Exam 1 Study Guide Chapter 1 Key Terms Government the legitimate use of force to control human behavior also the organization or agency authorized to exercise that force Federal Government the government body that presides over a federation of states Constitution a supreme document which legally establishes government articulates its powers and limitations determines how members of government are selected and prescribes the rules by which they make their decisions Globalization the increasing interdependence of citizens and nations across the world Politics the struggle for power in and among societies and governments to determine who gets what when and how Political Science the study of politics Order government authority to legitimately use force to protect life and property and to promote safety morality and general welfare of the collective Public Goods benefits and services that benefit all citizens but are not likely to be voluntarily produced by individuals Police Power the authority that the government uses to enforce or promote order Individualism the idea that individuals as opposed to the group society or nation are the fundamental units of political social and economic concern Collectivism the idea that holds that the group society or nation rather than the individual is the fundamental unit of political social and economic concern Freedom the greatest freedom of individuals that is consistent with the freedom of other individuals in society most often requiring the absence or the limitation of government authority Equality the state of being equal Political Equality equal application of the law Equality of Opportunity the insurance that each person has the equal opportunity to pursue their goals unfettered by arbitrary discriminatory barriers Equality of Outcome the idea that all people should be equal in all things and that the government should use its authority to establish and maintain this condition American Liberalism those who are willing to use government to promote equality but not order American Conservatism those who are willing to use the government to promote order but not equality Libertarianism opposed to all government action except as necessary to protect life and property government Communitarianism believes in the use of government to promote both order and equality Political Culture the widely shared values and beliefs in society holds about politics and Classical Libertarianism a political philosophy asserting the primacy of the worth dignity and freedom of the individual John Locke wrote The Second Treatise on Government The Father of Classic Liberalism Natural Rights all humans possess the natural rights to life liberty and property which they hold prior to and independent of society of government Social Contract Government is established by the people to primarily protect their natural rights In return the people respect the government s authority Established by the people governments may be dissolved by the people if this trust or contract is broken Declaration of Independence drafted by Thomas Jefferson in 1776 the document proclaimed the right of the colonies to separate from Great Britain Fascism anti individualistic stresses the importance and centrality of the state Nazism amounts to a revolt of the individual against the burdens of liberty and free choice that classic liberalism has imposed upon them Theories of Economic Freedom Laissez Faire an economic system free of any governmental involvement or interference Capitalism an economic system emphasizing the individual right to own most wealth and property in society without excessive interference of the government Theories of Economic Equality Communism an economic system in which all property and economic production is owned and controlled by the government for the collective Socialism an economic system emphasizing collective control of most wealth and major economic enterprise to promote social and material equality Adam Smith The Wealth of Nations offers one of the world s first collected descriptions of what builds nations wealth and is today a fundamental work in classic economics Theory of Capitalism Assumes Human beings are naturally self interested Believes Self interested human beings will naturally work harder for themselves than the love or benefit of others Argues Governmental involvement in the economy should be reserved to those tasks for which the free market is ill suited Karl Marx Marxism Private property is the principal of evil In every society those who possess property have their fate determined for them Limited Government a government whose powers are limited particularly by institutional checks Totalitarianism a system where the government exercises unlimited and absolute control over all sectors of society Ex Nazi Germany Authoritarianism a system where the government exercises unlimited and absolute control over the political sector Ex United States Anarchism a system of government absence Ex Somalia Constitutionalism a constitutional system of government usually with a written constitution Rule of Law a system in which the law applies to and must be obeyed by everyone including a head of state or a government Separation of Powers the assignment of lawmaking law enforcing and law interpreting functioning to separate branches of government Legislative Congress The power to make law Executive Presidency The power to enforce the law Checks and Balances Constitutional provisions giving each branch of government some Judicial Federal Courts The power to interpret and clarify the law check or scrutiny over the branches Federalism Division of power between one national government and many several regional Popular Participation Constitutional rights of the people to participate in the political governments process Right to Bear Arms Constitutionally protected right of individuals to possess arms Justified Revolution the people are allowed to revolt against the government if it becomes unjust The Federalist No 51 an essay by James Madison One of the most famous of the Federalist Papers No 51 addresses means by which appropriate checks and balances can be created in government and also advocates a separation of powers within the national government Pulling Things Together 1 The model of the American political system on pg 1 of notes 2 3 Democratic vs Non democratic Individualism vs Collectivism the most important thing is the individual vs the most important thing is