Political ideologies
A comprehensive and mutually consistent set of ideas
What is Ideology?
What percentage of Americans identify as moderate, according to surveys?
35–45%
Policies that reflect the will of the majority through interaction with government.
What is majoritarian policy making?
Which economic theory do liberals prefer?
Keynesian Economics
Government programs and policies promoting the well-being of society.
What is social welfare?
Which Article of the Constitution gives Congress the power to levy and collect taxes?
Article I, Section 8, Clause 1
Issues viewed similarly by people across ideologies. Examples: economic prosperity and controlling corruption.
What are valence issues?
According to a 2020 Gallup poll, what percentage identified as Democrat, Republican, and Independent?
27% Democrat, 30% Republican, 42% Independent
Policy influenced by organized groups interacting with all three branches.
What is interest group policy making?
Which economic theory do conservatives prefer?
Supply-side economics
Government benefits guaranteed by law (e.g., Social Security, Medicare).
What are entitlements?
What was the key issue in Pollock v. Farmer’s Loan and Trust (1895)?
The Supreme Court ruled that a federal income tax was unconstitutional because it was a direct tax not apportioned among the states.
Define conservative and liberal.
Conservative: Values tradition, authority, and limited government. Example: fiscal conservatism.
Liberal: Supports government flexibility and expansion to promote equality. Example: higher taxes for public services.
Give two examples of the Democratic Party platform since 2016.
Support expanding social services, healthcare, environmental regulation, and minority rights.
What term describes a list of potential policy ideas or plans for security improvement?
Security framework or security policy
What does the Federal Reserve Board do?
Sets monetary policy: buys/sells bonds, sets interest rates, and regulates bank reserves.
The largest entitlement program in the U.S.
What is Social Security?
How did the Sixteenth Amendment (1913) change federal taxation?
It overturned Pollock, giving Congress the constitutional power to levy an income tax without apportionment.
Voters who generally oppose government intervention or regulation are called what?
Conservatives or Libertarians
Give two examples of the Republican Party platform since 2016.
Favor limited spending, deregulation, strong defense, anti-abortion, and pro–Second Amendment policies.
Which part of government handles fiscal policy?
Congress (spending and taxation decisions).
The minimum interest rate the Fed charges banks to borrow money.
What is the discount rate?
Medicare = federal, based on age/disability;
Medicaid = state & federal, based on income.
the difference between Medicare and Medicaid
What was the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947, and why was it controversial?
It restricted union power, allowing states to pass “right-to-work” laws, and was passed over President Truman’s veto.
What is a populist, and where are they most often found?
Religious, working-class voters (South/Midwest) supporting Christian values, workplace safety, and farm subsidies.
What issues do both parties use to gain voter support, even if they divide the public?
Wedge or divisive issues (e.g., gun control, abortion, immigration).
What economic theory argues for government spending to stimulate demand?
Keynesian Economics
The idea that initial spending creates a multiplied increase in total demand and GDP.
What is the multiplier effect?
A ruling that the state violated a baker’s First Amendment rights by compelling speech against his religious beliefs.
What was significant about Masterpiece Cake Shop v. Colorado (2017)?
How do the Sixteenth Amendment and Pollock v. Farmer’s Loan & Trust illustrate the balance between government power and individual rights?
They show how constitutional amendments can expand federal authority (in this case, taxation) when earlier Supreme Court rulings limited it.