PLS 201 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Oligarchy, Due Process, Symbolic Speech
12 Oct 2016
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PLS 201 AMERICAN GOVERNMENT
Midterm Examination Study Guide
• What is government and its roles?
• Definition
• Types of governments:
• Democracy: Ruled by the people
• Monarchy: Ruled by a monarch (king/queen)
▪ Constitutional - Power is restrained by a parliament, law, or custom
• ig. Great Britain
▪ Absolute - Unrestricted political power over sovereign state and its people
• ig. Saudi Arabia
• Theocracy: Ruled by religious figures in the name of God
▪ ig. Iran or Saudi Arabia
• Not Vatican because not recognized
• Oligarchy: Ruled by a group of elite
▪ ig. ex-Soviet Union, China, North Korea, Venezuela
• Autocracy: Ruled by 1 person with absolute power
▪ ig. China, North Korea, Iran, etc
• Anarchy: Absence or nonrecognition of authority
▪ ig. Somalia, entire world
• What types of democracies: Representative and Direct do we see in the U.S?
• Representative:
▪ Elected intermediary between people and the law.
▪ ig. Federal
• Direct
▪ Power in individual. No intermediaries.
▪ ig. Local/state
• Power of initiative (ballot measures)
• Signatures need to have voted in last gov. Election
• Need 5% of these voters
• Referendum: Have 90 days to challenge passed law
• Recall: Vote to remove elected official from office via petition
• How to determine the health of a democracy?
• Freedoms and other characteristics of the political system
▪ Politics, gender, economy, knowledge, health, environment
• Performance of non-political dimensions
▪ Gender, economy, knowledge, health, environment
• Freedom House: measures freedom of expression & goal increase civil liberties
• What are Civil Liberties?
• Personal guarantees and freedoms that the government cannot abridge, either
by law or by judicial interpretation without due process
• Explain the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Amendments
• 1st – Congress shall make no law respecting a religious establishment, prohibit
freedom of religion, speech, press, not the right to peacefully assemble and
petition the government for redress of grievances
Expression
(entertainment)
Protected Expression
Unprotected Expression
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Midterm examination study guide: what is government and its roles, definition, types of governments, democracy: ruled by the people, monarchy: ruled by a monarch (king/queen, constitutional - power is restrained by a parliament, law, or custom ig. Great britain: absolute - unrestricted political power over sovereign state and its people ig. Saudi arabia: theocracy: ruled by religious figures in the name of god ig. Iran or saudi arabia: not vatican because not recognized, oligarchy: ruled by a group of elite ig. ex-soviet union, china, north korea, venezuela, autocracy: ruled by 1 person with absolute power ig. China, north korea, iran, etc: anarchy: absence or nonrecognition of authority ig. Somalia, entire world: what types of democracies: representative and direct do we see in the u. s, representative, elected intermediary between people and the law. ig. Local/state: power of initiative (ballot measures, signatures need to have voted in last gov. Unprotected expression: clear and present danger, fire in theater, us espionage act 1918.
