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Federal Government Ch 1-3

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  1. publics belief in its ability to influence government and politics
    Political efficacy
  2. informed and active membership in a political community
    Citizenship
  3. -"who gets what, when and how" Harold Lasswell 
    -Conflict over the leadership, structure and policies of government
    Politics
  4. Having influence over a governments leadership, organization or policies
    political power
  5. What is the primary goal of politics?
    To have political power
  6. 4 ways citizens exercise political power
    • 1. voting
    • 2. writing a letter to your reps
    • 3. Lobbying
    • 4. Demonstrating not voting is NOT a form a participation
  7. Institutions and procedures by which a piece of territory and its people are ruled
    Government
  8. 3 types of government by who governs
    • 1. Autocracy
    • 2. Oligarchy
    • 3. Democracy
  9. a single, non-elected leader
    Autocracy
  10. a small group not accountable to citizens
    Oligarchy
  11. a system that allows the citizens to select their leaders
    Democracy
  12. 3 types of government by limits of government
    • 1. Totalitarian
    • 2. Authoritarian
    • 3. Constitutional
  13. govt recognize no limits on their authority
    Totalitarian
  14. govt recognize no limits on their authority but they are constrained by other institutions such as business or a church
    Authoritarian
  15. Govt limited both in what they do (substantive limits) and the methods they can employ (procedural limits)
    Constitutional
  16. 3 core political values
    • 1. Liberty
    • 2. Equality
    • 3. Democracy
  17. Means of production and distribution are privately owned and operated for profit with minimal or no government interference
    Laissez-faire capitalism
  18. Relationship between the 3 core political values
    • Often conflict;
    • 1. Liberty: Freedom from govt control
    • 2. Equality: One person one vote
    • 3. Democracy: Popular sovereignity
  19. life in a state of nature is "solitary, poor, nasty, butish and short"; Contract theory; protection of life
    THomas Hobbes
  20. -limited govt/consent of the Governed
    - Adds liberty and property to protection of life
    -right to overthrow an unjust or tyrannical govt
    John Locke
  21. -Separation of powers
    -Elevate judicial branch
    -Influences US 3-branch system of govt
    Montesquieu
  22. Purpose of US Constitution
    • -Unify the colonists
    • -Explains why break with England was necessary
    • -Build sympathy from outsiders
  23. Americas first written constitution
    Articles of Confederation
  24. Primary goal of Articles of Confederation
    Limit power of central government
  25. 2 problems with Articles of Confederation
    • 1. Execution of laws was left to the individual states 
    • 2. Weakness at hom= international weakness
  26. State delegates meet to discuss revision of Articles; Delegates meet to discuss revision of Articles
    Annapolis Convention
  27. Farmer's rebel against the state of Massachusetts, to prevent foreclosure of their debt-ridden land; Eventually subdued, but raises fear; Fear assures Constitutional convention in Philadelphia
    Shay's Rebellian
  28. Wanted creation of a new government; Representation based on population of each state or the proportion of each states revenue contribution or both; two-chambered legislature
    Virginia plan
  29. Wanted revision of Articles; Equal state representation regardless of population; single-chambered legislature
    New Jersey Plan
  30. What did the Great Compromise (Connecticut plan) accomplish
    Led to bicameral Congress;House of representatives- representation based on population; Senate-equal representation for each state
  31. 3/5ths compromise
    • -Temporarily settles disagreement between North and South states over representation/population and slavery
    • -Seats in the House of Representatives apportioned according to a "population" in which every slave would be counted as 3/5ths of a person (3 of 5 could be counted) for both representation and taxation
  32. Controls the sword (force); enforces laws
    Executive (president)
  33. Controls the "purse" (money); makes laws
    Legislative (Congress)
  34. Has only judgment; decides if laws or actions are constitutional. Relies on executive to carry out judgment
    Judicial (Supreme Court)
  35. 2 Executive powers
    • 1. Executive can veto legislative acts
    • 2. Executive nominates Justices/senate confirms justices
  36. Legislative powers
    • 1. can impeach/remove Executive and Justices
    • 2. can override veto
  37. Judicial powers
    • 1. can declare legislative laws unconstitutional
    • 2. can declare executive acts unconstitutional
  38. 6 basic principles of US constitution
    • 1. Bicameralism
    • 2. Electoral college
    • 3. Bill of Rights
    • 4. Separation of Powers
    • 5. Checks and balances
    • 6. Federalism
  39. Article I
    The legislative Branch
  40. Article II
    Executive Branch
  41. Article III
    the Judiciary
  42. Article IV
    National Unity and Power
  43. Article V
    Amending the constitution
  44. Article VI
    National Supremacy
  45. Article VII
    Ratifying Constitution
  46. Purpose of supremacy clause
    The Constitution and all laws passed under it are the "Supreme law o the land and superior to all laws adopted by any stat or any subdivision"
  47. Federalists
    • 1. Favor strong national govt
    • 2. Support proposed Constitution at the 1787 convention
  48. Anitfeds
    • - Favor Strong Government
    • - Weak National Gvernment
    • - opposed the proposed Constitution at the 1787 convention
  49. Series of essays supporting constitution written by James Madison, Hamilton and john jay. Under pen name publius
    Federalist papers
  50. Has the Constitution proven difficult to amend? evidence?
    Yes, between 1789 and 1996 over 11,000 amendments offered in congress, only 27 have been ratified by the states
  51. 3 governmental frameworks
    • 1. Federal system EX US, Canada
    • 2. Unitary system Ex France
    • 3. Confederal system EX European Union
  52. national government shares power with lower levels of government
    Federal system
  53. centralized, lower levels of government have little power independent from the national government
    Unitary system
  54. weak national government, but strong states or provinces
    confederal system
  55. Specific powers granted to Congress by the Constituion under Article I, section 8 and to the president in Article II; 17 congress
    Expressed powers
  56. powers implied through interpretation of the delegated powers in the "necessary and proper" clause in Article I sect 8
    Implied powers
  57. Who wrote the opinion of McCulloch v. Maryland
    chief justice marshall
  58. other powers could be "implied" from expressed powers and the necessary and proper clause
    McCulloch vs. Maryland
  59. powers not delegated to the national government to prohibited to the states are "reserved to the states respectively or to the people" 10th Amendment
    Reserved powers amendment
  60. police powers; the states power to regulate the health, safety and morals of its citizens
    Power of Coercion
  61. possessed by both state and national governments. EX the power to levy and collect taxes
    Concurrent powers
  62. requires states to recognize and honor actions and public acts and decisions taken in other states as legal and proper
    Full Faith and Credit Clause
  63. states cannot discriminate against someone from another state or give special privileges to its own residents
    Privileges and immunities clause (Comity clause)
  64. What major historical event was responsible for causing the federal government to become more active?
    Great depression
  65. importance of commerce clause
    critical in allowing for the gradual expansion of national power
  66. have a narrow range of eligible activities and only allow funding to be used for specific purposes
    Categorical grants
  67. have a broad range of eligible activities, typically addressing a general, rather than a specific problem area
    Block grants
  68. the transfer or delegation of power to a lower level, especially by central government to local or regional administration
    Devolution
Author
Anonymous
ID
295525
Card Set
Federal Government Ch 1-3
Description
Federal Government ch 1-3
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