PSC 1113: FINAL EXAM
216 Cards in this Set
| Front | Back |
|---|---|
|
globalization
|
the increasing interdependence of citizens and nations across the world
|
|
government
|
the legitimate use of force to control human behavior; also the organization or agency authorized to exercise that force
|
|
national sovereignty
|
a political entity's externally recognized right to exercise final authority over its affairs. Sovereignty is the quality of being supreme in power or authority.
|
|
order
|
Established ways of social behavior. Maintaining order is the oldest purpose of government.
|
|
Liberalism
|
The belief that states should leave individuals free to follow their individual pursuits.
|
|
Communism
|
A political system in which, in theory, ownership of all land and productive facilities is in the hands of the people, and all goods are equally shared. The production and distribution of goods are controlled by an authoritarian government.
|
|
Public goods
|
Benefits and services, such as parks and sanitation, that benefit all citizens but are not likely to be produced voluntarily by individuals.
|
|
Freedom of
|
An absence of constraints on behavior, as in freedom of speech or freedom of religion.
|
|
Freedom from
|
Immunity, as in freedom from want
|
|
Police power
|
The authority of a government to maintain order and safeguard citizens' health, morals, safety, and welfare
|
|
Political equality
|
Equality in political decision making one vote per person, with all votes counted equally.
|
|
Social equality
|
Equality in wealth, education and status
|
|
Equality of opportunity
|
The idea that each person is guaranteed the same chance to succeed in life.
|
|
Equality of outcome
|
The concept that society must ensure that people are equal, and government must design policies to redistribute wealth and status so that economic and social equality is actually achieved
|
|
Rights
|
The benefits of government to which every citizen is entitled
|
|
Political Ideology
|
A consistent set of values and beliefs about the proper purpose and scope of government
|
|
Totalitarianism
|
A political philosophy that advocates unlimited power for the government to enable it to control all sectors of society.
|
|
Socialism
|
A form of rule in which the central government plays a strong role in regulating existing private industry and directing the economy, although it does allow some private ownership of productive capacity
|
|
Democratic socialism
|
A socialist for m of government that guarantees civil liberties such as freedom of speech and religion. Citizens determine the extent of government activity through free elections and competitive political parties
|
|
Capitalism
|
The system of government that favors free enterprise
|
|
Libertarianism
|
A political ideology that is opposed to all government action except as necessary to protect life and property
|
|
Libertarians
|
Those who are opposed to using government to promote either order or equality
|
|
Laissez faire
|
An economic doctrine that opposes any form of government intervention in business
|
|
Anarchism
|
A political philosophy that opposes government in any form
|
|
Conservatives
|
Those who are willing to use government to promote order but not equality
|
|
Liberals
|
Those who are willing to use government to promote equality but not order
|
|
Communitarians
|
Those who are willing to use government to promote both order and equality
|
|
Autocracy
|
A system of government in which the power to govern is concentrated in the hands of one individual
|
|
Oligarchy
|
A system of government in which the power is concentrated in the hands of a few people
|
|
Democracy
|
A system of government in which, in theory, the people rule, either directly or indirectly
|
|
Procedural democratic theory
|
A view of democracy as being embodied in a decision making process that involves universal participation, political equality, majority rule, and responsiveness
|
|
Universal participation
|
The concept that everyone in a democracy should participate in governmental decision making
|
|
Majority Rule
|
The principle-basic to procedural democratic theory- that the decision of a group must reflect the preference of more than half of those participating; a simple majority
|
|
Participatory democracy
|
A system of government where rank-and-file citizens rule themselves rather than electing representatives to govern on their behalf
|
|
Representative democracy
|
A system of government where citizens elect public officials to govern on their behalf
|
|
Responsiveness
|
A decision making principle, necessitated by representative government, that implies that elected representatives should do what the majority of people wants
|
|
Substantive democratic theory
|
The view that democracy is embodied in the substance of government policies rather than in the policy making procedure
|
|
Minority rights
|
The benefits of government that cannot be denied to any citizen by majority decisions
|
|
Majoritarian model of democracy
|
The classical theory of democracy in which government by the people is interpreted as government by the majority of the people
|
|
Interest group
|
An organized group of individuals that seeks to influence public policy; also called a lobby
|
|
Pluralist model of democracy
|
An interpretation of democracy in which government by the people is taken to mean government by people operating through competing interest groups
|
|
Elite theory
|
The view that a small group of people actually makes most of the important government decisions
|
|
Democratization
|
A process of transition as a country attempts to move from an authoritarian form of government to a democratic one
|
|
Declaration of Independence
|
Drafted by Thomas Jefferson, the document that proclaimed the right of the colonies to separate from Great Britain
|
|
Social contract theory
|
The belief that the people agree to set up rulers for certain purposes and thus have the right to resist or remove rulers who act against those purposes
|
|
Republic
|
A government without a monarch; a government rooted in the consent of the governed, whose power is exercised by elected representatives responsible for the governed
|
|
Confederation
|
A loose association of independent states that agree to cooperate on specified matters
|
|
Articles of Confederation
|
The compact among the original 13 states that established the first government of the United States
|
|
Virginia Plan
|
A set of proposals for a new government, submitted to the Constitutional Convention of 1787; included separation of the government into three branches, division of the legislature into two houses, and proportional representation in the legislature
|
|
Legislative Branch
|
Law-making branch of the government
|
|
Executive Branch
|
Law-enforcing branch of the government
|
|
Judicial Branch
|
Law-interpreting branch of the government
|
|
New Jersey Plan
|
A set of nine resolutions that would have preserved the Articles of Confederation by amending rather than replacing them
|
|
Great Compromise
|
A plan calling for a bicameral legislature in which the House of Representatives would be apportioned according to population and the states would be represented equally in the Senate
|
|
Electoral College
|
A body of electors chosen by voters to cast ballots for president and vice president
|
|
Extraordinary Majority
|
A majority greater than the minimum of 50 percent
|
|
Republicanism
|
A form of government in which power resides in the people and is exercised by their elected representatives
|
|
Federalism
|
The division of power between a central government and regional governments
|
|
Separation of Powers
|
The assignment of lawmaking, law-enforcing, and law-interpreting functions to separate branches of government
|
|
Checks and Balances
|
A government structure that gives each branch some scrutiny of and control over the other branches
|
|
Enumerated Powers
|
The powers explicitly granted to Congress by the Constitution
|
|
Necessary and Proper Clause
|
the last clause in Section 8 of Article 1 of the Constitution, which gives Congress the means the execute its enumerated powers. This clause is the basis for Congress's implied powers. (also called the elastic clause)
|
|
Implied Powers
|
Those powers that Congress needs to execute its enumerated powers
|
|
Judicial Review
|
the power to declare congressional and presidential acts invalid because they violate the Constitution
|
|
Supremacy Clause
|
Article VI. Asserts that national laws take precedence over state and local laws when they conflict
|
|
Bill of Rights
|
First 10 Amendments to the Constitution. Prevent the national government from tampering with fundamental rights and civil liberties, and emphasize the limited character of national power.
|
|
Dual Federalism
|
A view that holds that the Constitution is a compact among sovereign states, so that the powers of the national government an the states are clearly differentiated
|
|
States' Rights
|
The idea that all rights not specifically conferred on the national government by the Constitution are reserved to the states
|
|
Cooperative Federalism
|
A view that holds that the Constitution is an agreement among people who are citizens of both state and nation, so there is much overlap between state powers and national powers
|
|
Commerce Clause
|
Article 1, Section 8. Gives Congress the power to regulate commerce among the states.
|
|
Grant-in-aid
|
Money provided by one level of government to another to be spent for a given purpose
|
|
Categorical Grants
|
Grants-in-aid targeted for a specific purpose by either formula or project
|
|
Formula grants
|
Categorical grants distributed according to a particular set of rules, called a formula, that specify who is eligible for the grants and how much each eligible applicant will receive
|
|
Project grants
|
Categorical grants awarded on the basis of competitive applications submitted b prospective recipients to perform a specific task or function
|
|
Block grants
|
Grants-in-aid awarded for general purposes, allowing the recipient great discretion in spending the grants money
|
|
Policy entrepreneurs
|
Citizens, members of interest groups, or public officials who champion particular policy ideas
|
|
Preemption
|
The power of Congress to enact laws by which the national government assumes total or partial responsibility for a state government function
|
|
Mandate
|
A requirement that a state undertake an activity or provide a service, in keeping with minimum national standards
|
|
Restraint
|
A requirement laid down by act of Congress, prohibiting a state or local government from exercising a certain power
|
|
Coercive federalism
|
A view that the national government may impose its policy preferences on the states through regulations in the form of mandates and restraints
|
|
Redistricting
|
The process of redrawing political boundaries to reflect changes in population
|
|
Municipal Governments
|
The government units that administer a city or town
|
|
County Governments
|
The government units that administer a county
|
|
School District
|
The government unit that administers elementary and secondary school programs
|
|
Special Districts
|
Government units created to perform particular functions, especially when those functions are best performed across jurisdictional boundaries
|
|
Home Rule
|
The right to enact and enforce legislation locally
|
|
Public Opinion
|
The collective attitudes of citizens concerning a given issue or question
|
|
Skewed Distribution
|
An asymmetrical but generally bell-shaped distribution of opinions; its mode lies off to one side
|
|
Bimodal Distribution
|
Shows two responses being chosen about as frequently as each other
|
|
Normal Distribution
|
A symmetrical bell-shaped distribution of opinions centered on a single mode
|
|
Stable Distribution
|
Shows little change over time
|
|
Political Socialization
|
The complex process by which people acquire their political values
|
|
Socioeconomic Status
|
Position in society, based on a combination of education, occupational status, and income
|
|
Self-interest principle
|
The implication that people choose what benefits them personally
|
|
Issue Framing
|
The way that politicians or interest groups leaders define and issue when presenting it to others
|
|
Political participation
|
Actions of private citizens by which they seek to influence or support government and politics
|
|
Conventional participation
|
Relatively routine political behavior that uses institution channels and is acceptable to the dominant culture
|
|
Unconventional participation
|
Relatively uncommon political behavior that challenges or defies established institutions and dominant norms
|
|
Terrorism
|
Premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents
|
|
Direct action
|
Unconventional participation that involves assembling crowds to confront businesses and local governments to demand a hearing
|
|
Supportive behavior
|
Action that expresses allegiance to government and country
|
|
Influencing behavior
|
Behavior that seeks the modify or reverse government policy to serve political interests
|
|
Class action suit
|
A legal action brought by a person or group on behalf of a number of people in similar circumstances
|
|
Voter turnout
|
The percentage of eligible citizens who actually vote in a given election
|
|
Suffrage
|
The right to vote. Also called franchise
|
|
Progressivism
|
A philosophy of political reform based on the goodness and wisdom of the individual citizen as opposed to special interests and political institutions
|
|
Direct primary
|
A preliminary election, run by the state government, in which the voters choose each party's candidates for the general election
|
|
Recall
|
The process for removing an elected official from office
|
|
Referendum
|
An election on a policy issue
|
|
Initiative
|
A procedure by which voters can propose an issue to be decided by the legislature or by the people in a referendum. It require gathering a specified number of signature and submitting a petition to a designated agency
|
|
Standard socioeconomic model
|
A relationship between socioeconomic status and conventional political involvement: people with higher status and more education are more likely to participate than those with lower status
|
|
Political party
|
An organization that sponsors candidates for political office under the organization's name
|
|
Nomination
|
Designation as an official candidate of a political party
|
|
Political system
|
A set of interrelated institution that links people with government
|
|
Caucus
|
A closed meeting of the members of a political party to decide questions of policy and the selection of candidates for office
|
|
National Convention
|
A gathering of delegates of a single political party from across the country to choose candidates for president and vice president and to adopt a party platform
|
|
Party platform
|
The statement of policies of a national political party
|
|
Critical election
|
An election that produces a sharp change in the existing pattern of party loyalties among groups of voters
|
|
Electoral realignment
|
The change in voting patterns that occurs after a critical election
|
|
Two-party system
|
A political system in which two major political parties compete for control of the government. Candidates from a third party have little chance of winning office
|
|
Electoral dealignment
|
A lessing of the importance of party loyalties in voting decisions
|
|
Majority representation
|
The system by which one office, contested by two or more candidates, is won by the single candidate who collects the most votes
|
|
Proportional representation
|
The system by which legislative seats are awarded to a party in proportion to the vote that party wins in an election
|
|
Party identification
|
A voter's sense of psychological attachment to a party
|
|
National committee
|
A committee of a political party composed of party chairpersons and party officials from every state
|
|
Party conference
|
A meeting to select party leaders and decide committee assignments, held at the beginning of a session of Congress by Republicans for Democrats in each chamber
|
|
Congressional campaign committee
|
An organization maintained by a political party to raise funds to support its own candidates in congressional elections
|
|
Party machine
|
A centralized party organization that dominates local politics by controlling elections
|
|
Responsible party government
|
A set of principles formalizing the ideal role of parties in a majoritarian democracy
|
|
Bureaucracy
|
A large, complex organization in which employees have specific job responsibilities and work within a hierarchy of authority
|
|
Bureaucrats
|
Employees of a bureaucracy, usually meaning a government bureaucracy
|
|
Departments
|
The biggest units of the executive branch, covering a broad area of government responsibility. The heads of the departments, or secretaries, form the president's cabinet
|
|
Independent agencies
|
Executive agencies that are not part of a cabinet department
|
|
Regulatory commissions
|
Agencies of the executive branch of government that control or direct some aspect of the economy
|
|
Government corporations
|
Government agencies that perform services that might be provided by the private sector but that either involve insufficient financial incentive or are better provided when they are somehow linked to the government
|
|
Civil service
|
The system by which most appointments to the federal bureaucracy are made, to ensure that government jobs are filled on the basis of merit and that employees are not fired for political reasons
|
|
Administrative discretion
|
The latitude that Congress gives agencies to make policy in the spirit of their legislative mandate
|
|
Rule making
|
The administrative process that results in the issuance of regulations by government agencies
|
|
Regulations
|
Administrative rules that guide the operation of a government program
|
|
Incrementalism
|
Policy making characterized by a series of decisions, each instituting modest change
|
|
Norms
|
An organization's informal, unwritten rules that guide individual behavior
|
|
Implementation
|
The process of putting specific policies into operation
|
|
Regulation
|
Government intervention in the workings of a business market to promote some socially desired goal
|
|
Deregulation
|
A bureaucratic reform by which the government reduces its role as a regulator of business
|
|
Competition and outsourcing
|
Procedures that allow private contractors to bid for jobs previously held exclusively by government employees
|
|
Government Performance and Results Act
|
A law requiring each government agency to implement quantifiable standards to measure its performance in meeting state program goals
|
|
Criminal cases
|
Court cases involving a crime, or violation of public order
|
|
Civil cases
|
Court cases that involve a private dispute arising form such matters as accidents, contractual obligations, and divorce
|
|
Plea bargain
|
A defendant's admission of guilt in exchange for a less severe punishment
|
|
Common (judge-made) law
|
Legal precedents derived from previous judicial decisions
|
|
U.S. district courts
|
Courts within the lowest tier of the three-tiered federal court system; courts where litigation begins
|
|
U.S. courts of appeals
|
Court within the second tier of the three-tiered federal court system, to which decisions of the district courts and federal agencies may be appealed for review
|
|
Precedent
|
A judicial ruling that serves as the basis for the ruling in a subsequent case
|
|
Stare decisis
|
Literally, "let the decision stand"; decision making according to precedent
|
|
Original jurisdiction
|
The authority of a court to hear a case before any other court does
|
|
Appellate jurisdiction
|
The authority of a court to hear cases that have been tried, decided, or reexamined in other courts
|
|
Federal question
|
An issue covered by the Constitution, national laws, or treaties
|
|
Docket
|
A court's agenda
|
|
Rule of four
|
An unwritten rule that requires at least four justices to agree that a case warrants consideration before it is reviewed by the Supreme Court
|
|
Solicitor general
|
The third highest official of the Department of Justice, and the one who represents the national government before the Supreme Court
|
|
Amicus curiae brief
|
A brief filed (with permission of the court) by an individual or group that is not a party to a legal action but has an interest in it
|
|
Judicial restraint
|
A judicial philosophy whereby judges adhere closely to statutes and precedents in reaching their decisions
|
|
Judicial activism
|
A judicial philosophy whereby judges interpret existing laws and precedents loosely and interject their own values in court decisions
|
|
Judgment
|
The judicial decision in a court case
|
|
Argument
|
The heart of a judicial opinion; its logical content separated from facts, rhetoric, and procedure
|
|
Concurrence
|
The agreement of a judge with the Court's majority decision, for a reason other than the majority reason
|
|
Dissent
|
The disagreement of a judge with a majority decision
|
|
Senatorial courtesy
|
A norm under which a nomination must be acceptable to the home state senator from the president's party
|
|
Class action
|
A procedure by which similarly situated litigants may be heard in a single lawsuit
|
|
Civil liberties
|
Freedom guaranteed to individuals
|
|
Civil rights
|
Powers or privileges guaranteed to individuals and protected from arbitrary removal at the hands of government or individuals
|
|
Establishment clause
|
The first clause in the First Amendment. Forbids government establishment of religion
|
|
Free-exercise clause
|
The second clause in the First Amendment. Prevents government from interfering with the exercise of religion
|
|
Strict scrutiny
|
A standard used by the Supreme Court in deciding whether a law or policy is to be adjudged constitutional. To pass strict scrutiny, the law or policy must be justified by a "compelling governmental interest", must be narrowly tailored, and must be the least restrictive means for achieving…
|
|
Free-expression clauses
|
The press and speech clauses of the First Amendment
|
|
Prior restraint
|
Censorship before publication
|
|
Clear and present danger test
|
A means by which the Supreme Court has distinguished between speech as the advocacy of ideas, which is protected by the First Amendment, and speech as incitement, which is not protected.
|
|
Fighting words
|
Speech that is not protected by the First Amendment because it inflicts injury or tends to incite an immediate disturbance of the peace
|
|
Public figures
|
People who assume roles of prominence in society or thrust themselves to the forefront of public controversy
|
|
Bill of attainder
|
A law that pronounces an individual guilty of a crime without trial
|
|
Ex post facto laws
|
Laws that declare an action to be criminal after it has been performed
|
|
Obligation of contracts
|
The obligation of the parties to a contract to carry out its terms
|
|
Miranda warnings
|
Statements concerning rights that police are required to make to a person before he or she is subjected to in-custody questioning
|
|
Exclusionary rule
|
The judicial rule that states that evidence obtained in an illegal search and seizure cannot be used in a trial
|
|
Good faith exception
|
An exception to the Supreme Court exclusionary rule, holding that evidence seized on the basis of a mistakenly issued search warrant can be introduced at trial if the mistake was made in good faith, that is, if all the parties involved had reason at the time to believe that the warrant wa…
|
|
Invidious discrimination
|
Discrimination against persons or groups that works to their harm and is based on animosity
|
|
Black codes
|
Legislation enacted by former slaves states to restrict the freedom of blacks
|
|
Racism
|
A belief that human races have distinct characteristics such that one's own race is superior to, and has a right to rule, others
|
|
Poll tax
|
Tax on every citizen who wished to vote. Effectively disenfranchised blacks. Instituted in Georgia in 1877.
|
|
Racial segregation
|
Separation from society because of race
|
|
Separate-but-equal doctrine
|
The concept that providing separate but equivalent facilities for blacks and whites satisfies the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment
|
|
Desegregation
|
The ending of authorized segregation
|
|
De jure segregation
|
Government imposed segregation
|
|
De facto segregation
|
Segregation that is not the result of government influence
|
|
Civil right movement
|
1960s. Sought to gain equality of rights for blacks in the South and to a lesser extent in the North. Used nonviolent, unconventional participation
|
|
Boycott
|
A refusal to do business with a firm, individual, or nation as an expression of disapproval or as a means of coercion
|
|
Civil disobedience
|
The willful but nonviolent breach of laws that are regarded as unjust
|
|
Set-aside
|
A purchasing or contracting provision that reserves as certain percentage of funds for minority-owned contractors
|
|
Protectionism
|
The notion that women must be protected from life's cruelties; until the 1970s, the basis for laws affecting women's rights
|
|
Nineteenth Amendment
|
Ensures women the right to vote
|
|
Sexism
|
Invidious sex discrimination
|
|
Equal rights amendment (ERA)
|
Failed constitutional amendment declaring that "equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State on account of sex.
|
|
Affirmative action
|
Any of a wide range of programs, from special recruitment efforts to numerical quotas, aimed at expanding opportunities for women and minority groups
|
|
Public policy
|
A general plan of action adopted by the government to solve a social problem, counter a threat, or pursue an objective
|
|
Distributive policies
|
Government policies designed to confer a benefit on a particular institution or group
|
|
Redistributional policies
|
Policies that take government resources, such as tax funds, from one sector of society and transfer it to another
|
|
Regulation
|
Government intervention in the workings of a business market to promote some socially desired goal
|
|
Agenda setting
|
The stage of the policymaking process during which problems get defined as political issues
|
|
Issue definition
|
Our conception of the problem at hand
|
|
Policy formulation
|
The stage of the policymaking process during which formal proposals are developed and adopted
|
|
Implementation
|
The process of putting specific policies into operation
|
|
Policy evaluation
|
Analysis of a public policy so as to determine how well it is working
|
|
Feedback
|
Information received by policy makers about the effectiveness of public policy
|
|
Fragmentation
|
In policymaking, the phenomenon of attacking a single problem in different and sometimes competing ways
|
|
Issue network
|
A shared-knowledge group consisting of representatives of various interests involved in some particular aspect of public policy
|
|
Nonprofits
|
Organizations that are not part of government or business and cannot distribute profits to shareholders or to anyone else
|
Study Guide: Final Exam