Gov Test 1

10th amendment

powers not given to federal government by Constitution are reserved for the states or people

14th amendment

grants citizenship to formerly enslaved people

3/5 Compromise

(during Constitutional Convention) three out of every 5 slaves were counted as people when determining a state’s total population for legislative representation and taxation

Amendment process

two ways: congress passes it w 2/3rds in both houses, to ratify ¾ of state legislatures - states pass it w 2/3rds 2 ¾ state conventions to ratify

Anti-federalist

a person who opposes a strong central government, advocates for a weaker central government and stronger states’ rights

Articles of Confederation

(1777) first US constitution, established a weak central government, gave most power to states after revolution, provided limit federal authority to manage things like war

Centralized government

power and authority in hands of central government, regions and local powers have little or no power

Checks and Balances

system that prevents branches of government from becoming too powerful

Commerce Clause

clause of Constitution that gives Congress power to regulate interstate commerce

Compromise on Importation of Slaves

congress wouldn’t be able to stop importation of slaves until 1808, concession to the South

Concurrent Powers

powers shared by federal government and states (power to tax, build roads, etc.)

Decentralized Government

power and authority in hands of local authorities, not concentrated in hands of central government

Declaration of Independence

(1776) established independence from Britain

Elite Democracy

only the highly-informed can participate in government (like voting)

Enumerated Powers

powers that Congress has that are explicitly stated in Constitution, aka expressed powers

Exclusive Powers

authorities specific to one branch of government (only federal powers can declare war or print money)

Factions

small organized dissenting groups within a larger one

Federalist 51

(1788, James Madison) sets up checks and balances and separation of powers

Great Compromise

(1787) established the US legislature as bicameral (house and senate)

Impeachment

a charge of misconduct made against the holder of a public office

Implied Powers

powers not explicitly outlined in Constitution but may be needed to carry out the powers that are

Limited Government

system where the government’s power is restricted and rights of people are protected from government overreach

McCulloch v. Maryland

(1819) established supremacy of US Constitution and federal laws over state laws, states can’t tax national bank

Natural Rights

rights granted to all people by God or nature, can’t be denied by people or government (property, life, liberty)

Necessary and Proper Clause

Constitutional clause that gives Congress power to make laws that are necessary to carry out other federal powers, aka elastic clause

Participatory Democracy

model of democracy where citizens decide directly on policy and politicians are responsible for implementing those decisions

Pluralist democracy

model of democracy where no one group dominates politics and organized groups compete with each other to influence policy (interest groups)

Popular Sovereignty

government through consent of people, government power not legitimate if it disregards the will of the people

Ratification

official way to confirm something

Republicanism

People are ultimate source of authority, elect representatives, minority rights are protected by tyranny from majority

Social Contract

agreement between citizens and government, individuals give up freedoms for protection of basic rights and maintenance of social order

Separation of Powers

division of government into branches, each has separate powers

State Sovereignty

the power of a state to govern itself independently on its own territory

U.S. Constitution

(1787) established government, defined relationship between state and federal government, protected liberties, took place of Articles of Confederation

United States v. Lopez

(1995) Congress may not use the commerce clause to make possession of a gun in a school zone a federal crime

Benchmark Polls

used by campaigns before a candidate declares their candidacy

Caucus

a meeting at which local members of a political party register their preference among candidates running for office

Closed Primary

only vote in primary of party you are in, favors party loyalists

Democratic Party

political party, supports health care, social welfare programs, equal rights, citizenship for undocumented immigrants, climate change solutions, pro-choice

Electoral College

meeting of electors who cast votes for POTUS and VPOTUS

Exit Polls

polls taken outside of polling places on Election Day after voting

Federal Election Commission (FEC)

enforces campaign finance law and keeps everyone in check

General Election

election of candidates, every 4 years

Hard Money

donations and public funding, money with caps on it

Heuristics

shortcuts to help voters make their decision

Interest Group

group of people with common interest who work to influence public policy

Issue Advocacy

communications intended to bring awareness to a certain problem

Lobbying

a form of advocacy that involves influencing legislation or government officials

Lobbyist

a professional who influences political decisions on behalf of a client of organization

Mass Media

the means of conveying info to large public audiences cheaply and efficiently

National Party Convention

convention held by political parties every four years

Open primary

can vote in any primary regardless of party (only 1 though), often leads to more moderate selections because independents have more influence

Opinion Saliency

Issues of extreme importance to a particular group (trans rights)

Party Convention

general meeting of a political party

Party Identification

the party you are affiliated with

Party Registration

when you register to vote you register with a party

Political Action Committee (PAC)

organization that gets money from members and donates it to campaigns, ballot initiatives, or legislation

Political Party

organization with a set of ideals that organizes candidates to run

Political Socialization

process by which individuals develop their own political ideals (thru family, friends, media, school, etc.)

Presidential Election

election to pick POTUS and VPOTUS, every 4 years

Primary Election

election to pick candidates for POTUS within a party

Prospective Issue Voting

when voters think about the future to decide, considering candidate promises (common when there is no incumbent)

Public Opinion

opinion of the public

Push Polling

providing negative info about an opponent then taking a poll

Random Sample

random selection

Rational choice Voting

when a voter looks at all available info and decides based off that, ideal

Retrospective Voting

when a voter thinks about the past to decide (better off now than four years ago?)

Republican Party

political party that supports death penalty, pro-life, securing our borders, pro guns

Selective Exposure

tendency to seek out info confirming existing beliefs and avoiding info that contradicts them

Soft Money

fundraising money that is regulated with a known source, money with no caps on it

Turnout

number of people participating in an election (voting)

Tracking Polls

over a time period to track issues or support for a candidate

Voter Registration

most states require registration 30 days before election

Winner-take-all system

the process where a candidate who wins most of the electoral votes in a state receives all the votes

Citizens United v. FEC

(2010) created Super PACs, freed organizations to spend money on electioneering communications and directly advocate for/against a candidate

Declaration of Independence

(1776, Thomas Jefferson) America is now independent

Federalist 10

(1787, James Madison) we need to have a representative democracy

Federalist 51

(1788, James Madison) sets up checks and balances, advocates for branches to function independently of each other

Brutus 1

(1787, Robert Yates) need for Bill of Rights, raised alarm over loss of states rights/sovereignty