POS2041 Midterm (Broward College)

Ideology

a system of ideas and ideals, especially one that forms the basis of economic or political theory and policy.

intense preferences

beliefs and preferences based on strong feelings regarding an issue that someone adheres to over time

latent preferences

beliefs and preferences people are not deeply committed to and that change over time

Partisanship

Government action based on firm allegiance to a political party

social capital

Democratic and civic habits of discussion, compromise, and respect for differences, which grow out of participation in voluntary organizations.

Elite Theory

A theory of government and politics contending that societies are divided along class lines and that an upper-class elite will rule, regardless of the formal niceties of governmental organization.

pluralist theory

A theory of government and politics emphasizing that politics is mainly a competition among groups, each one pressing for its own preferred policies.

common goods

goods that all people may use but that are of limited supply

Democracy

A political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them

Direct Democracy

A form of government in which citizens rule directly and not through representatives

majority rule

Governance according to the expressed preferences of the majority.

minority rights

A principle of traditional democratic theory that guarantees rights to those who do not belong to majorities.

Monarchy

A government ruled by a king or queen

Oligarchy

A government ruled by a few powerful people

political power

power used to determine who will hold government office and how the government will behave

private goods

goods that are both excludable and rival in consumption

Representative Democracy

A system of government in which citizens elect representatives, or leaders, to make decisions about the laws for all the people.

toll goods

A type of market failure whereby a good is defined by its ability to be jointly consumed, and exclusion is feasible. An example is cable television services.

Totalitarianism

A form of government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator (not restricted by a constitution or laws or opposition etc.)

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the Constitution

Anti-Federalists

people who opposed the Constitution

Federalists

supporters of the Constitution

Federalist Papers

A collection of 85 articles written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison under the name "Publius" to defend the Constitution in detail.

bicameral legislature

a lawmaking body made up of two chambers or parts

Checks and Balances

A system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other branches in order to prevent abuse of power

enumerated powers

Powers given to the national government alone

federal system

A government that divides the powers of government between the national government and state or provincial governments

Great Compromise

agreement providing a dual system of congressional representation

New Jersey Plan

A constitutional proposal that would have given each state one vote in a new congress

reserved powers

Powers given to the state government alone

seperation of powers

dividing the powers of government among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches

Supremacy Clause

Article VI of the Constitution, which makes the Constitution, national laws, and treaties supreme over state laws when the national government is acting within its constitutional limits.

Three-Fifths Compromise

Agreement that each slave counted as three-fifths of a person in determining representation in the House for representation and taxation purposes (negated by the 13th amendment)

unicameral legislature

One-house legislature

Veto

to reject

Virginia Plan

"Large state" proposal for the new constitution, calling for proportional representation in both houses of a bicameral Congress. The plan favored larger states and thus prompted smaller states to come back with their own plan for apportioning representation.

Articles of Confederation

A weak constitution that governed America during the Revolutionary War.

Confederation

A joining of several groups for a common purpose.

Republic

A form of government in which citizens choose their leaders by voting

Declaration of Independence

the document recording the proclamation of the second Continental Congress (4 July 1776) asserting the independence of the colonies from Great Britain

Natural Rights

Life, Liberty, and Property

Social Contract

A voluntary agreement among individuals to secure their rights and welfare by creating a government and abiding by its rules.

race to the bottom

a dynamic in which states compete to attract business by lowering taxes and regulations, often to workers' detriment

immigration federalism

the gradual movement of states into the immigration policy domain traditionally handled by the federal government

venue shopping

a strategy in which interest groups select the level and branch of government they calculate will be most receptive to their policy goals

block grants

Federal grants given more or less automatically to states or communities to support broad programs in areas such as community development and social services

categorical grants

Federal grants for specific purposes, such as building an airport

creeping categorization

a process in which the national government attaches new administrative requirements to block grants or supplants them with new categorical grants

Unfounded mandates

A public policy that requires a subnational government to pay for an activity or project established by the federal government.

Cooperative Federalism

A system of government in which powers and policy assignments are shared between states and the national government. They may also share costs, administration, and even blame for programs that work poorly.

Dual Federalism

A system of government in which both the states and the national government remain supreme within their own spheres, each responsible for some policies.

general revenue sharing

the process by which one unit of government yields a portion of its tax income to another unit of government, according to an established formula; revenue sharing typically involves the national government providing money to state governments

New Federalism

system in which the national government restores greater authority back to the states

Nulification

states could refuse to obey federal laws that they believe are unconstitutional

bill of attainder

a law that punishes a person accused of a crime without a trial or a fair hearing in court

concurrent powers

Powers held jointly by the national and state governments.

Devolution

the transfer of powers and responsibilities from the federal government to the states

ex post facto law

a law that makes an act criminal although the act was legal when it was committed

Elastic Clause

Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution, which allows Congress to make all laws that are "necessary and proper" to carry out the powers of the Constitution.

Federalism

A system in which power is divided between the national and state governments

Full Faith and Credit Clause

Constitution's requirement that each state accept the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other state

priviledges and immunities clause

Article 4, Sec 2, clause 1 - Prevents a state from treating citizens from other states in a discriminatory manner.

unitary system

A government that gives all key powers to the national or central government

writ of habeas corpus

A court order requiring jailers to explain to a judge why they are holding a prisoner in custody.

Civil Liberties

Constitutional freedoms guaranteed to all citizens

civil rights

the rights of citizens to political and social freedom and equality.

Due Process Clause

14th amendment clause stating that no state may deprive a person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law

selective incorporation

The process by which provisions of the Bill of Rights are brought within the scope of the Fourteenth Amendment and so applied to state and local governments.

Blue Laws

laws designed to restrict personal behavior in accord with a strict code of morality

common-law right

a right of the people rooted in legal tradition and past court rulings, rather than the Constitution

conscientious objector

Person who refuses to enter the military or bear arms due to moral or religious reasons

Establishment Clause

Clause in the First Amendment that says the government may not establish an official religion.

exclusionary rule

improperly gathered evidence may not be introduced in a criminal trial

Free Exercise Clause

A First Amendment provision that prohibits government from interfering with the practice of religion.

Obscenity

Quality or state of a work that taken as a whole appeals to a prurient interest in sex by depicting sexual conduct in a patently offensive way and that lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value.

Affirmative Action

A policy designed to redress past discrimination against women and minority groups through measures to improve their economic and educational opportunities

Black Codes

Laws denying most legal rights to newly freed slaves; passed by southern states following the Civil War

Equal Protection Clause

14th amendment clause that prohibits states from denying equal protection under the law, and has been used to combat discrimination

Intermediate Scrutiny

a test used by the Supreme Court in gender discrimination cases that places the burden of proof partially on the government and partially on the challengers to show that the law in question is unconstitutional

rational basis test

A standard developed by the courts to test the constitutionality of a law; when applied, a law is constitutional as long as it meets a reasonable government interest.

Strict Scrutiny

A Supreme Court test to see if a law denies equal protection because it does not serve a compelling state interest and is not narrowly tailored to achieve that goal

Brown v. Board of Education

1954 - The Supreme Court overruled Plessy v. Ferguson, declared that racially segregated facilities are inherently unequal and ordered all public schools desegregated.

Civil Disobedience

A form of political participation that reflects a conscious decision to break a law believed to be immoral and to suffer the consequences.

de facto segregation

Segregation resulting from economic or social conditions or personal choice.

direct action

unconventional participation that involves assembling crowds to confront businesses and local governments to demand a hearing

prior restraint

government censorship of information before it is published or broadcast

probable cause

reasonable cause for issuing a search warrant or making an arrest; more than mere suspicion

search warrant

A court order allowing law enforcement officers to search a suspect's home or business and take specific items as evidence

Sherbert Test

a standard for deciding whether a law violates the free exercise clause; a law will be struck down unless there is a "compelling governmental interest" at stake and it accomplishes its goal by the "least restrictive means" possible

symbolic speech

an act that conveys a political message

double jeopardy

Being tried twice for the same crime

economic liberty

The belief that individuals should be allowed to pursue their economic self-interest without government restrictions.

eminent domain

Power of a government to take private property for public use.

Miranda warnings

Warnings that police must read to suspects prior to questioning that advises them of their rights.

plea bargain

Agreement between a prosecutor and a defendant that the defendant will plead guilty to a lesser offense to avoid having to stand trial for a more serious offense.

self-incrimination

testifying against oneself

Patriot Act

This law passed after 9/11 expanded the tools used to fight terrorism and improved communication between law enforcement and intelligence agencies

right to privacy

The right to a private personal life free from the intrusion of government.

Undue Burden Test

a means of deciding whether a law that makes it harder for women to seek abortions is constitutional

Disenfranchisement

Condition of being deprived of the right to vote