civics exam knowt

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Constitutional Monarchy

A monarchy, but with limited power.

Autocracy

A government by one person with absolute power.

Oligarchy

A small group, having control over a country.

Democracy

Government by the people.

Dictatorship

Government by a dictator.

Patriotism

Supporting your country.

Monarchy

A government with a monarch at the head.

Natural Law

Unchanging moral principles.

Republic

Self-government that is not hereditary or monarchical.

Absolute Monarchy

King or queen holding unlimited power.

Constitution

Fundamental principles.

Government

The governing body of a nation, state, or community.

Anarchy

The organization of society on the basis of voluntary cooperation, without political institutions or hierarchical government.

Direct Democracy

A form of government in which policies and laws are decided by a majority of all those eligible rather than by a body of elected representatives.

Indirect Democracy

A system where citizens vote for officials (representatives) to make laws and govern on their behalf.

Reserved Powers

Powers provide the states with quite a bit of freedom to exercise authority as they see fit.

Implied Powers

Powers derived from the expressed powers in the constitution.

Expressed Powers

Powers stated in the constitution.

Elastic Clause

Another name for the 'necessary and proper' clause; it enlarges the scopes of the national power.

Civil Rights

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

Civil Liberties

The state of being subject only to laws established for the good of the community.

Federalism

A system in which governmental power is divided into two or more levels.

Dual Federalism

The national and state levels were sovereign within their own sphere.

Interdependence

What or who you are relying on is also relying on you.

Revenue Sharing

The national government allocates some of its tax revenues to the state.

Categorical Grant

Federal aid to state or local governments that is provided for a specific purpose.

Block Grant

Federal aid provided to a state government to be spent within a certain policy area.

Formula Grant

Grants governed by the demographic formulas in a given area.

Grants-in-Aid

Federal program gives money to state and local governments on the local level for purposes defined by the national government.

Project Grant

Gives the government greater discretion deciding how much aid will be given to a project.

Pork Barrel Spending

Favors obtained for local citizens at the expense of taxpayers.

Representative

A person who is elected by citizens to speak or act for them.

Senator

Member of the upper house; each state has 2.

Caucus

Small meetings of a party's top leaders and legislators.

Logrolling

A member of congress supports a colleague's spending project in return for support for his own pork barrel legislation.

Joint Committee

A committee whose members are from two or more different organizations.

Select Committee

A small legislative committee appointed for a special purpose.

Standing Committee

A permanent committee that meets regularly.

Conference Committee

A temporary, joint legislative panel with members from both the House and Senate.

Ticket Splitting

When a voter votes for candidates from two different parties.

Yellow Dog Voting

A voter who is extremely loyal to a specific political party.

Major Party

Those which have been dominant political competitors for well over a century.

Minor Party

Those smaller parties usually organized around a particular issue.

Multi-Party

Several parties compete for majority support.

Coalition

A temporary alliance formed by members of different parties.

Primaries

Election in which party candidates compete state by state to win delegate support.

Caucuses

A meeting of local party members to choose party officials or candidates.

Public Opinion

Americans' opinions about some political issues.

Public Policy

A government's course of action, including laws, regulations, and funding, designed to address public problems and achieve societal goals.

Foreign Policy

International matters (participation in NATO, international trade); a category of public policy.

Domestic Policy

Matters of internal concern for the nation (deficit spending, expansion of social services).

Opinion Polls

Surveys of public thought on particular subjects; reliability demands that the people surveyed accurately represent the population involved.

Pressure Groups

(AKA special interest groups) are 'publics' that share opinions on a political issue and make an organization to further their views.

Two-Party System

Provides more stability than a multiparty system.

Cabinet

Developed to assist the president in his constitutional duties; members are not members of Congress.

Lame Duck

A President is considered a Lame Duck when he has lost an election or cannot stand for reelection.

Impeachment

Bringing charges against the president or top government official carried out by the House.

Executive Agreement

An international agreement entered into by the President, outside of the treaty ratification process.

NAFTA

North America Free Trade Agreement; launched 1994, officially began 2008.

GATT

General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade; reduce barriers to international trade.

Veto Power

The authority to unilaterally block or reject a decision, proposal, or law, typically held by an executive.

Covert Operations

A secret government activity, often by intelligence agencies or military, designed to influence conditions abroad without revealing the sponsor.

NSC (National Security Council)

Serves an important role in intelligence gathering, policy information, crisis management.

OMB (Office of Management and Budget)

Prepares nation's annual budget for Congress.

XXV Amendment

Vice president vacancy is filled through nomination by the president and confirmation by majority vote in both houses of Congress.

XXII Amendment

The President is restricted to two terms; ratified Feb. 27, 1951.

Regulatory

Serving or intended to regulate something.

Fourth Branch

A term for powerful entities outside the traditional branches of government, often referring to the media or bureaucracy.

Gobbledygook

Language that is meaningless or made unintelligible by excessive use of technical terms.

Delegation

The formal transfer of authority or power from a higher government official to a lower official or agency.

Pendleton Act of 1883

Established a merit-based system for federal jobs, ending the spoils system of political patronage.

Merit System

A method for hiring, promoting, and rewarding employees based on their proven ability and performance.

Bureaucracy

A system of government in which most important decisions are made by state officials rather than elected representatives.

Formal Rules

The organization conducts its operations according to established regulations and procedures.

Hierarchical Authority

Like a pyramid; officials at the top have control over those in the middle, who have control over those at the bottom.

Job Specialization

Each person who works for the organization (each bureaucrat) has defined duties/responsibilities.

Unitary Government

Governmental power resides in the central government; this government receives all its power from the people.

Federal Government

Divided a nation's power among national, regional, and local governments.

Confederate Government

Regional governments retain supremacy and delegate few tasks to the national government.

Senate Powers

Senate has sole responsibility in two areas: Treaty ratification (2/3rds approval) and Confirmation power over executive and judicial appointments.

House of Representatives Powers

Power of the purse is one of the most important congressional powers; all money bills must originate in the House of Representatives.

Shared Powers

Impeachment is carried out by the House; the Senate brings conviction.

Election Process Order

Step 1: Primaries and Caucuses, Step 2: National conventions, Step 3: General Election, Step 4: Electoral College.

Presidential Primaries

Election in which party candidates compete state by state to win Delegate support.

Nominating Primaries

State run to select party nominees for local, state, and national offices.

Vice-President Responsibilities

1. Succeed the president on the president's death or disability. 2. Serve as president of the Senate, where he could only vote to break a tie.

Chief Executive Duties

Sees that laws are faithfully executed and administers and enforces the law through various departments.

Commander-In-Chief Duties

Of all military forces; has power to carry on covert operations.

Legislative Leader Duties

Gives Congress information of the State of the Union and delivers annual budget message/economic message to Congress.

Diplomatic Leader Duties

With the advice and consent of the Senate, he can make treaties and nominate ambassadors.

Chief of State Duties

National leader and national symbol; represents America at home and abroad.

Party Leader Role

This role is not mentioned in the Constitution; at the national party convention, the presidential nominee appoints party chairman.