POLS 1100 INTRO AMERICAN GOVT FINAL

Appointed Judges/Life Tenure

(Article III) Federal Judges are appointed for life because that is how it was written into the US Constitution. ... Federal judges know their jobs are safe even if they make unpopular decisions. 4. They can only be removed by impeachment. United States federal judges have life tenure once appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate.

frames of reference

1.Party identification 2. Political Ideology - economic and cultural liberals, conservatives. Populists- economically liberal(gov should use its power to help disadvantaged) and culturally conservative(gov should promote traditional values). Libertarian- economically conservative(the gov should leave the distribution of economic benefits largely to the workings of the free market) and culturally liberal(leave lifestyle choices to the individual) Nonconventional politician example- Ron Paul 3. Religion 4. Economic Class- welfare and business regulations. However, people in the states with similar incomes but different occupations don't share the same outlook. 5. Region 6. Race and Ethnicity 7. Gender- women are 20 percent more likely than men to favor increased spending for public education. 8. Generations and Age- depends on what era the person came out in. Ex. WWII- > loyal. Vietnam -> distrust gov. 9. Crosscutting Groups- however, such group trends are starting to diminish in modern America due to decreased diversity in work places and communities.

Due Process Procedures

14th amendment included due process clause that says no state shall deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without the due process of law.

Plessy vs Ferguson

1896 ruled that "separate" public facilities were "equal" the Plessy decision became the justification for the separate and unequal treatment of African Americans

linage institution

A linkage institution is a structure within a society that connects the people to the government or centralized authority. These institutions include elections, political parties, interest groups, and the media.

Judicial Decisions

After a case has been decided, the court issues its ruling, which consists of a decision and one or more opinions. The decision indicated which party won the case, The most important part of the ruling is the opinion, which explains the legal basis for the decision.

Brown Vs Board

Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 347 U.S. 483 (1954), was a landmark United States Supreme Court case in which the Court declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students to be unconstitutional.

civil liberties vs civil rights

CL- specific individual rights, such as the right to a fair trial, that are constitutionally protected against impingement by government CR- are a question of whether members of differing groups- racial, sexual, religious, and the like- are treated equally by government and in some cases private parties

perceptions of congress

Despite the low approval ratings for Congress itself, most voters like their members of Congress. Members of Congress work hard to strike a balance b/w responding to what constituents want, and what is in the constituency's best interest. In the balance, however, they prioritize district interests over national policy.

Article III

Grants the Supreme Court both original and appellate jurisdiction. A court's jurisdiction is its authority to hear cases of a particular type. Orginal jurisdiction is the authority to be the first court to hear a case. Appellate jurisdiction is the authority to review cases that have already been heard in lower courts and are appealed to a higher court by the loosing party. Bars a federal court from issuing a decision except in response to a case presented to it.

Constitutional democracy

In a CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRACY, the authority of the majority is limited by legal and institutional means so that the rights of individuals and minorities are respected. This is the form of democracy practiced in Germany, Israel, Japan, the United States, and other countries.

partisan voting

In politics, a partisan is a committed member of a political party. In multi-party systems, the term is used for politicians who strongly support their party's policies and are reluctant to compromise with their political opponents. Political polarization refers to cases in which an individual's stance on a given issue, policy, or person is more likely to be strictly defined by their identification with a particular political party (e.g., Democrat or Republican) or ideology (e.g., liberal or conservative). The partisan divide in Congress has steadily widened in the past three decades.

political leadership of each chamber

In the United States House of Representatives, the majority leader is elected by U.S. Congressmen in the political party holding the largest number of seats in the House. While the responsibilities vary depending upon the political climate, the Majority Leader of the United States House of Representatives typically sets the floor agenda and oversees the committee chairmen. In the various states, the majority leader of a state legislative chamber usually performs a similar role to the Majority Leader of the United States House of Representatives.

Declaration of Independence

It is a document that declared independence from Britain and the formation of a new country, the USA. It was written by Thomas Jefferson. Went into effect on July 4, 1776

honeymoon/lame duck periods

Most newly elected presidents enjoy a honeymoon period during which Congress, the press, and the public anticipate initiatives from the Oval Office and are more predisposed than usual to support them. Later in their term when the president has run out of ideas or depleted their political resources the momentum of their election is gone and sources of opposition emerge would be the lame duck period.

committee system

Most of the work done by congress is conducted through standing committees- permanent committees with responsibility for particular areas of public policy. Each standing committee has legislative authority in that it can draft and rewrite proposed legislation and can recommend to the full chamber the passage or defeat of the bill it handles. Congress could not manage its workloads without the help of its committee system. Select committees have a designated responsibility but unlike the standing committee, do not produce legislation. The 1947 Legislative Reorganization Sct requires that each bill introduced in Congress be referred to the proper committee. Committee membership- each committee has a fixed number of seat, with the majority party holding most of them.

Writ of Certiorari

Nearly all cases that reach the Supreme Court do so after the losing party in a lower court ask the court to hear its case. If at least four of the justices agreed to do so the court issues... which is a request to the lower court to submit to the supreme court a record of the case.

Evolution of Presidential power

Over time the presidency has become a more powerful office. This development owes largely to the legacy of strong presidents and to domestic and international developments that have increased the need for executive leadership.

pluralism

Pluralism is the idea that democratic politics consists of various interest groups working against each other, balancing one another out so that the common good is achieved. President James Madison first put forth this idea in an essay called Federalist Paper No. 10 (1787), which urged New Yorkers to ratify the Constitution. According to Madison, competing interest groups are necessary to good government because they not only give people a means of contributing to the democratic process but also prevent any one minority from imposing its will on the majority. Interest groups, therefore, are a vital part of a healthy democracy.

Popular sovereignty/political equality

Popular sovereignty, or the sovereignty of the people's rule, is the principle that the authority of a state and its government is created and sustained by the consent of its people, through their elected representatives (Rule by the People), who are the source of all political power. It is closely associated with social contract philosophers such as Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Popular sovereignty expresses a concept and does not necessarily reflect or describe a political reality. The people have the final say in government decisions. Benjamin Franklin expressed the concept when he wrote, "In free governments, the rulers are the servants and the people their superiors and sovereigns

Supremacy Clause

SC: Article VI of the Constitution, which makes national law supreme over state law when the national government is acting within Constitutional limits.

Hobbes

State of nature: "Life is nasty, brutish and short." He believed that, in a state of nature, might makes right, and that we agree to be governed to protect from living in a state of nature. Natural law: The natural law that he focuses on is survival. He states that, in nature, every being is so concerned with survival that any idea of rights includes only what one can physically protect. Social contract: People give up some of their rights in order to gain some protection from the government. Favored form of government: Absolute monarchy

Locke

State of nature: People are born good and are corrupted by society. People are created equal not in ability but in rights. All people have the rights to life, liberty, and property. Natural law: All humans are endowed at creation with rights to life, liberty, and property. These are the basic rights that all people have. Social contract: People give up some of their rights in order to gain some protection from the government, but if the government does not do its job, the people must change it. Favored form of government: Any representative government: constitutional monarchy, democracy, or republic

Rousseau

State of nature: People are inherently unequal in ability, but this inequality only matters for the corrupted civilized man who deviated from the nobility of savagery. Natural law: He describes the state of nature as noble. We only deviate from natural law, in which the needs of each individual are met by the group, due to the corrupting force of civilization. Social contract: The social contract is between the people, not the people and the government. Each person gives up all rights to the "General Will" which then incorporates every individual through the legislature. Favored form of government: Complete consensus based on dictatorship of the General Will

Popular support and presidential power

Strong popular support gives more power to a president. The Constitution explicitly assigned the president the power to sign or veto legislation, command the armed forces, ask for the written opinion of their Cabinet, convene or adjourn Congress, grant reprieves, and pardons, and receive ambassadors. Constitutional powers: powers explicitly granted by the Constitution. Delegated powers: powers granted by Congress to help the president fulfill his duties. Inherent powers: powers inherent in the president's power as chief of the executive branch.

Implied Power

The Federal government constitutional authority through the necessary and proper clause to take action that it is not expressly authorized by the Constitution but that supports actions that are so authorized.

structure of house and senate

The House of Representatives is meant to be "the people's house," or the part of government most responsive to public opinion. Each state's representation in the House is based on population, with each state getting at least one member. California has the most members (54), while several states, including Delaware, Vermont, Montana, and Alaska, each have only one member. Every member of the House represents a district within a state, and each district has roughly the same population (roughly 660,000 in 2006). Membership in the House is capped at 435. To keep them responsive to the people, House members face reelection every two years, and the entire body is elected at the same time. A person must be twenty-five years old and a resident of the state he or she represents in order to run for a seat in the House. Representation in the Senate is equal for every state: Each state has two senators. Senators serve six-year terms. The length of the term is supposed to insulate senators from public opinion and allow them to act independently. For nearly a hundred years, senators were appointed by the legislatures of the states they represented. The Seventeenth Amendment, ratified in 1913, gave the people the power to elect their senators directly. To serve in the Senate, a person must be at least thirty years old and live in the state he or she represents.

STUDY OF POWER

The ability of one person to get another person to act in accordance with the first person's intentions.

Necessary and Proper Clauses "elastic clause"

The authority granted Congress in Article I, Section 8 of the COnstitution " to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper" for the implementation of its enumerated powers

Article II

The executive power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America. He shall hold his office during the term of four years, and, together with the Vice President, chosen for the same term, be elected, as follows: Each state shall appoint, in such manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a number of electors, equal to the whole number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress: but no Senator or Representative, or person holding an office of trust or profit under the United States, shall be appointed an elector. Article 2 of the United States Constitution is the section that makes the executive branch of the government. The Executive branch of the government is the branch that has the responsibility and authority for the administration throughout the day of the state.

10th 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. The Tenth Amendment helps to define the concept of federalism, the relationship between Federal and state governments. As Federal activity has increased, so too has the problem of reconciling state and national interests as they apply to the Federal powers to tax, to police, and to regulations such as wage and hour laws, the disclosure of personal information in recordkeeping systems, and laws related to strip-mining.

selective perception

The process by which individuals perceive what they want to in media messages.

SOCIAL CONTRACT THEORY

The term "social contract" refers to the belief that the state exists only to serve the will of the people, who are the source of all political power enjoyed by the state. The people can choose to give or withhold this power. The idea of the social contract is one of the foundations of the American political system. Jean Jacques Rousseau and John Locke each took the social contract theory one step further. Rousseau wrote The Social Contract, or Principles of Political Right, in which he explained that the government is based on the idea of popular sovereignty.

impact of centralized power

When one power (an executive) controls all of a country and everyone else is their subject; this is the opposite of being in city-states or part of an empire

Impact of decentralized power

When power divided unevenly between national government and smaller provincial or state governments and the state governments hold more power than the national therefore resulting in a failing national government. The 3 major problems of decentralized power in the Articles of Confederation were: Congress had no power to tax, Congress could not control commerce, and to make any amendment to the Articles all 13 states had to be in agreement. The Constitution implemented a bicameral Congress with the power to tax the citizens, the states could no longer make their own trade agreements it was controlled on a national level, and the Constitution could be amended one, by a two-thirds vote of the House of Representative and the Senate, with a ratification of three-fourths of the State Legislature. The second way, would be by a convention asked by two-thirds of the State Legislature, which then later would need to be approved by three-fourths of the State Legislature.

Federalist Papers

Written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay under the pen-name Publius (was the last consul of the Roman Republic before it was overthrown and became a dictatorship). In order to secure the ratification of a constitution providing for a perfect union. They actually discuss federalism as a means to achieve free government in peace and security. Federalism, checks and balances, separated powers, pluralism, representation.

yellow journalism

Yellow journalism was a style of newspaper reporting that emphasized sensationalism over facts. ... The term originated in the competition over the New York City newspaper market between major newspaper publishers Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst.

filibuster/cloture

a filibuster is a procedural tactic whereby a minority of senators can block a bill by talking until other senators give in and the bill is withdrawn from consideration or altered to fit opponents demands. all Senate bills are subject to unlimited debate unless 60 of the 100 senators vote for cloture- which limits debate to thirty hours, cloture is a way of defeating Senate filibuster.

Fiscal Federalism

a term that refers to the expenditure of federal funds on programs run in part through states and localities. The federal government provides some or all the money through grants in aid(cash payments).

Nation-Centered Federalism

a theory holding that the national government is dominant over the states

State Centered Federalism

a theory holding that the national government represents a voluntary compact or agreement between the states, which retain a dominant position State-centered theory (or state-centred federalism) is a political theory which stresses the role of the government on civil society. ... Theory holding that the national government represents a voluntary compact or agreement between the states, which retain a dominant position.

PLURALIST THEORY OF POWER

an interpretation of democracy in which government by the people is taken to mean government by people operating through competing interest groups

interest groups

as any organization that actively seeks to influence public policy, are similar to political parties but differ in an important way, are linkage and connect citizens with government

caucus/primary/general election

caucus- Locally held meeting in a state to select delegates who, in turn, will nominate candidates to the political office's primary-Nominating election held to choose party candidates who will run in the general election- gives control of nomination to the voters general-Voters choose officeholder from among all the candidates nominated by pol. parties/running as independents

scientific polling

define the population, make the sample, construct unbiased questions, conduct poll, and analyze and report data. random selection is key to scientific sampling based on probability sampling. a scientific poll is also different from the people in the street interviews that news reporters some times conduct

Article I

describes the design of the legislative branch of US Government -- the Congress. Important ideas include the separation of powers between branches of government (checks and balances), the election of Senators and Representatives, the process by which laws are made, and the powers that Congress has. The House of Representatives shall be composed of members chosen every second year by the people of the several states, and the electors in each state shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the state legislature. The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each state, chosen by the legislature thereof, for six years; and each Senator shall have one vote.

agenda setting

in the medias capacity as signalers, the media have the power to focus the publics attention, the term... is used to describe the medias ability to influence what is on peoples minds

characteristics of bureaucracy

is a system of organization)most efficient means of getting people to work together on tasks of large magnitude) and control that is based on three principles: -hierarchical authority -job specialization -and formalized rules in the process, they can come insensitive to circumstance. bureaucracy is an inevitable consequence of complexity and scale. Bureaucrats naturally take an agency point of view seeking to promote their agency's programs and power.

public opinion

is viewed as the politically relevant opinions held by ordinary citizens that they express openly. Their expression could be verbal, as when citizens voice an opinion to a neighbor or respond to a question asked over the phone in an opinion poll. are shaped by several frames of reference, including partisanship, ideology, and group attachment.

inside/ outside lobbying

lobbying a term that refers broadly to efforts by groups to influence public policy through contact with public officials interest groups rely on inside and outside lobbying IL- based on group efforts to develop and maintain close contacts with policy makers OL- involves bringing public pressure to bear on policy makers

economic/citizen groups

no interests are more fully or effectively organized than those that have economic activity as their primary purpose. Corporation, labor unions, farms groups, and professional association exist primarily for economic purposes- to make profit, provide jobs, improve pay, or protect and occupation = economic groups lobbyist represent these economic groups economic groups do not have a monopoly on lobbying citizens groups or noneconomic groups are joined together not by material incentives such as jobs, higher wages, or profits- but by a purposive incentive, the satisfaction of contributing to what they regard as a worthy goal or purpose

election to public office

nomination refers to the selection of the individual who will run as the party's candidate in the general election.

political ideology

one's general belief about the role and purpose of the government. some Americans believe that the government should use power to help the economically disadvantaged others won't. so like big government small government, liberals vs

ELITIST THEORY OF POWER

opposes pluralism, a tradition that assumes that all individuals, or at least the multitude of social groups, have equal power and balance each other out in contributing to democratic political outcomes representing the emergent, aggregate will of society. the view that a small group of people actually makes most of the important government decisions

political party realignment/ de-alignment

periods of extraordinary party change are known as party realignments, are very rare involves three basic elements - the emergence of unusually powerful and divisive issues -an election contest or contests in which the voters shift their partisan support -an enduring change in the parties policies and coalition

collective good/ private good

pg- a benefit such as a job, that is given directly to a particular individual, it can be held back if an individual is unwilling to pay organizational dues( economic groups) CG- good that belongs to all, they cannot be granted or withheld on an individuals basis. (citizens group)

forms of political participation

political activities, such as voting contacting political officials, volunteering for the campaign or participating in a protest, whose purpose is to influence government 1. conventional includes many widely accepted modes of influencing government (ex: voting, trying to persuade others, ringing doorbells for petitions, running for office) 2. unconventional includes activities that are often dramatic (ex: protesting, civil disobedience, violence)

two-party political system

political completion in the united states has centered on two parties, a pattern that is explained by the nature of America's electoral system, political institution, and political culture.

14th amendment

ratified in 1868 after the Civil War declares in part that no state shall deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. The equal protection clause was designed to require states to treat their residents but the supreme court at first refused to interpret it that way.

roles of news media

the American press was initially tied to the nation's political party system but gradually developed an independent position. news media functions; -signaling; the press brings relevant events and problems into public view -common carrier; the press serves as a channel through which leaders and citizens can communicate -watchdog; the press scrutinizes official behavior for evidence of deceitful, careless, or corrupt acts -partisan; the press promotes particular interests and values

Federalism

the Constitution's division of governing authority between two levels, nation and states- was the result of political bargaining in 1787. Not a fixed principle but rather a principle that has changed over time in response to political needs and partisan ideology.

MAJORITARIAN THEORY OF POWER

the classical theory of democracy in which government by the people is interpreted as government by the majority of the people

US Bill of Rights

the constitutions failure to enumerate individual freedoms led to demands for the bull of rights. Ratified in 1791 these first ten amendments to the Constitution list a set of rights that the federal -the right to bear arms -protetion against unreasonable searches and seizures -protection against self-incrimination and double jepoardy the right to a jury trial, to an attorney, and to confront the witness -protection against cruel and unusual punishment

Agents of political socialization

the political socialization process takes place through... they can be divided between primary and secondary agents. Primary agents interact closely and regularly with the individual usually early in life as in the case of the family. Secondary agents have a less intimate connection with the individual and are usually more important late in life as in the case of work associates.

Tyranny of the majority

the potential of a majority to monopolize power for its own gain to the detriment of minority rights and interests The phrase "tyranny of the majority" was used by John Adams in 1788. The phrase gained prominence after its appearance in 1835 in Democracy in America, by Alexis de Tocqueville, where it is the title of a section

Judicial Review

the power of the courts to declare laws unconstitutional, first used in 1803

Political Socialization

the process by which individuals acquire their political opinions is called.. this process begins during childhood when through families and school, people acquire many of their basic political values and beliefs. Socialization continues into adulthood

issue framing

the process by which journalists select particular aspects of situations and craft their stories around these aspects

single -member districts/proportional representation

the responsibility of members of Congress to represent various groups in society including their constituents and interest groups

free rider

the shared characteristics of collective goods creates what is called the free rider problem = individuals can obtain the good even if they do not contribute to the group's efforts

Selective Incorporation

the use of the 14th amendment to apply selected provisions of the bill of rights to the states selective incorporation through the fourteenth amendment due process clause has been the utmost importance in the protection of American Civil liberties. Because state and localities bear most the responsibility for maintaining public order and safety, they are the authorities most likely to engage in actions that infringe on peoples rights.

Judicial Philosophies

the way in which a judge understands and interprets the law. Laws are universal, but they must be applied to particular cases with unique circumstances. To do this, judges interpret the law, determining its meaning and sometimes the intent of those who wrote it. The main types of contrasting judicial philosophies include judicial activism versus judicial restraint, loose constructionism versus strict constructionism, and living document versus original intent.

linkage institution

through their numbers, citizens can exert influence, but it cannot be realized unless they act together, parties give citizens this capacity. parties are linkage institutions they serve to connect citizens with the government.