American Gov. Final Exam Study Guide 2024-2025 PDF

American Government Final Examination Study Guide 2024-2025 The final exam will be cumulative, but will only include the most important parts of every lesson. Questions: 60/ 120 Points (Total) Multiple Choice True and False Academic Language: Traditional Economy, Com...

American Government Final Examination Study Guide 2024-2025 The final exam will be cumulative, but will only include the most important parts of every lesson. Questions: 60/ 120 Points (Total) Multiple Choice True and False Academic Language: Traditional Economy, Command Economy, Market Economy, Ideology, Liberalism, Conservatism, Centrism, Democratic-Socialism, Libertarianism, Environmentalism, Interest Groups, Two-Party System, PAC, Lobbying, Multi-Party System, Public Opinion, Political Socialization, Negative Campaigning, Primary Election, Plurality, Party Base, Power, Authority, City-State, Nation-State, Continental State, Global-State, Sovereignty, Social Contract, Divine Right of Kings, Corruption, Coercion, Tribute, Institution, Bureaucracy, Dictatorship, Totalitarian Dictatorship, Democracy, Oligarchy, Theocracy, Plutocracy, Technocracy, Republic, Monarchy, Autocracy, Constitutional Democracy, Constitutional Monarchy, Nazism, Communism, Fascism, Unitary, Federal, Confederate, Left Wing, Right Wing, Representative Government, Rule of Law, Limited Government, Individual Rights, Separation of Powers, Popular Sovereignty, Constitutionalism, Majority Rule, Due Process, Republican Government, Checks and Balances, Federalism, Independent Judiciary, Judicial Review, Civil Liberties, Civil Rights, Libel, Slander, Self-Incrimination, Double Jeopardy, Conservative, Liberal, Individualism, One Party System, Watchdog Function, Bonding Agent Priorities: (You must know these concepts in their totality. Memorizing definitions will not suffice.) The distinctions between liberalism and conservatism How states are formed under varying political and economic conditions Force theory, divine right theory, etc… How psychology is used to govern. Dictatorial vs. democratic societies The social contract The U.S. Constitution (Amendments 1, 3, 4, 5, 8, 13, 15, 19) Natural law and the rule of law. Checks and balances The geographic distribution of power (federal, unitary, and confederate) Expansions of the Electorate  Types of Minor Parties Voting Requirements All Notes Forms of Government Bureaucracies - Exist in every government because they department of government that is tasked with specific responsibilities Division of labor Gov tasked w specific duties Dictatorship - Government that takes control of the majority of countries affairs. Control big majority of daily life Tend to be effective in crisis situations Tend to be ineffective during peacetime Totalitarian Dictatorship - totalitarian implies total control vs regular dictatorship is majority Total control of daily life/society Almost impossible to sustain Unit 1-1 Theories of government formation: Forced Theory: Governments formed through compulsion Violent/Physical compulsion “Violence is the source of all power” “Willingness and ability to inflict violence garners respect and fear.” During interregnum periods, there is a power vacuum which results in a new group taking power → Mobility = big freedom → Property, gov protects ur private property which lets u go on vacation and if someone tries to take it there are legal consequences. Evolutionary Theory: implies that government forms and grows in order to manage a growing society. Ex. A village government cannot properly manage the United States Divine Right of Kings: Ruler is considered a God, Demi-god, or a representative of God on Earth A mortal can be defied, but a god cannot. Majority of people subscribe to a religion or believe in a supernatural being  →Makes the divine right of kings effective → Ex. the notion of hell and heaven are effective mechanisms for social control It is an incentive structure for proper behavior Social Contract theory - Government forms by making a formal agreement with the people Governments may be formed by using a variety of methods. Ex. social contract theory + force theory Purpose of Government: Provide for the common defense Protection from foreign and domestic enemies Providing general welfare Providing people with some semblance of economic stability Ex. Public education, Welfare, Medical Care… Gov should prioritize well-being of its citizens Secure the blessings of liberty is intended to protect the people from the government proEx. Freedom of speech Ex. The right to bear arms Ex. Bill of Rights To form a more perfect union is intended to bring the people together Encouraging people to take ownership of their country Countries that are divided are vulnerable Unity results in longevity Establishing justice is intended to punish criminals and enforce law and order Ensuring domestic tranquility is intended to create a peaceful environment Why does government tend to be inefficient? Government is a monopoly Ex. dmv - u wait for so long, poor customer service, toxic environment inaccuracy Competition helps motivate people to create the best form of something Same thing applies with gov If government had domestic competition, they would be more efficient Progression of the state State = organization made of gov and its people Individual = smalles unit of state Family = first form of the state  Overtime unite together (extended family) Extended families form into tribes Everyone in a tribe shares a common ancestor Primary identity of the tribe is the family As tribes grew + became larger, city state model was developed to manage society City states identity is basd around the capital city Ancient city-states were centered around human/supernatural figures Ex. athena → athens Eventually city-states became obsolete and nation-states replaced them. The distinction between most city-states that were located near each other was negligible. People from neighboring city-states shared common languages and cultures wich made unification easier A nation is a group of people who share a common language and culture Continental-state is a state that comprises an entire continent Ex. EU (european Union) A global-state is a state with one world government Usually a common economy, language, and legal system is adopted How do you bring people together as one? A common cause, culture, crisis, or enemy Most effective = enemy Unit 1-2 Democracy = ruled by people In a democracy, ther is majority rule Minorities usually have no power Oligarchy = government ruled by a small self-apointed elite Theocracy = gov ruled by religion or religious figure Theo -dios = zeus = god Plutocracy = Ruled by wealth Pluto = god of underworld  Technocracy - ruled by those who control technology Republic - ruled by law Legal system = ruler Nobody is above social contract (thats why a republic is considered to be rule by law) Truly ruled by social contract It takes into consideration the needs of the minority Monarchy = ruled by one (mono) Usually ruled by a royal family Autocracy is ruled by a single self-appointed individual No royal family Soviet union eliminated royal family in a masscre→ stalin, lenon = autocrats Constitutional monarchy = a government that has a royal family in addition to a formal social contract to achieve checks and balances Left wing vs Right wing - Power Spectrum 1 Left wing liberal (libros → liberated) Economic Security - Prioritizing general welfare for everyone Secular - Worldy, dealing with the real life issues (tend to be less religious) Collectivistic- Economic perspective → ex. Social security, universal medical care Ethnic Pluralism State-run Command Economics - planned economy, completely collectivistic(big government) → on paper everyone contributes and everyone gets something out of it Right Wing Conservatives - Conserving the way of doing things, not tying to bring new things but hold on to the good things ( not broken, don't fix it) Economic freedom - individual freedom to make your own economic decisions → comes with responsibility Tend to be religious Individualistic - emphasis on individual and not on group → ex. wolf vs the dog *Wolf has more freedom, it has to feed itself *Dog has owner who takes care of it by owner (protected, fed, and given everything it needs, never longs for anything but maybe freedom) Nationalistic - prioritizes the ntion  Lassiez-faire Economics - gov has little or no involvement in economy (AKA small government) Small government = small degree of government involvement Big government = large degree of government involvement Libertarians - A political ideology that support small government in the majority of public affairs Consisten on their desire for having small government Right wing and left wing doesn't rly work cus there is a lot of confusion and overlapping Ex. Dictatorship can happen on both left and right wings Power Spectrum 2 - Totalitarian Dictatorships → anarchy Illustrates the degree of power a government has On the left side, are totalitarian dictatorships which may be left or right wing. On the right side, there is anarchy No government on far right Healthy amount of law and order will provide optimal freedom (middle - best) Wealth is not measured by your income Measured by volume of resources you have access to Communism = philosophy Command = system Capitalism = philosophy Free Market = System Pure command economies and pure market economies pose serious problems that destabilize society Ex. major problem w command economies: lack of personal freedom and incentives to be more productive Ex. majore problem w market economies: Lack of social safety nets for people Mixed economies are more stable bc they provide balance of command and market economies advantages Tend to be more stable because they have the best of both worlds Types of Economy Traditional economy  Production and consumption is controlled by the traditions of the society Tradition dictates how resources are used Individualism = almost non-existent Collectivism = dominant social organization (emphasis on group welfare) Elders of community = dictate + pass on economic system to their children Optimal for small population Stable and predictable Basic needs are met Not progressive enough, progress/innovation = punished by community →most suitable for ppl like the amish No economic progress Elders control society Unit 1-3 Command Economy (Planned economy) Consumption and production is controlled by the government Requires big government to function Not as much emphasis on supply and demand Government decides what is needed for society anad push those forward Usually, need dictatorships Higher tax values Advantages: Good at providing general welfare Effective at providing conomic security Effective during crisis situation Basic needs are met Disadvantages: Fails to meet the needs and wants of consumers Supply shortages are caused by quotas No proper incentive structures for productivity No private property rights Command economies have very large black marckets because there is demand for productss and aa need to earn more money.  People beign working the system in order to make more money Market economy Supply and demand determines production and consumption Advantages: Private property rights Economic freedom Disadvantages: Not enough economic security Threat of monopolization A pure market economy will eventually beco a command economy due to laissez-faire competition → Monopolization will result in one organization controlling all production and consumption. This will be known as a supermonopoly → Complete vertical and horizontal inegration Government ensures fair competition so that monopolies don't form Geographic distribution of power = diff than forms of government They are how the government distributes power throuhgout a territory Political division of labor Unitary Government (political system) Strong central government = power isnt distributes, its concentrated into hands of central government More suitable for smaller territories with homogenous populations People who believe in similar things Smaller territories to manage = easier to manage Ex. rome collapsed cus it was too big Federal Government Balance of power btw states and central government Each state can govern their state with a main vague set of rules from the central gov Ex. US gov Confederate Government Coutnry is vulnerable due to lack of strong central government Stronger state govs + weak central gov Ex. Iruqoi confederacy Short term alliances, not for long term  Class Review Plutochracy = rule by wealthy Oligarchy = ruled by group of ppl Ppl are very smart Dont have to be wealthy But will end up with people getting wealthy most of the time (turns into plutochracy) Ruled by group of wealthy people = plutoligarchy If you have power- u can attract more wealth→ so if ur in a position of power, ur gna attract money at some point Free market and market economy = economic systems that are profit driven Capitalism = philosophy that treats wealth as votes Economic system where competition btw producers = incentive to prroducers → free market economy Which economic system will prioritize economic security over economic freedom = command economy Which political ideoligy will espouse political freedom for financial planning but stric adherance to moral rules - conservatism Which 2 economic systems would most likely repres political and social freedom - traditional and command economy Natural law - Laws that most people abide by cross-culturally Rules that have exist for all of human society (timeless) Could be argued that natural laws enabled society to exist inborn/inherent (everyone is born with them) Don't mix it up with natural laws of physics (like gravity, etc.) Can't be culturally relative (universal concept) Created to facilitate the stability of the state Resolve problems that arise from behavior that is not conductive for sale Basic right vs wrong Simple yet serious Examples: 1. Murder 2. Theft 3. Sexual assault 4. Random violence  5. Infidelity in marriage 6. Kidnapping 7. Cannibalism 8. Slavery - stealing a person's labor 9. Destruction of property 10. Lying 11. Unreasonably endangering the lives of others Natural laws have hierarchies (some rule over others) Murder is illegal killing Moral relativism - antithesis to natural law It can exist in a healthy was as long as the action is not excessively detrimental to others Legality and morality can be exclusive , one doesn't mean the other Moral aspect of natural law is also practical for society Ex. How can communities exist if there is theft? →Stealing from your neighbor Natural laws ensure personal and communal safety Ex. cannibalism →if u eat a brain u can get a disease which makes u laugh uncontrollably and eventually kills u Rule of Law A legal concept that checks the power of a government. It requires that all people be subject to the legal system Nobody is above the law Assumed to be fair, just, reasonable, and fulfill the functions of government Checks the power of government Exists because there have been powerful ppl who become corrupt. This corruption results in the violation of personal freedom and safety Ex of checks and balances Basis for a republic The Magna Carta (The Great Charter)is the best example of a social contract that incorporates rule of law. In the most natural circumstance, a leader's power comes through consent. Separation of Powers Subcategory of checks and balances Checks and balances Separate branches are empowered to prevent actions by other branches and are induced to share power. Ex. Businesses lose customers if they provide an inferior product. Employees can use unions to make sure that their employers are behaving ethically Veto power Cessation by states Impeachment Separation of powers = specific form of checks and balances Distributes power through many segments of government Does Not let power get centralized Implies distributing power among 2 or + parties Checks and balances are general, whereas separation of powers is specific Sovereignty - a condition of self rule Like autonomy People run the show Gov serves ppl not the other way around Republic (public thing) Popular sovereignty is a form of checks and balances Specifically it's a separation of power btw the people (public) and government Legislative, judicial, executive = 3 branches of government Bill of Rights 1. Freedom of expression - freedom of thought Important bc individual and societal progress is achieved by the ability to think Unleashes collective brainpower Thoughts are separate from actions Thoughts cannot be punished, but actions can Thought crimes are dysfunctional form of law bc they punish you for thinking freely (punish ppl for thoughts not actions) Ex. Spanish Inquisition Ex. Red Scare Ex. Cancel Culture → Cancel culture penalizes people from thinking freely, which inhibits new ideas and propagates existing ones.  Freedom of thought includes expression, speech (written or spoken), association (associate with any person or group), religion Can associate with anyone or group as long as u are not violating the rights of others → Ex. Libel and slander The Bills of Rights are considered civil liberties ○ Civil Liberties - Protections against the government The Second Amendment (2A) ○ This protects the people in the event that the government decides to take up arms against the people ○ Disarming the people eliminates a checks and balance known as mutually assured destruction Mutually assured destruction - A situation where two or more parties have the ability to destroy one another; therefore, they remain at peace E.G. ○ Soviet/US Arms Race Known as leverage Quartering of Soldiers (Third Amendment) ○ Private property rights and the right to privacy ○ Using personal property (homes) as shelter for the military ○ If the government can forcefully place soldiers in homes, then the principle of ownership is undermined Fourth Amendment ○ Protection from unreasonable search and seizure This protects private property and privacy E.G. ○ The police may not search your house without a warrant ○ The police have to have probable cause to do a traffic stop Fifth Amendment ○ Due Process - The process in which people are entitled to when they are being sent through the legal system E.G. Trial by Jury Reading Miranda Rights Pleading the 5th ○ Eminent Domain The government can confiscate private property as long as they can prove that it is for the good of the public and they can provide compensation at market value E.G. ○ Dodger Stadium  Eighth Amendment ○ What is the purpose of bail Is an incentive to not flee the law ○ The ball money is used as leverage to keep the accused person from becoming a fugitive because they have to repay the bondsman ○ Freedom from cruel and unusual punishment Problems inherent with common execution Methods: ○ Lethal Injection The feeling of suffocation ○ Electric Chair Multiple shocks may be needed ○ Firing Squad What is the purpose of capital punishment To send a message (deterrence) To prevent vigilante →To maintain domestic tranquility To ensure that some criminals are no longer a threat to society Conservatives tend to favor capital punishment, while liberals tend to oppose capital punishment Liberal philosophy - Its the governments fault →See crime as a consequence of systematic issues in society that need to be solved →that's why they tend to oppose capital punishment Conservative philosophy - Its ur fault → see crime as a result of personal irresponsibility and respect for law and order Libertarians tend to disagree with capital punishment because they believe that the government should not have the right to murder its own people Amendment 13 Forced servitude is permitted as a consequence of a crime There can be a forced servitude in the prison system Prison system is a business Prison - industrial complex - used to describe the entrepreneurial system associated with prisons. Prisoners would work for way less for company owned prisons Amendment 14 Equal protection for all If you were trying to legalize abortion federally, then which constitutional theory could use?  A. Equal protection B. Freedom from cruel and unusual punishment C. Private property rights D. Privacy E. Due process Double Jeopardy You cannot be tried again for a crime you were acquitted of If evidence is found years later to prove that you committed the crime, then does double jeopardy still apply? Types of Powers Delegated Powers - Powers that are directly given to the federal government via constitution. Reserved powers - powers that are given to the states only Ex of federalism Concurrent Powers - Given to both state and federal government There are important powers that are not given to the states Ex. States are not permitted to join into treaties with foreign countries States allying with foreign countries can be treasonous Some powers that are nor as important enough are given to the states →Ex. Drug use, abortion, some alcohol, same sex marriages, and prostitution Strict construction Implied powers: why do they exist? If there is no constant implied power, people will be able to find a loophole for everything which of the 3 branch of the us government would be the american equivalent to the british parliament which legal concept will enable people in the United States to be in an organization with gangsters with cults etc. Freedom of association which part of the us constitution suggests and explicitly states that the us constitution is the most powerful law in the us Supremacy clause - Article 6 paragraph 2 In the United States of America, which level of government has the power to form treaties? Central What right afforded to people of America will enable them to temporarily leave prison in order to obtain legal representation and get their affairs in order? Bail which amendment protects people private property rights against the military 3 Which amendment protects people from things like public beheadings 8 The ppl of the US are allowed to permit a grievance to the us. Which amendment allows this? 1 Know magna carta Which legal concept is implied by the magna carta which emphasizes governments power is constrained? Limited government Why 9 justices? In cases of a tie Term responsibility and power given to judicial branch where they are enable and able to interpret laws Judicial review what term that describes the power granted to the us where the justice system isn't able to convict them of a crime they have already been convicted for Double jeopardy Individual rights Self incrimination - A situation in which a person is compelled to incriminate themselves A checks and balances to ensure that the justice system can prove that an accused person is guilty of a crime If people are falsely accused of a crime, then their reputation will be tarnished because others will lose their impression of them Independent Judiciary - Judiciary that is not controlled by another branch of government. Ensure that the courts can remain objective in their decision making Judicial branch - Interpreting laws Determine if laws are constitutional or not Strict Construction - Approaching laws with a literal perspective Orthodox approach (straight approach) - Loose construction Loose construction - Approaching laws with a flexible mindset Fundamentalist Prior restraint - Prohibiting information on the grounds that it is defamatory Preemptive prohibition Social Issues 1. Democrats tend to be in favor of same-sex marriage bc its progress in their minds (breaking away from traditions is progress, challenges an old universal custom) 2. Republicans/Conservatives believe in second amendment rights (bear arms) (self-defense is a personal responsibility, empowered but you are also responsible) Economic Issues A. Universal Health Care - Democrats believe in (putting responsibility back on society, tax increases for the rich, reflect societal responsibility) B. Republicans approach economics with a capitalist mentality (personally responsible for financial success, individuals should be accountable for their economic success, reflect individualism and grit, beggars can't be choosers) Political socialization - the process by which a person develops their political beliefs  Nature ( biological, age, sex ) Organization (Conservatives) Artistic (liberal) Nurture (Environmental) - Parents, Family, monkey see monkey do Nature vs Nurture Media - How do you determine if media is propagandized? Neutral messages, positive and negative are both propaganda. School - Education Location / Personal association - the type of people and where you are consciously or subconsciously going to absorb the way they think Friends, coworkers, peers, etc… Socioeconomic status - a lot of professors don't make a lot of money so they usually have a more collectivistic approach to economics, wealthier people tend to lean economically right ( they don't need universal health care and public education, no point in gov programs), people who are struggling financially tend to lean left Culture Religion There are Major and Minor Parties The difference between major and minor parties is the amount of control they have over the electorate. The electorate is the group of people who are eligible to vote Business analogy, consumers = voters, votes= currency, ideas(ex. Against abortion) = products, brand = name of party (Repub vs demo) In the US there are two major parties and numerous minor parties Freedom of association allows for minor parties to form (nazi party, green party, etc.…) Functions of Political Parties Nominating candidates for office Political Parties are trying to place their trusted members in positions of political power. If the members are in positions of power, then the party will be stronger Ex. presidents appointing party members from the Supreme court Informing and activating voters  Acquiring customers Ex. Propaganda, canvassing ( practicing door-to-door campaigning) Bonding Agent - doing a background check on someone entering their political party/their members Watchdog Function - Political parties do investigations on one another Governing Minor Parties Ideological parties (a very specific ideology that they are pursuing, ex. Communist party→ economic protest, this party overlaps into different parties) single-issue parties (a political party that pursues only one issue, ex. Ending domestic violence) economic protest parties ( economic protest parties, political parties that attempt to solve an economic problem) Splinter party ( a political party that breaks off from another political party due to internal conflict) Two Party systems( a system where two political parties control the electorate) One Party System ( A system where one political control the electorate. Aka no-party system) Multi-Party system (a system where three or more political parties control the electorate) In these systems, coalitions (alignments) of political parties are formed to control government. Major parties = multiple ideologies going on at once Political parties are organized based on a federal model National Party Organized State Party Organized Local Party Organization Implies that each level of the party of the organization has a certain degree of autonomy (self-rule) The major political parties are too large to be controlled with a top-down model → Ex. GUSD, complaints, lawsuits, and other issues bc its too big, if they split it up it would be a much more efficient  The state and local levels can deal with issues that are more relevant to them as opposed to the national party organization. Catering to the immediate constituents History of Voting Rights in America Electorate- group of ppl who are eligible to vote 5 stages of growth (they were not random, the result of social, economic or political force, overwhelm government and force it to comply) 1. Removal of religious requirements and property ownership The thought process behind it was that people who own property have to maintain and what happens in the community affects the value and way they can maintain it Ex. Permits - property owners in an area could have the value of their property drop if the people around them decide to make changes without strictly following permits 2. Amendment 15 - eliminating skin color as a requirement for voting (Big change) 3. Amendment 19 - (Coinciding with women's suffrage/feminist movement) eliminates gender as a basis for voting, women have a right to vote 4. Voting Rights Act of 1965 (coinciding with the Civil Rights Act) - strengthened the 15th Amendment, ensured that the federal government used its power to enforce fair voting practices Major strategy used during the Civil Rights era was to use federal power to achieve equality. Federal government was put in a position where they had to get involved and overpower the states (ex. Abortion made legal in all 50 states) The federal government's power is greater than any one state 5. Making 18 the minimum voting age Universal Requirements for Voting Citizen Natural or naturalized (have to be a citizen) Residence Prevents import voting (when voters from different states who are not related or living in a state of the election vote to sway the results in that state. Ex. living in California but voting in Oregan)  People should get acquainted with a stated policies when they move into a state It takes about 6 months to acquire residency in another state. Age Minimum age is 18 Banning Capital Punishment -Democratic Party Incentive structures are designed to motivate individuals to behave in a certain way; lawmakers are no different. Our lawmakers are incentivized by the prospect of reelection; therefore, their actions may be oriented toward that as opposed to doing what is right. A part of improving their prospects for reelection is how much money they can allocate for the needs of their constituents. However, this requires more government spending which can cause inflation and increase our national debt. Instead of reelection, is there another incentive structure that can be used to encourage lawmakers to work in the best interest of their constituents? The President of the United States is not permitted to declare war, only the Congress can do that. This is a part of the separation of powers. However, the President can approve of “military interventions”. The last time the U.S. declared war was WWII; however, it has been directly involved in numerous military operations since then. Should the President have the power to initiate military interventions without the approval of Congress? Explain. Social contract theory City state, nation state maybe Republican economic policies Liberal economic policies ( liberals tend to be more religious abt policies - false) Which list describes the us best ( mixed economy, republic, federal government) 60 q 120 points Natural law Federal gov confederate unitary A unitary gov would be more suited for us if it was half its size - true or false  Besides the three main requirements for voting age,citizenship,residency, registration, and smth else ( registration is the right answer) If a part doesn’t do their bonding agent properly then the other party gain more information from watch dog - true True or false - when a party does a bonding agent on a person in their party they look to see if they have committed any crimes, not if they were unethical.