GOV 201 Midterm

Institution

An organization or social structure identified with a social purpose, formed by rules and hierarchy.

Meta-institution

An institution characterized by its formal or informal structure and social purpose, e.g., the Catholic Church, military, or nuclear family.

Rule institution

A set of formal rules and informal norms that govern interactions among political or other actors.

Collective action problem

A situation where individual actors cannot coordinate their actions, leading to worse outcomes than if they had worked together.

Prisoner's Dilemma

A situation in which individual incentives conflict with collective cooperation, leading to suboptimal outcomes for all involved.

Free rider problem

A scenario where individuals benefit from a good without contributing, discouraging contributions from others.

Tragedy of the commons

A situation where shared resource use leads to depletion or destruction due to individual overexploitation.

Public good

A resource that is non-rival and non-excludable, meaning its use by one individual does not reduce its availability to others.

Common good

A resource that is rival but non-excludable, where use by one reduces availability for others.

Veto player

An individual or group that can block proposed changes to policies, particularly legislation.

Veto points

Locations in the political process where a veto player can halt attempts to change the status quo.

Federalism

A system of government in which authority is divided between national and state levels.

Unitary government

A centralized government structure where lower levels derive authority from the central government.

Supremacy Clause

Article VI of the Constitution, establishing that federal laws take precedence over state laws.

Commerce Clause

Gives Congress the power to regulate commerce among the states and with foreign nations.

Dual federalism

A system where state and national governments operate independently in their own spheres of authority.

Cooperative federalism

A system where state and national governments work together to provide services and enforce laws.

Elastic Clause

Allows Congress to make all laws necessary and proper for executing its powers.

Enumerated powers

Specific authority granted to the national government to address problems that states couldn't solve.

10th Amendment

Reserves powers not delegated to the federal government to the states and the people.

Nationalization

The process by which control over policies shifts from state or local governance to the national government.

Federalist 10

An essay by James Madison arguing that a well-constructed union should break and control the violence of factions.

Agenda control

The ability to influence which issues are addressed and in what order during decision-making.

Median voter theorem

States that the candidate favored by the median voter is likely to win in majority rule voting situations.

Proximity voting

A voting principle where voters select candidates whose positions are closest to their ideals.

Transaction costs

The costs associated with making a decision, often increased in complex decisions.

Conformity costs

The extent to which policies or laws deviate from an individual's preferences.

Liberty

The right to do what one chooses with one's own person and property, free from interference.

Direct democracy

A system where citizens vote on laws and policies themselves rather than through representatives.

Representative democracy

A system where citizens elect representatives to make policy decisions on their behalf.

Electoral College

A body that formally elects the President of the United States.

Bicameral legislature

A legislature composed of two chambers, such as the U.S. Congress.

Separation of powers

The division of government responsibilities into distinct branches to prevent any one branch from wielding excessive power.

Checks and balances

Mechanisms that allow each branch of government to limit the powers of the others.

Judicial review

The power of courts to assess whether a law is in compliance with the Constitution.

Federalist 15

An essay highlighting the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and the need for a stronger national government.

Brutus 1

An Anti-Federalist paper arguing against the proposed Constitution, fearing central government tyranny.

Virginia Plan

A proposal for a strong national government with a bicameral legislature based on population.

New Jersey Plan

A proposal for a weak national government with equal representation for each state.

3/5ths Compromise

Agreement counting each slave as three-fifths of a person for legislative representation and taxation.

Great Compromise

Compromise establishing a bicameral legislature with representation based on population and equal state representation.

Checks and balances

A system that ensures no branch of government becomes too powerful.

Federalist 39

James Madison's discussion on the nature of the proposed government, blending national and federal elements.

Federalist 46

Madison's assurance that states would maintain power against federal encroachments.

McCulloch v. Maryland

Supreme Court case establishing the principle of implied powers and federal supremacy over states.

Hobbes and Locke

Philosophers whose ideas about governance and the social contract influenced American political thought.

Shay's Rebellion

An uprising that highlighted the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and prompted the Constitutional Convention.

Impasse over jurisdiction

A situation where disputes arise regarding the authority of state versus national government.

Race to the bottom

A competitive environment where states lower standards to attract businesses or investments.

Crossover sanctions

Conditions that require states to comply with federal regulations to receive federal funding.

Block grant

Federal funding given to states with few restrictions on how it should be spent.

Matching grant

A federal program that aims to incentivize state spending by matching state funds.

Unfunded mandate

A regulation or policy imposed on the states without federal funding to support implementation.

Federalist 15

Emphasizes the necessary strength of the national government to avoid chaos under the AOC.

Political pluralism

The concept that various groups influence political decisions due to their competing interests.

Party system

The structure of political parties in a given political framework that interacts with governance.

Collective decision making

The process of making decisions as a group, often involving negotiations and compromises.

Public referendums

Direct votes in which an entire electorate is invited to vote on a particular proposal and can result in the adoption of new legislation.

Insider trading laws

Regulations designed to prevent illegal trading based on non-public information.

State sovereignty

The concept that states have the right to govern themselves independently.

Political legitimacy

The general belief that the government has the right to govern or that its rule is recognized as authoritative.

Constitutional amendments

Changes or additions to the Constitution, requiring specific processes for approval.

Judicial restraint

The principle that courts should defer to the decisions of the legislative and executive branches.

Judicial activism

An approach to judicial review where judges are willing tooverturn laws and precedent.

Proportional representation

An electoral system where parties gain seats in legislature in proportion to the number of votes they receive.

Lobbying

The act of attempting to influence the decisions of government officials.

Public policy

A system of laws, regulatory measures, courses of action, and funding priorities concerning a given topic promulgated by a governmental entity.

Campaign finance reform

Laws or regulations that aim to limit the amount of money that can be contributed to political campaigns.

Voter suppression

Policies, laws, or practices that aim to prevent specific groups of people from voting.

Political accountability

The responsibility of elected officials to act in the best interest of the public and to be answerable for their actions.

Interest groups

Organizations that advocate for specific issues and attempt to influence public policy.

Political ideology

A set of beliefs about the preferred form of government, economic system, and societal values.

Social contract theory

The philosophical concept that individuals consent to form a government to ensure order and protect their rights.

Constitutional law

The body of law that interprets and implements the Constitution.

State policies

Laws and regulations enacted by state legislatures or state governments.

Political behavior

The actions and activities of individuals in relation to politics, including voting, campaigning, and advocacy.

Civic engagement

Individual and collective actions designed to identify and address issues of public concern.

Public administration

The implementation of government policy and the management of public programs.

Public sector

The part of the economy that is controlled by the government.

Policy analysis

The process of evaluating and comparing policies to determine their impacts and effectiveness.

Regulatory agency

A public authority established by a government to enforce regulations.

Constitutional conventions

Meetings for the purpose of discussing and drafting changes to a Constitution.

Dual federalism

The states and the national government preside over mutually exclusive spheres of sovereignty, as articulated in Federalist 45.

Shared/Cooperative Federalism

A system where the national and state governments jointly supply services to the citizenry and where state and federal powers intersect over many of the most important functions.

Federalists vs Antifederalists

Federalists supported a strong national government and the ratification of the Constitution, while Antifederalists opposed it, fearing centralized power would threaten individual liberties and state sovereignty.

Cutthroat competition as a collective action problem among states

A scenario where states engage in intense competition that leads to a reduction in public goods or services quality, as each state tries to attract businesses or residents through lower standards or taxes.

17th Amendment

 mandated direct popular election of senators. 

Which constitutional provisions govern federalism

Article IV Section 3, Admission of New States

Article IV Section 4, Republican Form of Government

reneging and shirking

refers to the failure of states to uphold agreements or fulfill obligations in a federal system, often leading to issues in cooperation and governance.