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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
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Flashcard (27)