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Declaration of Independence

pronouncement of separation from former mother country, Britain; it founded the US

Articles of Confederation

the original constitution that governed during the Revolutionary war; it was considered weak and heavily flawed

Shays’s Rebellion

in 1787, war soldiers rebelled in attempt to prevent foreclosures of their land as a result of high interest and tax

Constitutional Convention

1787 meeting in Philadelphia to write a new national constitution

Checks and Balances

constitutional separation and limitation of powers within the three branches of federal government

Rule of law

the law is applied broadly and equally; no one is above the law

Popular sovereignty

people are the source of authority and power in government

Limited government

federal government with predefined limits to its power and authority

Natural rights

rights that are inherently given to the people

Social Contract

mutually beneficial agreement between the people and the government

Representative Democracy (Republic)

form of government where elected individuals represent the people

Participatory Democracy

form of government where citizens participate directly and individually

Elitist Democracy

political system where the well-educated and wealthy are in power

Pluralist democracy

political system where competing interest groups are in power

Great (Connecticut) Compromise

Bicameral legislature - House of Reps to be proportional to state population and Senate to be 2 seats/state

Three-Fifths Compromise

slaves are to represent 3/5 of a person

Importation of Slaves Compromise

Congress is given authority to prohibit the slave trade; it would be banned after 20 years

Article v Amendment Process

amendments need a 2/3 vote of Congress to be proposed and a 3/4 vote of state legislatures to be passed

Federalists

individuals who advocated for a strong central government and feared tyranny of the majority (the poor)

Anti Federalists

individuals who oppose a strong central government and support small state governments as well as fear tyranny of the minority (wealthy elite)

Federalism

sharing of power between state and national governmental power through levels (federal, state, local) not separation

Access points

a point in policymaking that allows citizens to influence government

Block Grants

federal funds that allow states to determine which category they will go to

Categorical Grants

federally funded grants to states for a specific category. If accepted, states have to also accept the national regulation that comes with taking the money

Federal Mandates

federal requirements also applied to state and local government

Federal Exclusive Powers

enumerated powers given to the national government

Concurrent Powers

powers shared between the federal and state government

10th Amendment (Reserved Powers)

the powers not delegated to the US by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively (or the people)

Congressional enumerated powers

congressional powers explicitly expressed in the Constitution

Congressional Implied powers

congressional powers implied in the Constitution

House Constitutional Powers

impeach, tax, foreign trade/treaties, VP appointment, elect President in case of tie

Senate Constitutional Powers

impeachment trials, President nominees, 2/3 vote for treaties, elect VP in case of tie

Raising revenue/power of the purse

congressional ability to tax and spend raised revenue

Discretionary spending

portion of budget that president requests and Congress appropriates

Mandatory/entitlement spending

spending determined by laws and regulations, not by Congress

Congressional leadership

Senate → president pro tempore, majority leader, minority leader; House → speaker of the house, majority leader, minority leader

Pork Barrel projects/Earmarks

(often local) projects that are funded by the federal budget through Congressman

Logrolling/reciprocity

exchanging of favors between politicians, particularly through reciprocal voting

Trustee/partisan/politico models

elected representatives are responsible for governing all; elected representatives are responsible fro deciding in line with party

Gerrymandering

manipulation of district lines to favor a certain group

Presidential formal powers

explicit powers assigned to the president

President informal powers

implicit powers assigned to the president

Bully Pulpit

office/position that gives occupant opportunity to address any issue

Executive orders

informal powers of the president to manage operations of the federal government

Executive agreements

an international agreement made by executive branch dealing with routine matters

Judicial Review

constitution is supreme and must be upheld/interpreted by SCOTUS judges

Stare Decisis

court must make decisions that align with past court rulings

Judicial activism

loose interpretation of constitution; interpreted generally and applied to modern circumstances

Judicial restraint

decide cases by strictly interpreting the Constitution

Iron triangles

policy making relationship between Congress, bureaucracy, and an interest group

Article I Congress

all legislative powers is vested in the US Congress

Representation: House and Senate

two houses that make up the bicameral legislature in Congress. House consists of 435 members and Senate consists of 100 members

Necessary and Proper clause

congressional powers to make a law are deemed necessary and proper

Committee Hearings

meeting of Senate/House/joint/special committee to gather information and opinions on proposed legislation, conduct an investigation, and evaluate activities of a government department

Senate filibuster/cloture

filibuster → an action (ie prolonged speech) to delay or prevent a decision regarding legislation; cloture → procedure to end debate and take a vote

Article II - Executive

executive power is vested in the President (+ VP + Cabinet)

Cabinet v White House Staff

Cabinet → body made of 15 heads of executive departments; White House Staff → body responsible for helping the President carry out his role as Chief Executive Officer

22nd Amendment

President can be in office for a maximum of two terms

Article III - Judiciary

all judicial powers are vested in one SCOTUS and other lower level courts

Electoral College

people represent the states in President and vice presidential elections

SCOTUS and public opinion

approval ratings of SCOTUS decisions have generally declined and disapproval ratings have risen

Bureaucracy

body of government appointed officials in executive branch who works for the President

Civil liberties

enumerated rights to protect citizens from the government; found in the Bill of Rights

Civil rights

personal rights to protected citizens social freedom and equality; guaranteed by the constitution

Minority rights

personal rights belonging to racial, ethnic, religious, gender, and class minorities

Symbolic speech

form of nonverbal and unwritten speech

Rights of the accused

right to remain silent, right to an attorney, right to a fair and speedy trial, right to know that anything said can be used against them in court, right to know who your accuser is

Selective Incorporation

when the federal law is applied to states, ensuring they cannot override their granted constitutional rights

Right to privacy

fourth amendment protection from unreasonable searches and seizures

Affirmative Action

action taken to include and advocate for racial minorities among other applicants (in education or employment)

First Amendment

freedom of speech, religion, press, petition, and assembly

Free Exercise clause

allows citizens to practice their religion at they wish (as long as it does not interfere with public morals or government interest)

Establishment clause

the government cannot establish one religion

Second Amendment

right to keep and bear arms

Fourth Amendment

right to privacy and security in one’s own home; no unreasonable searches and seizures

Clear and present danger test

test to determine whether speech is protected or unprotected (harmless or harmful)

Fifth Amendment

right to remain silent

Miranda Rule

warning must be given the accused, telling them what their rights as the accused are

Sixth Amendment

right to a speedy and public trial, right to know the nature and cause of the accusation

Eighth Amendment

no excessive bail, no cruel and unusual punishment

Fourteenth Amendment

no state can make or enforce any law that infringes on the rights of US citizens; no state can deprive a person of life, liberty, or property without due process. Equal protection of laws

Exclusionary Rule

law that prohibits the use of illegally obtained evidence

Due Process clause

states cannot deny an person life, liberty, or property without due process of law

Equal Protection clause

all citizens of the US are equally protected under the law regardless of factors like race, gender, religion, etc

Bill of Rights

first 10 amendments of the constitution

Patriot Act/USA Freedom Act (2001)

law with purpose to prevent against terrorist attacks

National Organization for Women

group of activists working to end gender inequality and discrimination

Civil Rights Act of 1964

law that prohibited discrimination on basis of race, religion, sex, and ethnicity

Voting Rights Act of 1965

prohibited discriminatory voting practices (literacy tests, poll taxes, etc)

Title IX

prohibited discrimination on basis of sex in education programs and activities (with federal financial assistance)

Political culture

the values, feelings, and knowledge associated with the political process

Political socialization

the process of forming one’s own political view

Social demographics

characteristics of a population

Political ideology

a collection of views on/way of thinking of politics

Keynesian economics

economic theory that government should manage economy (spend more in recession, cut spending when inflation occurs)

Globalization

the process of businesses integrating and influencing internationally

Public policy making

the process in which public policies are made

Individualism/Individual freedom

principle of being independent and self reliant

Conservative ideology

a set of political views typically held by Republicans; in support of tradition and individualism

Liberal ideology

a set of political views typically held by Democrats; in support of modernization and equality