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Enlightenment (18th century)
A philosophical movement in Western Europe emphasizing reason over tradition in solving social problems.
Thomas Hobbes
Believed in a monarch with absolute power to protect life best, advocated for the rule of law.
John Locke
Argued for natural rights protection, including life, liberty, and property, and the right to revolution if these rights are violated.
Charles de Montesquieu
Advocated for the separation of powers into three branches of government and checks and balances to limit power.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Believed people are born good but corrupted by society, promoting acting for the greater good over self-interest.
Participatory democracy
Involves broad participation in politics and society by people at various statuses.
Pluralist democracy
Involves group-based activism by citizens with common interests seeking the same goals.
Elite democracy
Gives power to the educated/wealthy, discouraging participation by the majority.
Republicanism
Supports individualism, natural rights, popular sovereignty, and encourages civic participation.
The Declaration of Independence
A formal declaration of war between America and Great Britain, listing grievances against King George III.
Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation
Outlined the first U.S. government, lacked power to tax, control trade, raise a military, or enforce laws.
The Constitutional Convention
Meeting in 1787 to revise the Articles, resulted in the creation of the Constitution with a stronger central government.
Federalists
Supporters of the Constitution advocating for a strong central government, including Hamilton, Madison, and Jay.
Anti-Federalists
Opponents of the Constitution, preferring smaller state governments, feared tyranny, and advocated for a Bill of Rights.
The Federalist Papers
Collection of articles supporting the Constitution, written by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay to persuade states of its superiority.
Federalism
System where national and local governments share powers, with delegated, reserved, and concurrent powers specified in the Constitution.
Grants
Financial aid provided by the federal government to states, with varying levels of control over how the money is used.
Categorical grants
Grants with strict rules from the federal government on how the funds are to be utilized, favored by those supporting federal power.
Block grants
Grants that allow states more flexibility in spending the money, preferred by advocates of states' rights.
Federalism
A system of government where power is divided between a central authority (federal government) and individual states.
Separation of Powers
The division of governmental responsibilities among different branches to prevent concentration of power in one entity.
Checks and Balances
Mechanisms in place to ensure that no branch of government becomes too powerful, promoting cooperation and power-sharing.
Amendment Process
The procedure for modifying the Constitution, involving approval by Congress and ratification by states.
State Governments
Entities with their own constitutions, executive branches, legislatures, and judiciaries, mirroring the federal structure.
Congressional Structure
The organization of the U.S. Congress into the House of Representatives and the Senate, each with distinct roles.
Legislative Process
The steps involved in passing a bill into law, including committee review, debate, and voting in both houses of Congress.
Bureaucratic Agencies
Organizations responsible for implementing government policies and programs.
Congressional Committees
Groups of members of Congress assigned to specific tasks, such as overseeing agencies or drafting legislation.
Subpoena
Legal order that requires individuals to appear before a committee or produce requested documents.
Standing Committees
Permanent committees in Congress focused on specific areas like finance or judiciary.
Joint Committees
Committees with members from both houses of Congress, often used for investigations.
Select Committees
Temporary committees in each house created for specific purposes like investigations or drafting bills.
Conference Committee
Temporary committee with members from both houses to reconcile differences in bills.
Speaker of the House
Leader of the House of Representatives, responsible for directing debates and influencing committee assignments.
Majority Leader
Leader of the majority party in Congress, responsible for setting the party's agenda.
President of the Senate
Vice President of the United States, with the role of breaking ties in the Senate.
War Powers Act
Legislation that limits the President's power to deploy troops without Congressional approval.
Executive Office of the President
Agencies within the White House that assist the President in carrying out administrative duties.
Impeachment
Process by which Congress can remove a President or federal judge for misconduct.
Due Process
Legal principle ensuring fair treatment and protection of individual rights in legal proceedings.
Civil Law
Legal system dealing with disputes between individuals or organizations, not involving criminal acts.
Judicial Review
The power of the Supreme Court to determine the constitutionality of laws or government actions.
Supreme Court Appointment Process
The process by which judges are nominated by the President, confirmed by the Senate, and appointed for life.
Iron Triangle
An informal alliance between a particular industry, a congressional committee, and a regulatory agency to create and implement policies.
Civil Liberties
Protections from government abuse of power, as outlined in the Bill of Rights.
Freedom of Speech
The First Amendment right allowing individuals to express opinions without government interference, with limitations for certain types of speech.
Regulatory Agencies
Government bodies responsible for overseeing specific industries or sectors, ensuring compliance with laws and regulations.
Amicus Curiae Briefs
Legal documents submitted by interest groups to provide additional information or arguments to the court in a case.
Bureaucracy
The administrative system responsible for implementing government policies and programs, operating under merit-based hiring and promotion.
Majority Opinion
The official decision of the Supreme Court supported by the majority of justices in a case.
Civil Rights
Protections against discrimination based on characteristics such as race, gender, or minority status.
Freedom of Religion
The right to practice one's religion without interference from the government.
Establishment Clause
Part of the First Amendment that prohibits the government from establishing an official religion.
Lemon Test
Criteria established by Lemon v. Kurtzman to determine if a law violates the Establishment Clause.
Engel v
Supreme Court case ruling that school-sponsored prayer violated the First Amendment.
Wisconsin v
Supreme Court case allowing Amish families to take children out of school after 8th grade.
Second Amendment
Protects the right to keep and bear arms.
Gideon v
Supreme Court case ensuring the right to an attorney for criminal defendants.
Fifth Amendment
Protects against self-incrimination and ensures due process of law.
Sixth Amendment
Guarantees the right to a fair and speedy trial by an impartial jury.
Eighth Amendment
Prohibits cruel and unusual punishment and excessive bail.
Strongly ideological Americans tend to be more politically active
Individuals with strong ideological beliefs are more likely to engage in political activities.
Factors influencing ideological and political behavior
Race/ethnicity, religion, gender, income level, and region impact individuals' political leanings.
Media influence on public opinion
News media shapes public agenda, exposes Americans to government, and influences opinions through extensive coverage.
Political participation models
Rational choice, retrospective voting, prospective voting, and party-line voting are models that explain citizens' voting behavior.
Political parties
Organizations with similar ideologies that endorse candidates, influence elections, and have party platforms.
Functions of modern political parties
Recruit and nominate candidates, educate and mobilize voters, provide campaign funds, organize government activity, and reduce conflict in society.
Party coalitions
Political parties form coalitions to attract voters and win elections.
Third parties
Form to represent disenfranchised constituencies, can have a major impact on elections, and often focus on single issues or ideologies.
Interest groups
Organizations lobbying for specific political goals through tactics like direct lobbying, socializing, political donations, and propaganda.
Political Action Committees (PACs) and Super PACs
Groups formed to raise campaign funds, regulated by laws like FECA and BCRA, and can have significant influence on elections.
Runoff Primary
A secondary election held between the top two candidates if no one receives the required number of votes in the initial election.
Superdelegates
Elected party leaders in the Democratic Party who are granted automatic delegate status and typically support the front-runner.
Closed Primary
A type of primary election where only registered members of a political party can vote.
General Elections
Elections where voters decide who will hold office, typically held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November.
Testing the Waters
The period before the first primaries where potential candidates increase their public profile through public appearances and media coverage.
Federal Matching Funds
Funds provided by the government to presidential primary candidates who meet certain guidelines, such as receiving more than 10% of the votes.
Electoral College
A system where each state is given a number of electors based on its senators and representatives, and the winner of the state takes all of its electors.
Split-ticket Voting
Voting for a presidential candidate of one party and legislators of another, potentially leading to divided government.
Keynesian Economics
An economic theory that suggests the government can influence economic cycles by adjusting income levels and spending.
Trade Policy
Policies and agreements that regulate international trade, such as the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA)
Revised in 2018, formerly known as NAFTA, aimed to improve the economies of the US, Mexico, and Canada.
Social insurance programs
National insurance programs funded by employees and employers, with benefits seen as earned due to contributions.
Public assistance programs
Government-funded programs to aid the needy, not paid for by recipients.
Social Security
Mandated entitlement program providing benefits to those who meet requirements, primarily retirees.
Medicare
Healthcare assistance for individuals over 65, funded through additional taxes on social security benefits.
Medicaid
Provides medical services for low-income individuals, jointly funded and managed by states and federal government.
Temporary unemployment insurance
State-administered program providing limited weekly benefits to the unemployed.
Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC)
Controversial welfare program under the Social Security Act, aimed at assisting families in need.
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
Replaced AFDC, requiring adults to find work within 2 years and imposing a 5-year lifetime limit on welfare eligibility.
Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act (Obamacare)
Significant health-care legislation signed in 2010, introducing the individual mandate and aiming to increase health care coverage.
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