Political Science test 1

Start Studying!

Terms

undefined, object

copy deck

push polls: surveys that appear legitimate but in fact are a dirty campaign trick designed to generate negative opinion about an opponent in a political contest.
confederal system: an arrangement for establishing government out of a set of component states, in which the national government is the creation of the states and subservient to them. the Articles of Confederation established a system like this in the United States. in todays world, the United Nations may be the most prominent example of a confederation.
legitimacy: widespread public acceptance of the official standing of a political figure or institution.
reinventing government: the name given to President Bill Clinton's initiative to make the federal government smaller by making it more efficient.
directional: an aspect of public opinion that measures whether people feel favorably or unfavorably toward a political figure, institution, or policy.
9th amendment: rights that are not mentioned are not necessarily denied.
nation centered federalism: one of several perspectives on federalism, which argues for the supremacy of the Constitution and federal law over state actions.
secondary agent of socialization: schools and the media have an effect on political socialization, but the effect is less than from primary agents like the family because we do not form close interpersonal bonds with either institution.
democracy: a government created by the people over whom it rules
2nd Article of the Constitution: known as the "executive article"
federal system: the arrangement created by the United States Constitution, in which the national government and the states share authority over citizens. states may act autonomously to do such things as create school districts, levy taxes, or assemble a police force; at the same time, powers are reserved for the national government, which is supreme to state laws. in addition to the United States, only Canada, Germany, India, and a small group of other nations have this type of governmental system.
supremacy clause: a Constitutional provision (article VI) establishing the relationship between the federal and state governments. the _____________ asserts that any conflict between the federal government and states will be decided in favor of the federal government.
political socialization: the process by which we acquire political knowledge , attitude, and beliefs
civil disobedience: a peaceful means of protest wherby individuals draw attention to laws they consider unjust by disobeying them and being arrested for their actions.
13th, 14th and 15th amendments: amendments on slavery
3rd Article of the Constitution: known as the "judicial article"
dual federalism: one of several perspectives on federalism, popular during the early years on the republic, which stated that the federal governments operated concurrently in separate arenas, and that each had the final say in those areas where it had a clear grant of authority.
2nd amendment: right to bear arms
state centered federalism: one of several perspectives on federalism, which argues that the constitution and the federal government are creations of the state and therefore can be overruled by the states.
"British Way/ the original way": life, liberty and property
selective exposure: the tendency to pay attention to messages that are consistent with existing attitudes or beliefs while overlooking messages that conflict with them.
republic: any nation with provisions for the selection of representatives who make decisions on behalf of those who select them.
cooperative federalism: one of several perspectives on federalism, popular during the first two thirds of the twentieth century, which was defined by joint endeavors between the federal and state governments.
26th amendment: amendments that changed voting age from 21 to 18
ticket splitting: voting for candidates of different parties for different offices rather than voting a "party line" for all republicans or all democrats.
Three-Fifths Compromise: a compromise between northern and southern states that broke the deadlock over how slaves should be counted for purposes of representation. three fifths of slaves would be included in population totals, benefiting southern states that had the largest concentration of slaves by inflating their representation in the House of Representatives.
2nd generation "baby boomers": this generation were the people right after the war ended, there was not much breast feeding done, they protested war, were hippies and didnt trust the government.
power: amendments give people what?
authority: the right to act in an official capacity by virtue of holding an office like president or member of congress
7th Article of the Constitution: ratification
resources: anything of value to others that can be used to sway another individual.
political participation: the range of activities people can engage in to influence the political process.
1st generation "builders": this generation was frugal, sacrificed things, and many fought in the war.
unitary system: the inverse of a confederal system, in which a centralized national government creates subnational units like states, provinces, and counties, which derive their authority from the national government. most nations are this kind of system. in the U.S., the relationship between each individual state and its counties, townships, and cities is a _________ relationship, with the states creating and empowering the local governments.
attitudes: a components of public opinion that measures peoples orientations toward politics.
5th, 6th, 7th and 8th amendments: protection for those accused of a crime
direct democracy: democracy without representation, where each eligible individual participates in decision making.
declaration of independence: the document drafted by Thomas Jefferson and approved by the Continental Congress in July 1776, stating the reasons for the Revolutionary War and declaring a formal break with Great Britain.
6th Article of the Constitution: constitution is the supreme law of the land
pluralism: the theory that government responds to individuals through their memberships in groups, assuring that government is responsive to a wide range of voices. people who subscribe to this position believe that the wide distribution of resources in society drives the decisions government officials make.
stability: an aspect of public opinion that measures how much change or variability there is in the way people feel toward a political figure, institution, or policy.
agenda setting: the tendency for topics given great weight by the media to be given equally great weight by those who use the media, such athat the people and events considered important by those who determine media coverage will become the people and events that the public considers important.
social contract: the arrangement in which people agree to give up some of their liberty to establish a government that will protect basic rights that are threatened in the state of nature.
primary agent of socialization: parents and siblings exert disproportional influence on the political development of children by virtue of the initial influence they have on kids, giving the family a primary role in the process of political socialization.
elitism: the theory that government responds to a small, stable, centralized hierarchy of corporate and academic leaders, military chiefs, people who own big media outlets, and members of a permanent government bureaucracy. people who subscribe to the position believe the actions of regular citizens, like voting and joining groups, simply mask the real power exercised by elites.
state of nature: the condition of total liberty in which people are free to act on their impulses, but where individual rights are afforded no protection.
national supremacy: the doctrine that the federal government has the final word in disputes with the states.
empirical statement: any statement based on the assessment of data or the analysis of information, without regard to value judgments.
new deal: the name given to the programs of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, which vastly expanded the role of the federal government in and effor to deal with the debilitating effects of the Great Depression on American society
politics: the process of determining who gets what, when, and how.
social desirability bias: a form of error in public opinion polls, whereby opinions or behaviors that could be considered undesirable are not fully reported in the data
articles of confederation: the first constitution of the United States, which created a loosely functioning national government to which the individual states were supreme. it addressed concerns about a strong national government undermining individual liberty, but it created a national government that was unable to regulate commerce or conduct foreign policy and was abandoned in favor of the United States Constitution just eight years after it was ratified.
public opinion: a collection of opinions people hold on matters relating to government, politics and society.
shays rebellion: a rebellion by debtor farmers in western Massachusetts, led by Revolutionary War Captain Daniel Shays, against Boston creditors. it began in 1786 and lasted half a year, threatening the economic interests of the business elite and contributing to the demise of the Articles of Confederation.
liberalism: an ideology that advocates the use of government power to address economic and social problems, like unemployment and environmental protection, while limiting government involvement in moral matters like abortion rights and prayer in public schools.
new federalism: the name given to the programs of Presidents Richard M. Nixon and Ronald Reagon, which started as an efford to streamline the federal government produced by the Great Society and ended up as a movement to reverse fifty years of federal growth by returning authority to the states.
national voter registration act: this act passed in 1993 and frequently called the "Motor Vehicle Act" is a piece of legislation that includes a provision that makes it possible to register to vote when applying for or renewing your drivers license.
4th Article of the Constitution: federal and state relationships
agents of socialization: external influences that shape the way we are socialized to politics, including parents and siblings in the home, friends and coworkers outside of home, and institutions like schools and the media.
1st amendment: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of press, freedom to petition the government, freedom to assemble peacefully
disenfranchised: losing or being denied the legal right to vote by intentional or unintentional means.
cognitive: a factual awareness or appreciation of someone or something
popular sovereignty: rule by the people based on the consent of the governed.
efficacy: the attitude that you can be effectual and effective in your dealings with government.
representative democracy: a form of democracy in which eligible individuals choose others to make decisions on their behalf.
22nd amendment: amendment that limited presidential terms
fascism: a militant, ultra nationalistic ideology of the extreme right that rejects liberal ideas about personal rights.
checks an balances: the ability of any one of several equal and independent branches of government to keep the others from acting, designed to prevent power from being consolidated in any one branch. because any branch can put a check on the others, government can only act when there is cooperation between the branches, a situation that necessitates compromise.
constitutional convention: a meeting of representatives from twelve of the thirteen states held in Philadelphia in 1787, which produced the federal system of government outlined in the United States Constitution.
normative statement: any statement that invokes a judgment or evaluation.
conservatism: an ideology that advocates limits on government power to address economic and social problems, relying instead on economic markets and individual initiative to address problems like health care and education, while promoting government involvement in moral matters to, for instance, minimize or eliminate abortions or permit prayer in public schools.
tyranny: the denial of liberty to individuals through the actions of a faction or through the actions of government itself.
3rd and 4th amendments: right to privacy
libertarianism: an ideology centered on the reduction of government power to advance personal liberty
political culture: the common set of attitudes, beliefs, and values that provide the foundation of support for a political system.
New Jersey Plan: a proposal for the new constitution, supported by small states, that would have provided for equal representation of large and small states in the national legislature, while limiting the power of the national government over the states.
natural rights: inalienable rights inherent to every individual that cannot be taken away by individuals or government, and that government should be designed to protect.
equality of opportunity: one of several ways of understanding equality, this way values giving people comparable advantages for succeeding in life, regardless of the unequal outcomes that may result.
retrospective voting: evaluating the past performance of an incumbent to make a judgment about the future - whether the incumbent should be retained or replaced.
selective perception: an unconscious process by which we filter information that we deem irrelevant, or uninteresting, or inconsistent with out attitudes and beliefs while absorbing information that conforms to our selfperception
socialism: a left-leaning ideology centered on the use of government power to advance equal oppurtunities.
"necessary and proper" clause: a constitutional provision (Article I, Section 8) giving congress a broad grant of authority to make laws that are binding on the states.
random sample: the basis for a scientifically accurate public opinion poll, in which everyone in the community being polled has an equal chance of being selected to give their opinions to pollsters.
intensity: an aspect of public opinion that measures how strongly people feel toward a political figure, institution, or policy
economic equality: a form of equality of outcome that values using government policy to minimize the economic disparities found in society.
19th amendment: amendment on the womens right to vote
generational effects: historical influences felt by an entire generation during their formative years, which shape the way they are socialized to politics
common law: we are all equal under the law and we are innocent until proven guilty.
affective: existing in the realm of emotion or feeling
socioeconomic status: a measure of an individuals social position based primarily on education, income, and occupation.
social equality: a form of equality of outcome that values using government policy to minimize social class distinctions found in society.
bill of rights: the first ten amendments are called this..?
social responsibility: concern for the protection of the rights of individuals in a community or society, at the expense of some degree or personal liberty.
21st amendment: amendment when drinking became legal again
beliefs: a component of public opinion that measures what people think is true about politics.
5th Article of the Constitution: amending amendments
"American Way": life, liberty and the pursuit of happyness
1st Article of the Constitution: about half of the constitution, known as the "legislature article"
limited government: the idea that power can be denied to government and the people who serve in it, in order to restrict those in positions of authority from infringing upon individual liberty.
federalism: the division of power between a sovereign federal government and sovereign state governments, whcih provides that some functions will be performed by the national government, some by the state governments, and some by both the national and state governments. as a feature designed to limit the strength of government, _________ works to decentralize power by creating dual levels of authority.
faction: a group of individuals who are united by a desire that, if realized, would threaten the liberty of the larger community.
3rd generation "Gen X": this generation was very negative
apathy: a sense of indifference to or lack of interest in politics.
party identification: an individual's association with a political party. the most common parties Americans identify with are the two major parties, Republicans and Democrats. This varies in intensity such that it maybe strong or weak.
The Federalist Papers: a collection of essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay in an effort to persuade a reluctant public to support the constitution.
issue voting: choosing a candidate in an eleciton on the basis of his or her proximity to your position on an issue or issues you consider important.
census: an accounting or, as Article 1 Section 2 of the Constitution puts it an "actual Enumeration" of the residents of the United States taken every ten years by constitutional decree to assess population growth an population shifts.
"know nothing" movement: an anti-catholic movement that formed in the 1840s as a reaction to the first large wave of Irish immigration.
McCulloch v. Maryland: the 1819 supreme court case that established federal supremacy over the state governments.
power: the ability to make others act in a way that they otherwise might not have done
separation of powers: the division of political power among several equal and independent branches of government to prevent power from being consolidated in any one branch.
Connecticut Compromise: a compromise between the Virginia and New Jersey Plans that broke the deadlock over representation at the Constitutional Convention by providing for a bicameral legislature. large states would get their demand for representation based on population in the House of Representatives, while every state, regardless of size, would have two senators, which pleased small states.
political equality: establishing political and legal rights on the basis of the individual, so that everyone has the same right to vote and is equal under the law. an alternative would be to grant political rights to elite individuals based on wealth or social standing.
ideology: a wide ranging set of beliefs that logically fit together.
authoritarian: ruled by one person or a small group
classical liberalism: a term given to the philosophy of John Locke and other 17th and 18th century advocates of the protection of individual rights and liberties by limiting government power.
Virginia Plan: a proposal for the new Constitution, supported by large states that would have based representation on population and provided for a centralized national government that could overrule the states.
18th amendment: amendment of prohibition
10th amendment: any power not given to the federal government are given to the states.
liberty: the ability to pursue your ends and objectives, tempered by socially defined boundaries and limited government impediments.
equality of outcome: one of several ways of understanding equality, this way values leveling the social and economic inequities among people, rather than attempting to give people comparable advantages for succeeding in life.
second continental congress: a gathering of representatives from the colonies in Philadelphia in 1775, necessitated by the need to coordinate the planning during the Revolutionary War, that functioned as the first central government in colonial America.
civic responsibility: a sense of duty or obligation to society that some people believe comes along with citizenship.
4th generation "Gen Y": this generation was very technological, they meet people online, need instant gratification, and have everything but still seem to be not happy.
life cycle effects: changes to the way we relate to politics and society that naturally occure during the course of aging, which typically leave us less open to political and social change as we get older.
great society: the name given to the programs of President Lyndon B. Johnson, which elevated the federal government to the most prominent role it would play in the twentieth century. the philosophy of this program was that government should try to solve large social problems like hunger and poverty.
cynicism: a pervasive attitude of mistrust about politics that may lead people to withdraw from political participation.

Start Studying!

Deck Info

Number of cards 127