UNIT 1: FOUNDATIONS OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY
TERM USED TO DESCRIBE POWERS SHARED BY THE NATIONAL AND STATE GOVERNMENTS.
CONCURRENT POWERS
Name the two chambers of Congress and explain how each reflects representation differently.
The House (represents the people by population) and the Senate (represents states equally
These two clauses in the First Amendment make up what is generally understood as Americans' "freedom of religion."
The free exercise and establishment clauses
A belief that you play a role in politics and the government is responsive to the participants.
political efficacy
The 19th amendment
Women's right to vote
TYPE OF FEDERAL GRANT FOR A SPECIFIC PURPOSE.
CATEGORICAL GRANT
Explain the role of a conference committee in the legislative process.
it resolves differences between House and Senate versions of a bill
The case began in New York, where a short, voluntary prayer was written by the state and recommended for use in public schools. Even though participation was not required, a group of parents argued that the government was promoting religion, which is unconstitutional.
Engel v. Vitale
TWO factors that influence political socialization
family, school, media, peers, etc., which shape beliefs, values, and political attitudes
Explain prospective voting.
prospective = predictions of future performance
JOHN LOCKE'S THREE BASIC RIGHTS THAT MUST BE PROTECTED BY ALL GOVERNMENTS (LATER WORDED DIFFERENTLY BY JEFFERSON)
LIFE, LIBERTY, AND PROPERTY
Identify one informal presidential power that helps advance their policy agenda.
bargaining & persuasion, executive orders, and signing statements
The purpose of the first ten amendments.
Protect individual liberties and rights from government interference
Compare generational effects and life cycle effects on political ideology.
What is generational - shared experiences (like events), life cycle - changes as people age.
This feature of how we elect presidents in the general election has contributed to the strengthening of the two-party system.
winner-take-all system of awarding electoral votes
THIS DOCUMENT WAS AN EARLY ATTEMPT AT ORGANIZING A GOVERNMENT BUT FAILED BECAUSE THE GOVERNMENT DIDN'T HAVE SUFFICIENT POWERS.
THE ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION
The case began when voters in Tennessee argued that the state had not redrawn its legislative districts in decades, even though the population had shifted significantly. This meant that people in rural areas had much more political power than those in urban areas.
Baker v. Carr
Identify TWO types of speech that can be limited
defamation, obscenity, or speech creating a clear and present danger
Identify two different party ideologies
Liberalism and Conservatism
Name the 4 linkage institutions
Name the two stages required to add an amendment to the Constitution AND give the fraction required for each stage.
Proposal (2/3 of Congress or 2/3 of states for a convention) and ratification (3/4 of the states)?
Explain how Congress can hold the bureaucracy accountable.
Name the protections of the first 5 amendments
1st - Freedom of speech
2nd - Right to bear arms
3rd - No quartering of soldiers
4th - protections against unreasonable searches and seizures
5th - protect the rights of the accused, including due process, protection against self-incrimination, and against double jeopardy
Explain the difference between fiscal policy and monetary policy.
fiscal = taxes and spending by Congress/president, monetary = interest rates controlled by the Federal Reserve?
The Supreme Court ruled that political spending is a form of protected speech, and therefore the government cannot limit independent expenditures by corporations, unions, or nonprofit groups. However, the Court did not allow direct donations to candidates to change.
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission