Political Science 202 Midterm

Virginia Plan

"Large state" proposal for the new constitution, calling for proportional representation in both houses of a bicameral Congress. The plan favored larger states and thus prompted smaller states to come back with their own plan for apportioning representation.

supercapitalism

-"Capitalism has become more responsive to what we want as individual purchasers of goods, but democracy has grown less responsive to what we want together as citizens." As a result, "capitalism has invaded democracy" and created what Reich calls "supercapitalism." -From the democratic perspective, Reich argues, these gains have had unfortunate consequences: less economic security, fewer checks on the excesses of the market, and less solicitousness of citizen interests from Washington. -the choices we make in the market don't reflect our values as citizens (two minds) -we would make different choices if we understood and were faced with the social consequences of our purchases and investments and if we knew other consumers and investors would join us in giving up some of the great deals whose social consequences are abhorrent

information overload

-A condition in which information inflow exceeds an individual's processing capacity -The masses resisting elite attempts to influence them by letting information wash over them without absorbing any of it. -Selective perception - mentally screening out information or images with which they disagree. This selectivity reduces the impact of media elites on mass attitudes and behavior

media malaise

-A feeling among public of cynicism and distrust, even despair, toward government and its officials that some people believe is fostered by negative stories about government reported newspapers and television. -Media malaise, as described by Schubert, is "Feelings of distrust, powerlessness, and disaffection stemming from television's emphasis on the negative in politics" (Schubert 112). Media malaise is a problem because people who are heavily exposed to this can lost trust and confidence in their government. Feeling that their government is corrupt, people will vote less and this is a problem for our democracy here in the U.S. The inclusion of violence and pornography might show one person's freedom of expression, but can hurt people such as women who are being degraded by these kind of things. An example of this that I have seen is that when people hear all of the scandals and controversies from the news, they tend to want to just stay away from the elections altogether. I notice that the news loves to use drama, violence, etc. because it means they get more views and people develop a bias because of this.

pluralism

-A theory of government that holds that open, multiple, and competing groups can check the asserted power by any one group. -Many groups of people share power in the U.S.; competition is widespread, that we have checks against the abuse of power, and that the individual citizen can personally affect the course of national events by voting, supporting political parties, and joining interest groups

the MLK you don't see on tv

-An alert viewer might not ice that the chronology jumps from 1965 to 1968. Yet King didn't take a sabbatical near the end of his life. In fact, he was speaking and organizing as diligently as ever. -Almost all speeches were filmed or taped but they're not shown on TV today. -This is because the national news media has never come to terms with what MLK stood for during his final years.

factchecking

-Fact-checking is the act of checking factual assertions in non-fictional text in order to determine the veracity and correctness of the factual statements in the text.

Amusing Ourselves to Death

-In Amusing Ourselves to Death, Postman shows how the most popular media of a time in history shapes the discourse of the world. Written in 1985, it focuses on how television has negatively affected the level of public communication in contemporary America but it's even more relevant today in the internet era. -Postman believes that the communication inspired by television has turned our world into a more Huxleyan one. -Aldous Huxley, who in "Brave New World" depicted a population too amused by distractions — entertainment, leisure, and laughter — to realize that they had been made powerless

irony of democracy

-The irony that democratic values and freedoms are preserved more by the political actions of a small number of elites than by the actions of the entire population -The masses do not lead; they follow. They respond to the attitudes, proposals, and behavior of elites.

horse race reporting

-The media tends to cover politics as if it is some sort of game. This is commonly referred to as "horse race reporting." Horse race reporting is political journalism of elections that resembles coverage of horse races because of the focus on which candidate is ahead or behind, how much they are spending, and their current standings (Schubert 121). When journalists covering elections focus primarily on who's winning or losing, instead of on policy issues, voters, candidates can suffer greatly. This is a problem because this type of reporting has been linked to a distrust in politicians, news outlets, an uninformed electorate, and an inaccurate reporting of opinion poll data. Furthermore, this reporting can cause controversy as candidates' personal lives can be exposed. Instead of policy coverage, there has been a shift towards personality coverage.

Nurturant Parent Model

-The nurturant parent model also "Nurturing Parent" is a metaphor, for a belief system, which is built upon an underlying value system. In this Nurturant Parenting contrasts with Stern Father parenting (Strict Father) as two distinct metaphors each used as icons of contrasting value and political systems, i.e. Regressive (Strict Father) and Nurturing Parent as Progressive. True discipline is much more than strict, unquestioning obedience. Mutual respect and compassion are also rights. -The outside world is no more inherently hostile than it is inherently friendly; stay alert, -the world commands respect -Mutual respect and compassion is best taught by example. -'a family model where children are expected to explore their surroundings; at the same time, being protected by their parents.'

major news events this quarter

-Trump call with Ukraine President -Climate change protests -Syria

Planet Dave

-Welcome to Planet Dave, where it's all about me. -Here in the Digital Age, I can download all the sounds, words and images I want, and when I want them. -I have more power than ever to conform the world to me.On Planet Dave, I have freedom of speech, press and religion, but I also retain the right to censor what I don't like or want. -On Planet Dave, you can find news about my city but not yours, information about my neighborhood but not yours, access to my virtual gated community but not yours, my blog about me but not your blog about you. -Majority rules on Planet Dave, a democracy of one. It's very comforting. I enjoy a lot of peace of mind on Planet Dave. There's no dissent or dissonance. There's variety that makes me feel better, but not diversity that might make me uncomfortable. There's conversation I control, but not dialog or debate that might challenge or change me. -Living is easy on Planet Dave. Too easy. The more time I spend there, the more difficult it becomes to re-enter the real world. -The more time I spend in my own little world, the less I know, understand or appreciate about The Other. And that means the less patience, sympathy, compassion and - dare I say it? - tolerance I have for The Other. The Other point of view. The Other lifestyle. The person on The Other side of town or The Other side of the world.That's a problem, especially in the pluralistic society in which we all live. -"Pluralism is not a given but an achievement," Diana L. Eck, founder of the Pluralism Project, wrote in Harvard Magazine a few years ago." -Pluralism will require not just tolerance, but the active seeking of understanding. ... In the world into which we now move, our ignorance of one another will be increasingly costly." -Look at what happened in non-pluralistic societies such as the Balkans, Rwanda and Iraq, and you know she's right.Planet Dave is a nice place to visit. I can't afford to live there. -The Pros of Mass Media: -It Can Keep Us Connected -Before mass media, you could live your entire life knowing nothing about the world outside of your village. Now, we are all connected. And this can be a very good thing. For instance, when a tsunami strikes, people all over the world hear about it within moments and can mobilize immediately to help. Without mass media, we would have far less ability to understand how we're all connected and how we all need each another. -It Can Spur Business -Where would business be without advertising and marketing? Thanks to the business communication made possible by mass media, businesses can reach potential consumers faster and easier than ever before. This helps keep our economy going. -It Can Spread Art and Culture -On the internet, you can see all of the world's artistic masterpieces or learn about the particularities of a culture far removed from your own. In addition, numerous TV and radio programs devote themselves to exploring the world, offering us the chance to discover new things and new ideas, and enlighten ourselves in the process. -It Can Give Voice to the Voiceless -From reporters bringing us stories of people in difficult situations to social media allowing one person's thoughts to go viral and spread across the world, mass media can lift up an individual voice that would otherwise have gone unheard.

mass disaffection

-a decline in mass trust of government. -if the trust of masses in government declines, citizens may be less likely to obey laws, support government programs, and enter government service -without these, a government will be unable to perform well

elites

-a group or class of persons enjoying superior intellectual or social or economic status -The few who have power

filter bubble

-a situation in which we surround ourselves with information that confirms our pre-existing prejudices -A filter bubble - a term coined by Internet activist Eli Pariser - is a state of intellectual isolation that allegedly can result from personalized searches when a website algorithm selectively guesses what information a user would like to see based on information about the user, such as location, past click-behavior and search history. -The bubble effect may have negative implications for civic discourse, according to Pariser, but contrasting views regard the effect as minimal and addressable. The results of the U.S. presidential election in 2016 have been associated with the influence of social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook, and as a result have called into question the effects of the "filter bubble" phenomenon on user exposure to fake news and echo chambers, spurring new interest in the term, with many concerned that the phenomenon may harm democracy.

fake news

-content, articles, videos that present made up or false information -Being a critical consumer of media is important because it helps you better understand how media works. -It's important because media is all around, in which it is part of many people's daily lives, so to better understand media is like better understanding life of many people in a more critical way.

mass ignorance

-large numbers of electorate are politically uninformed -no real opinions on policy questions -respond inconsistently to policy questions -ignorance of history and government -people feel that they have no influence and that their vote would have no meaning

primary vs. general election

-primary: a preliminary election to appoint delegates to a party conference or to select the candidates for a principal, especially presidential, election. -general: a regular election of candidates for office, as opposed to a primary election.

Articles of Confederation

1st Constitution of the U.S. 1781-1788 (weaknesses-no executive, no judicial, no power to tax, no power to regulate trade)

Fourteenth Amendment

A constitutional amendment giving full rights of citizenship to all people born or naturalized in the United States, except for American Indians.

New Jersey Plan

A constitutional proposal that would have given each state one vote in a new congress

U.S. Constitution

A document that embodies the fundamental laws and principles by which the United States is governed.

direct democracy

A form of government in which citizens rule directly and not through representatives

openness to new experience trait

A person with a high level of openness to experience in a personality test enjoys trying new things. They are imaginative, curious, and open-minded. Individuals who are low in openness to experience would rather not try new things. They are close-minded, literal and enjoy having a routine.

militarism

A policy of glorifying military power and keeping a standing army always prepared for war

liberalism

A political ideology that emphasizes the civil rights of citizens, representative government, and the protection of private property. This ideology, derived from the Enlightenment, was especially popular among the property-owning middle classes.

open primary

A primary election in which voters may choose in which party to vote as they enter the polling place

closed primary

A primary in which only registered members of a particular political party can vote

minority rights

A principle of traditional democratic theory that guarantees rights to those who do not belong to majorities.

initiative

A procedure by which voters can propose a law or a constitutional amendment.

patriotism

A sense of pride in one's country

representative democracy

A system of government in which citizens elect representatives, or leaders, to make decisions about the laws for all the people.

checks and balances

A system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other branches in order to prevent abuse of power

elitism

A theory of American democracy contending that an upper-class elite holds the power and makes policy, regardless of the formal governmental organization.

social contract

A voluntary agreement among individuals to secure their rights and welfare by creating a government and abiding by its rules.

proportional representation

An election system in which each party running receives the proportion of legislative seats corresponding to its proportion of the vote.

libertarianism

An ideology that cherishes individual liberty and insists on minimal government, promoting a free market economy, a noninterventionist foreign policy, and an absence of regulation in moral, economic, and social life.

elastic clause

Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution, which allows Congress to make all laws that are "necessary and proper" to carry out the powers of the Constitution.

supremacy clause

Article VI of the Constitution, which makes the Constitution, national laws, and treaties supreme over state laws when the national government is acting within its constitutional limits.

racism

Belief that one race is superior to another

Connecticut Compromise

Compromise agreement by states at the Constitutional Convention for a bicameral legislature with a lower house in which representation would be based on population and an upper house in which each state would have two senators.

First Amendment

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

separation of powers

Constitutional division of powers among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, with the legislative branch making law, the executive applying and enforcing the law, and the judiciary interpreting the law

agenda setting

Determining which public-policy questions will be debated or considered.

2000 election controversy

Due to lack of technology, the state of Florida had to keep recounting its votes. In the end a very pro Bush supreme court decided that he had won the election.

first-past-the-post

Electoral system based on single-member districts in which the candidate who receives the most votes wins.

we're number one

Feeling that we are better than everyone else

2016 election

Hillary won popular vote Trump won electoral vote

primary vs. caucus

In presidential campaigns, a caucus is a system of local gatherings where voters decide which candidate to support and select delegates for nominating conventions. A primary is a statewide voting process in which voters cast secret ballots for their preferred candidates.

power to declare war

In the United States, Congress, which makes the rules for the military, has the power under the constitution to "declare war"

cognitive dissonance

Inner tension that a consumer experiences after recognizing an inconsistency between behavior and values or opinions

politainment

Politainment, a word composed of politics and entertainment, describes tendencies in politics and mass media to liven up political reports and news coverage using elements from public relations to create a new kind of political communication.

equality of outcome

The concept that society must ensure that people are equal, and governments must design policies to redistribute wealth and status so that economic and social equality is actually achieved.

Fifteenth Amendment

The constitutional amendment adopted in 1870 to extend suffrage to African Americans.

Nineteenth Amendment

The constitutional amendment adopted in 1920 that guarantees women the right to vote.

Thirteenth Amendment

The constitutional amendment ratified after the Civil War that forbade slavery and involuntary servitude.

perfect ideals imperfectly glimpsed

The core ideals at the heart of the Declaration of Independence are stated by Wolf that "all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness" (Wolf 14). After glimpsing at the unalienable rights, Wolf also states "That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the governed, that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it" (Wolf 14). These lines illustrate what the core ideals are of the Declaration of Independence. With regards to the ideals being "imperfectly glimpsed," Wolf states "This language, while beautiful, is quite difficult; it is the formal language of a very formal century far removed from our own" (Wolf 14). Wolf explains how it is a very different language compared to that of today. That is why these ideals were imperfectly glimpsed at when looking at the Declaration of Independence which was written all the way back in the late 1700s. Wolf also states "Most of the 'fake patriotism' bullet points we get from the Declaration focus on its first sentence and an early clause in it" ... "But to Jefferson and his Enlightenment contemporaries, the 'individual' and the 'happiness' had different meanings than what we assume they do today" (Wolf 14-16). Wolf makes a good point here stating that what Jefferson and his contemporaries stated back then, could have an entirely different meaning when looking at it today. This is why these ideals are imperfect; because they are vague when looking at it in terms of what this means to a person of a particular century.

statism

The idea that the rights of the nation are supreme over the rights of the individuals who make up the nation.

wooden-headedness

The inclination to believe what we want to believe regardless of the facts.

mass apathy

The lack of interest, concern or enthusiasm for politics

plurality vs. majority

The majority is more than half, plurality is most votes

tyranny of the majority

The potential of a majority to monopolize power for its own gain to the detriment of minority rights and interests.

Tenth Amendment

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

Strict Father Model

The strict father model is discussed by George Lakoff in his books, including Moral Politics, Don't Think of an Elephant, The Political Mind, and Whose Freedom?. In these books, the strict father model is contrasted with the nurturant parent model. Lakoff argues that if the metaphor of nation as family and government as parent is used, then conservative politics correspond to the strict father model. For example, conservatives think that adults should refrain from looking to the government for assistance lest they become dependent.

Electoral College

a body of people representing the states of the U.S., who formally cast votes for the election of the president and vice president.

Dunning-Kruger effect

a cognitive bias in which unskilled people make poor decisions and reach erroneous conclusions, but their incompetence denies them the metacognitive ability to appreciate their mistakes. Accounts for why low-skilled individuals are prone to greater overconfidence than are higher-skilled persons (in a particular area).

referendum

a legislative act is referred for final approval to a popular vote by the electorate

political ideology

a more or less consistent set of beliefs about what policies government ought to pursue

social immobility

a person's movement over time from one class to another

winner-take-all

a system in which the candidate with the most district votes in a state gets all of the delegate votes from that state

materialism

a tendency to consider material possessions and physical comfort as more important than spiritual values.

confirmation bias

a tendency to search for information that supports our preconceptions and to ignore or distort contradictory evidence

3/5ths Compromise

agreement providing that enslaved persons would count as three-fifths of other persons in determining representation in Congress

negligence

carelessness

shortsightedness

condition of not considering the future effects of something

equality of opportunity

giving people an equal chance to succeed

sheer ignorance

ignorance of critical facts about important events in the news, and ignorance of how our government functions and who's in charge

conservativism

in favor of preserving the status quo, traditional values and customs, and against abrupt change

access bias

journalists and readers may compromise the transparency of the news in order to get access to powerful people as story sources

Twenty-sixth Amendment

lowered the voting age to 18

faithless electors

members of the Electoral College who do not vote for whom they are pledged to

demagoguery

speech that attempts to win over an audience through appealing to their prejudices and emotions, particularly those of fear, anger, and frustration

Ninth Amendment

states that people's rights are not limited to just those listed in the Constitution.

third person effect

the assumption by most people that others are more prone to being influenced by persuasive messages (such as those in media campaigns) than they themselves are

naïve realism

the belief that people everywhere see the world in the same way

fairness bias

the bias, in some circumstances, to value cooperation and fair play over rational self-interest

Declaration of Independence

the document recording the proclamation of the second Continental Congress (4 July 1776) asserting the independence of the colonies from Great Britain

wealth inequality

the gap in net worth among various population groups

noblesse oblige

the inferred responsibility of privileged people to act with generosity and nobility toward those less privileged

socialization

the lifelong social experience by which people develop their human potential and learn culture

masses

the many who do not have power

circulation of elites

the movement of talented and ambitious individuals from the lower class into the elite

veil of ignorance

the rules for society that we would propose if we did not know how lucky we would be in life's lottery

bone-headedness

the susceptibility to meaningless phrases, stereotypes, irrational biases, and simplistic diagnoses and solutions that play on our hopes and fears

revolving door

the tendency of public officials, journalists, and lobbyists to move between public and private sector (media, lobbying) jobs

income inequality

the unequal distribution of income

popular vote

the votes cast by individual voters in a presidential election, as opposed to the electoral vote

iron law of oligarchy

theory that power increasingly becomes concentrated in the hands of a few members of any organization

alternative vote

voting system in which voters rank candidates and the votes of low-ranking candidates are reallocated until a winner is determined