GVPT170 American Government Midterm Review Guide Chapter 1 Understanding American Politics Terms o Government Founders of the United States believed the absence of government would result in chaos is the system for implementing decisions made through the political process The o Politics is the process that determines what government does Three purposes of government 1 Maintain order 2 Provide for general welfare 3 Promote equality Key Idea 1 Politics is Conflictual Key Idea 2 Political Process Matters Key Idea 3 Politics is Everywhere o Faction is a group of like minded people trying to get something from government Three ways to prevent a tyranny of any one faction 1 Separation of powers divides government power across the judicial executive and legislative branches 2 Checks and balances give each branch of government some power over the others government o Sources of Conflict in American Politics 3 Federalism divides power across the local state and national levels of an economic system based on competition between businesses Economic Interests Free market without government interference Economic individualism financial decisions without government interference policies favored by Democratic politicians that use taxation to attempt to create greater social equality higher taxes on rich to provide programs to the poor the autonomy of individuals to manage their own Redistribution tax policies Culture wars is the political conflict in the United States between red state Americans who tend to have strong religious beliefs and blue state Americans who tend to be more secular Identity politics identity and one s political interests Ideology world refers to the association between one s racial ethnic and gender is a cohesive set of ideas and beliefs used to organize and evaluate the political Conservative defined by support for stronger government programs and more market defined by support for lower taxes a free market and a more limited government Republican Liberal regulation Democrats Libertarians be quite conservative on issues such as welfare policy environmental policy and public support for education but very liberal on issues of personal liberty such as free speech abortion and the legalization of drugs those who prefer very limited government and therefore tend to Chapter 2 The Constitution and the Founding Terms o Articles of Confederation outlined the American government 1777 Congress was the central branch of government NO judicial branch or president Congress had little power over the states and could not force them to pay taxes regulate trade or maintain an army MAIN PROBLEMS Too far in direction of limited government National government didn t have power to tax or regulate trade o Political Theories of Framers Too much state power Wanted a republican democracy is a government where the views of the people were represented by popularly elected leaders also known as republicanism Three crucial ideas o Equality Self rule o o Natural rights inalienable rights life liberty and pursuit of happiness associated with John Locke supported strong national government weak state governments and separation of supported strong state governments with fear that strong national government o Federalist powers would threaten individual rights o Anti federalist o Five Major Issues in Constitutional Convention Majority vs Minority Rights would assume total control plural multiple a Pluralism enough groups of people had access to the political system no one group b New Jersey Plan proposed by larger states that based representation in the national Large State vs Small State a Virginia Plan legislature on population Strengthen national government representation in national legislature regardless of size Connecticut where Congress would have two houses Senate with two legislatures per states and House of Representatives where each state s representation is based on population Legislative Power vs Executive Power proposed by smaller states that each state should receive equal compromise between small and large states proposed by c Great Compromise a Parliamentary system system of government which legislative and executive power are closely joined Legislative branch parliament selects chief executive prime minister who forms cabinet from members of parliament National Power vs State and Local Power a Reserved powers defined by 10th amendment powers that are not given to national government by Constitution or not prohibited to the states are reserved by states or the people US are the Supreme Law of Land meaning national laws take precedent over state laws if two conflict Slave States vs Non slave states stating that the Constitution and laws and treaties of b National supremacy clause a Three Fifths Compromise count each slave as three fifth s of a person to state s population for determining House members states decisions during Constitutional Convention to o Exclusive Powers o Negative Powers Necessary and proper claus exclusive powers judicial branch has no exclusive powers e gives it the power to pass laws that relate to any of its Impeachment a negative or checking power over other branches that allows Congress to remove president vice president or other officers of US for abuses of power negative or checking power by freezing or cutting other branches funding power to Congress to raise and spend money can use this as a Power of the purse President has two major checking powers o Veto any legislation passed by Congress o Appoints justices to Supreme Court Judicial review Supreme Court s power to shut down a law or executive branch action 1 2 3 4 5 Chapter 3 Federalism Terms if unconstitutional o Enumerated Powers in the first three articles of the Constitution vague wording is NECESSARY in order to have multiple interpretations powers explicitly granted to Congress the president or the Supreme Court executive power shall be vested in the President of the US Executive Powers Clause used to justify many assertions of presidential power Congress s legislation Commerce Clause power to regulate commerce nowadays serves as the basis for o Implied Powers powers supported by the Constitution that are not expressly stated in it o Federalism form of government that divides sovereign powers across at least two political units o Concurrent Powers responsibilities for particular policy areas that are shared by federal state in US power divided among national and state governments and local government