Introduction to American Government and Political Science

These flashcards cover key concepts, vocabulary, and definitions related to American government and political science as outlined in the lecture notes.

Constitutionalism

A system of government in which the powers of the government are limited by law.

Legitimacy

The quality of being accepted as an authority, often applied to laws or those in power.

Civic Education

The study of the rights and duties of citizenship.

Naturalization

The process by which a non-citizen becomes a citizen.

Expatriation

The act of renouncing citizenship in one country and becoming a citizen of another.

Denaturalization

The process of revoking someone's citizenship.

14th Amendment

An amendment to the U.S. Constitution defining citizenship and guaranteeing equal protection under the law.

Undocumented Alien

A person who does not have official permission to reside in a country.

Totalitarianism

A political system in which the state holds total authority over society and seeks to control all aspects of public and private life.

Oligarchy

A form of power structure in which power resides in the hands of a small number of people.

Plutocracy

Government by the wealthy.

Democratic Theory

The study of the principles and practices of democracy.

Political Socialization

The process by which individuals learn and develop political attitudes, values, and behaviors.

Public Policy

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

Political Efficacy

The belief that one can influence political processes.

Separation of Powers

The division of government responsibilities into distinct branches to limit any one branch from exercising the core functions of another.

Checks and Balances

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

Hyper-Pluralism

A theory of government that contends that too many groups are so strong that government is weakened.

Judicial Review

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

Popular Sovereignty

The principle that the authority of a state and its government are created and sustained by the consent of its people.

Civil Disobedience

The active, professed refusal to obey certain laws or demands of a government.

Bicameralism

A legislature divided into two houses.

Political Institutions

Structures of a political system that carry out the work of governing.

Rights

Legal, social, or ethical principles of freedom or entitlement.

Nation

A group of people with a common identity usually based on cultural, geographic, or ethnic ties.

State

A political unit with defined territory, government, and authority.

Federalism

The distribution of power between a central government and regional governments.

Unitary System

A system of political organization with a central supreme government.

Confederate System

A political system in which a group of states or regions agree to cooperate for specific purposes.

Authoritarianism

A political system in which a single entity or small group wields significant power.

Monarchy

A form of government with a monarch at the head.

Aristocracy

A form of government in which power is held by the nobility.

Junta

A military or political group that rules a country after taking power by force.

Social Contract

An implicit agreement among the members of a society to cooperate for social benefits.

Natural Rights

Rights that are not contingent upon the laws, customs, or beliefs of any particular culture or government.

Political Ideology

A set of beliefs about political values and the role of government.

American Constitutionalism

The framework of the principles and processes that make up the Constitution of the United States.

Civic Knowledge

Awareness of the rights and obligations of citizenship and the functioning of government.

Political Party

An organized group of people who have similar political aims and opinions.

Optimism for the Future

Belief in positive outcomes for American constitutional democracy.

Citizenship

The status of being a member of a state or nation and enjoying its rights and responsibilities.

Dahl's Principles

Key principles defined by political theorist Robert Dahl regarding democratic governance.

Political Culture

The set of attitudes, beliefs, and sentiments that shape the political behavior of individuals in a society.

Role of Citizen

The responsibilities and rights of individuals in a democracy.