Midterm Exam Study Guide

What does politics deal with?

1. What is politics? 

a. Politics deals with conflict over the allocation of values 

2. Conflict, why it is inevitable and solutions

a. It is inevitable because of material scarcity and philosophical disagreements  b. How to deal with it: making governments authoritative with the idea of coercion i. Coercion involves “preponderance of force in society”

3. Core beliefs of liberalism, conservativism, and libertarianism

Liberalism

• Principle: for change

• Proponents: Democrats

• Economic issues

• Welfare programs

• Affirmative action

• Federal minimum wages

• Vigorous government

regulations

• Social issues

What is the principle of conservativism?

•  Pro­choice

•  Pro­gay marriages

•  Lenient immigration laws

Conservatism

• Principle: against change

• Proponents: Republicans

• Economic issues

• Low tax rates

• Less generous welfare

programs

• Deregulation

• Limit Affirmative Action

• Social issues

• Pro­life

• Against gay marriages

• Cut immigration

Libertarianism

• Principle: minimal

 Government

• Proponents: Libertarians

• Economic issues

• Low tax rates

• Against welfare programs

What are some of the mobvements or programs pioneered under libertarianism?

• Against affirmative action

• Social issues

• Pro­choice We also discuss several other topics like What do tradeoffs produce?

• Pro­gay marriages

4. Different types of rules: Endogenous, exogenous, structural, and policy rules a. Exogenous rules:

i. It includes those people who follow and do not conduct any rule making b. Endogenous rules are the ones who follow and make the rules 

5. Differences between Articles of Confederation and the 1787 Constitution; what led to the  abolishment of one in favor of the other?

6. What does the Constitution and its amendments say about slavery and slaves? 7. How are constitutional amendments proposed and ratified?

8. Important constitutional provisions: The 3/5 Clause, the Necessary Proper Clause (the  Elastic Clause), the Interstate Commerce Clause, the Enumerated Powers, the Reserved  Powers

9. Differences between unitary systems, federal systems, and confederate systems 10. Constitutional bases of federalism

11. Evolution of federalism: dual federalism and cooperative federalism, and their nicknames

12. Liberties in the Bill of Rights, understand each, no need to memorize the order 13. How did liberties protected in the Bill of Rights apply to the states? Don't forget about the age old question of What does francesco redi disprove in his controlled experiment?

14. Polling method, what are some challenges and key to success?

15. Differences b/t disenfranchisement of African American voters, black codes, and Jim Crow  laws?

16. Important legislations and Supreme Court decisions on civil rights: Proclamation of  Emancipation (1863), 13th (1865), 14th (1868), 15th (1870) Amendments, Civil Rights Act  (1964), Voting Rights Act (1965), Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857), Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), and Brown v.  Board of Education (1954)

17. De jure and de facto discrimination

18. Different views about affirmative action

19. General level of Americans’ political knowledge

20. What is ideology? How ideological are Americans? Are there more self­identified liberals or  conservatives? If you want to learn more check out Who discovered the structure of benzene in 1865?
If you want to learn more check out What does virulence mean in understanding diseases?
If you want to learn more check out How is hypothesis testing conducted?
Don't forget about the age old question of Is there a difference between vision and mission?

21. Formation of political orientation: nature (genes) and nurture (socialization) 22. Explicit and implicit political socialization

23. Issue publics and their consequences