Test 1, part 1 | POLS 1101 - American Government, Quizzes of Local Government Studies

Download Test 1, part 1 | POLS 1101 - American Government and more Quizzes Local Government Studies in PDF only on Docsity! TERM 1 Democracy "Demos" & "Kratos" DEFINITION 1 Its a system of Government in which the ultimate political authority is bested in the people Demos - greek for "People" Kratos - greek for "Authority" TERM 2 Majoritarian Democracy DEFINITION 2 Democracy at the most basic level. Where the majority of the people give approval to issues Cons 1. Fear that it could degenerate into mob rule 2. Questions of minority rights - no one wants to worry about the minority when the majority agrees 3. There are no moral limits - it can do anything TERM 3 3 Types of Democracy DEFINITION 3 1. Majoritarian Democracy 2. Liberal Democracy 3. Egalitarian Democracy TERM 4 Majoritarian Democracy Cons DEFINITION 4 Cons 1. Fear that it could degenerate into mob rule 2. Questions of minority rights - no one wants to worry about the minority when the majority agrees 3. There are no moral limits - it can do anything TERM 5 Majoritarian Democracy Pros DEFINITION 5 Pros 1. Citizens create public policy 2. Power is not limited to an economic elite 3. The people who make the laws go by them 4. Committed citizenry - people all believe the government in legitimate TERM 6 Liberal Democracy DEFINITION 6 a) Combines Majority Rule with respect for Civil Rights and protection on individual rights b) It gets all the good stuff of Majoritarian with civil rights (MOST FAMILIAR) TERM 7 What are Civil Liberties? DEFINITION 7 Basic freedoms designed to protect the citizens from access of government TERM 8 Origins of Liberal Democracy DEFINITION 8 1. Society based on concent of the governt 2. Basic Human Rights 3. A quality among citizens 4. The right to protest against the government TERM 9 Major Principals (Tenets) of Liberal Democracy DEFINITION 9 1. Majority Rule (Regular Elections) 2. Protection of Basic Rights List of Basic Rights 1. Right to Organize Groups 2. Right to Form and Join Political Parties 3. Right to Aquire Information 4. Right to Express Opinions 5. Right to Protest Publicly TERM 10 Due Process of Law DEFINITION 10 Procedural legal guarantees of life, liberty and property and protection from the arbitrary use of government power - Cannot be arrested without reason -Or held indefinitely without a trial -Cannot be subjected to cruel and unusual punishment -Property cannot be taken without reason TERM 21 Hyper-pluralist Model DEFINITION 21 -100's and 1,000's of single issue interest groups. No one issue is able to get enough agreement to get something or anything done. Unwilling to compromise. Everything is going to hell TERM 22 Mass Mobilization/Mass Democracy Model DEFINITION 22 -The people govern expansion of the franchise of the American voter. Went from white property owners to everyone over 18. But so many people still don't vote. TERM 23 What is Politics? DEFINITION 23 1. "Politics are a set of interactions in which values are authoritatively allocated for an entire society" - David Easton 2. "Politics are the process of who gets what, when and how" - Harold Lasswell What - Value Who - People with power and authority TERM 24 Power Vs Authority DEFINITION 24 Power may involve - force, persuasion and rewards Authority is a kind of correctness of power (Cops) -Authority is the most efficient form of power (Cops don't need force, persuasion or rewards) TERM 25 Political Science DEFINITION 25 the study of politics -Normative - how things ought to be - Descriptive - Problems in studying politics and government TERM 26 What is Government? DEFINITION 26 -A political association that does two things: 1) It makes the rules determining who gets the valued things in society 2) It alone regulates the use of legitimate force in society TERM 27 Marginal Utility Theory DEFINITION 27 Each additional dollar of income is worth slightly less than the preceding dollar TERM 28 Regressive Tax DEFINITION 28 (Sales Tax) tax imposed in such a manner that the tax rate decreases as the amount subject to taxation increases TERM 29 Proportional Tax DEFINITION 29 tax imposed so that the tax rate is fixed. The amount of the tax is in proportion to the amount subject to taxation TERM 30 Nation-state Characteristics DEFINITION 30 1. Territory that is guarded 2. Universal Language (US is an exception) 3. Common Symbols 4. Legalistic Entities TERM 31 American Revolution Was is really a revolution? DEFINITION 31 -Political Revolution The British really just quit TERM 32 Articles of Confederation DEFINITION 32 Written on 1777 Called a League of Friendships between states TERM 33 Constitution of 1787 DEFINITION 33 Wrote because the Articles of Confederations government was too weak TERM 34 Why was the Constitution written? DEFINITION 34 -Constitutional Government: Have a written constitution as a basis of Authority -Republican in Form: Governed by representatives of the people -Democratic in Intent: Some direct participation by the people -Federal in structure: Authority divided between national and state government - Limited in nature Built in Limitations TERM 35 Separation of Powers DEFINITION 35 Principle that the powers of the government should be separates and put in the care of split government legislature, executive, and judicial Because they didn't trust human nature TERM 46 Implied Powers DEFINITION 46 McCulloch Vs Maryland James McCulloch - Cashier at a bank Maryland taxed every transaction in the bank Went to court TERM 47 Big 2 questions of McCulloch Vs Maryland DEFINITION 47 1. Does Maryland have the right to tax part of the national government? No, the taxed government would be weaker than the one taxing 2. Does the national government have the right to create a bank? yes, congress has the right to do all thing necessary and proper to further the goals of the listed powers - "Elastic Clause" Necessary and Proper Clause TERM 48 1st way to change the Constitution DEFINITION 48 1. Amendments Proposed (least Common way) 12,000 been proposed and only 27 made it in a 200 year period requires 2/3 in both houses OR 2/3 of state legislature Ratification 3/4 of state legislature to adopt OR 3/4 of ratifying conventions TERM 49 2nd way to change the Constitution DEFINITION 49 2. Judicial Interpretation (most common way) Ruling in individual court cases TERM 50 3rd way to change the Constitution DEFINITION 50 3. Legislation Congress has been responsible for filling in the framework TERM 51 4th way to change the Constitution DEFINITION 51 4. Certain powers are accepted as constitutional that are not in the document i.e congress has only declared was 3 times TERM 52 Why has the Constitution Survived? DEFINITION 52 1. Stability of the US political culture 2. Changes in the constitution 3. Shortness of Constitution 4. Flexibility