Podcast
Questions and Answers
Who is the philosopher who wrote Leviathan, who believed we need a dictatorship because we need to be controlled?
Who is the philosopher who wrote Leviathan, who believed we need a dictatorship because we need to be controlled?
Hobbes
What philosopher believed the State of Nature was perfect freedom?
What philosopher believed the State of Nature was perfect freedom?
Locke
What is the agreement among a group of people to form a government?
What is the agreement among a group of people to form a government?
Social Contract
What type of government is it where powers are divided between a strong central government and several local (state) governments?
What type of government is it where powers are divided between a strong central government and several local (state) governments?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the principle that everyone has to follow the laws, including people who are part of the government?
What is the principle that everyone has to follow the laws, including people who are part of the government?
Signup and view all the answers
What was the first system of government in the United States?
What was the first system of government in the United States?
Signup and view all the answers
Which of the following documents was not a constitution?
Which of the following documents was not a constitution?
Signup and view all the answers
What movement in Massachusetts of farmers organizing against bank foreclosures and armed confrontations convinced many that a stronger national government was necessary?
What movement in Massachusetts of farmers organizing against bank foreclosures and armed confrontations convinced many that a stronger national government was necessary?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the idea that the legislative, executive, and judicial branches should be apart from each other to prevent the abuse of power?
What is the idea that the legislative, executive, and judicial branches should be apart from each other to prevent the abuse of power?
Signup and view all the answers
What is a system of government that has two houses of Congress?
What is a system of government that has two houses of Congress?
Signup and view all the answers
Which documents were used to influence the creation of the U.S. Constitution?
Which documents were used to influence the creation of the U.S. Constitution?
Signup and view all the answers
What are the names of the two houses of Congress and what are their differences?
What are the names of the two houses of Congress and what are their differences?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the power that gives Congress authority to pass laws even if it is not explicitly listed in the Constitution?
What is the power that gives Congress authority to pass laws even if it is not explicitly listed in the Constitution?
Signup and view all the answers
What is an organization that tries to influence policy by having members run for elected office?
What is an organization that tries to influence policy by having members run for elected office?
Signup and view all the answers
What refers to the fact that women are more likely to vote for Democrats than Republicans?
What refers to the fact that women are more likely to vote for Democrats than Republicans?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the main way that interest groups influence policy?
What is the main way that interest groups influence policy?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the process of redrawing district lines to the advantage of one party?
What is the process of redrawing district lines to the advantage of one party?
Signup and view all the answers
What term refers to powers of Congress that are clearly listed in the Constitution?
What term refers to powers of Congress that are clearly listed in the Constitution?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the official title of the leader of the House of Representatives?
What is the official title of the leader of the House of Representatives?
Signup and view all the answers
What term denotes a temporary group of both House and Senate members forming to iron out differences in a bill that has passed the House and Senate?
What term denotes a temporary group of both House and Senate members forming to iron out differences in a bill that has passed the House and Senate?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the official title of the head of a committee of Congress who controls the agenda of the committee and can often kill a bill?
What is the official title of the head of a committee of Congress who controls the agenda of the committee and can often kill a bill?
Signup and view all the answers
What term denotes a permanent group in the House and Senate that oversees areas such as Agriculture, Foreign Relations, etc.?
What term denotes a permanent group in the House and Senate that oversees areas such as Agriculture, Foreign Relations, etc.?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the process in a committee or subcommittee where they discuss and debate proposed amendments to a bill?
What is the process in a committee or subcommittee where they discuss and debate proposed amendments to a bill?
Signup and view all the answers
A person currently in office who is running for re-election has a lot of advantages, such as name recognition, media coverage, and fundraising, and they win about 90% of the time. This person is known as an ______.
A person currently in office who is running for re-election has a lot of advantages, such as name recognition, media coverage, and fundraising, and they win about 90% of the time. This person is known as an ______.
Signup and view all the answers
What is a vote to limit debate on a bill, often used to end a filibuster in the Senate?
What is a vote to limit debate on a bill, often used to end a filibuster in the Senate?
Signup and view all the answers
Which of the following is NOT a power of the President?
Which of the following is NOT a power of the President?
Signup and view all the answers
The U.S. Electoral College system has always been the same since the adoption of the Constitution in 1787.
The U.S. Electoral College system has always been the same since the adoption of the Constitution in 1787.
Signup and view all the answers
Which of the following is NOT a right guaranteed in the Bill of Rights?
Which of the following is NOT a right guaranteed in the Bill of Rights?
Signup and view all the answers
What amendment lowered the voting age nationally to eighteen?
What amendment lowered the voting age nationally to eighteen?
Signup and view all the answers
Study Notes
Philosophical Foundations of Government
- Hobbes believed a strong, controlling government (dictatorship) was necessary to prevent perpetual conflict (state of nature).
- Locke argued for a limited government whose only role is to protect life, liberty, and property, believing the state of nature is a state of liberty until violated by others.
- Social contract theory: People agree to form a government through a constitution.
- State of nature: Life without government, different philosophers had varying views.
Forms of Democracy
- Athenian democracy: Direct democracy, citizens vote directly on issues.
- Roman Republic: Representative democracy, people elect officials to represent them in the Senate.
- Direct vs. Representative Democracy: Citizen votes on laws directly vs elect representatives to make decisions.
U.S. Government Structure
- Federal government: Power divided between a central government and state governments.
- Rule of law: Everyone, including the government, must follow the laws.
- Self-government: Citizens have the authority to decide how they are governed.
- Mayflower Compact: Pilgrims' agreement to govern themselves democratically.
- Great Law of Peace: Haudenosaunee Confederacy's constitution, advocating for the rights of people and tribes.
- Articles of Confederation: First U.S. government, weak central authority.
- Declaration of Independence: Declared separation from Britain, but not a constitution.
- Shay's Rebellion: Farmers' revolt against foreclosures; highlighted the need for a stronger government.
- Constitutional Convention: Meeting to address weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.
- New Jersey v. Virginia Plan: Proposals for a new constitution; debated different representation structures.
- Three-Fifths Compromise: Compromise on slave representation.
- Great Compromise: Established two houses of Congress with one representing each state equally and another based on population.
- Bicameralism: Division of legislative power into two houses.
- Federalists v. Antifederalists: Supporters vs. opponents of the U.S. Constitution.
- Massachusetts Compromise: Ratification of the Constitution conditional on a Bill of Rights.
- Separation of Powers: Dividing government power among three branches.
- Checks and Balances: System to limit power of each branch.
- Judicial review: Courts ability to interpret laws as constitutional or unconstitutional.
- Bill of Rights: First ten amendments protecting individual liberties.
Congress and the Executive
- U.S. Senate and House of Representatives: Two houses of Congress with different structures and powers.
- Census: Population count every 10 years to adjust representation.
- Veto: Presidential power to reject a bill.
- Commerce power: Congress's power to regulate trade.
- Necessary and Proper Clause (Elastic Clause): Congress's power to create laws necessary for carrying out existing powers.
- Electoral College: Indirect election of the President.
- Commander-in-chief: Presidential power to lead the military.
- Due Process: Protection against arbitrary government action.
- Political Party: Organized groups seeking to influence policy.
- Two-party system: U.S. political system dominated by two major parties.
- Divided government: Control of presidency and Congress by different parties.
Elections, Interest Groups, and Gerrymandering
- Voter Registration: Procedure for registering to vote.
- Voting Rights: Rights to vote have expanded historically.
- Nineteenth Amendment: Gave women the right to vote.
- Voting Rights Act of 1965: Outlawed discrimination in voting.
- Twenty-sixth Amendment: Lowered the voting age to 18.
- Gender gap: Differences in voting patterns between genders.
- Split-ticket voting: Supporting different parties for different offices.
- Primary vs. General election: Two stages of elections.
- Interest groups: Organizations advocating for specific policy goals.
- Lobbying: Influencing policy through direct communication with lawmakers.
- Gerrymandering: Manipulating district boundaries to favor a political party.
Congress' Structure and Functioning
- Speaker of the House: Presiding officer of the House.
- Majority/Minority Leaders: Leaders of the parties in Congress.
- Committee Chair: Leaders of committees, often with significant influence.
- Standing Committees: Permanent committees in Congress.
- Conference Committees: Temporary committees to reconcile differences in legislation.
- Bill: Proposed law.
- Markup: Committee deliberation on proposed amendments to a bill.
- Rules committee: (House only) Controls debate and amendments on the floor.
- Filibuster: Senate tactic to delay or block a vote on a bill.
- Cloture: Ending a filibuster with a supermajority vote.
- Incumbent: Person currently holding an office.
Studying That Suits You
Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.
Description
Explore the fundamental ideas behind government structures and democracy. This quiz delves into the theories of Hobbes and Locke, the concepts of the social contract, and the distinctions between direct and representative democracies. Test your understanding of how these principles apply to the framework of the U.S. government.
