PoliSci 104: Final Exam
def: GDP
(gross domestic product) the value of a country's economic output taken as a whole
def: the NAIRU point
(non accelerating inflation rate of unemployment) if you have too much employment, that creates wage inflation. you are competing for the last remaining workers so their wages will go up a lot. this is a theory
def: TANF (welfare reform)
(temporary assistance for needy families) the welfare program that replaced aid to families with dependent children (afdc) in 1996, eliminating the entitlement status of welfare, shifting implimentation of the policy to the states, and introducing several new restrictions on receiving aid. these changes led to a significant decrease in the number of welfare recipients
what are tensions between foreign policy making and democracy?
*foreign policy* -consistency: no flip-flops and ideally need to speak with one voice -discretion: the leader sometimes needs to do things that are in the country's interest even if you have to lie to the country (ex: info during vietnam war) -centralization: decisions need to be made by small groups of people like the president's inner circle. speed is also important -secrecy: classified info, war plans, domestic surveillance *democracies* -difficult to speak with one voice -unlikely to be consistent because there is an open discussion of what the president/congress wants -requirement of decentralized leadership: don't want president unilaterally making foreign policy -classified information and the need for openness: CIA's secret budget, extraordinary renditions. there is always a need for some secrecy
def: troubled asset relief program (TARP)
-$700 billion rescue plan, signed into law on Oct. 3rd, 2008. -Original plan was to buy toxic debt. Instead, provided capital to banks. Also consumer credit plans. -Resisted helping homeowners avoid foreclosures, but recently have moved in that direction. -May end up turning a profit on the $700 billion
def: trends in usage of the media
-% of people who read newspapers declined by almost a third in the last decade -% watching TV news also declined -use of online sources including blogs and social media has tripled and will continue to increase -internet based usage is more prevalent among young americans, as is the decline in traditional sources
What are the functions of the media?
-*Report and interpret the news *-what is going on in politics and how we can make sense of it. -*Agenda setting*-choosing what the news is going to focus on. is this issue going to be presented quickly or have a long story? (ex:the whale story) things that are always a big story: budget politics, immigration reform, gun control, gay marriage. -*Oversight*-this is one of the most important tasks. we have to make sure the government isn't being illegal or doing bad things. we also want to make sure that the public is getting the info they need (ex:watergate) -*new role of bloggers versus mainstream media*-there isn't a filter on the internet, so you don't have an editor there to make sure all your info is correct. this also causes a LOT of info to be available to access. sometimes bloggers break stories that media doesn't want to publish, though.
def: regulating the media
-1934: communications act authorized the federal communications commission (FCC) to regulate broadcast media (TV/radio) -1940s: FCC developed the fairness doctrine--requires broadcast media to present several points of view to ensure balanced coverage. eliminated in 1987 -equal time provision: requires broadcast media to provide equal airtime on any non-news programming to all candidates running for an office
def: brown vs board of education
-1954: supreme court takes down idea of separate but equal. said it has no place in institutions because segregation itself is unequal. -1955: desegregate schools "with all deliberate speed." awkward phrasing was taken by southern school districts to mean that they don't have to really do this right away which led to massive resistance in the south
what are the recent court rulings on gay rights?
-1986: bowers vs hardwick- homosexual behavior is not protected by the constitution -1996: romer vs evans- struck down a constitutional amendment in colorado that would have prevented gays from suing for discrimination in housing or employment -2003: lawrence vs texas- upheld same sex sexual relations as protected by the due process clause of the 14th amendment. overturned bowers, which was a big deal -2003-nowish: MA supreme court upheld. since then, 15 more states plus DC have legalized same sex marriage. 10 have civil unions -2011: don't ask don't tell was repealed -2013: hollingsworth vs perry. proposition 8 in CA and defense of marriage struck down.
What are the main sources of the news?
-About 55% of people get their news from *TV*. it is the most popular news source, but is declining. -About 40% of people get their news from *online sources*. the average time reading news online is 90 seconds because people get their news more casually from social medias
how did FDR's and hoover's view of economic policy differ?
-FDR: state/local government should be the first response to help people in times of need. then the federal government should step in when the state/community can't handle it due to budget constraints -hoover: didn't think we should go with the new deal because he wanted to let individuals try to raise themselves up. he is afraid that centralizing the government will change the foundation of america
what are the goals, tools, and politics of economic policy?
-GOALS: full employment//stable prices//growth and efficiency//balanced budget//balance of payments -TOOLS: fiscal policy
def: sexual discrimination and harassment
-can a single act constitute harassment? -is an employer liable for harassment by an employee if management didn't know about it?: yes (faragher vs city of boca raton: 1998) UNLESS you are a public school district (gesver vs lago vista school district: 1998). the accused employee must have management responsibility over the person making the complaint (2013) -can quid pro quo (give me sex or you're fired) harassment be illegal if there is no follow through?: yes (burlington industries: 1998) but the extent of this ruling isn't clear
def: the trivialization of politics
-character and personal coverage over substantive news -ex: hunks of the hill, build up to the war in iraq (didn't ask the tough questions, more interested in who's calling the shots) -media is focused on the game -causes loss of sense of proportion
def: contributory and non-contributory (or means-tested) programs
-contributory: (non-means tested) everyone is qualified for this insurance BUT you pay into these while you are working. ex: social security, medicare, unemployment compensation -non-contributory: (means tested) you have to be below a certain level of income to be qualified. ex: medicaid, food stamps, housing assistance
what are the arguments against health care reform?
-costs will be more than anticipated -too much of a role for the government by something that should be a private sector decision -"death panels" that would ration healthcare and decide who gets to live and die -socialized medicine which is a single payer plan like canada has -will weaken medicare (can't double count the medicare savings -employers will drop coverage and pay fines -healthy people who don't want coverage are forced to get it -there will be some unintended consequences (coverage of members of congress)
def: de jure/de facto segregation
-de jure: relating to actions or circumstances that occur "by law," such as the legally enforced segregation of schools in the american south before the 1960s -de facto: relating to actions or circumstances that occur outside the law or "by fact," such as the segregation of schools that resulted from housing patterns and other factors rather than from laws
def: the democrats', republicans', and obama debt commission's plans to save social security
-dems: raise payroll taxes by 3% and increase income ceiling that is taxable//chained CPI (consumer price index--measures inflation) to slow growth of current benefits//gradually increase the retirement age to 70//maintain the basic structure of a public social insurance system -repubs: establish individual investment accounts ranging from 2-6%//cut future benefits//raise retirement age to 70//fund by borrowing or indexing current and future benefits to inflation instead of wages//privatize part of social security while retaining some public guarantees -obama:
what principles should guide our involvement in foreign conflicts?
-during the cold war there was a bipolar struggle and we really only wanted to limit communism -after the fall of the berlin wall we became interested in 1)national security/interest and 2)national interest
is income inequality a problem? (epstein, noah)
-epstein: no because if we solved it everything would be worse off. GDP would go down (with taxing the rich, you redistribute it to the poor. if you put the tax in the top 1% they will stop providing money to the economy) -noah: yes because inequality has worse health incomes (ex: monkey study. important hierarchical monkeys were healthier vs general health in non hierarchical monkey habitat).//economic output will go down because they are more worried about having an income than expressing creativity.//jones effect-people spending money they don't have
what are the advantages and disadvantages of privitization, or even partial privitization?
-for SS: advantages--you would have some money in your retirement account that you can keep and when you die the money goes to your kids or whoever.//disadvantages: no easy way to pay for it. because it's a pay as you go system, there isn't really a way to switch over. also, people having their own money in retirement accounts could lose a lot of money if the stock market crashed. -not SS:
what are the arguments for and against affirmative action?
-for: a level playing field is not enough, there is still discrimination//need to make up for past discrimination//helps provide diversity in the workplace and in higher education//provides role models for minority children in the professions//helps diminish economic inequality between the races by helping to create a middle class within racial minorities -against: reverse discrimination//any classification by race is bad//resentment against affirmative action creates backlash against other race based policies//promotes racial stereotyping and victimization
def: nonviolent direct action
-four step process in the civil rights movement: collection of facts, negotiation, self-purification, direct action (civil disobedience) -civil disobedience is probably more of just how they did peaceful protests and didn't really fight at all.
def: goals of economic policy making
-full employment -stable prices -growth/efficiency -balanced budget -balance of payments
what techniques were used to prevent blacks from voting in the south before the voting rights act was passed in 1965?
-grandfather clause: if your grandfather could vote, you can too -intimidation -literacy tests: except for the illiterate white men who were exempt by the grandfather clause -white primaries -poll taxes -loyalty oaths
def: great society and new deal programs
-great society: the wide-ranging social agenda promoted by president lyndon johnson in the mid 60s that aimed to improve americans' quality of life through governmental social programs -new deal: set of policies proposed by president franklin roosevelt and enacted by congress between 1933 and 1935 to promote economic recovery and social welfare during the great depression
what are the main features of health care reform?
-individual mandate (fines of at least $695 starting by 2016) -subsudies for 19 of the estimated 25 million who will buy insurance through the exchanges. people who make up to 4x the poverty rate ($88000 for a family of 4, $44000 for an individual) would get subsidies. pay no more than 10% income at the top of the range, less at the bottom -employers with at least 50 employees have to provide health care or face a fine of $2000 per employee -cannot deny coverage because of preexisting conditions -young adults can stay on their parents' policies until age 26 -closes the medicare prescription drug "donut hole" in which people who had in between a certain amount of expenditures didn't get covered
def: interpretive versus policy coverage
-interpretive: the little clips we have on the news now. they don't give the full story -policy: talks about everything. gives a good indication of what's really going on
what are the implications for civil rights of how you answer this question? (liu, warshawsky, elazar)
-liu: we have a social contract--the ideals that a country was founded on. we try to live up to our social contract. our current state of american identity is weak because we take our cues from the media. talk of citizenship is very weak -warshawsky: says that our cultural identity is not made up of blood and soil, but also ideas -elazar: political beliefs are distributed unevenly across the nation due to migration patterns
def: mandatory and discretionary spending
-mandatory: expenditures that are required by law, such as the funding for social security -discretionary: expenditures that can be cut from the budget without changing the underlying law
what are the tools of US foreign policy?
-military, trade and economic policies, diplomacy, foreign aid, alliances and treaties
def: the civil rights movement
-nonviolent protests -1963: i have a dream speech (biggest protest ever with 250000 people) -1964: civil rights act -1965: voting rights act -1968: fair housing act
what are the problems in using GDP as a measure of the health of the economy?
-not a good indicator because it counts things that shouldn't be counted such as emissions of fuel when your sitting idly in a car
What is the impact of the "new media" on American politics? (Prior)
-now we are able to create and access our own news -we are becoming more polarized because we only watch things we agree with -knowledge gap: the amount of information that we know as a society has remained constant, but this covers up the fact that those of us who want to be informed, stay informed. -politics start appealing to us in more entertainment forms, parties become more polarized
What are the different types of interest groups and what are their characteristics?
-occupational/economic interest: organized around an occupation -non-occupational/public interest or "citizen": citizen interest groups that are more of general public concerns (ex: consumer safety, product safety, climate change, clean air)
def: historical evolution of the media
-penny press: newspapers sold for 1 cent in the 1830s when more efficient printing presses made reduced price newspapers available to a larger segment of the population -telegraph aided newspapers by enabling reporters on assignment throughout the country to quickly send stories back home -wire service: organization that gathers news and sells it to other media outlets in 1840s -yellow journalism: after civil war. a style of newspaper popular in the late 1800s that featured sensationalized stories, bold headlines, and illustrations to increase readers
who are key players in making foreign policy?
-president/presidential staff -national security council: develops foreign policy options and presents them to the president -office of the US trade representative: focuses on tariffs and trade disputes -foreign intelligence advisory board: group of academics, politicians, and former government officials who advise the president -homeland security council: coordinates anti terrorism policies -office of management and budget: prepares the president's annual budget proposals for federal agencies and departments, including those with foreign policy responsibilities
what are the differing interpretations of globalization? (soros, sutherland)
-pro: reality of our international system. it's a good thing for economic efficiency because we, as consumers, gain when we buy from different countries which drives down our prices (sutherland) -con: smaller countries lose sovereignty. you can't operate as a country any more because you are being dictated by what the bigger countries want. (soros)
how did he distinguish between just and unjust laws?
-religious view: if it is consistent with god, it is just. if it is not consistent with him, it is unjust. -political view: it is unjust if the majority imposes on a minority but not themselves. also unjust of the minority didn't get to vote on it.
def: the social security trust fund
-set up by reagan during the 1983 greenspan commission to save social security money for all the boomers' retirement -won't work because 1) it will eventually run out and 2) there are only IOUs in there right now. future workers are going to have to pay it off
why does douthat argue that the "ideal" is still marriage between a man and a woman?
-slippery slope: if you open up the door, it can lead to all sorts of unions -it's the best institution to raise a family
Can "crowdsourcing" replace professional journalism? (Starr, Fallows)
-starr: -fallows:
How has political journalism been challenged by new technology? (Starr, Fallows)
-starr: -fallows:
what is the "blame game" and how is it played?
-the blame game leads to a lack of accountability. -paralyzes action on things like entitlement reform -our divided government makes it harder to get things done
what is the libertarian case against same-sex marriage? (raimondo)
-the government should get out. -"government destroys everything it touches so why should marriage be any different?"
def: the rise of adversarial (or attack) journalism
-type of increasingly popular media coverage focused on political scandals and controversies, which causes a negative public opinion of political figures -"bad news makes for good news"
how has the role of the united states shifted over our history in terms of relations with other nations?
-unilateralism and isolationism: no help from other countries, we only care about the united states. (monroe doctrine//emerging as a world power in the late 19th century. WWI and failed league of nations. retreated from world stage)//no large standing army until after WWII. -WWII: US became the dominant economy/military power in the world because we suffered little damage -cold war and containment -detente and deterrence: trying to reduce tensions and treaties -post cold war
what are the main arguments why this reform was necessary?
-we are the only country in the world that doesn't ensure all of our people so we should make sure that everyone has access to basic health care. we are also spending 60% more than most countries so obviously we aren't very efficient
what are the arguments for same-sex marriage? (rauch)
-we want to be careful about changing our society, but we have to change -it's not enough to just say that bad things are going to happen if we change and use that as a legitimate excuse
to what extent should we continue to focus on the threat of a terrorist attack and to what extent should we shift national security policy in a more balanced direction? (zenko, cohen, miller)
-zenko/cohen: -miller:
is the world still a dangerous place? (zenko, cohen, miller)
-zenko/cohen: nope -miller: yeah
def: balance of power
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def: different health care options
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def: distributive, regulatory, and redistributive policies
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def: health insurance exchanges
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def: individualistic, moralistic, traditionalistic political cultures
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def: political and economic globalization
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def: reconstruction
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def: the economic meltdown of 2008-2009
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def: the federal debt and deficits
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def: the welfare state
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how did abraham linclon differ from king in terms of his views on how to change policies he disagreed with? (linclon)
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how did dr. martin luther king jr view white moderates and white churches in the struggle for black emancipation?
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how does theodore lowi argue that the political relationships in the policy making process are determined by the type of policy that is at stake?
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what are the arguments for and against the welfare system?
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what can or should be done to save social security?
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which political reforms are most likely to improve the quality of our political process?
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def: balanced budget amendment
A proposal for a constitutional amendment mandating that federal expenditures not exceed federal revenues in any fiscal year.
def: war on terror
After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the Bush administration declared a worldwide "war on terror," involving open and covert military operations, new security legislation, efforts to block the financing of terrorism, and more.
def: regulatory policy
These policies are generally thought to be best applied when good behavior can be easily defined and bad behavior can be easily regulated and punished through fines or sanctions (ex: speed limit).
def: social security
a federal social insurance program that provides cash benefits to retirees based on payroll taxes they have paid over the course of their careers. it is a "pay as you go" program in which working americans pay taxes to support today's retirees, with a promise that when today's workers retire, their benefits will be paid by the next generation
def: prior restraint
a limit on freedom of the press that allows the government to prohibit the media from publishing certain materials
def: the trade deficit
a measure of how much more a nation imports than it exports
def: misery index
adding inflation rate and unemployment rate together. it is assumed that both a higher rate of unemployment and a worsening of inflation create economic and social costs
def: containment
an important feature of american cold war policy in which the united states used diplomatic, economic, and military strategies in an effort to prevent the soviet union from expanding its influence
def: gridlock
an inability to enact legislation because of partisan conflict within congress or between congress and the president
def: the united nations
an international organization made up of representatives from nearly every nation, with a mission to promote peace and cooperation, uphold international law, and provide humanitarian aid
def: entitlements
any federal government program that provides benefits to americans who meet requirements specified by law
def: 1964 civil rights act
bans discrimination in employment based on race, sex, religion, or national origin. sex was offered as a "poison pill" to try to get the bill killed
def: reasonable basis test
basis for making distinctions that are easiest to justify by the states. Easiest is age. That's allowed as long as there is a rational reason.
def: reverse discrimination
because of affirmative action, we are discriminating against white people
How has increased choice in the media widened the gap in political knowledge and influenced turnout and polarization? (Prior)
because we have such a large variety of medias, we tend to pick other things over politics. 60-70s there were only three channels so people would rather watch the news than nothing at all
what is the problem that the nation faces with entitlement programs, especially social security?
boomer generation. now that they are starting to retire and because it is a pay as you go program, we don't have enough money to pay for all of them. we either have to cut their benefits or raise taxes to make it work.
def: strict scrutiny
compelling state interest. Super good reason to make distinctions based on race. Like affirmative action
def: nationalization of the news
decline of news networks because the big companies are buying up all the little ones. There is less focus on local news
upon which principle is affirmative action based?
equality of outcomes
def: horserace coverage
focuses more on poll results and speculation about a likely winner than on substantive differences between the candidates
what does it mean to be american?
freedom
def: 1965 voting rights act
gets rid of voting discrimination rules. federal marshals were ordered to oversee elections to make sure everything was fair
def: unilateralism
going it alone. we make decisions by ourselves for foreign policies--we don't get help from other countries
def: fiscal policy
government decisions about how to influence the economy by taxing and spending
def: monetary policy
government decisions about how to influence the economy using control of the money supply and interest rates
def: set-aside programs
has to do with affirmative action. in these agencies, we should a certain number of minorities. also aimed at "small, disadvantaged businesses" aka minority owned businesses. they got set aside money, but that was seen as unconstitutional
def: COLAs (cost of living adjustments)
has to do with social security, especially in 1983. at that time we were paying more out than was coming in, so in order to fix that, we adjusted the COLAs back.
What are the political implications of ownership of the media?
just because you are conservative/liberal that does not mean that you will report the same news. you don't necessarily have to inject your opinions into everything you publish
def: shield laws
legislation, which exists in some states but not at the federal level, that gives reporters the right to refuse to name the sources of their information
In what ways are the media biased in their coverage of politics?
main bias is not ideological, but the type of news that is covered. more negative and more superficial
def: the 14th amendment
no state shall deny any person the equal protection laws (women apparently didn't apply until the 70s)
how did he urge his followers to change the unjust laws?
non-violent protest: 1) collection of facts--try to find out all the evidence you need to prove that it's an unjust law, 2) negotiation--with the people who are making things unjust. if this fails, you continue to the next steps, 3) self-purification--training to make sure they would really be non-violent. public support to gain sympathy, 4) direct action
def: investigative reporting
not really time for this anymore because news stations want to publish quick. they don't have time to analyze their findings
what role did the "commerce clause" play in the enforcement of the civil rights act?
okay so think of the restaurant story. guy in the south didn't want to desegregate his restaurant and thought congress couldn't do anything about it because he said he wasn't partaking in interstate commerce so he could do whatever he wanted. turns out he bought his meat from minnesota and his chairs from out of state so there's the interstate commerce. congress shut him down.
def: equality of opportunity
providing the same opportunities to everyone
def: affirmative action
race is a "plus factor" in the hiring or admissions decision
def: laffer curve
relationship between tax rate and total revenue. 0 at 100% tax rate and 0% revenue
def: segregation
separating people by race
def: soft versus hard news
soft: media coverage that aims to entertain or shock, often through sensationalized reporting or by focusing on a candidate or politician's personality hard: media coverage focused on facts and important issues surrounding a campaign
def: jim crow laws
state and local laws that mandated racial segregation in all public facilities in the south, many border states, and some northern communities between 1876 and 1964
what did the civil rights act mean for blacks and women?
that they, theoretically had the same chance at a job as a white male
def: the marshall plan
the American initiative to aid Europe, in which the United States gave $17 billion (approximately $160 billion in current dollar value) in economic support to help rebuild European economies after the end of World War II.
def: the monroe doctrine
the american policy initiated under president james monroe in 1823 stating that the united states would remain neutral in conflicts between european nations, and that these nations should stop colonizing or occupying areas of north and south america
def: income inequality
the extent to which income is distributed in an uneven manner among a population.
def: the federal reserve board
the group of seven presidential appointees who govern the federal reserve system which is an independent agency that serves as the central bank of the united states to bring stability to the nation's banking system
def: blame-game
the idea of accountability. because we have a divided government, neither party is really in charge, when we fail to pass a budget, we as voters don't really know who we should blame
def: isolationism
the idea that a country should refrain from involvement in international affairs
def: deterrence
the idea that if you do something to us, we'll hit you ten million times harder. if you bomb us, we'll blow up the world
def: color-blind jurisprudence
the idea that race will be as unimportant for forming an opinion about someone as whether he wears glasses or, say, has a beard.
def: separate but equal
the idea that racial segregation was acceptable as long as the separate facilities were of equal quality; supported by plessy vs. ferguson and struck down by brown vs BoE
def: indexing
the idea that your index increases in social security to interest rates and not wages because wages go up quicker than interest rates.
def: inflation
the increase in the price of consumer goods over time
def: framing
the influence on public opinion caused by the way a story is presented or covered, including the details, explanations, and context offered in the report
def: the cold war
the period of tension and arms competition between the united states and the soviet union that lasted from 1945 until 1991
def: the ownership society
the term used to describe the social policy vision of president george w bush, in which citizens take responsibility for their own social welfare and the free market plays a greater role in social policy
def: full employment
the theoretical point at which all citizens who want to be employed have a job
def: supply-side economics
the theory that lower tax rates will stimulate the economy by encouraging people to save, invest, and produce more goods and services
def: equality of outcome
think of lyndon johnson's metaphor of the athletes. just because you provide people with the same opportunities does not mean that have equal chances of outcome
def: diplomacy
trying to work things out through negotiation
def: intermediate scrutiny
typically applied to gender and sexual orientation to some extent. There you have to have more than a rational reason, it has to be a really good reason.
def: the social safety net
when families are having a hard time, the government will be able to help them financially for a little bit
def: agenda setting
you have to choose what you're going to focus on, what's going on page one vs. page 20. ex: whale story
