Assignment Guide #1: Introduction to American Government, Political Science, and the essence of citizenship

Jus Soli

The principle that citizenship is determined by birth on a state's territory; literally, 'right of the soil'.

Jus Sanguinis

The principle that citizenship is determined by the nationality of one or both parents; literally, 'right of blood'.

Naturalization

The legal process by which a person who is not a citizen of a country may acquire citizenship or nationality of that country.

Expatriation

The legal process through which a person gives up or loses their citizenship.

Denaturalization

The loss of citizenship through a court process, typically due to fraud or deception during the naturalization process.

14^{th} Amendment

Added to the U.S. Constitution in 1868, it defines citizenship, guarantees 'equal protection of the laws', and 'due process' to all citizens.

Resident Alien

A foreign-born individual who is not a citizen but has legally established permanent residence in a country.

Undocumented / Illegal Alien

A person residing in a country without legal permission or historical documentation.

Treason

The crime of betraying one's country, such as by attempting to kill the sovereign or overthrow the government.

Government

The formal institutions and processes through which a territory and its people are ruled.

Polity

An organized society, such as a nation, state, church, or other organization, having a specific form of government.

Nation State

A sovereign state whose citizens are relatively homogeneous in factors such as language or common descent.

Rights

Moral or legal entitlements to have or obtain something or to act in a certain way.

Civic Education

Instruction in the rights and obligations of citizens to prepare them for participation in civic life.

Arete

An ancient Greek concept meaning 'excellence' or 'virtue'; in a political context, the pursuit of being an ideal citizen.

Civil Disobedience

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

State

A political community that occupies a definite territory and has an organized government.

Nation

A large body of people united by common descent, history, culture, or language, inhabiting a particular country or territory.

Unitary

A system of government where all key powers are held by the central or national government.

Federalism

A system of government in which power is divided between a central authority and constituent political units (like states).

Confederacy

A loose union of independent states with a weak central government and strong regional powers.

Presidential System

A form of government where the executive branch is led by a president who is separate from the legislative branch.

Parliamentary System

A form of government in which the executive branch derives its democratic legitimacy from its ability to command the confidence of the legislative branch.

Absolute Monarchy

A system of government where the monarch has total power over the people.

Constitutional Monarchy

A system of government in which a monarch shares power with a constitutionally organized government.

Authoritarianism

A political system that concentrates power in a strong central authority and expects obedience from the public.

Oligarchy

A form of government in which all power is vested in a few persons or in a dominant class or clique.

Totalitarianism

A system of government that is centralized and dictatorial and requires complete subservience to the state; total control over public and private life.

Aristocracy

A form of government in which power is held by the nobility or a privileged social class.

Theocracy

A system of government in which priests or religious leaders rule in the name of God or a god.

Junta

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

Republic

A state in which supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives, rather than a monarch.

Democracy

A system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives.

Plutocracy

Government by the wealthy; a country or society governed by the wealthy.

Anarchy

A state of disorder due to absence or nonrecognition of authority or other controlling systems.

Traditional Democratic Theory

A theory that rests on several cornerstones: equality in voting, effective participation, enlightened understanding, final control over the agenda, and inclusion.

Mixed Government

A form of government that combines elements of democracy, aristocracy, and monarchy, intended to check the flaws of each.

Legitimacy

The popular acceptance and recognition of a government's authority and right to rule.

Flexibility (constitutional)

The ease with which a constitution can be amended or changed to adapt to new circumstances.

Civilian Control of the Military

A doctrine in military and political science that places ultimate responsibility for a country's strategic decision-making in the hands of the civilian political leadership.

Pluralism

The theory that politics is mainly a competition among groups, each one pressing for its own preferred policies.

Elite/Class Theory

A theory of government and politics contending that societies are divided along class lines and that an upper-class elite will rule.

Hyper-Pluralism

A theory of government and politics contending that groups are so strong that government is weakened.

Public Policy

A choice that government makes in response to a political issue; a course of action taken with regard to some problem.

Political Ideology

A coherent set of beliefs about politics, public policy, and public purpose, which helps give meaning to political events.

Political Socialization

The process by which individuals acquire their political orientations—their knowledge, feelings, and evaluations regarding the political world.

Political Culture

An overall set of values widely shared within a society.

Political Efficacy

The belief that one's political participation really matters—that one's vote can actually make a difference.

Political Institutions

Organizations such as parties, legislatures, and executive departments that shape political behavior and policy.

Policy Institutions

The branches of government charged with taking action on political issues: the Congress, the Presidency, the Courts, and the Bureaucracy.

Linkage Institutions

The political channels through which people's concerns become political issues on the policy agenda, such as elections, political parties, interest groups, and the media.

Political Party

A team of men and women seeking to control the governing apparatus by gaining office in a duly constituted election.

Demakratia

The direct translation of the Greek word for 'rule by the people'.

Roman / Written Law

Laws that have been codified and written down to ensure they are applied consistently (e.g., the Twelve Tables).

Bill of Rights

The first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution, which list specific prohibitions on governmental power.

Common Law

Legal system based on custom and court rulings rather than written law blocks.

Code of Law

A type of legislation that purports to exhaustively cover a complete system of laws or a particular area of law.

Bicameralism

The principle of a two-house legislature.

Rule of Law

The principle that the law applies to everyone, even those who govern.

Limited Government

The idea that certain restrictions should be placed on government to protect the natural rights of citizens.

State of Nature

The basis of natural rights philosophy; a hypothetical condition in which no government or laws exist.

Natural Rights

Rights inherent in human beings, not dependent on governments, which include life, liberty, and property.

Social Contract

The voluntary agreement among individuals by which, according to any of various theories, organized society is brought into being and invested with the right to secure mutual protection and welfare.

Separation of Powers

The distribution of power among the branches of government (legislative, executive, judicial).

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.

Iron Law of Oligarchy

The theory that all complex organizations, regardless of how democratic they may start, eventually develop into oligarchies.

Judicial Review

The power of the courts to determine whether acts of Congress and, by implication, the executive are in accord with the U.S. Constitution.

Popular Sovereignty

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

Platonic Myth

Also known as the 'Noble Lie'; a myth told by an elite to maintain social harmony or the existing social order.

Constitutional Mechanism

A structural feature or procedure within a constitution (like a veto) designed to process political demands.

Liberal

Generally favor government action and view change as progress.

Conservative

Generally favor traditional values and a limited role for government in the economy.

Democrat/Republican

The two major modern political parties in the United States.

Libertarian

An ideology that cherishes individual liberty and insists on minimal government, promoting a free market economy and personal freedom.

Social Conservative

Focuses on the preservation of traditional values and beliefs.

Neo-Conservative

Advocates for an interventionist foreign policy to promote democracy and free-market capitalism.

Neo Liberal

Supports free-market capitalism, deregulation, and reduction in government spending.

New England Liberal

Specifically associated with the progressive social views and moderate-to-liberal economic views of the northeastern U.S.

Southern Democrat/Blue Dog /Dixiecrat

Terms for conservative or moderate Democrats, historically from the U.S. South, who may diverge from the national party platform.