance; the concept is generally recognized also to include the freedom to change religion or not to follow any religion. It is considered by many people and nations to be a fundamental human right.