Gov. Unit 4-7 Flashcards

civil liberties

limitations on the power of government, designed to ensure personal freedoms

civil rights

guarantees of equal treatment by government authorities

common-law right

a right of the people rooted in legal tradition and past court rulings, rather than the Constitution

conscientious objector

a person who claims the right to refuse to perform military service on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, or religion

economic liberty

the right of individuals to obtain, use, and trade things of value for their own benefit

eminent domain

the power of government to take or use property for a public purpose after compensating its owner; also known as the takings clause of the Fifth Amendment

undue burden test

a means of deciding whether a law that makes it harder for women to seek abortions is constitutional

affirmative action

the use of programs and policies designed to assist groups that have historically been subject to discrimination

American Indian Movement (AIM)

the Native American civil rights group responsible for the occupation of Wounded Knee, South Dakota, in 1973

Chicano

a term adopted by some Mexican American civil rights activists to describe themselves and those like them

civil disobedience

an action taken in violation of the letter of the law to demonstrate that the law is unjust

coverture

a legal status of married women in which their separate legal identities were erased

*de facto* segregation

segregation that results from the private choices of individuals

*de jure* segregation

segregation that results from government discrimination

direct action

civil rights campaigns that directly confronted segregationist practices through public demonstrations

disenfranchisement

the revocation of someone’s right to vote

equal protection clause

a provision of the Fourteenth Amendment that requires the states to treat all residents equally under the law

Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)

the proposed amendment to the Constitution that would have prohibited all discrimination based on sex

glass ceiling

an invisible barrier caused by discrimination that prevents women from rising to the highest levels of an organization—including corporations, governments, academic institutions, and religious organizations

hate crime

harassment, bullying, or other criminal acts directed against someone because of bias against that person’s sex, gender, sexual orientation, religion, race, ethnicity, or disability

Title IX

the section of the U.S. Education Amendments of 1972 that prohibits discrimination in education on the basis of sex

bandwagon effect

increased media coverage of candidates who poll high

Bradley effect

the difference between a poll result and an election result in which voters gave a socially desirable poll response rather than a true response that might be perceived as racist

exit poll

an election poll taken by interviewing voters as they leave a polling place

heuristics

shortcuts or rules of thumb for decision making

modern conservatism

a political ideology that prioritizes individual liberties, preferring a smaller government that stays out of the economy

modern liberalism

a political ideology focused on equality and supporting government intervention in society and the economy if it promotes equality

political culture

the prevailing political attitudes and beliefs within a society or region

political elite

a political opinion leader who alerts the public to changes or problems

public opinion

a collection of opinions of an individual or a group of individuals on a topic, person, or event

random sample

a limited number of people from the overall population selected in such a way that each has an equal chance of being chosen

representative sample

a group of respondents demographically similar to the population of interest

straw poll

an informal and unofficial election poll conducted with a non-random population

caucus

a form of candidate nomination that occurs in a town-hall style format rather than a day-long election; usually reserved for presidential elections

closed primary

an election in which only voters registered with a party may vote for that party’s candidates

coattail effect

the result when a popular presidential candidate helps candidates from the same party win their own elections

platform

the set of issues important to the political party and the party delegates

political action committees (PACs)

organizations created to raise money for political campaigns and spend money to influence policy and politics

shadow campaign

a campaign run by political action committees and other organizations without the coordination of the candidate

winner-take-all system

all electoral votes for a state are given to the candidate who wins the most votes in that state