Gov Final

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