POLS 1101 Exam 1 Chapters 1-4 |101 Questions and Answers
According to the textbook, what are the defining features of "government"? - -Set of
institutions that endures over time, (2) has authority over the people of aspecific territory,
(3) authoritatively makes and enforces laws
-Legislature - -an institution of government that makes laws (legislates)
-Executive Branch - -a set of institutions in government with authority to put laws into
effect, including, but not limited to, through the use of physical force by police or military
-Bureaucratic Agencies - -organizational units within executive branch of government
responsible for implementing specific public policies and/or providing public services
-Judicial Branch - -an institution of government that makes authoritative judgements
-Courts: (courts of law) - -tribunals with authority to resolve legal disputes between
parties and that make authoritative judgements that guide and limit executive branch
enforcement and implementation of laws
-Georgia State legislature - -Georgia General Assembly
-Federal Legislature - -Congress
-Two Chambers of Legislature (State and Federal) - -Senate and House of Representatives
-Two distinctive features of American Government - -Federalism
Separation of Powers
-Federalism - -Principle of government that means authority is partly divided and partly
shared between the federal (central/national) government and state governments
-Separation of Powers - -Principle of government that means legislative, executive, and
judicial powers are exercised by three separate branches of government consisting of
distinct institutions that are staffed by officials who serve in only one institution at a time
-Authority - -Authority (as in A having authority over B)
◆ A has authority over B
- A has right to issue commands to B
- A expects B to obey those commands
- A has right to punish B for failing to obey those demands
-Legitimate claim to authority - -a rightful/justified claim to have authority over the other
-Ordinance Laws - -laws made by a city legislature
, -Statutes (State or Congress) - -laws made by congress or a state legislature
-Regulations - -rules made by bureaucratic agencies that have "the force of law." Along
with statues and ordinances, regulations are examples of ordinary laws
-Why, according to the textbook, is Max Weber's definition of government (as that which
has "a monopoly over the legitimate use of force over a territory") misleading? - -(1) The
definition emphasizes executive function of government at the expense oflegislative and
judicial functions of government
(2) The idea of a monopoly on the legitimate use of force conflicts with the idea of
federalism; in the US there is no government with a monopoly of legitimate use of physical
force
-What does it mean to be "sovereign"? Whom (or what) is considered to be sovereignin the
United States? - -To have sovereignty is to be the highest authority to rule over a given
territory- A sovereign government claims that no person, group, or organization either
within its territory or outside its territory has authority over it.
❖ In the US, the people are considered the highest authority to rule, therefore government
authority is legitimate only if it derives from the consent of the people
-Power and how government exercise power over people - -A has the power over B to the
extent that A can get B to do something that B would not otherwise do
Use of physical force
affecting their hearts and minds
-Power of the Purse - -government's ability to influence behavior by using money through
taxing and/or spending as a positive and/or negative incentive. In US government,
legislative branch controls power of the purse
-Positive Incentives - -something that motivates behavior by instilling the hope of enjoying
a benefit if a particular action is taken (or not taken)
Example: when federal government promises to give money in the form of tax deductions
and tax credits if individuals/corporations engage in certain kinds of desired behaviors
Carrots are another name for positive incentives; metaphor is of a cart driver dangling a
carrot in front of a mule to get the mule to move
-Negative Incentives - -something that motivates behavior by instilling the fear of
suffering a burden if a particular action is taken (or not taken)-
Example: threatening punishment to deter disobedience
According to the textbook, what are the defining features of "government"? - -Set of
institutions that endures over time, (2) has authority over the people of aspecific territory,
(3) authoritatively makes and enforces laws
-Legislature - -an institution of government that makes laws (legislates)
-Executive Branch - -a set of institutions in government with authority to put laws into
effect, including, but not limited to, through the use of physical force by police or military
-Bureaucratic Agencies - -organizational units within executive branch of government
responsible for implementing specific public policies and/or providing public services
-Judicial Branch - -an institution of government that makes authoritative judgements
-Courts: (courts of law) - -tribunals with authority to resolve legal disputes between
parties and that make authoritative judgements that guide and limit executive branch
enforcement and implementation of laws
-Georgia State legislature - -Georgia General Assembly
-Federal Legislature - -Congress
-Two Chambers of Legislature (State and Federal) - -Senate and House of Representatives
-Two distinctive features of American Government - -Federalism
Separation of Powers
-Federalism - -Principle of government that means authority is partly divided and partly
shared between the federal (central/national) government and state governments
-Separation of Powers - -Principle of government that means legislative, executive, and
judicial powers are exercised by three separate branches of government consisting of
distinct institutions that are staffed by officials who serve in only one institution at a time
-Authority - -Authority (as in A having authority over B)
◆ A has authority over B
- A has right to issue commands to B
- A expects B to obey those commands
- A has right to punish B for failing to obey those demands
-Legitimate claim to authority - -a rightful/justified claim to have authority over the other
-Ordinance Laws - -laws made by a city legislature
, -Statutes (State or Congress) - -laws made by congress or a state legislature
-Regulations - -rules made by bureaucratic agencies that have "the force of law." Along
with statues and ordinances, regulations are examples of ordinary laws
-Why, according to the textbook, is Max Weber's definition of government (as that which
has "a monopoly over the legitimate use of force over a territory") misleading? - -(1) The
definition emphasizes executive function of government at the expense oflegislative and
judicial functions of government
(2) The idea of a monopoly on the legitimate use of force conflicts with the idea of
federalism; in the US there is no government with a monopoly of legitimate use of physical
force
-What does it mean to be "sovereign"? Whom (or what) is considered to be sovereignin the
United States? - -To have sovereignty is to be the highest authority to rule over a given
territory- A sovereign government claims that no person, group, or organization either
within its territory or outside its territory has authority over it.
❖ In the US, the people are considered the highest authority to rule, therefore government
authority is legitimate only if it derives from the consent of the people
-Power and how government exercise power over people - -A has the power over B to the
extent that A can get B to do something that B would not otherwise do
Use of physical force
affecting their hearts and minds
-Power of the Purse - -government's ability to influence behavior by using money through
taxing and/or spending as a positive and/or negative incentive. In US government,
legislative branch controls power of the purse
-Positive Incentives - -something that motivates behavior by instilling the hope of enjoying
a benefit if a particular action is taken (or not taken)
Example: when federal government promises to give money in the form of tax deductions
and tax credits if individuals/corporations engage in certain kinds of desired behaviors
Carrots are another name for positive incentives; metaphor is of a cart driver dangling a
carrot in front of a mule to get the mule to move
-Negative Incentives - -something that motivates behavior by instilling the fear of
suffering a burden if a particular action is taken (or not taken)-
Example: threatening punishment to deter disobedience
