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BZC1 US Constitution
Covers all chapters, based on the study guide
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What rights are covered under the First Amendment? | Freedom of exercise (religion), Freedom of expression, Freedom of speech and press, Freedom to petition government |
| What rights are covered under the Second Amendment? | The right to bear arms |
| What rights are covered under the Third Amendment? | No quartering of soldiers in citizen's homes. |
| What rights are covered under the Fourth Amendment? | Police must get warrants; Government cannot seize property, papers, or you without reasonable cause; Protects against unreasonable seizure |
| What rights are covered under the Fifth Amendment? | The rights of the accused, Protects against double jeopardy and self-incrimination |
| What is covered under the Sixth Amendment? | Stop and frisk permitted, Guarantees a speedy trial, Right to trial by an impartial jury, The accused can confront witnesses against them, The accused must be allowed to have a lawyer |
| What rights are covered under the Seventh Amendment? | Distinguishes between a civil trial and a criminal trial, Citizens have the right to a speedy civil trial |
| What rights are covered under the Eight Amendment? | Punishments will be fair and not cruel and that extraordinarily large fines shall not be set |
| What rights are covered under the Ninth Amendment? | Protects individual rights not specifically covered in the Constitution |
| What rights are covered under the Tenth Amendment? | Allows for powers not expressly given to the federal government to fall to the states |
| WHAT are the specific Rights listed in the Magna Carta? | 1- Right to trial by jury, 2- Gave the “majority” the “right to rule” |
| Whose rights were protected under the Magna Carta? | The Barons |
| Did the Magna Carta establish a government to enforce the rights laid out in the document? | No |
| Was the Magna Carta ever enforced? | No |
| What rights are listed in the Declaration of Independence? | Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of happiness |
| Whose rights were mentioned under the Declaration of Independence? | The rights of the people |
| Did the Declaration of Independence establish a government to enforce the rights laid out in the document? | No |
| The Virginia Plan | Representation in congress by population, but taxation by state |
| The New Jersey Plan | Representation in congress by states, but taxation by population |
| The Great Compromise | A bicameral congress using representation of both the states and the population |
| 3/5th’s Compromise | Black slaves counted as 3/5ths of a person for population purposes |
| Supremacy Clause | Federal powers. Article 6 suggests that if state and national law conflict, the national government is supreme. |
| Full Faith & Credit Clause | States' powers and limits. Article 4 requires that states recognize and respect the laws of other states. |
| What are the Articles of Confederation? | The document forming the first government of the United States. |
| Who was the national government under the Articles of Confederation? | A single legislative chamber in which each of the original 13 states would have a single vote. |
| What were the weaknesses of the Continental Congress? | Congress had limited powers, were not granted any power to control the actions of the states or to enforce congressional decisions, this government was nearly incapable of action. |
| What was the original purpose of the Philadelphia Convention? | To fix the Articles of Confederation |
| What were the main arguments of the Anti-Federalists? | The “necessary and proper clause” gave too much power to the national government at the expense of state government, there was no bill of rights, the national government could maintain an army in peacetime,the executive branch held too much power |
| Which one was the Anti-Federalists strongest arguments against ratifying the Constitution? | There was no bill of rights |
| What were the main arguments of the Federalists? | The separation of power into 3 branches protected the rights of the people. |
| What did the Federalists say about the Bill of Rights? | They felt that listing specific rights would lead the government to violate all unlisted rights which meant it would be better not to list any in the first place. |
| What are the purposes of Constitution listed in the Preamble? | o create a people out of a loose confederation of states; explains that the weakness of the Articles cause the need for the Constitution; establish freedom, order, and equality as the values of American political life; fashion a government |
| What are Enumerated Powers? | The powers granted to the government in the Constitution |
| Which level of Government has Enumerated Powers? | Congress. (federal government) |
| What are Reserved Powers? | Powers reserved to the states, anything not specifically granted to the federal government by the Constitution. |
| Which level of Government has Reserved Powers? | States |
| What is covered under the 13th Amendment? | Abolishment of slavery |
| What is covered under the 14th Amendment? | Makes citizenship a birth right, Provides for due process and equal protection, holds states accountable to the protections found in the Bill of Rights |
| What is covered under the 15th Amendment? | Citizens shall have the right to vote |
| What is covered under the 17th Amendment? | Introduced direct election of senators |
| What is covered under the 19th Amendment? | Gives women the right to vote |
| What is covered under the 24th Amendment? | Outlaws poll taxes |
| What is covered under the 26th Amendment? | Sets voting age to 18 |
| Federalism | The devision of power between the national governments and the state governments |
| Dual Federalism | The national and state governments working independently of each other, with distinct powers, functions, and responsibilities that do not overlap |
| Cooperative Federalism | The responsibilities of the two levels of government overlap. The state and national governments cooperate to provide public services through shared powers and responsibilities |
| Grants-in-Aid | Federal funding given to state and local governments |
| Block Grants | Federal funding given to the states to spend on general programs and services, with very few restrictions |
| Categorical Grants | Federal funding given to state and local governments for narrow purposes specified by the federal government |
| Coercive Federalism | The use of unfunded mandates to accomplish policy goals |
| Unfunded Mandates | Federal standards or programs that require states to take particular actions but do not provide state governments with the funding to meet the requirements |
| Devolution | The delegation of power by the federal government to state and local governments |
| Deregulation | The processing of reducing government rules and red tape that control social and economic activity, with the purposes of promoting competition, increasing productivity, and lowering prices |
| Preempt | To impose national requirements on the states based on the Constitution's supremacy clause |
| Sanctions | Taking away federal funding is states don't comply |
| Commerce Clause | Allows federal government to regulate interstate commerce |
| Describe which level of government in Federalism is centralized? | Federal government |
| Describe which level of government in Federalism is decentralized? | State governments |
| Describe which level of government in Federalism is national? | Federal government |
| Describe which level of government in Federalism is sub-national? | State governments |
| Describe which level of government in Federalism can also be called a regional government? | States governments |
| What are some of the main powers Federal Government has? | enumerated powers, national defense, making foreign treaties, interstate commerce, national budget, national taxes, making money, copyrights/patents, post office, etc |
| What are some of the main powers State Government has? | reserved powers, education, elections, political parties, zoning, businesses, state budget, state taxes |
| What are the main strengths of Federalism? | Provides national unity while preserving local representative government and person freedom, prevents tyranny |
| What are the main strengths and weaknesses of Federalism? | hinders uniform national policy development and leads to budgetary inefficiency, leads to policy inconsistencies |
| Habeas Corpus | A protection against illegal imprisonment requiring that those detained have access to a court of law concerning the reasons for their detention. |
| Civil Liberties | protect individuals from abuses of power by the government. The restraints on government found in the Bill of Rights and the "due process" clause of the 14th Amendment |
| Civil Rights | protect citizens from discrimination by the government or other citizens, and they are rooted in the "equal protection" clause of the 14th Amendment |
| Establishment Clause | clause prevents the national government from establishing a national religion |
| Free Exercise Clause | protects individuals from national government restrictions on religious practices |
| Lemon Test | the government's actions must: 1. Have a secular legislative purpose, 2. Not have the primary effect of advancing or inhibiting religion, 3. Not result in excessive government entanglement in religion. |
| Sherbert Test/Strict Scrutiny Test | requires that justices consider certain questions in determining whether the government has violated an individual's free exercise of religion. |
| What is the first part of the Sherbert Test | The court must ask: Does the person have a claim involving a sincere religious belief? Does government action pose a substantial burden to person's ability to act on that belief? |
| What is the second part of the Sherbert Test | If yes, then government must prove: The government action furthers a “compelling state interest”, The government has taken action that is the least restrictive or burdensome to religion in promoting that state interest. |
| Imminent Lawless Action | You words tend to incite an immediate disturbance of peace |
| Symbolic speech | Nonverbal communication |
| According to Supreme Court standards in symbolic speech, Can you burn an American flag? | Yes, because the flags are privately owned |
| According to Supreme Court standards in symbolic speech, Can you burn a Draft Card? | No, because it is a government document |
| What is the first step of the Miller Test? | If the pornographic work taken as a whole appeals to a prurient interest based on community standards, then the government can regulate indecent pornography. |
| What is the second step of the Miller Test? | The work portrays sexual conduct in a patently offensive way based on community standards, then the community's government can say it is obscene and ban it. |
| What is the third step of the Miller Test? | If the work taken as a whole lacks serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value then it is pornographic. |
| Fighting Words | words that inflict injury to others, words w/no social value |
| Exclusionary Rule | Evidence obtained in illegal search and seizure cannot be used in trial. |
| Miranda Rights | Statements about rights that polices are required to make before person is subjected to in-custody questioning. |
| What are protected types of speech? | Advocacy of ideas |
| What types of speech are not protected? | Using speech to hurt life, liberty, or property rights |
| What is ‘Prior Restraint’? | Government censorship on the press |
| Under what conditions is ‘Prior Restraint’ allowed by the Courts? | When there would be immediate, inevitable, and irreparable harm following publication of something--whether to national security or to individuals. |
| What are legal restrictions on ‘freedom of assembly’? | The government can require permits for protests and restrict times and place, protests MUST be peaceful |
| What are legal restrictions on 2nd Amendment rights? | Registration to buy guns, background checks, waiting periods to buy gun, and banning felons from buying guns. |
| What is the ‘Right to Privacy’? | Individuals have the right to make intimate decisions. |
| How is the ‘Right to Privacy’ ‘created’ from the Bill of Rights? | The 9th Amendment protects rights not specifically listed in the Constitution. |
| What specific right did the Supreme Court give to women? | Right to an abortion |
| Where are two places you can find the Responsibilities of Citizens? | 1. Supreme court rulings. 2 Unwritten codes of society. |
| Affirmative Action | A range of policies aimed at promoting equality of outcome by providing expanded educational and employment opportunities for members of a previously disadvantaged group. |
| Reverse Discrimination | The controversial notion that affirmative action plans produce discrimination against members of the majority group. |
| 3/5th’s Compromise | Enslaved people count as 3/5ths of a human to reduce the tax burden of the larger slave holding states. |
| Abolitionists | A person committed to bringing an end to the practice of slavery. |
| Dred Scott v. Sanford | Chief Justice Roger B Taney said that blacks are "beings of an inferior order...so far inferior that they had no rights which the white man was bound to respect." |
| What is the political outcome of Dred Scott v. Sanford? | Court declared Dred Scott was 'property,' not a person or a citizen and did not have the right to be free. This decision allowed slavery in previously free states. |
| Missouri Compromise of 1820 | Included a provision that extended freedom to any slave whose master established residence in a free territory. |
| Emancipation Proclamation | "...all person held as slaves within said designated states and parts of states are, and henceforward shall be, free..." |
| Civil War Amendments | 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments |
| Reconstruction | The ere after the civil War ended, which ushered in the 13-15th Amendments and provided black Americans with civil and political rights. |
| Jim Crow Laws | State and local laws in place between 1877 and mid-1960s that mandated segregation in all public places. |
| Plessy v Ferguson | Started the "separate but equal" standard allowing segregation between whites and blacks. |
| Suffragists | Those who advocated voting rights for women. |
| 19th Amendment | Gave women the right to vote |
| Brown v Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas | Overturned Plessy v. Ferguson. Stated that, "In the field of public education, 'separate but equal' has no place." School systems must desegregate "with all deliberate speed". |
| Voting Rights Act of 1965 | Prohibits voting discrimination, establishes that laws governing voter registration must ensure access regardless of race, states who have proven a history of violations must approve changes to their voter laws through the Justice Department |
| Sexual Harassment | Creating an 'intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment' with unwelcome advances, requests for favors, other verbal or physical conducts of a sexual nature affecting employment, work performance and work environment |
| De Jure Segregation | Segregation that is imposed by law |
| De Facto Segregation | Racial segregation that happens “by fact” rather than by legal requirement. For example, the concentration of African-Americans in certain neighborhoods produces neighborhood schools that are predominantly black, or segregated in fact, but not by law. |
| What are the major provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964? | Bans discrimination in public accommodations; prohibits state and local governments from banning access to public spaces on account of race, religion, or ethnicity; bars government agencies from discriminating and threatens federal funding |
| What are the requirements for legal aliens to gain US Citizenship? | 18yrs;residency for 5yrs or 3yrs if married to US citizen; good moral character; apply using official forms; pay fee; prove you read/write/speak English through application and interview; pass US constitution/government test, swear oath of allegiance |
| Article I | Details the legislative branch of the government |
| Bicameral | composed of two chambers. A bicameral legislature has two houses. |
| Reapportionment | the process by which seats in the House of Representatives are redistributed to each state to account for nationwide population shifts detected in the decennial census. |
| Incumbents | those who currently hold political office. |
| Gerrymandering | when politicians deliberately draw congressional district lines for electoral advantage |
| Baker v Carr | U.S. Supreme Court case that forced the Tennessee legislature to reapportion itself on the basis of population. |
| Bill | a form or draft of a proposed statute presented to a legislature, but not yet enacted or passed and made law. |
| Committee | a person or group of persons elected or appointed to perform some service or function, as to investigate, report on, or act upon a particular matter. |
| Seniority | priority, precedence, or status obtained as the result of a person's length of service, as in a profession, trade, company, or union |
| Hearings | an instance or a session in which testimony and arguments are presented, especially before an official, as a judge in a lawsuit. |
| Mark-Up | an increase in the price of a commodity |
| Rules Committee | a special committee of a legislature, as of the U.S. House of Representatives, having the authority to establish rules or methods for expediting legislative action, and usually determining the date a bill is presented for consideration. |
| Filibuster | a tactic used to delay or prevent action on a bill by extending the debate on it. |
| Cloture | a legislative procedure used in the Senate to bring an end to debate. It requires 60 votes to invoke cloture and end a filibuster |
| Pocket Veto | a type of veto that does not require the president’s signature. If the president does not sign a bill into law within ten days of receiving it and Congress adjourns, then the bill is effectively vetoed without the president’s signature |
| Majority Party/Minority Party | the group or political party having the greater number of votes / the group or political party having the fewer number of votes |
| Speaker of the House | The presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives. The Speaker, a member of the House, is elected by a majority party caucus. |
| Whips | members of Congress tasked with enforcing party discipline and ensuring the presence of other members of the party when votes are taken on the floor of each chamber. |
| Unified Government | the situation occurring when the same party controls the Senate, the House of Representatives, and the White House. |
| Divided Government | the situation occurring when one party controls the White House and another party controls the House, the Senate, or both. |
| Earmarks | the congressional direction of money to be spent on specific projects or programs benefiting targeted communities. Members of Congress use earmarks to fund projects for their constituents at home. |
| Oversight | an omission or error due to carelessness |
| How does a Bill become a Law, Step 1? | Bill is Drafted: Members of Congress, the Executive Branch, and even outside groups can draft (write or draw up) bills. |
| How does a Bill become a Law, Step 2? | Introduced in House: Representative introduces the bill in the House. Only members can introduce bills |
| How does a Bill become a Law, Step 3? | Sent to Committee: The Speaker of the House sends the bill to a committee. |
| How does a Bill become a Law, Step 4? | Committee Action: Most bills die here. The committee may pigeonhole, table, amend, or vote on the bill. If bill passes, it goes to Rules Committee. |
| How does a Bill become a Law, Step 5? | Rules Committee: It decides the rules for debate, and when the bill will come up for debate. |
| How does a Bill become a Law, Step 6? | Floor Action: House debates the bill, and may add amendments. If a majority votes in favor of the bill, it goes to the Senate. |
| How does a Bill become a Law, Step 7? | Introduced in Senate: A Senator introduces the bill, which is sent to a committee |
| How does a Bill become a Law, Step 8? | Committee Action: Same procedure as in the House. If the committee majority votes for the bill, it goes to the whole Senate. |
| How does a Bill become a Law, Step 9? | Bill Called Up: Majority floor leader decides when the whole Senate will consider the bill. |
| How does a Bill become a Law, Step 10? | Floor Action: The Bill is debated, and amendments may be added. If a majority votes in favor of the bill, it is returned to the House. |
| How does a Bill become a Law, Step 11? | Conference Committee: If the House rejects any of the changes, the bill goes to a conference committee of members from both houses. It works out a compromise. |
| How does a Bill become a Law, Step 12? | Vote on Compromise: Both houses must approve changes made by the conference committee. If approved, the bill goes to the president. |
| How does a Bill become a Law, Step 13? | Presidential Action: The president may sign (approve) the bill or veto (reject) it. If approved, it becomes law |
| How does a Bill become a Law, Step 14? | Vote to Override: If the president vetoes the bill, it can still become law if two thirds of both houses vote to override the veto. |
| Who is the Constitutional leader of the Senate versus who is the political party leader in the Senate? | Vice President is leader of the Senate, party leader is elected by the party conference that holds the majority. |
| What are the different types of Committees in Congress? | a) standing committees, b) select committees, c) joint committees, and d) conference committees. |
| Impeachment | the first step in the process of removing an official from public office by force. It occurs when a legislative body votes to bring charges against the official. |
| Express Powers | Powers expressly given to the government in the Constitution |
| Implied Powers | Powers given to the government that are implied in the Constitution. |
| Delegated Powers | A list of items found in Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution that set forth the authoritative capacity of Congress. |
| Globalization | the spread and integration of economics, politics, technology, and culture around the world. |
| Executive Orders | an order having the force of law issued by the president of the U.S. to the army, navy, or other part of the executive branch of the government. |
| Executive Privilege | the discretionary right claimed by certain U.S. presidents to withhold information from Congress or the judiciary. |
| Pardons | the exoneration of both the crime and the associated penalty. |
| War Powers Resolution | The War Powers Resolution of 1973 is a federal law intended to check the President's power to commit the United States to an armed conflict without the consent of Congress. |
| What are the main roles of the President? | Chief of State, Chief Executive, Commander in Chief, Chief Diplomat, Chief Legislator, Chief Guardian of the Economy, Chief of the Party |
| Bureaucracy | a set of structures and procedures used by government (or other large organizations) to administer policies and programs. |
| Cabinet | an advisory body to the president, consisting of the heads of the 13 executive departments of the federal government |
| Departments | one of the principal divisions of the U.S. federal government, headed by a Secretary who is a member of the President's cabinet |
| Commissions | a document conferring authority issued by the president of the U.S. to officers in the Army, Navy, and other military services, and by state governments to justices of the peace and others. |
| Government Corporations | a government organization that performs business or commercial activities typically associated with the private sector. Amtrak and the U.S. Postal Service are both government corporations |
| Independent Agencies | those that exist outside of the departments of the executive branch. |
| Clientele Agency | Executive cabinet department for interests from a specific group or minority: Department of Veteran's Affairs, Labor, Education, etc |
| Issue network | a complex set of cooperative relationships between groups of citizens affected by a particular set of policies and the bureaucratic agency and congressional committee with jurisdiction over those policies. |
| Iron Triangle | a term describing the coordination among congressional committees, bureaucratic agencies, and interest groups. |
| Patronage | the distribution of jobs and favors on a political basis, as to those who have supported one's party or political campaign |
| Progressive Era | period in the late 19th and early 20th centuries marked by a social movement calling for sweeping reforms through increased government regulation. |
| Civil Service | those branches of public service concerned with all governmental administrative functions outside the armed services. |
| Merit System | a system or policy whereby people are promoted or rewarded on the basis of ability and achievement rather than because of seniority, quotas, patronage, or the like. |
| Great Society | a series of federal government programs, promoted by President Lyndon Johnson in the 1960s, that aimed to end poverty and racial injustice. |
| Discretion | the power or right to decide or act according to one's own judgment; freedom of judgment or choice |
| Privatization | a shift in responsibility for service provision from the public sector to the private sector. |
| How many Federal Government Departments are in the President’s Cabinet? | Thirteen |
| Explain the Regulatory Process. | mandatory requirements that can apply to individuals, businesses, state or local governments, non-profit institutions, or others. |
| standing committee | a permanent committee of the House or the Senate that reviews and reports legislation to the full chamber. |
| conference committee | a temporary committee composed of members from both the House and the Senate responsible for working out the differences between chamber versions of a bill. |
| Joint committee | a committee composed of members from both the House and the Senate with jurisdiction over specific issues of mutual interest. |
| Original Jurisdiction | the power to hear a case for the first time. The Supreme Court has both original and appellate jurisdiction. |
| Appellate Jurisdiction | the power to review cases originally heard in a lower court. The Supreme Court has both original and appellate jurisdiction. |
| Marbury v. Madison | First decision of the Supreme Court of the United States to declare an act of Congress unconstitutional, thus establishing the doctrine of judicial review. |
| Judicial Review | the power to interpret the constitutionality of federal and state laws as well as other government actions. |
| Judicial Restraint | a judicial philosophy that calls for judges to respect the roles of the other branches of federal and state government, to refrain from invalidating federal and state law whenever possible, and to defer to precedent |
| Original Intent | Original intent maintains that in interpreting a text, a court should determine what the authors of the text were trying to achieve, and to give effect to what they intended the statute to accomplish, the actual text of the legislation notwithstanding. |
| Judicial Activism | a judicial philosophy that calls for judges to protect the jurisdiction and interests of the Court in a government of separated powers and to invalidate federal and state law when necessary. |
| Amicus Curiae | a type of brief filed by a "friend of the court" or someone who is not directly involved in the case at hand. Interest groups often file this type of brief to provide information to the Court to assist in its decision-making process. |
| Concurring Opinion | an opinion that agrees with the conclusion, but not the reasoning, of the majority opinion of the Court. |
| Dissenting Opinion | an opinion that disagrees with the conclusion of the majority opinion of the Court. |
| Public Opinion | the population's collective attitudes and beliefs about politics and government. |
| Socioeconomic Status | the combination of education, occupation, and income that can be used to gauge one's position in society. |
| Political Ideology | coherent and consistent set of beliefs about who ought rule, what principles rulers ought to obey and what policies rulers ought to pursue. |
| Liberal | tend to favor more government intervention in the economy and society |
| Conservative | tend to favor a smaller role for government. |
| Moderate | a person who is moderate in opinion or opposed to extreme views and actions, especially in politics or religion. |
| Libertarian | a person who advocates liberty, especially with regard to thought or conduct. |
| Communism | a system of social organization in which all economic and social activity is controlled by a totalitarian state dominated by a single and self-perpetuating political party. |
| Socialism | a theory or system of social organization that advocates the vesting of the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution, of capital, land, etc., in the community as a whole. |
| Exit Poll | a poll taken of a small percentage of voters as they leave the polls, used to forecast the outcome of an election or determine the reasons for voting decisions. |
| Random Sampling | a method of selecting survey participants in which each member of the population has an equal chance of being selected. |
| Margin of Error | a statistic related to the sample size of a survey that suggests the numerical degree to which the survey results may or may not reflect the opinions of the broader public. |
| Honeymoon Period | the first several months of a new presidential administration, during which the newly elected president generally faces little public criticism. |
| Conventional participation | culturally acceptable political activity that communicates preferences through established institutions. |
| Unconventional participation | political activity that takes place outside of established institutions and challenges cultural norms. |
| Prospective voting | voter behavior that evaluates candidates based on forecasts of their future political behavior. |
| Retrospective voting | voter behavior that evaluates candidates based their experience or past performance. |
| Voter turnout | a statistic representing the number of voters who cast a ballot in a given election. |
| Social capital | the degree of civic connectedness within a political community. |
| Franchise | the right to vote. |
| Voter fatigue | a phenomenon that occurs when voters lose interest in politics as a result of being asked to vote too frequently and on too many different issues |
| Midterm elections | federal elections occurring between presidential election years. |
| Political Party | an organization that sponsors candidates for political office under the organization's name |
| Party platform | a list of the principles which a political party supports in order to appeal to the general public for the purpose of having said party's candidates voted into office. |
| Political machines | Centralized party organization that dominates local politics by dominating elections |
| Party Activists | someone who supports the political party beyond simply voting |
| Two-Party System | a political system in which two major political parties compete for control of the government at the national level |
| Third Parties | act as spoilers (draw off votes), a safety valve (let people blow off steam), and express discontent, contribute to political dialogue |
| Critical election | one that produces a sharp change in patterns of party loyalty among voters |
| Progressive Era | A philosophy for political reform based upon the goodness and wisdom of individual citizens. |
| Initiative | Voters can propose a law to be decided by legislature or by the people in referendum. |
| Referendum | allows direct vote by the people on a proposed law or an amendment to state constitution. |
| Recall | An election to remove officials from elective office. |
| Straight-ticket voting | selection of a party's candidates across all offices on the ballot. |
| Split ticket voting | a form of tactical voting in countries dominated by two parties where a voter is not a wholehearted supporter of either party. |
| What are the main functions of political parties? | Nominate candidates, Structure voting choices, Propose alternative government programs, coordinate actions of government officials |
| What is the first step of the Responsible Party Model of government? | Parties should present clear and coherent programs to voters |
| What is the second step of the Responsible Party Model of government? | Voters should choose candidates on the basis of party programs |
| What is the third step of the Responsible Party Model of government? | The winning party should carry out its program once in office |
| What is the fourth step of the Responsible Party Model of government? | Voters should hold the governing party responsible at the next election for executing its program |
| What are the main Strengths of the Two-Party System? | Stability and support |
| What are the main Weaknesses of the Two-Party System? | Discourages 3rd party candidates and new parties. |
| What is a difference between the American electoral system and a proportional representation system? | We vote directly for our officials whereas with proportional voting, each political party gets a percentage of the votes and places that percentage of officials into their government's legislature/Parliament. |
| What actions led to the development of both the Democratic Party in 1828 and the Republican Party in 1854? Who were the leaders that galvanized each party to form? | Election of 1828: Andrew Jackson forms Democratic party. First mass election in US, 1.1 million men vote. The Republican Party formed in 1854; opposed to slavery, galvanized by Lincoln's election as President |
| General election | a national election held every two years as required by the Constitution. |
| Caucus | a local meeting of party members in which the party's nominee is selected. |
| Primary election | an election conducted within a political party to select its candidates for the general election. |
| Open primary | a type of primary election in which voters do not have to be registered with a political party in order to participate in voting for that party's nominees |
| Closed primary | a type of primary election in which voters are required to be registered with a political party in order to participate in voting for that party's nominees |
| Plurality voting | a system in which the single winner of the most votes wins the election (even if the candidate does not capture a majority of the vote). |
| Frontloading | the phenomenon of states moving their primaries earlier and earlier in the election season in order to have more influence over the selection of party presidential nominees. |
| National conventions | party meetings held every four years to establish the party platforms and officially nominate presidential candidates to run in the general election |
| Nominee | a person nominated, as to run for elective office or fill a particular post |
| Electoral College | an institution created by the Constitution to permit indirect election of the president |
| What is length of time for the Presidential Election Cycle? | 4 years |
| What is length of time for Senators’ Election Cycle? | 6 years |
| What is length of time for Representatives’ Election Cycle? | 2 years |
| What are the 6 steps for Senators and Representatives to get elected? | 1. File for Office in your State 2. Campaign in the district 3. Win delegate votes in caucuses 4. Delegates vote on them in their state political party convention 5. Primary election: citizens vote for their political partys candidates 6. General Ele |
| What is the Electoral College | A group of Electors who vote for the President in December. Only the political party's electors who won each state can vote |
| How are the members of the Electoral College chosen? | Electors are chosen by each political party in every state |
| According to which level of Government’s laws is the Electoral College chosen? | State Government laws |
| What are the strengths of the Electoral College? | Strengths: makes states important, makes candidates campaign throughout individual states, if a nationwide recount, problems of Florida in 2000 multiply by 50 |
| What are the weaknesses of the Electoral College? | Weaknesses: Electors can vote for the opposite candidate, candidate can win a majority of the popular vote and still not win the electoral college, magnifies the margin of victory |
| What are the first three steps for a President to be elected? | 1. File for Office/Get on the Ballot in 50 states, 2. Start campaigning in the 50 states, 3. Must win their political party's National Delegates within each state. |
| What are the 4th and 5th steps for a President to be elected? | 4. National Delegates attend and vote at their National Political Party's Convention. 5. Winning Nominees in the different political parties start campaigning against each other until the November General Election |
| What are the 6th and 7th steps for a President to be elected? | 6. Voters vote in the General Election in November, 7. Electors in Electoral College cast the final, official vote for President in December |
| Private interests | those interests that benefit individuals or select groups without benefiting the whole. |
| Public interests | those interests that benefit the whole as opposed to benefiting a select group of private interests. |
| Lobbying | political activity that aims to influence government policymaking. Those who engage in lobbying are known as lobbyists |
| PACs | Political action committees – organizations established by individuals or private groups with the aim of raising money to contribute to candidates for elective office |
| Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA): | amended the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, which regulates the financing of political campaigns |
| 527 organizations | groups that are created primarily to support or oppose candidates for elective office, although they are not allowed to coordinate their activities with a specific candidate or political party. Are tax-exempt under U.S. tax code, Title 26, Section 527. |
| Electioneering | political activity that aims to impact the outcome of an election. |
| Collective action problem | faced by groups trying to coordinate the activities and efforts of membership. The group's goals are best served if everyone participates, but interests of individual members are best served by relying on efforts of the group without contributing. |
| Free riders | those who attempt to benefit from a collective effort without working toward its achievement |
| Interest group entrepreneur | an individual who attempts to organize people with shared interests to take collective action |
| Print media | newspapers and magazines. |
| Broadcast media | radio and television |
| New media | sources of political information that are not a part of traditional print or broadcast media. Primarily digital sources like the Internet, new media are characterized by their interactivity |
| Watchdog Journalism | forms of activist journalism aimed at holding accountable public personalities and institutions whose functions impact social and political life |
| Market-driven journalism | Market in which private ownership of media encourages journalistic practices driven by increasing advertising revenue, circulation, and profit margins. Leads to stories driven by audience appeal rather than by educational, social, or political value |
| Soft news | also called infotainment, combines information and entertainment. This form of media emphasizes stories that are entertaining even if they lack seriousness, significance, or timeliness |
| Infotainment | also called soft news, infotainment combines information and entertainment. This form of media emphasizes stories that are entertaining even if they are lacking in seriousness, significance, or timeliness |
| Slander | a malicious, false, and defamatory statement or report |
| Libel | Written defamation of character |
| Yellow journalism | a style of reporting in which journalists exaggerate or even fabricate news stories to increase circulation. This sensationalistic mode of journalism was prevalent in the U.S. at the turn of the 19th century. |
| Agenda setting (priming, framing): | the process of getting issues on the political agenda, or those issues to which the public and decision-makers are paying attention and on which there is active political debate. |
| Paid media | ampaign coverage purchased by a party, candidate, or interest group. Though paid advertising is costly, the campaign maintains control over the content, message, and image conveyed to voters |
| free media | campaign coverage provided by the media outside of paid advertising. Though this coverage is free for a campaign, the candidate loses control over the content, message, and image conveyed to voters |
| Why does a free society require Freedom of the Press? | Freedom of the Press allows all voices, all opinions to be heard--not just Government's opinions |
| How does the Press influence citizens (its main roles)? | The press influences which topics become national issues based on their own values. This is its powerful 'agenda-setting role'. |
| How does Government use the Press? | The government uses Press to influence citizens |
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Etharia
Popular American Government sets