Politics
means for resolving conflicts in society and in all about power.
Political systems
dictate how power is distributed amoung leaders and citizens.
Government
system established for exercising authority in a nation and in the US our government is embodied in the Constitution
How is Government shaped?
by politics and by the economy
The meanding and definition of American democracy can be traced back to the ?
Founding
Anarchy
absence of government and laws
democracy
government that vests power in the people
fascism
authoritarian governments can take various forms - in the state itself. - system in which the state holds all power over the social order.
Institutions
organizations in which governmental power is exercised.
Monarchy
Ruled by king or queen(England); Authoritarian(ie. Middle East, Saudia Arabia)
Popular Sovereignty:
The concept that the citizens are the ultimate source of political power
Social contract
The notion that society is based on an agreement between government and the governed in which people agree to give up some rights in exchange for the protection of others.
theocracy
autoritarian: ruled by God(Iran Vatican City) Religious leader is political leader
Totalitarian Government
a system in which absolute power is exercised over every aspect of life
direct democracy
vote on something and it happens
capitalism
type of economics - production and distribution of a society's material resources and services.
- free markets(ups and downs)
-private property ownership
elitism
theory of democracy that limits the citizens role to choosing among competing leaders
government
a system organization for exercising authority over a body of people
pluralism
theory of democracy that holds that citizen membership in groups is the key to political power
republic
government in which decisions are made through representatives of the people
socialism
hybrid system combining a capitalist economy and a government that supports equality.
oligarchy
ruled by a group - ruling class
authoritarian Government
give ultimate power to the state rather than to the people to decide how they ought to live their lives - those in which the people cannot effectively claim rights against the state; where the state chooses to exercise its power, the people have no choice
indirect democracy
republic vote and get others to do our stuff for us.
communitarians
those who favor a strong substantive government role in the economy and the social order in order to realize their vision of a community of equals
liberals
people who generally favor government action and view change as progress
libertarians
those who favor a minimal government role in any sphere.
conservatives
people who generally favor limited government and are cautious about change
ideology
sets of beliefs about politics and society that help people make sense of their world.
political culture
broad pattern of ideas, beliefs and values about citizens and government held by a population.
- general political orientation of diposition of a nation
- shared values and beliefs about the nature of the poitical world that gives us a common language in
anti federalist
advocates of sttes rights who opposed the constitution
bill of rights
a summary of citizen rights guaranteed and protected by a government; added to the constitution as its first 10 amendments in order to achieve ratification
common sense
1776 pamphlet by Thomas Paine that persuaded many Americans to support the revolutionary cause
constitutional convention
they assembly of 55 delegates in the summer of 1787 to recast the Articles of Confederation; the result was the US constitution
federalists
supporters of the constituion who favored a strong central government
declaration of independence
the political document that dissolved the colonial ties between the US and Britain
Great compromise
constitutional solution to congressional representation; equal votes in the senate, votes by population in the house
Virginia Plan
proposal at the constitutional convention that congressional representation be based on population thus favoring the large states.
Three Fifths Compromise
the formula for counting five slaves as three people for purposes of representation that reconciled northern and southern factions at the Constitutional convention
Strict construction(original intent)
a judicial approach holding that the constitution should be read literally with the farmers intentions uppermost in mind.
articles of confederation
1st constitution of the US(1777) creating an association of states with weak central government.
confederation
a government in which independent states unite for common purpose, but retain their own sovereignty.
constitution
the rules that establish a government
factions
groups of citizens united by some common passion or interest and opposed to the rights of the other citizens or to the interests of the whole community
federalism
a political system in which power is divided between the central and regional units
feudalism
a social system based on a rigid social and political hiearchy based on the ownership of land
New Jersey Plan
a proposal at the constitutional convention that congressional representation be equal, thus favoring the small states
Shay's Rebellion
a grass roots uprising (1787) by armed Massachusett's farmers protesting foreclosures
Amendments
1st ten known as bill of rights - fight of federalist and anti federalist
judicial activism
view that the cours should be lawmaking, policy making bodies
Bill of Rights
a summary of citizens rights guaranteed and protected by a government; added to the constitution as its first ten amendments in order to achieve ratification
due process of law
guarantee that laws will be fair and reasonalbe and that citizens suspected of breaking the law will be treated fairly
exclusionary rule
rule created by the supreme court that evidence illegally seized may not be sued to obtain a conviction
freedome of assembly
right of the people to gather peacefully and to petition government
Griswold v. Ct
(1965) right to privacy - contraception - illegal to sell even to married couples
Gideon v. Wainright
(1963) 6th amendment - right to counsel
Lawrence v. Texas(2003)
Gays/Lesbians
civil liberties
individual freedoms guaranteed to the people primarily by the bill of rights
Clear and present danger
rule used by the courts that allows language to be regulated only if it presents an immediate and urgent danger
establishment clause
1st amendment guarantee that the govt will not create and support an official state church
Miranda v. Az
right to retain a lawyer"
"atty provided if can't afford"
"right to remain silent
free exercise clause
1st amendment guarantee that citizens may freely engage in the religious activities of their choice.
Roe v. Wade
(1973) Abortion;
1st trimester - individual choice
2nd trimester - Dr choice
3rd trimester - illegal
Miller v. Ca
Porn - Miller test
Mapp v. Oh
Constitution federal govt; exclude rule both federal and state(state and local cops)
Near v. MN
court held that a Minnesota law infringed on a newspaper publisher's freedom of the press
prior restraint
censorship or punishment for the expression of ideas before the ideas are printed or spoken
slander
(spoken) say stuff not true to injure someone's reputation: verbal defamation
pentagon Papers case
claimed by the government to be too sensitive to rational security to be published. Court held that "security" is to vague to be allowed to execute the violation of the 1st amendment; to grant such power to the president it ruled, would be to run the risk
libel
(written) defamation of character
seition
speech that criticizes the govt to promote rebellion.
affirmative action
a policy of creating opportunities for members of certain groups as a substantive remedy for past discrimination
civil rights
citizenship rights guaranteed to the people(primarily in the 13, 14, 15, 19 and 26th amendments and protected by the government
Brown v. Board of Ed
supreme ct case that rejected the idea that separate could be equal in education; catalyst for civil rights movement.
Grandfather clause
provisions exempting from voting restricitons the descendants of those able to vote in 1867.
NAACP
An interest group founded in 1910 to promote civil rights for African Americans
Poll Taxes
taxes levied as a qualification for voting
segregation
the practice and policy of separation races
suspect classification
classification such as race for which any discriminatory law must be justified by a compelling state interest
equal rights amendment
constitutional amendment passed by Congress but never ratified that would have banned discrimination on the basis of gender
Jim Crow Laws
southern laws designed to circumvent the 13, 14,15 amendments and to deny blacks rights on bases other than race.
Defacto discrimination
discrimination that is the result not of law but rather of tradition and habit
DeJure discrimination
discrimination arising from or supported by the law
Literacy tests
tests requiring reading or comprehension skills as a qualification for voting
Plessy v. Ferguson
supreme court case that established the constituionality of the principle"separate but equal
Reconstruction
period following the Civil War during which the federal government took action to rebuild the South
Strict Scrunity
a heightened standard of review used by the Supreme court to assess the constitutionality of laws that limit some freedoms or that make a suspect classification.