Term
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Definition
| 1800's, shift in power from elites to the public, helped clean up government, gave responsibility to people |
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Term
| Changer resulting from direct primaries |
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Definition
-Elevated importance of early nomination of party candidate
-Encouraged candidates to start campaigns much earlier
-Prompted states to hold their elections
-Increased the importance of campaign funds
-Weakened influence of state party organizations |
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Term
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Definition
-Pres. Primaries
-General Election
-Electoral college election |
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Term
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Definition
| -Federal Election Campaign Act (1971) required disclosure of donations and expenditures. |
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Term
| Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (2002) |
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Definition
Banned all soft money and prohibited non=profit and for=profit 'advocacy' groups, unions, and corporations from running TV/radio ads:
-60 days before a general election
-30 days before a primary election |
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Term
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Definition
| Upheld the Nipartisan Campaign Reform Act |
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Term
| Citizens United v. FEC (2010) |
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Definition
| Corporations and unions exempted from FEC |
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Term
| Civil Liberties v. Civil Rights |
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Definition
Liberties: freedoms from the government
Rights: what the government provides for citizens |
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Term
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Definition
| Courts deliberating on which way a state is to follow the laws of the Constitution in the states, so as to not infringe on civil liberties. |
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Term
| Fiscal Policy and Limitations |
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Definition
| The total of government taxing and spending decisions (determines deficit or surplus). |
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Term
| Keynesian Economic Policy |
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Definition
| John M. Keynes. Buisness cycles fluctuate due to imbalance between aggregate demand (total income spent by every sector on goods and services) and productive capacity (total vale of goods and services that can be produces when govt. is working at full capacity).
-When AGD>PRC, Inflation
-When AGD |
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Term
| Monetarist Economic Policy |
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Definition
| Monetary supply more important than tax and spend policies. |
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Term
High supply of money yeilds...
Low supply of money yeilds... |
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Definition
-Low interest rate, economic growth
-High interest rate, slower growth |
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Term
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Definition
| Total level at which Americans are taxed |
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Term
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Definition
| income, property, sales tax |
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Term
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Definition
| special tax treatments (tuition, tax credit, deductions for charitable donations) |
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Term
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Definition
| Tax structured so that higher-income people pay a higher percentage of their income in taxes, while lower-income people pay a lower percentage |
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Term
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Definition
| A tax structured so that low income people pay a higher percentage of their income to taxes (social security tax). |
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Term
| Social Security Act of 1935 |
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Definition
| Established social security to help older population financially. |
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Term
| Medicare (1965) and Social Security (1935) are under the third ______ of politics, meaning... |
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Definition
| Third rail of politics, meaning they are untouchable by politicians. |
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Term
| Public Assistance to Poor Families |
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Definition
TANF - Temporary Assistance to Needy Families
Food stamps
Supplemental Security Income
Rent Subsidies
Medicaid
State Children's Health Insurance Program |
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Term
| Education Funding at state and federal level |
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Definition
| 91% of funding at state level, 9% at federal level |
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Term
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Definition
Rules and standards that control economic, social, and political activities.
They are used to combat natural monopolies, negative externalities, and incomplete information. |
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Term
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Definition
A central group that implements the actions of the government, or any organization or corporation. The bureaucracy divides power, makes changes, and sets policy.
Bureaucracy can be 'overstaffed, inflexible, unresponsive, and power hungry'
Consists of 'hierarchical organization of official with responsibility for specific tasks'.
The 'brain' of the government. |
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Term
| US Bureaucracy consists of: |
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Definition
-Departments (state, treasury, justice, interior, agriculture,commerce, 15 in all)
-Independent Agencies (NASA, CIA, EPA, FEMA)
-Government Corporations (USPS, Amtrak, FDIC)
-Independent Regulatory Commissions (FCC, CPSC) |
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Term
| Characteristics of a Model Bureaucracy |
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Definition
-Hierarchy
-Specialization
-Explicit Rules
-Merit |
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Term
| Problems with a bureaucracy |
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Definition
-Impossible tasks
-Difficulty measuring performance
-Expansionary tendencies
-Slow to change
-Red tape (specific rules and regulations made in an equal manner) |
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Term
| Three eras of bureaucracy in the US |
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Definition
-Gov. by gentlemen (1787-1829)
-Spoils System (1829-1883)
-The Civil Service System (1883-present)
-Now based on WHAT you know, not WHO you know. |
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Term
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Definition
-Domestic or international crisis
-Class conflicts (labor v. management an example)
-The evolving complexity of society |
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Term
| 5 functions of a bureaucracy |
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Definition
-Takes direction from president
-Takes direction from congress
-Promote public welfare
-Provide national security
-Maintain a strong economy |
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Term
| 3 main tasks of a bureaucracy as set out by congress |
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Definition
-Administer rules
-Make rules
-Judiciate rules |
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Term
| 3 possible solutions for the problem of 'big government' |
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Definition
-Termination - ending it all
-Devolution - distributing the power to the states
-Privatization - moving a program from the public to the private sector |
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Term
| The 3 powers of the presidency |
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Definition
-Expressed - specific powers granted by the Constitution
-Delegated - Constitutional powers exercised by another agency
-Inherent - claimed powers not expressed in the Constitution |
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Term
| 5 expressed powers of the presidency |
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Definition
-Military power - Commander in Chief
-Judicial power - pardons
-Diplomatic power - to make treaties
-Executive power - see that laws are enacted
-Legislative power - veto |
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Term
| Inherent powers, as seen in history (established by custom/precedent, not law) |
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Definition
-Executive order - telling agency to take specific action
-Dismissal power - can dismiss any office holders
-'Soft Powers' - bargaining, 'going public', agenda setting |
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Term
| After Reagan, the office of the presidency has slowly ________ power (grown, lost) |
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Definition
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Term
| Liberties taken by the President due to 9/11 |
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Definition
-Wiretapping
-Suspension of habeas corpus
-Secrecy in White House |
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Term
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Definition
| House of reps (based on population) and Senate (2 per state) |
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Term
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Definition
-435 (larger than senate)
-2 year terms
-hierarchical
-acts quickly |
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Term
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Definition
-100 (smaller)
-6 year terms
-informal procedures
-acts slowly
-generalists |
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Term
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Definition
Senators may have the floor as long as they wish in deliberation process. A filibuster is the strategy to talk so long that a bill is stalled.
-Invoking cloture - a supermajority (60 senators/100)vote can end a filibuster |
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Term
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Definition
-Attention
-Hearings
-Subcommittee majority
-Committee majority
-Getting to the floor (speaker discretion, hold/filibuster risk)
-Floor passage
-House-Senate agreement
-Presidential approval
-Supreme Court review |
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Term
| Micro v. Macro Representation |
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Definition
-Micro: a representative that reps a constituency
-Macro: congress representing the nation |
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Term
| Organization of Congress (3 sects) |
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Definition
-Specialization - delegates that specialize in an area to serve a constituency
-Reciprocity - connections between members who specialize
-Comittees |
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Term
| Congress committee assignment criteria |
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Definition
-Member prefs
-Seniority
-Loyal to leaders
-Balance for powerful comittees |
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Term
| Changes in Congress (before and after 1950's) |
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Definition
-Less committee/chair power
-More power in caucus
-More power in individual
-Seniority less important |
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Term
| Legislative Reograization Act of 1946 gave congressmen: |
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Definition
-Staff
-District offices
-Trips home
-Congressional support agencies |
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Term
| Congress (house and senate) has ______ minority representation |
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Definition
| Insufficient minority representation |
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Term
| Hierarchy of the US Federal Court System |
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Definition
-Supreme Court
-US Court of Appeals (13, only allows evidence seen in district courts)
-US District Courts (94 courts) first court to hear a case |
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Term
| Biggest Judicial Power of the Court |
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Definition
| Judicial review (Marbury v. Madison (1803) |
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Term
| 3 theories of Constitutional interpretation of the purpose of the courts |
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Definition
-Original Intent Theory
-Plain-Meaning of the Text Theory
-Living-Constitution Theory |
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Term
| Theories of Representation |
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Definition
-Madisonian Theory
-Pluralism
-Party Theory |
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Term
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Definition
| The result of many special interest groups combating over issues and balancing out legislation (people with more extreme views balance one another out). |
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Term
| Values Underlying Party Theory |
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Definition
-Political Equality
-Electoral Democracy
-Conflict and Disperse Power (holding reps. responsible complicated) |
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Term
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Definition
-Support contagion of conflict and easy voting accessibility
-Strengthen party organizations, so they will be held accountable
-Impose party discipline
-Provision of a clear choice
-Concentrate governmental power in the hands of the winning majority
Party competition in and between elections |
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Term
| Criticisms of Party Theory |
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Definition
-Oversimplifies electoral choices
-Little account for interest groups |
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Term
| Difference in Pluralism and Party theory regarding Conflict/Dispersed Power |
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Definition
-Pluralism: many special interest groups in govt. keep themselves in check, prevent government tyranny
-Conflict between parties attracts citizens, dispersed power diffuses accountability and responsibility |
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Term
| Positive effects to political parties |
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Definition
-Organizes govt.
-Focus responsibility for govt. actions
-Developing issues to educate public
-Synthesizing interests
-Recruiting and developing talent
-Simplifying electoral system |
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Term
| Negative effects to political parties |
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Definition
-Capturing govt. power and dictating
-Confusing responsibility
-Suppressing the issues
-Dividing society
-Recruiting candidates for the wrong reasons
-Oversimplifying electoral system |
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Term
| Progressive Era Reforms (1890-1920) |
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Definition
| Allowed people to vote privately, advocated for the Merit of Civil service. |
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Term
| Spatial Model of Elections |
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Definition
| All political issues are on a single dimension/plane, including voters, parties, and politicians. People vote for candidate closest to them on the scale. |
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Term
| Spatial Model: Median Voter Theorum |
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Definition
| A candidate has the best chance of winning an election/gaining support if they position themselves in the middle of this plane, where the median voter is positioned (50%). |
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Term
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Definition
| 'The simple-majority, single-ballot system favors two-party system.' (Party overrepresentation, if a party gets 51% of the vote, they get 100% of the power) |
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Term
| Congressman are 'single-minded seekers of re-election.' This is seen through three main actions: |
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Definition
-Advertising
-Credit-claiming
-Position taking |
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Term
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Definition
| “a school of thought holding that politics is the clash of groups that represent all important interests in society and that check and balance each other.” |
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Term
| 3 things that have led to proliferation of interest groups: |
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Definition
-Historical trends
-Political changes
-Technological changes |
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Term
| Methods to overcome the free-rider problem: |
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Definition
-coercion
-social movement
-increasing perceived impact
-selective benefits
-patrons and political entrepreneurs |
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Term
| What do interest groups do? |
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Definition
-Govt. lobbying
-Grassroot lobbying (letter writing campaign)
-Electioneering and political action comittees
-Persuading the public
-Direct action (boycotts, rebellions, etc.)
-Help provide litigation |
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Term
| Lobbyists provide _______ and _______ for members of congress in exchange for their representation. |
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Definition
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Term
| Types of interest groups that exist |
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Definition
-Economic interest groups (25%, largest category)
-Citizen groups (Public interest, ALCU, etc.)
-Governmental interest groups |
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Term
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Definition
An alliance based on common interests formed from a powerful interest group, Congressional committee, and an agency of the executive branch.
-Spec. Interest Group<=>Executive Branch<=>Legislative Branch |
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Term
| Mor interest groups has led us to the creation of 'issue networks', which are: |
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Definition
| A loose network of elected officials, public officials, activists, and interest groups that are drawn together by a specific policy issue. |
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Term
| Civic v. Political Engagement |
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Definition
Political: activity that has the intent of influencing government action
Civic: organized voluntary activity focused on problem solving and helping others. |
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Term
| Political Engagement Equation |
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Definition
V=pB-C(+D)
V=vote or no vote
p=probability of voting
B=personal utility or benefit of voting
C=cost of voting
D=citizen duty, feeling of goodwill and patriotism behind voting |
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Term
| Civic Volunteerism Model: People participate more if they have... |
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Definition
-Resources
-Psychological engagement
-Recruitment |
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Term
| Michigan Voting Model: People decide how to vote based on... (in order of importance) |
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Definition
-Party Identification
-Candidate Characteristics
-Positions on the Issues |
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Term
| Why don't people vote? (3 main reasons) |
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Definition
-Declining personal benefits
-Declining levels of mobilization (only two clear winners nowadays)
-Declining social connectedness (more focus on the individual) |
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