Government - ANSWER-organization with a monopoly on the legitimate use of force to
control human behavior
Three essential purposes:
1. resolve conflicts
2. provide public services
3. defends nations and its culture against attacks by other nations
Democrats - ANSWER-liberal values
far left
Republicans - ANSWER-conservative values
far right
GOP - ANSWER-"grand old party"
Republicans
Majority Party in House and Senate - ANSWER-House of representatives majority:
GOP
Senate majority: Democrats
Divided government - ANSWER-One political party controls presidency while the other
controls at least one chamber of Congress
Fixing the economy & debt - ANSWER-Democrats want:
increased taxes on wealthy
increased government spending to stimulate economy
Republicans want:
low taxes
cut government spending
Sequestration - ANSWER-the action of taking legal possession of assets until a debt
has been paid or other claims have been met. Related to fiscal cliff
, Fiscal Cliff - ANSWER-At the end of 2012, income taxes set to rise, payroll tax relief
ending and estate taxes go up.
So a deal was set into place...
Bush extends tax cuts for all except >$400k, estate tax relief extended, and the
"sequestration" federal spending, or across the board, automatic cuts
State of nature - ANSWER-Total freedom
life in a state of nature is nasty, brutish, and short
Social Contract theory - ANSWER-idea that members of a society engage in a
metaphorical contract that you will agree to be governed.
to protect us from each other
Maintaining Order - ANSWER-government needs to stop/ punish internal crime
Capacity to power check
Public Goods - ANSWER-government needs to provide these or else non-payers will
free ride when public goods are produced privately
Public services are essential services individuals cannot provide for themselves
Resolving conflicts - ANSWER-governments decide how conflicts will be resolved with
the use of power (ability to influence behavior of others) and authority (can exercise if
power is legitimate).
Monarchy - ANSWER-one person has all the power
Dictator - ANSWER-person with all of the power whose power is not supported by
tradition
Divine right theory - ANSWER-the theory that a monarch's right to rule was derived
directly from God rather than the consent of the people
Direct Democracy - ANSWER-a system of government in which political decisions are
made by the people themselves
Representative Democracy - ANSWER-a form of democracy in which the will of the
majority is expressed through groups of individuals elected by the people
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