4513153PSC101 Midterm Exam Study Guide PDF

**Maia Armstrong** **10/6/2024** **Midterm Exam Study Guide** **Theories of American Politics** - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - In a society where liberty and differing opinions exist, James Madison argued that factions are inevitable. Factions exist...

**Maia Armstrong** **10/6/2024** **Midterm Exam Study Guide** **Theories of American Politics** - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - In a society where liberty and differing opinions exist, James Madison argued that factions are inevitable. Factions exist because most human beings tend to create alliances with those with similar opinions or statuses. This, however, creates the danger of potentially working against the interests and needs of the public. In order to curb this, liberty would have to be removed, or everyone would have to have the same interests and opinions. **Chapter 1 Government and Civic Engagement: Civic engagement involves participating in a variety of activities in order to raise awareness about a social or political cause. Common examples include, but not limited to: Organizing marches, campaigning, watching debates, attending conventions, volunteering/community service, or voting in state and national elections.** - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - **Chapter 2 The Constitution and Its Origins** - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - **Chapter 3 Federalism** - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - **Chapter 4 Civil Liberties** - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Gideon vs Wainwright: Prior to the case, defendant Clarence Gideon had a lengthy history of committing nonviolent crimes, including larceny ⠯ petty theft. In 1961, the defendant was accused of breaking and entering into the Baylor Pool Room. After being put on trial, he could not afford a lawyer that would defend his case. The judge turned down his request to appoint a lawyer. Gideon had to represent himself. He was convicted and sentenced to five years in prison. Gideon appealed to the Florida Supreme Court, which denied his request. He then appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which agreed with him and established that the Sixth Amendment guarantees the right to counsel for defendants in state court. McElrath vs Georgia (2024): McElrath killed his adoptive mother by stabbing her over 50 times in a single attack in their family home. But he showed no remorse for his crime. In a 9-0 decision, the Georgia Supreme Court agreed that the defendant could not be tried for the same offense twice under the Double Jeopardy Clause of the Fifth Amendment. **Chapter 5 Civil Rights** - Massive Resistance was a set of laws passed in 1956 in Virginia to prevent the desegregation of public schools, as mandated by the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education ruling. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - **Chapter 6 Public Opinion** - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - **Chapter 7 Voting and Elections** - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Direct democracy allows the voters in a state to write laws, amend constitutions, remove politicians from office, and approve decisions made by the government. Initiatives are laws or constitutional amendments on the ballot. Referendums ask voters to approve a decision by the government. The process for ballot measures requires the collection of signatures from voters, approval of the measure by the state government, and a ballot election. Recalls allow citizens to remove politicians from office. While direct democracy does give citizens a say in the policies and laws of their state, it can also be used by businesses and the wealthy to pass policy goals. Initiatives can also lead to bad policy if voters do not research the measure or misunderstand the law. Example: Switzerland **Chapter 8 The Media** - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -