Gov 1.2-1.4

Power

ability of one person or group to influence or control the actions and policies of others (ex. congress has the power to pass laws in the u.s.)

Legitimacy

public’s belief that a government has the right to rule and exercise authority (ex. u.s. elections give elections give legitimacy to elected officials through a democratic process)

Authority

the legal or accepted right (legitimate) to exercise power (ex. supreme court has authority to interpret the constitution)

Sovereignty 

supreme and ultimate authority of a state to govern itself without external interference (ex. the u.s. is a sovereign nation that makes its own laws)

Government

institution or system through which a society makes and implements public policies (ex. federal government of the u.s. includes the executive, legislative, and judicial branches)

Nation

a group of people with shared culture, language, or history, often seeking self-rule (ex. the Kurds are a nation without their own independent state)

Politics

process of making decisions in groups, particularly within governments, to distribute power and create authoritative policies (ex. debates over healthcare policy are part of u.s. politics)

Regime

fundamental system of rules, institutions, and norms that determine how power is held and exercised (ex. north Korea has an authoritarian regime led by Kim jong-un)

State

a political unit with a defined territory, a permanent population, a government, and sovereignty (ex. france is a state)

Centralization

the concentration of power and decision-making - how it is concentrated (ex. china has a central government that controls most major decisions while Canada has a decentralized government with division of power given to provinces and territories)

Magna Carta (1215)

charter signed by king John of england that limited the king’s power and established the principle that everyone, including the king, is subject to the law (sig. introduced ideas of due process and limited government that influenced u.s. constitution)

Petition of Rights (1628)

document sent to king Charles I by parliament, demanding limits on taxation, imprisonment without cause, and the use of martial law (sig. strengthened the idea of rule of law and the rights of citizens, limiting the monarch’s power)

English Civil War (1642-1651)

conflict between supporters of the monarchy (royalists) and supporters of the parliament (parliamentarians) (sig. led to temporary overthrow of the monarchy and emphasized the struggle for representative government)

Glorious Revolution (1688)

peaceful transfer of power in england from king James II to William and Mary (sig. marked the beginning of constitutional monarchy and parliamentary supremacy)

English Bill of Rights (1689)

law passed after the Glorious Revolution that limited the monarch’s power and guaranteed rights to Parliament and citizens (sig. inspired American ideas about limited government and individual rights)

Act of Toleration (1689)

law granting freedom of worship to non-anglican protestants in england (sig. early step toward religious freedom, which became a core American value)

Enlightenment (1600s-1700s)

intellectual movement that emphasized reason, individual rights, and the power of government to improve society (sig. heavily influence the founding fathers and democratic ideas in the declaration of independence and constitution)

Thomas Hobbes

Enlightenment thinker who believed people are naturally selfish and need a strong central authority (sig. advocated for a social contract with absolute government in his work Leviathan)

John Locke

Enlightenment Philosopher who argued that people have natural rights to life, liberty, and property (sig. hsi ideas directly influenced the declaration of independence and the concept of government by consent)

Montesquieu

French Enlightenment thinkers who proposed the separation of powers into branches of government (sig. inspired the structure of u.s. government: legislative, executive, judicial)

Rousseau

Enlightenment thinker who believed in the general will and that government should be based on consent of the governed (sig. supported ideas of popular sovereignty and direct democracy)

Radical Whigs

british political theorists who warned against the dangers of a powerful government and supported liberty and resistance to tyranny (sig. influenced American colonists to fear concentrated power and support independence)

Declaration of Independence (1776)

document written by Thomas jefferson declaring the American colonies’ independence from Britain (sig. justified revolution using enlightenment ideas, especially locke’s natural rights and government by consent)

Articles of Confederation

first u.s. constitution (1781-1789) that created a weak national government with most power in the states (ex. federal government couldn’t tax or regulate trade - led to the constitutional convention)

Constitutional Convention (1787)

meeting in Philadelphia where delegates replaced the articles of confederation with the u.s. constitution (sig. created a stronger federal government with three branches and checks and balances)

Preamble

introduction to the constitution stating its purposes (ex. begins with “we the people” and outlines goals like justice and domestic tranquility)

Checks and balances

each branch of government can limit the powers of others (ex. the president can veto laws, but congress can override with a 2/3 vote)

Enumerated powers

powers specifically listed in the constitution for the federal government (ex. congress can coin money and declare war: article I, section 8)

Implied Powers

powers not listed but necessary to carry out enumerated powers (ex. congress creating a national bank)

Inherent Powers

powers the national government has simply because it’s a sovereign state (ex. controlling immigration or foreign relations)

Necessary and Proper Clause

Clause in the constitution (article 1, sec 8) that allows congress to carry out its powers (ex. also called the elastic clause, used to justify the creation of the national bank in McCulloch v Maryland)

Habeas Corpus

right to be told why you’re being held in jail and challenge it in court (ex. can’t be suspended except during rebellion or invasion)

Bill of Attainder

law that punishes a person without a trail (unconstitutional in the u.s) (ex. congress cannot pass a law declaring someone guilty without a trial)

Ex Post Facto Laws

laws that punish actions that were legal when done (ex. you can’t be punished for drinking at 18 when it was legal during that time)

Full Faith and Credit Clause

states must recognize the public acts, records, and court decisions of other states (ex. a driver’s license or marriage license is valid in every state)

Privileges and Immunities Clause

states can’t discriminate unreasonably against citizens of other states (ex. a state can’t charge out-of-state residents more for policies protection)

Guarantee Clause

the u.s. government must guarantee every state a republican form of government (elected representatives) (ex. prevents states from becoming monarchies or dictatorships)

Supremacy Clause

the constitution, federal laws, and treaties are the supreme law a of the land (article 4) (ex. if a state law conflicts with federal law, federal law wins)

Dual Federalism

idea that state and national governments each have their own separate powers and responsibilities (ex. early u.s. history - states handled education, federal government handled defense)

Bill of Rights (1791)

first 10 amendments to the constitution, protecting individual liberties from government power (ex. freedom of speech, religion, right to bear arms, and protection from unreasonable searches)

14th amendment (1868)

granted citizenship to all born or naturalized in the u.s. and guarantees due process and equal protection under the law (sig. basis for applying the bill of rights to the states via selective incorporation)

Selective Incorporation

the process by which the supreme court applies parts of the bill of rights to the states using the 14th amendment (ex. Gitlow v New York (1925) incorporated freedom of speech)

Barron v Baltimore (1833)

supreme court decision stating the bill of rights only applied to the federal government, not the states (sig. later overturned by selective incorporation through the 14th amendment)

Grants

federal money given to states or local governments to fund programs (types: categorial, block, formula, and project grants)

Mandates

federal requirements that states must follow, often without funding (ex. Americans with disabilities act is an unfunded mandate)

Fiscal Federalism

federal government uses money (grants, mandates) to influence state policy (ex. states receive funding for highways but must set the drinking age to 21)

Cooperative Federalism

federal and state governments work together on issues and programs (ex. after the new deal, both levels funded and managed welfare programs)

New Federalism

a movement to return more power to the states, often though block grants (associated with president Nixon and Ronald Reagan)

Devolution

transfer of power and responsibilities from the federal government to the states (ex. 1996 welfare reform act gave states more control over welfare)

Funded Mandates

federal rules that come with funding to help states comply (ex. medicaid is a mandate that includes federal funding)

Unfunded mandates

federal laws that require state action without providing money (ex. ADA requires public buildings to be accessible, but states must pay)

Categorical Grants

federal money given to states for a specific purpose with strict guidelines (ex. funds for school lunch programs)

Formula Grants

money distributed based on a formula (population, income, etc) (ex. medicaid funding is based on state income and population)

Project Grants

competitive grants for specific projects (ex. NIH research grants given to universities for medical research)

Block Grants

federal money given for broad purposes with fewer restrictions (ex. TANF (welfare reform) gave states more control over how to use funds)

Civil Rights

government-protected rights against discriminatory treatment by government or individuals (ex. laws protecting against racial or gender discrimination (like the civil rights act of 1964))