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Enlightenment
Intellectual movement valuing reason, individualism, and skepticism
Natural Rights
Inherent rights not dependent on laws or government
Popular Sovereignty
Power resides in the people who grant authority to the government
Social Contract
Agreement where people give up some freedoms for social order
Republicanism
Citizens elect representatives to make laws on their behalf
Limited Government
Government's power is restricted by laws or a constitution
Separation of Powers
Division of government responsibilities into distinct branches
Participatory Democracy
Emphasizes broad citizen involvement in decision-making
Pluralist Democracy
Political system where diverse groups influence policy
Elite Democracy
Policy decisions made by a small group of knowledgeable individuals
Interest Groups
Organizations influencing public policy on specific issues
Electoral College
Body of electors choosing the President and Vice President
Brutus I
Broad, participatory model
Feared the curtailment of personal liberties reflected in a larger republic like the US
Fear of the Necessary and Proper clause and the Supremacy clause
More power to federal government than state
Large centralized government couldn't accurately represent the public because it would be largely separated from them
Federalist 10
With so many competing factions in a large republic, liberty would be upheld by their competition
Pluralist
Madison concerned about the mischief of factions in a republic
2 solution
Take away factions
Try to manage the effects of factions
Solution worse than problem
Double protection against the tyranny of factions
Separation of powers
Sharing of power between federal and state governments
Articles of Confederation
First constitution of the United States, emphasizing state power
Shay's Rebellion
Revolt against economic injustices after the American Revolution
Great Compromise
Agreement on representation in Congress, combining Virginia and New Jersey plans
⅗ Compromise
Slaves counted as three-fifths of a person for representation
Article V
Constitutional process for proposing and ratifying amendments
Stakeholders
Individuals or groups affected by or involved in a decision
Advise & Consent
Senate's power to approve presidential appointments
Judicial Review
Courts' authority to review laws for constitutionality
Fiscal Federalism
Division of financial responsibilities between federal and state governments
Commerce Clause
Congress's authority to regulate interstate commerce
Imbalance of power towards the states
Shift of authority favoring state governments over the federal government
Commerce clause
Congressional power to regulate interstate trade
Necessary and proper clause
Implies additional powers to Congress beyond those explicitly stated in the Constitution
Supremacy clause
Stipulates federal law prevails over conflicting state laws
Bicameral
Legislature with two houses
Enumerated powers
Specific powers granted to Congress in the Constitution
Implied powers
Congressional authority to pass laws necessary to carry out enumerated powers
Speaker of the House
House leader elected by members of the House of Representatives
Whips
Members of Congress responsible for party discipline and unity
President of the Senate
Vice President of the United States, serving as the Senate's presiding officer
Committees
Small groups of representatives tasked with specific legislative functions
Standing Committees
Permanent committees in Congress focusing on specific areas of legislation
Joint Committees
Committees with members from both the House and the Senate
Select Committees
Temporary committees established for a specific purpose
Conference Committees
Formed to reconcile differences in legislation passed by the House and Senate
House Rules committee
Determines which bills are debated on the House floor
Filibuster
Tactic to delay or prevent a vote on a bill by speaking for an extended time
Pork Barrel Spending
Funds allocated for local projects to benefit a representative's district
Federal Budget
Plan for the government's revenue and spending for the fiscal year
Trustee
Representative who votes based on their judgment and beliefs
Delegate
Representative who votes according to the will of their constituents
Politico
Representative who votes based on the situation or circumstances
Redistricting & gerrymandering
Process of redrawing electoral district boundaries for political advantage
Baker v. Carr
Tennessee had not redrawn districts for 20 years
Urban pop had exploded and rural pop didn't
Rural pop more powerful bc districts not redrawn
Established the principle of 'one person, one vote'
Shaw v. Reno
NC drew 2 majority-minority districts (black districts) and submitted to justice department for approval
Based on Voting Rights Act, justice department approved
This racial gerrymandering, though to increase power of black voters, was unconstitutional due to them being drawn solely with race in mind
Executive Order
Presidential directive that carries the force of law
Marbury v. Madison
Landmark case affirming the Supreme Court's power of judicial review
Anti-Federalists
Opposed Constitution without civil liberties protection
George Mason
Anti-Federalist advocating for Bill of Rights
James Madison
Argued against Bill of Rights necessity
1st Amendment
Guarantees freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly, protest
Establishment Clause
Prohibits national church establishment
Free Exercise Clause
Protects religious practice from government interference
Wall of Separation
Concept of church-state division by Thomas Jefferson
Engel v. Vitale
Not sectoral prayer said at the beginning of every school day by students and staff
Was optional
SCOTUS deemed this a violation of the establishment clause because it was a NY public school (state-sponsored)
Wisconsin v. Yoder
Amish said that Wisconsin's compulsory education law was unnecessary as it is a part of the Amish belief to pull their kids out of school in 8th grade to begin vocational training
Yoder said this violated free exercise clause
Court agreed
Freedom of Speech
Protected right to express opinions
Tinker v. Des Moines
Students planned to wear black armbands to school in order to protest Vietnam war
Administration blocked it on counts of disrupting education
SCOTUS decided that the students' first amendment rights had been violated
Court acknowledged that administration must keep peace at school, but because there was no actual disruption only the fear of disruption, there was no necessary censorship
Morse v. Frederick
"Bong Hits 4 Jesus"
Student was suspended
Court ruled that suspension was justified since it promoted illegal drug use and had no other redeeming qualities
Time, Place, and Manner
Regulates speech context, not content
Clear and Present Danger Rule
Allows silencing dangerous speech
Freedom of the Press
Ensures press accountability
Prior Restraint
Government restriction before story publication
2nd Amendment
Protects right to bear arms
McDonald v. Chicago
Applied the Heller decision (the operative phrase to keep and bear arms was supreme over the context of militia) and its commitment to individual liberty for gun ownership to the states
Court sided with McDonald
8th Amendment
Prohibits cruel and unusual punishment
5th Amendment
Guarantees due process of law
Selective Incorporation
Applying Bill of Rights to states
Right to Privacy
Implicit right from various amendments
Griswold v. Connecticut
Married couples could not be denied contraceptive medication
State cannot infringe on a married couple's right to privacy
Roe v. Wade
Jane Roe couldn't get an abortion in Texas
Appealed arguing that her rights had been infringed upon
Court agreed and overturned abortion laws in the US
Equal Protection Clause
Ensures equal rights under the law
Civil Liberties
Constitutional rights for all citizens
Civil Rights
Ensures equal access to civil liberties
MLK
Advocated for civil rights through non-violence
Women's Rights Movement
Advocated for gender equality
Majority-Minority Districts
Districts drawn to increase representation of minority groups
Racial Gerrymandering
Unconstitutional redistricting solely based on race
Affirmative Action
Policies favoring historically discriminated groups
De Jure Segregation
Racial discrimination enforced by law
De Facto Segregation
Racial segregation by personal choice
White Flight
White population moving out of urban areas
Individualism
Emphasis on self-reliance and independence
Equality of Opportunity
Belief in equal chances for all Americans
Free Enterprise
Laissez-faire economics with minimal government intervention
Rule of Law
Belief in equality under the law for all citizens
Political Socialization
Process of forming political opinions
Generational Effects
Influence of birth generation on political views
Life-Cycle Effects
How life stage affects political perspective
Globalization
Increasing world interconnectedness through partnerships
Political Events
Significant events shaping political attitudes
Polls
Measure public opinion through randomized questions
Benchmark Poll
Initial poll for comparison throughout a campaign
Tracking Poll
Repeated poll to track changing opinions over time
Sampling Methodology
Ensuring a sample represents the larger population
Bandwagon Effect
Tendency to support candidates polling well