US Government and Politics Lecture Flashcards

A complete set of 77 vocabulary flashcards derived from the lecture transcript covering core concepts of U.S. government, political science terminology, and judicial principles.

Government

The institutions and processes through which public policies are made for a society.

Politics

The process by which people gain and use power to make public policy decisions.

Public Policy

A course of action the government takes in response to an issue or problem.

Political Ideology

A set of beliefs about the role and purpose of government.

Liberalism

Supports active government involvement in social and economic issues.

Conservatism

Prefers limited government and traditional values.

Libertarianism

Emphasizes minimal government and maximum individual freedom.

Natural Rights

Rights to life, liberty, and property believed to be given at birth.

Social Contract

The idea that people agree to give up some freedoms for government protection.

Popular Sovereignty

The idea that government authority comes from the people.

Constitution

The supreme law of the United States that outlines government structure and powers.

Checks and Balances

A system where each branch of government can limit the powers of the others.

Separation of Powers

Division of government into legislative, executive, and judicial branches.

Federalism

A system where power is divided between national and state governments.

Dual Federalism

A system where state and national governments operate separately.

Cooperative Federalism

A system where state and national governments work together.

Civil Liberties

Individual freedoms protected from government interference.

Civil Rights

Protections against discrimination and guarantees of equal treatment.

First Amendment

Protects freedoms of speech, religion, press, assembly, and petition.

Due Process

Legal requirement that the government must respect all legal rights of a person.

Equal Protection Clause

Part of the $14\text{th}$ Amendment requiring equal treatment under the law.

Selective Incorporation

The process of applying the Bill of Rights to the states through the $14\text{th}$ Amendment.

Establishment Clause

Prevents the government from establishing a religion.

Free Exercise Clause

Protects the right to practice religion freely.

Prior Restraint

Government censorship of speech before it is published.

Symbolic Speech

Nonverbal actions used to express ideas.

Strict Scrutiny

The highest level of court review for laws affecting rights.

Interest Group

An organization that seeks to influence public policy.

Lobbying

Attempting to influence government officials to support certain policies.

Political Action Committee (PAC)

An organization that raises money for political candidates.

Political Party

An organization that seeks to win elections and control government.

Partisanship

Strong support for one political party.

Public Opinion

The collective attitudes of citizens about political issues.

Political Socialization

The process by which people form political beliefs.

Voter Turnout

The percentage of eligible voters who vote in an election.

Suffrage

The right to vote.

Primary Election

An election to choose a party’s candidate.

General Election

The election where voters choose among party candidates.

Incumbent

A current officeholder running for reelection.

Incumbency Advantage

Benefits current officeholders have in elections.

Campaign

Organized effort to win an election.

Soft Money

Political donations not directly given to candidates.

Hard Money

Regulated donations given directly to candidates.

Gerrymandering

Drawing district lines to benefit a political party.

Redistricting

Redrawing district boundaries after a census.

Congress

The legislative branch of government, made up of the House and Senate.

House of Representatives

The chamber of Congress based on population.

Senate

The chamber of Congress with equal representation ($2$ per state).

Bill

A proposed law.

Standing Committee

Permanent congressional committee that reviews bills.

Conference Committee

Temporary committee to resolve House/Senate bill differences.

Filibuster

A tactic used in the Senate to delay a vote.

Pork Barrel

Government spending for local projects to gain support.

Gridlock

When government is unable to act due to conflict.

Veto

The president’s rejection of a bill.

Override

Congress passing a bill over a president’s veto with $\frac{2}{3}$ vote.

President

The head of the executive branch responsible for enforcing laws.

Executive Order

A directive issued by the president that has the force of law.

Commander in Chief

The president’s role as leader of the military.

Impeachment

The process of charging a president with wrongdoing.

Executive Privilege

The president’s right to keep certain communications private.

Bureaucracy

Government agencies that implement public policies.

Bureaucratic Discretion

The ability of agencies to decide how to implement laws.

Regulation

A rule made by government agencies to enforce laws.

Iron Triangle

Relationship between Congress, agencies, and interest groups.

Judiciary

The judicial branch that interprets laws.

Judicial Review

The power of courts to declare laws unconstitutional.

Judicial Restraint

The belief courts should not overturn laws unless clearly unconstitutional.

Judicial Activism

The belief courts should actively interpret the Constitution to promote justice.

Supreme Court

The highest court in the United States.

Jurisdiction

The authority of a court to hear a case.

Writ of Certiorari

Supreme Court order to hear a case.

Precedent

A legal decision that serves as a guide for future cases.

Judicial Precedent

Past rulings used to decide new cases.

Stare Decisis

The principle of following precedent.

Rule of Law

The principle that everyone must follow the law.

Sovereignty

The ultimate authority within a territory.