Test 1

Front 1

1. What is the only entity that can legitimately use force?

Back 1

Government

Front 2

2. According to the U.S. Constitution, what are the purposes of our government?

Back 2

1) To establish justice and insure domestic tranquility.

2) To provide for the common defense.

3) To promote the general welfare.(To secure the blessings of liberty.)

Front 3

3. What characterizes the democratic ideal of individual dignity?

Back 3

- Liberties are not granted by governments, they belong to every person born into the world.

*Equality of opportunity

*Participation in Decision Making

*Majority Rule

Front 4

4. What are the types of governments that we studied?

Back 4

Totalitarian

Authoritarian

Constitutional Government

Direct Democracy

Representative Democracy

Front 5

5. Know what pluralism is and its characteristics. (?)

Back 5

- (dictionary) A condition or system in which two or more states, groups, principles, sources of authority, etc., coexist.

- Government reacts to organized groups competing against one another for policies that benefit one group to the detriment of another.

*Competition between the groups creates a balance in the system.

*Individuals can participate in politics by being a member of a group that influences government policy on their behalf.

*People can play an influential role in the political process.

Front 6

6. Know what elitism is and its characteristics.

Back 6

- Individuals in a few key top positions in corporations, banks, the government, foundations, and universities control most of the governing decision.

*These individuals, relatively few in number compared to the total population of our nation, make decisions that affect the welfare of all Americans and use their vast resources to influence the outcome of public policy as well.

*Communication flows from the elites down to the masses, not from the masses up to the elites.

Front 7

7. What is equality of opportunity and do most Americans support it?

Back 7

- Elimination of artificial barriers to success in life and the opportunity for everyone to strive for success.

*Yes, Americans are generally willing to have government act to ensure equality of opportunity.

Front 8

8. What factors contribute to income inequality?

Back 8

- The decline of the manufacturing economic sector and the increase of communication, information and service economic sector.

- The rise in the number of two wage families

- Demographic trends, including a larger elderly population.

- Global competition, which restrains wages in unskilled and semiskilled jobs while rewarding people in high technology, high-productivity occupations.

Front 9

9. What is social mobility?

Back 9

The extent to which people move upward or downward in income and status over a lifetime or generations.

Front 10

10. Which government has the primary responsibility for immigration policy?

Back 10

National government

Front 11

11. What is the only way to reduce illegal immigration?

Back 11

To control it at the boarder

Front 12

12. What are the characteristics of the political ideologies?

Back 12

- A consistent and integrated system of ideas, values, and beliefs.

*Liberals... FOR abortion, gay rights, decriminalizing marijuana, pornography, rights criminal defenders (AGAINST share religion)

*Conservatives AGAINST abortion, gay rights, decriminalizing marijuana, pornography, rights criminal defenders (FOR share religion)

Front 13

13. What are the political correctness and characteristics?

Back 13

- The agenda of academic radicalism

Repression of attitudes

Speech

Writings that are deemed raciest sexiest homophobic or otherwise insensitive (can't scream or express it not right).

*It doesn't tolerate open discussion or debate.

Front 14

14. What are the functions of a constitution?

Back 14

- Establishes government authority.

- Establishes governmental bodies and grants them powers and limits their power.

- Determines how members are to be chosen.

- Establishes the rules by which decision are made.

Front 15

15. What were the characteristics of the national government under the Articles of Confederation create and what powers did it give to the national government?(?)

Back 15

1.Congress was a single house which each state having 1 vote

2. Congress created an appointed executive charges and military officers.

3. Congress had the power to make war and peace, conduct foreign affairs, and borrowing print money.

4.Congress cannot collect taxes and enforce laws directly it relied on the states to provide money & enforce its laws.

5. The US was a confederation of nations.

6. National Government was thought of as an alliance of Independent states not as a government of the people

Front 16

16. What were the issues the Founding Fathers had a consensus on at the Constitutional Convention?

Back 16

- Representation... Virginia plan, The New Jersey, The great Compromise, Voter Qualification

- Every state had property qualifications for voting.

- Women were not allowed to vote or hold office.

Front 17

17. What were the characteristics of the Virginia Plan?

Back 17

- Two-house legislature; the lower house being chosen by the people of the states, with representation according to population and upper house to be chosen by the lower house.

- It proposed a parliamentary form of government, in which Congress chose the principal executive officers of the government as well as federal judges.

Front 18

18. What did the Great Compromise create?

Back 18

Two-chamber Congress... In the upper chamber, the Senate (selected by their state legislatures), each state would have two members. In the lower chamber, the House of Representatives (directly elected by each state's citizens), each state would be represented by population

Front 19

19. How did the Founders decide the issue of voter qualifications in the U.S. Constitution?

Back 19

The founders approved a constitution w/o any expressed property qualifications for voting and holding office, except those that the states might themselves impose.

Front 20

20. In its original form prior to any amendments to the U.S. Constitution, who decided who would be in the Senate?

Back 20

(Wiki) State legislature

Republicanism (Government by representatives rather than directly by people) (?)

Front 21

21. What prohibitions were put on the powers of the states by the U.S. Constitution?

Back 21

- Imposing tariffs on goods shipped across state lines.

- Issuing their own paper money.

- Making treaties with other countries.

Front 22

22. What powers did the U.S. Constitution give to Congress?

Back 22

The power to declare war, to raise and support military forces, to create a militia.

Front 23

23. The National Supremacy Clause of Article VI of the Constitution.

Back 23

It makes the Constitution, all federal laws, and treaties the supreme law of the land and if there is a conflict b/w any of these and a state law, the state law will fail.

Front 24

24. According to the Constitution, how do states influence national politics?

Back 24

States influence national politics due to the appointment of congressional seats among the states and in the allocation of electoral votes for president.

Front 25

25. What is "Separation of powers" in terms of Constitutional division of powers? By which Article is S/P created for what?

Back 25

- legislative, executive, and judicial

- Created by Articles I, II, and III to place internal controls on the national government's power.

Front 26

26. What is Checks and balances and characteristics?

Back 26

Constitutional provisions giving each branch of the national government certain checks over the actions of their branches.

- It ensures each branch must depend on another branch to achieve its goals.

Front 27

27. What do we call the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution?

Back 27

Bill of Rights

Front 28

28. What was the Bill of Rights originally intended to do?

Back 28

To limit the government's power.

Front 29

29. What ways can the U.S. Constitution be amended?

Back 29

Formal...

1) Proposing Constitutional Amendment

2) Ratification

Informal...

1) Judicial interpretation

2) Presidential and congressional action

3) General custom and practice

Front 30

30. How can the U.S. Constitution be amended formally?

Back 30

- Proposing a Constitutional Amendment

1) By a 2/3's vote of the House and the Senate

2) By passage in a national convention called by congress at the request of 2/3's of the state legislature (Never used)

- Ratification

1) By passage of 3/4ths of the state legislatures

2) By a vote in conventions called to ratify the amendment in 3/4ths of the states.

Front 31

31. Judicial Review.

Back 31

The power of the federal courts to declare laws of Congress and actions of the president unconstitutional.

- Through the power of this, the federal courts, and especially the Supreme Court, change the Constitution by their interpretations of its language.

Front 32

32. What is federalism?

Back 32

A constitutionally created system of dividing power between the national government and the state governments.

Front 33

33. What is the only legal source of authority for both the national government and the state governments?

Back 33

The Constitution

Front 34

34. Unitary system.

Back 34

Formal authority rests with the national government and whatever powers are exercised by states, provinces, or subdivisions are given to those governments by the national government. (Ex. England, States)

Front 35

35. Confederal system.

Back 35

The national government is created by and relies on the sub-national governments for its authority, not the people. (Ex. EU, UN)

Front 36

36. What are the major things the Founding Fathers believed federalism would accomplish?

Back 36

Protect liberty

Dispense power

Encourage policy innovation.

Front 37

37. The Necessary and Proper Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

Back 37

It grants Congress the power to enact all laws that are "necessary and power" for carrying out those responsibilities specifically delegated to it.

Front 38

38. The Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

Back 38

The Constitution, all federal laws, and all treaties are the supreme law of the land, and are superior to any state constitution or law, hence, if a state law conflicts with a federal law, the federal law shall prevail.

Front 39

39. Which clause of the U.S. Constitution, as amended, delegates power to the state governments or to their people?

Back 39

The Reserved Powers Clause (w/ Tenth amendment)

Front 40

40. The Full Faith and Credit Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

Back 40

- It requires states to give legal recognition to actions and decisions taken by other states.

- It ensures that contracts, property ownership, insurance, civil judgements, marriages and divorces, among other things, made in one state are recognized in all states.

Front 41

41. What things can occur as a result of the public being ill informed on political issues?

Back 41

Danger of ill informed public

*allow public officials considerable flexibility when formulating public policy

*Allow lobbyist, interest groups, commentators, and reporters to increased influence

*Allow interest groups and the media the opportunity to influence policy indirectly by shaping popular opinion (Online)

Front 42

42. The Fifteenth Amendment.

Back 42

It gave black men the right to vote.

Front 43

43. The Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Back 43

Outlawed Literacy Test for voting. (Examination of a person's ability to read and write as a prerequisite to voter registration.)

Front 44

44. What is political alienation?

Back 44

Tthe belief that politics is irrelevant to one's life and that one cannot personally affect public affairs. (online info)

Front 45

45. What appears to be the essential link between opinion and policy?

Back 45

Political Participation

Front 46

46. What are the powers the national government uses to deeply involve itself in areas that were once the exclusive domain of the state and local governments?

Back 46

Through its power to tax and spend for the general welfare

Front 47

47. What is total preemption?

Back 47

The federal government's assumption of all regulatory powers in a particular field.

Front 48

48. The Nineteenth Amendment.

Back 48

Provides women the right to vote in all elections.

Front 49

49. What is the major constitutional responsibility of the executive branch?

Back 49

Executive (Implement) the laws.

Front 50

50. What is the major constitutional responsibility of the legislative branch?

Back 50

Write and pass the laws.

Front 51

51. What is the major constitutional responsibility of the judicial branch?

Back 51

Interpret the laws and actions of government officials.

Front 52

52. What is partial preemption?

Back 52

The federal government's assumption of some regulatory powers in a particular field, provided that the state law on the some subject is valid if it doesn't conflict with the federal law in the same area.