Final Exam Study Guide For POS1041 Into To American Government Chapter 1 Democracy in the United States Rational Theory Choice RAT Choice Utility function value assigned to a preference use to guide choices Preference ordering or priority decides how we are going to choose 4 axioms Known set of alternatives There is a pair of preference completeness Transitivity A B C therefore A C Choose most preferred change Types of Government open elections Government by the many Equilibrium when given a choice choose most optimized incentive w no incentive to Democracy governmental power is widely shared amongst citizens through free and Direct democracy ordinary people form gov t and make all the laws Representative democracy republic form of indirect democracy in which the people choose representative Delegate style ordinary citizens participate and constrain actions of public officials Trustee Style citizens are more passive choose representatives but do not tell them what to do More elections than any other country million elected officers in the US National elections President 100 Senators 435 member of House of Reps State elections governor state legislature Local sheriffs school board Judicial state county and municipal New American Democracy Primary preliminary election to narrow of candidates down and determine nominees of general election General Final election that selects office holder Initiative proposals placed on ballot via citizen petition Referendum voters approve reject proposal placed on ballot by legislature or city council office mid tenure Recall voters propose and vote on whether to remove an elected official from Initiative referendum recall all examples of Direct Democracy Permanent Campaign Campaign literally never ends Disappearance of line between campaigning and governing governing becomes campaign strategy public officials sacrifice long term goods for short term electoral advantage Seven major contributions Separation of Elections Less quiet time between elections Different years for different elections vs one day one election Midterm elections make predominance of choice and consideration of official s performance less staggered Decay of Party Organizations Decay of GOP and Democratic Party elections candidate centered Party platforms no longer rigid structure that voters can rely on Politicians putting out own brand name Increase time to draw attention to campaign Spread of Primaries Delay between elections decrease Increase of elections and choices for constituents Proliferations of polls Polling makes opinions immediately available Decrease time for there to be a reaction faster movements shifts Campaign messaged are delivered with less stagnation Rise of Mass Communication Constant coverage 24 hours news cycle Profusion of interest groups Both watch dog and campaign contributions Watch dog groups i e NRA inform public about politician doings so we judge officials between election based upon all actions Contributing group ties to campaign Politicians gather every day Rising Campaign Cost Need to collect early Irony greater opportunity to influence Gov but increasingly disappointed in it Negativity and Sensationalism Sensationalism decreases learning numbs excitement and produce boredom Muckraking action of investigation and publishing truthful reports to perform an auditing or watch dog function Journalism for sake of reform Began in US in Progressive Era to fight injustice cronyism and social ills Child labor asylum commission Gov relations Aim to arouse political elites to perform change Mudslinging form of persuasion or manipulation by presentation of negative facts which often are unrelated to subject Made against opponent even w o being relative to event Emotional remembered longer Negative campaigning works Said to illuminate character of individual Can rule agenda remarks become inflated Chapter 2 US Constitution U S Constitution Dec of Independence and U S Constitution work together Dec of independence serves as charter purpose document for US July 4 1776 US constitution bylaws governing document Sept 17 1787 Bill of Rights concise listing of rights Organized by importance Legislative House of Reps Senate Executive President Judicial Supreme Court Relationship between states and making amendment House of Reps Supposed to be strongest directly voted in by people First 52 words most important State 6 core purposes for which constitution was written Defined and limit remaining 440 words of Constitution Form a more perfect union connect states Establish justice Ensure domestic tranquility peace Provide common defense Promote general welfare Secure blessings of liberty to ourselves and posterity Living document Actual hard copy public Interpretation constantly changes by courts congress president and 7 original articles Chapters and 27 amendments describe details of government and state rights Not the 1st Articles of Confederation 1781 legislature of friendship but ultimately weak National government could not levy taxes regulate commerce or settle interstate disputes First Prez John Hancock Allowed for no national judicial system all state and local Nationwide unrest states plagued by internal dissertation Federalism division of power between national and state government 1790 all states ratified approved U S Constitution To amend constitution need approval by state National government increase strength through states still quasi sovereign independent Article 1 Legislative Branch Bicameral House and Senate 2 year terms 6 year terms popular people election state leg apt Age requirements House 25 Senate 30 Only branch that can declare war Necessary and Proper Clause ability to expand change if seen necessary and proper illegal i e Expansion of Military with Air Force Addition Habeas Corpus Where Is The body can t imprison people for all time No Ex Post Factor Law can t be arrested for something you did before law made it Powers Commander in chief pardons treaties appointment Sec of State Cabinet Rules of Operation author its own laws norms Article 2 Executive Election of president an electoral college Natural born citizen 35 years Supreme Judge Can sign treaties congress can say no State of Union Address Impeachment Line of Succession President VP Article 3 Judiciary Supreme Court Tenure good behavior wants to be most removed body from politics act on law Jurisdiction National Gov vs anyone state vs state state vs citizen Implied power judicial review
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