Unit 1: Foundations of American Democracy Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering the key terms and concepts from Unit 1: Foundations of American Democracy.

checks and balances

A system that allows each branch of government to amend or veto acts of another branch to prevent any one branch from exerting too much power.

inalienable rights

Fundamental rights that belong to all human beings and cannot be taken away or transferred.

limited government

A political system in which legalized force and power are restricted through delegated and enumerated authorities.

natural rights

Rights inherent in human beings, not dependent on governments, including life, liberty, and property.

popular sovereignty

The principle that the authority of a state and its government is created and sustained by the consent of its people, through their elected representatives.

republicanism

A philosophy of limited government with elected representatives serving at the will of the people.

separation of powers

The division of government responsibilities into distinct branches to limit any one branch from exercising the core functions of another.

social contract

An implicit agreement among the members of a society to cooperate for social benefits, such as sacrificing some individual freedom for state protection.

state of nature

A real or hypothetical condition of human beings before or without political organization and formal society.

elite democracy

A model of democracy in which a small number of people, usually wealthy or educated, influence political decision-making.

hyper-pluralism

A state in which many strong competing groups cripple the government's ability to make policy and act effectively.

participatory democracy

A model of democracy that emphasizes broad participation and active involvement of citizens in political and civic life.

pluralist democracy

A model of democracy in which non-governmental group activism influences political decision-making with no single group dominating.

pluralist theory

The idea that political power is distributed among various competing interest groups in society.

delegations of authority

The transfer or assignment of official power and decision-making responsibility from one branch or authority to another.

federalism as distributions of power

The Constitutional arrangement splitting and sharing authority between national and regional government levels.

mischiefs of factions

James Madison's phrase referring to groups of citizens united by a common interest that is adverse to the rights of others or the permanent interest of the community.

delegated powers

Powers granted directly to the national government by the U.S. Constitution.

inter-state powers

Government powers and authority governing legal and commercial relations between individual states.

intra-state powers

Government powers and regulations pertaining strictly within the boundaries of a single state.

Shay’s Rebellion

An armed uprising of farmers in Massachusetts (1786–1787) that exposed the national government's weakness under the Articles of Confederation.

The Articles of Confederation

The first constitution of the United States, which established a decentralized system with a weak central government.

amendment process

The formal procedure outlined in Article V of the Constitution for proposing and ratifying constitutional changes.

Connecticut (Great) Compromise

An agreement establishing a dual system of congressional representation: equal representation in the Senate and population-based representation in the House.

electoral college

The official constitutional body responsible for electing the President and Vice President of the United States.

importation of slaves compromise

An agreement at the Constitutional Convention prohibiting Congress from banning the slave trade until 1808.

nationalists versus localists

The political divide between proponents of a strong central government and advocates for local state sovereignty.

New Jersey (Paterson) Plan

A proposal for a unicameral legislature at the Constitutional Convention providing equal representation for each state regardless of population.

The Philadelphia Convention

The 1787 meeting of state delegates called to revise the Articles of Confederation, which ultimately drafted the U.S. Constitution.

Three-Fifths compromise

An agreement that three-fifths of the enslaved population would be counted for representation and taxation purposes.

Virginia (Madison) Plan

A proposal at the Constitutional Convention for a strong central government with a bicameral legislature based on population.

executive powers

Powers held by the executive branch to execute, enforce, and administer laws.

impeachment and removal

The constitutional mechanism for charging and removing civil officers of the United States for treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.

judicial powers

Powers held by courts to interpret laws, apply them to contested cases, and decide constitutionality.

legislative powers

Powers assigned to the legislative branch to formulate, draft, and enact laws.

majority power

The principle that decisions are determined by a numerical majority of votes or representatives.

minority protections

Constitutional rules and checks that safeguard the fundamental rights of numerical minority groups against majority rule.

Bills of Attainder

Legislative acts declaring a person or group guilty of a crime and punishing them without a judicial trial, explicitly prohibited by the Constitution.

block grants

Federal grants given to state or local governments with broad guidelines for general policy areas, allowing local discretion.

categorical grants

Federal grants provided to states or localities for specific, narrowly defined purpose categories with tight federal conditions.

commerce clause

Article I, Section 8, Clause 3 authorizing Congress to regulate commerce with foreign nations, among the several states, and with Indian tribes.

concurrent

Powers shared simultaneously by both the federal government and state governments.

cooperative federalism

A federal system where national, state, and local governments interact cooperatively to solve common problems.

delegated

Powers specific to the national government granted by the U.S. Constitution.

denied powers

Powers expressly forbidden to the national government, state governments, or both by the Constitution.

devolution

The transfer of policy enforcement and powers from the federal government back to state and local governments.

dual federalism

A system of government where state and national levels maintain clearly defined, separate spheres of authority.

enumerated

Powers explicitly stated and listed in the U.S. Constitution.

Ex Post Facto

A law that retroactively changes the legal consequences of actions committed before the enactment of the law, prohibited by the Constitution.

expressed

Powers explicitly written into the U.S. Constitution.

extradition

The legal process by which a state surrenders an individual accused or convicted of a crime to the state where the crime occurred.

fiscal federalism

The pattern of spending, taxing, and providing financial grants within the federal system.

formula grants

Categorical grants distributed according to non-discretionary mathematical formulas specified in law.

full faith and credit

Constitutional requirement (Article IV, Section 1) that states recognize public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of other states.

horizontal federalism

The constitutional relationships and responsibilities that exist among the individual states themselves.

implied powers

Powers of the federal government not explicitly stated in the Constitution but implied through the Necessary and Proper Clause.

incorporated powers (via courts)

The legal doctrine through which the Supreme Court applies Bill of Rights protections to states using the Fourteenth Amendment.

layer-cake federalism

A metaphor for dual federalism representing distinct separation between state and national responsibilities.

mandates: funded

Federal requirements imposed on state or local governments accompanied by federal funding to meet compliance costs.

mandates: unfunded

Federal laws or regulations requiring state or local governments to perform actions without providing federal funding for compliance.

marble-cake federalism

A metaphor for cooperative federalism representing blended and shared responsibilities between federal and state levels.

necessary & proper/elastic clause

Article I, Section 8 clause granting Congress power to make all laws necessary and proper for carrying out its enumerated duties.

privileges and immunities

Constitutional guarantee (Article IV) preventing a state from unreasonably discriminating against citizens of other states.

public policy exceptions

Grounds on which a state may refuse to recognize or enforce another state's law if it contravenes its own fundamental public policy.

reserved

Powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited to the states, reserved to the states or the people.

revenue-sharing

A policy under fiscal federalism where federal tax revenues are distributed directly to state and local governments with minimal strings attached.

supremacy clause

Article VI, Clause 2 establishing that the U.S. Constitution and federal laws take precedence over state laws.

vertical federalism

The hierarchical distribution of power and structural interactions between the national government and state governments.

Writs of Habeas Corpus

A court order directing a detaining authority to produce an incarcerated individual in court to demonstrate valid legal grounds for detention.

access points

Structural opportunities and institutional locations in government through which citizens and interest groups can influence policy.

grassroots

Political activity or movements driven by ordinary citizens at the local level rather than political elites.

gridlock

A political stalemate occurring when government branches or parties are unable to pass legislation or reach consensus.

linkage institutions

Channels such as political parties, elections, interest groups, and media that connect citizens to their government.