Government Chapter 2 Study Guide

Antidemocratic Ideologies:

1. Those at the far right of the political spectrum are fascists who believe in the supremacy of the state (under their control). 2. On the far left are Marxists who champion the working class. Marxism Leninism became the philosophical basis of communism, which included government ownership of all the means of production and distribution. The concept of private property was abolished. All property belonged to the state. The Party controlled the government.

What age group has the most wealth?

65-74

What is an Ideology?

A consistent and integrated system of ideas, values, and beliefs.

What are Beliefs?

A shared idea of truth and is more subject to change.

Mobility, Class Conflict, and Class Consciousness:

Conflict over wealth and power, otherwise known as class conflict, is not as common in the U.S. as in other nations. The belief in social mobility may partially reduce the conflict.

Modern Conservatism: Individualism plus Traditional Values: Modern

conservatism combines a belief in free markets, limited government, and individual self-reliance in economic affairs with a belief in tradition, law, and morality in social affairs. These ideas are consistent with classic liberalism (discussed earlier). At the same time, modern conservatives recognize frail human nature and consequently place their faith in laws and institutions.

Explaining Recent Increases in Income Inequality: The increase in the income inequality in the U.S. has been caused by four major factors. Please list three of those four factors.

• the rise in the number of two-wage families, • demographic trends • Global Competition

Social mobility in the U.S. has _______ in recent years.

Decreased.

Does social mobility seem to be increasing or decreasing?

Decreasing.

What are Values?

Deeply rooted and deal with ideas about what is good or desirable.

Give an example of the protection of equality of opportunity from U.S. history.

Desegregating schools so black children could get a better education.

Inequality of Income:

Dividing the U.S. population into fifths (quintiles), we see that since 1929, the lower fifth of our population receives a small share of U.S. wealth, while the upper fifth receives almost half of U.S. income. Since 1970, income of the lowest fifth has declined, while income of the highest fifth has increased.

African Americans:

The political history of this group is marked by its struggles against slavery and discrimination. Today, it is the second-largest minority group.

SOCIAL MOBILITY:

The possibility of social mobility (better job, more income, etc.) reduces class conflict and diminishes class consciousness.

Equality of Opportunity:

The removal of artificial barriers to success in life. Most Americans support the idea that everyone should be given the opportunity to make the most of their own abilities. Differences arise over the policies used to remove the artificial barriers.

Define Political Culture.

The widely shared ideas based on values and beliefs in a society that help to determine who should govern, how, and for what end.

Class conflict is rare in the U.S. because:

There is a diminished sense of class consciousness.

Inequality of Wealth:

Wealth is the total of a family's assets, not limited to income. There is greater inequality of wealth than income in the U.S.

Hispanic Americans:

"Hispanic" refers to Spanish-speaking ancestry and culture, including Mexican Americans, Cuban Americans, and Puerto Ricans. It is the largest minority group.

TRUE/FALSE: Hispanics are the second-largest minority group in the U.S.

FALSE. They are the largest.

Academic Radicalism:

Found in the "politically correct" movements on academic campuses. The problems of capitalism are attacked as well as Western civilization--institutions, language, and culture which are labeled as racist, sexist, etc.

Conservatives:

Generally prefer a limited role for government in economic affairs and would increase the ability of government to regulate social conduct. Both the liberals and conservatives can be said to be inconsistent in their views toward government, wanting government intervention in one area of policy, but not in another.

According to the Bell Curve theory:

Genetics determines intelligence, smart people are more successful and programs to assist the needy are useless.

Modern Liberalism:

Governmental Power to "Do Good": Modern liberals see government as necessary to provide economic security and protect civil rights. Government power is seen as a positive force that can reduce inequalities and correct the perceived problems of society (Free Markets).

A Nation of Immigrants:

Immigrants have come to America for a better life and greatly affected politics, culture and the economy. Immigration policy is a responsibility of the national government. Quotas and restrictions on immigrants have been used in the past.

INDIVIDUAL LIBERTY:

No political value has been given as much emphasis in our nation as individual liberty. This value is based in the political philosophy of classical liberalism, which asserts the worth and dignity of the individual.

Americans believe strongly in equality of _________ but not in equality of _______.

Opportunity, Results.

How might Equality of Results conflict with individual liberty?

People think the money they earn shouldn't be subject to governmental control because it is one of their individual liberties.

Citizenship:

Persons born in the U.S. are citizens. People can go through the naturalization process provided they meet certain legal and intellectual requirements.

Academic radicalism is most associated with:

Political Correctness.

Contradictions between Values and Conditions:

Political culture can often have contradictions, e.g., equality versus slavery and segregation. Still, the value of equality can often be a catalyst for change.

Inconsistent Applications:

Political culture of shared ideas does not mean that the principles will be consistently applied in all cases. A classic example is the support in the U.S. for the idea of freedom of speech and the willingness of the U.S. public to limit such freedoms for unpopular groups of people.

What is class consciousness?

The awareness of one's class position and the feeling of political solidarity with others in the same class.

Equality of Results:

The equal sharing of income and material rewards. Proponents of this idea argue that if people are truly equal they should all enjoy basically the same standard of living. Under this concept inequalities in income are intolerable. This concept is not a widely shared value.

Political Equality:

The founders believed in legal equality, meaning that the laws should apply equally to all. This was not the same as political equality.

Conflict:

The idea of Political Culture and shared common beliefs does not mean that there will be an absence of conflict over ideas or beliefs.

Equality in Politics Versus Economics:

American culture values equality in politics, but inequality in economics.

Recent increases in income inequalities have been caused by all of the following EXCEPT:

An increase in manufacturing.

What is capitalism?

Capitalism asserts the individual's right to own private property and to buy, sell, rent, and trade that property in a free market.

Both modern conservatism and modern liberalism share elements of:

Classical Liberalism.

Economic Freedom:

Classical liberalism is a political idea which is very similar to capitalism as a economic idea.

Illegal Immigration:

Estimates range from 400,000 to 3 million per year. INS estimates that 4 million illegal immigrants currently reside in the U.S. Even aliens are entitled to due process.

TRUE/FALSE: Political equality is synonymous with legal equality.

FALSE

The idea of the founders that the laws should apply equally to all people is called:

Legal Equality.

Senator Barbara Boxer is mainly a defender of:

Liberalism.

Which of the following would be associated with minimal government interference in both the economic and social spheres?:

Libertarians.

Political Liberty:

Most widely held value, shaped by classical liberalism, individualism and natural law.

The End of History?

Much of the history of the twentieth century has been the conflict between capitalism and communism. The collapse of communism increased the movement to free markets and political democracy. This process has been labeled the "End of History."

Socialism:

Socialism is on the left spectrum, but not as far as communism. Socialists believe in government ownership of main industries, but not all private property. They also support the democratic political process.

How would you define political liberty?

The natural right of individuals to express themselves freely with regard to the conduct, makeup and principles of their government.

Give an example of political equality.

States setting voting qualifications that excluded people from voting.

TRUE/FALSE: Individual liberty is a fundamental value of U.S. culture.

TRUE

TRUE/FALSE: Inequality of wealth is even greater than inequality of incomes in the United States.

TRUE

TRUE/FALSE: Modern conservatism is a belief in the value of free markets, limited government, and self-reliance.

TRUE

TRUE/FALSE: Modern liberalism emphasizes the importance of economic and social security for the whole population.

TRUE

TRUE/FALSE: Most Americans support the idea of equality of opportunity.

TRUE

TRUE/FALSE: Since 1980, income inequality increased in the United States.

TRUE

TRUE/FALSE: Subcultures arise from diverse religions, races, and ethnic identities.

TRUE

TRUE/FALSE: The U.S. accepts immigrants as legal residents and political refugees.

TRUE

What is Political Ideology?

Tells us who should get what, when, and how (Liberal/Conservative labels).