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Globalization
The increasing inderdependence of citizens and nations across the world
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Government
The legitimate use of force to control human behavior; also, the organization or agency authorized to excercise that force
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National Soverignty
Nation's ability to control itself
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Order
The rule of law to preserve life and protect property. Maintaining order is the oldest purpose of government
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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
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Public Goods
Benefits and Services, such as parks and sanitation, that benefit all citizens but are not likely to be produced voluntarily by individuals
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Freedom of
An absence of constraints on behavior, as in freedom of speech or freedom of religion
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Police Power
The authority of a government to maintain order and safeguard citizens' health, morals, safety, and welfare
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Political Equality
Equality in political decision making: one vote per person, with all votes counted equally
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Social Equality
Equality in wealth, education, and status
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Equality of Opportunity
The idea that each person is guaranteed the same chance to succeed in life
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Equality of Outcome
The concept that society must ensure that people are equal, and governements must design policies to redistribute wealth and status so that economic and social equality is actually achieved
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Rights
The benefits of government to which every citizen is entitled
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What is the Original Dilemma?
Freedom Vs. Order
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The Modern Dilemma
Freedom vs. Equality
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Political Ideology
A consistent set of values and beliefs about the proper purpose and scope of government
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Totalitarianism
A political philosophy that advocates unlimited power for the government to enable it to control all sectors of society
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Socialism
A form of role in which the central government plays a sstrong role in regulating existing private industry and directing the economy, although it does allow some private ownership of productive capacity
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Democratic Socialism
A socialist form 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
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Capitalism
The system of government that favors free enterprise (privately owned buisnesses operating without government regulation)
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Libertarianism
A political ideology that is opposed to all government action except as necessary to protect life and property
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Libertarians
Those who are opposed to using government to promote either order or equality
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Laissez Faire
- An economic doctrine that opposes any form of government intervention in business
- Hands off approach
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Liberals
Those who are willing to use government to promote freedom but not order
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Anarchism
A political philosophy that opposes government in any form
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Conservatives
Those who are willing to use government to promote order but not equality
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Communitarians
Those who are willing to use government to promote both order and equality
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What is Hobbes Philosophy
- Preserving Life is the most important function of government
- State of Nature
- People must give up their rights to the government
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What is Locke's Philosophy
Protection of Life, Liberty, and Property
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Marx
- No private ownership of the production of public goods
- Communism
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What are concepts that deal with WHAT the government can do?
Order, Freedom, and Equality
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What are the concepts that deal with HOW the government makes its choices?
Policy making and the process of choice
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What is different about Freedom and Equaltiy from Order
They are viewed as more positive
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Two views of order
- Narrow: Preserving life and protecting order
- Social Order
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How do Americans compare with others when it comes to preserving order?
- Not valued very much
- Americans want to have more say
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Autocracy
A system of government in which the power to govern is concentrated in the hands of one individual
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Oligarchy
A system of Government in which power is concentrated in the hands of a few people
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Democracy
A system of government in which, in theory, the people rule, either directly or indirectly
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Procedural Democratic Theory
A view of democracy as being emboddied in a decesion making process that involves universal participation, political equality, majority rule, and responsiveness
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Universal Participation
The concept that everyone in a democracy should participate in governmental decision making
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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
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Participatory Democracy
A system of government where rank-and-file citizens rule themselves rather than electing representatives to govern on their behalf
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Representative Democracy
A system of government where citizens elect public officials to govern on their behalf
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Responsiveness
A decision making principle, necessitated by representative government, that implies that elected representatives should do what the majority of people wants
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Substantive Democratic Theory
The view that democracy is embodied in the substance of government policies rather than in the policymaking procedure
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Minority Rights
The benefits of government that cannot be denied to any citizens by majority decisions
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Majoritarian Model of Democracy
The classical theory of democracy in which government by the people is interrupted as government by the majority of the people
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Deliberative Democracy
That model of democracy in which citizens and their elected representatives excercise reasoned and full debate on questions of public policy
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Interest Group
An organized group of individuals that seeks to influence public policy. Also called a lobby
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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
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Elite Theory
The view that a small group of people actually makes most of the important government decisions
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3 Questions of Procedural Democracy
- 1. Who should participate in decision making?
- 2. How much should wach participant's vote count?
- 3. How many votes are needed to reach a decision?
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According to Rousseau what is essential to having a true democracy?
All citizens gather to make decisions and supervise the government
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What are some problems with direct democracy?
Too many people, not enough time to make decisions
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Problems with Representative Democracy
- The Representatives may not make appropriate decisions
- Lack of Responsiveness
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What does the Substantive View of Democracy focus on?
the substance of government policies not the procedures
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Declaration of Independence
Drafted by Thomas Jefferson, the document that proclaimed the right of the colonies to separate from Great Britain
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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
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Republic
A government without a monarch; a government rooted in the consent of the governed, whose power is exercised by the elected representatives to the governed
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Confederation
A loose association of independent states that agree to cooperate on specific matters
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Articles of Confederation
The compact among the thirteen original states that established the first government of the United States
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Legislative Branch
The lawmaking branch of government
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Executive Branch
The law-enforcing branch of government
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Judicial Branch
The branch of government that interprets laws
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New Jersey Plan
Submitted by the head of the New Jersey delegates to the Constitutional Convention of 1787, a set of nine resolutions that would have, in effect, preserved the Articles of Confederation by amending rather than replacing them
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Great Compromise
Submitted by the Connecticut Delegation to the Constitutional Convention of 1787, and thus also known as the Connecticut 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
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Electoral College
A body of electors chosen by voters to cast ballots for president and vice president
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Republicanism
A form of government in which power resides in the people and is excercised by their elected representatives
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Federalism
The divison of power between a central government and regional governments
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Separation of Powers
The assignment of lawmaking, law-enforcing, and law-interpreting functions to separate branches of government
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Checks and Balances
A government structure that gives each branch some scrutiny of and control over the other branches
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Enumerated Powers
The powers explicitly granted to Congress by the Constitution
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Necessary and Proper Clause
The last clause in Section 8 of Article 1 of the Constitution, which gives Congress the means to execute its enumerated powers. This clause is the basis for Congress's inplied powers. Also called the elastic clause.
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Implied Powers
These powers that Congress needs to execute its enumerated powers
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Judicial Review
The power to declare congressional (and presidential) acts invalid because they violate the Constitution
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Supremacy Clause
The clause in Article VI of the Constitution that asserts that national laws take precedence over state and local laws when they conflict
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Bill of Rights
The first ten amendments to the constitution. They prevent the national government from tampering with fundamental rights and civil liberties, and emphasize the limited character of national power
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Extraordinary Majorities
Majorities greater than that required by majority rule, that is, greater than 50 percent plus one
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Federalism
The division of power between a central government and regional governments
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Dual Federalsim
- Layer Cake
- A view that holds the Constitution is a compact among soverign states, so that the powers of the national government are fixed and limited
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States' Rights
The idea that all rights not specifically conferred on the national government by the Constitution are reserved to the states
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Cooperative Federalism
- Marble Cake
- A view that holds that the Constitution is an agreement amoung people who are citizens of both state and nation, so there is little distinction between state powers and national powers
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Commerce Clause
The third clause of Article I Section 8 of the constitution which gives congress the power to regulate commerce amoung the states
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Grant-in-aid
Money provided by one level of government to another, to be spent for a given purpose
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Categorial Grant
A grant-in-aid targeted for a specific purpose either by formula or by project
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Formula Grant
A categorial grant distributed according to a particular formula, which specifies who is eligible for the grants and how much each eligible applicant will receive
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Project Grant
A categorical grant awarded on the basis of competitive applications submitted by prospective recipients
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Block Grants
A grant-in-aid awarded for general purposes, allowing the recipient great discretion in spending the grant money
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Nullification
The declaration by a state that a particular action of the national government is not applicable to that state
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Preemption
The power of Congress to enact laws by which the national government assumes total or partial responsibility for a state government function
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Mandate
A requirement that a state undertake an activity or provide a service, in keeping with minimum national standards
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Restraint
A requirement laid down by act of Congress, prohibiting a state or local government from excercising a certain power
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Municipal Government
The government until that administers a city or town
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County Government
The government unit that administers a county
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School District
An area for which a local government unit administers elementary and secondary school programs
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Special District
A government unit created to perform particular functions, especially when those functions are best performed across jurisdictional boundaries
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Home Rule
The right to enact and enforce legislarion locally
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