Review of Chapter 3:

UNITARY SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT: IS, a System where the Central Government makes all the decisions for its citizens - no matter where they reside.

Confederal System of Government:   IS, a system of government where regional, sovereign, units (states) are bound by a weak agreement.

Federal System of Government:   IS, a system of government where Governmental powers are shared between a central government and regional units (states).

STATE: IS, a bounded area with its own government which is sovereign (we use the term "State" incorrect, since there is obviously a higher power in the Federal Government). 

"MARBURY V. MADISON (1803)": IS, the case where John Marshall clarified the role of the Supreme Court as "interpreter of the Constitution" thus securing the power of Judicial Review.

" MCCULLOCH V. MARYLAND (1819)"  IS, the case where Marshall dismantled the guarantee of the 10th Amendment by ruling (via the power of Judicial review) that a power did not have to enumerated within the Constitution for it to be a power of the Federal Government, he (and his fellow Supreme Court members) ruled that the Constitution also contained Implied Powers.

10th Amendment: IS the Constitutional guarantee that those things not listed in the document would be for the States to decide.

Dual Federalism PERIOD: IS, the period where the relationship between the States and Federal Government resembled a "layered cake." 

Cooperative Federalism PERIOD: IS, the period where the relationship between the States and Federal Government resembled a "marbled cake."  

New Federalism PERIOD: IS, the period where the relationship between the States and Federal Government would like a hybrid between the two and represent a changing back from Cooperative to Dual Federalism (denoting "Devolution").

federal Categorical Grant: IS, monies for very specific programs (i.e.. Food Stamps, Medicaid, monies for an adult reading program).   

federal Block Grant: IS, monies earmarked for a division of government (i.e.. Education, Social Services, Transportation).  

Federal General Grant: IS, monies to be used at the discretion of the State. 

CHAPTER 6 -

I want to get back to the concept of ideology (which is our comprehensive set of beliefs about a topic - in our case, "the role of government") but prior to that one should ask the question: "Where do our politicals beliefs come from?"  The answer is via "political socialization."

 Somewhere along the line you had to be asking if their was something more than "Self-Interest" that determines a person's leanings.  Why might a young person or less affluent person lean to the side of Freedom, or a wealthy, older, person lean toward the side of Equality?  As a whole, it's one's Political Socialization that determines their political leaning.  One of the forces, as the text has pointed out, is one's economic standing ( I believe it to be the greatest influence -or "socializer"), but their are many forces. The text identifies both Primary and Secondary, and, though it doesn't label them as such, both proximate and none proximate forces.  See Below,

THE FORCES OF POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION.

Please remember that the impact of the forces are different for different individuals.  For some, it may be a text book ( non-proximate: media) for others it may be a teacher ( proximate: primary force) that really shapes their beliefs about the role of government.  The potential amount of the impact a force has can be likened to the works of a clay sculptor.  Imagine, if you will, your form ( both physical and mental) when you are just born - you are like wet clay, malleable and ripe for shaping.  The hands upon you are generally your parents (the greatest proximate: primary force).     As you get older, you become more rigid -like clay that is drying over time.  And the longer the clay dries ( the older you get) the less likely your beliefs are going to be changed or shaped.  This is why co-workers are a proximate: secondary force,  how many newborns have co-workers? 

Where "proximate forces" are hands on, non-proximate forces cannot be.  "Media," by its very definition, is a "thing" through which ideas are transferred through, one-way.  Think about it, you make talk to your television, but your television doesn't talk directly to you.  ( If you do think your television actually is talking directly to you, seek help now! )  And, though there is shaping going on, it's passive -you don't get to question further what's offered.  "Situational Forces," on the other hand, are like media in that these forces shape you passively, but they aren't a transfer of ideas - they are the unique surrounding that aid in the building of your beliefs.  Using our "clay analogy,"   these forces would be the type of clay used by the sculptor, or the size of the turning wheel, or the length of the baking process, et cetera, et cetera.  

Alright, you have your beliefs even your ideologies - now what happens when two (or more) differing beliefs/ideologies happen to come together? The answer - one of the three following outcomes:

ASSIMILATION: IS, A + B = A [When A has the culture generally recognized as Higher on the "Quality of Life Hill" than B, and therefore, B adopts A's culture] 

AMALGAMATION: IS, A + B = C [When A and B recognize that each of their cultures is about equal on the "Quality of Life Hill," and therefore, both A and B adopt the best of the other's culture (dumping the bad) to create a third distinct culture.]

ACCOMMODATION: IS, A + B = A+B [When A believes it has the culture Higher on the "Quality of Life Hill," BUT, B believes it has the culture Higher on the "Quality of Life Hill, and therefore, neither is willing to adopt the other's culture.]

Note that all bring into the process the concept of the quality of life hill. . .

Ideologies - discussed earlier - are also noted in this chapter. Again, understanding political ideologies (or what a person probably believes regarding the role of government) is quintessential to having a legitimate debate or discussion regarding what your government is or isn't doing and whther its a good thing or not.

Remembering that a political ideology is "one's comprehensive set of believes about what the role of one's government should be," we probably ought to explain how this term relates to the concept of Civil Liberties and -mentioned in this chapter and - Civil Rights [which we really won't get into as a specific lecture].  

As identified above, Civil Liberties are our protected FREEDOMS, while Civil Rights are our rights of EQUALITY. These two values (Freedom & Equality), however, are not compatible concepts in their purest forms.  In fact, on an ideological "spectrum," or scale,  these two values are the anchors  -They are, for purposes of this course, polar opposites.  See Below: