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Declaration of Independence

pronouncement of separation from former mother country, Britain; it founded the US

Constitutional Convention

1787 meeting in Philadelphia to write a new national constitution

Rule of law

the law is applied broadly and equally; no one is above the law

Popular sovereignty

people are the source of authority and power in government

Limited government

federal government with predefined limits to its power and authority

Natural rights

rights that are inherently given to the people

Social Contract

mutually beneficial agreement between the people and the government

Representative Democracy (Republic)

form of government where elected individuals represent the people

Participatory Democracy

form of government where citizens participate directly and individually

Elitist Democracy

political system where the well-educated and wealthy are in power

Pluralist democracy

political system where competing interest groups are in power

Great (Connecticut) Compromise

Bicameral legislature - House of Reps to be proportional to state population and Senate to be 2 seats/state

Three-Fifths Compromise

slaves are to represent 3/5 of a person

Importation of Slaves Compromise

Congress is given authority to prohibit the slave trade; it would be banned after 20 years

Article v Amendment Process

amendments need a 2/3 vote of Congress to be proposed and a 3/4 vote of state legislatures to be passed

Federalists

individuals who advocated for a strong central government and feared tyranny of the majority (the poor)

Anti Federalists

individuals who oppose a strong central government and support small state governments as well as fear tyranny of the minority (wealthy elite)

Federalism

sharing of power between state and national governmental power through levels (federal, state, local) not separation

Access points

a point in policymaking that allows citizens to influence government

Block Grants

federal funds that allow states to determine which category they will go to

Categorical Grants

federally funded grants to states for a specific category. If accepted, states have to also accept the national regulation that comes with taking the money

Federal Mandates

federal requirements also applied to state and local government

Federal Exclusive Powers

enumerated powers given to the national government

Concurrent Powers

powers shared between the federal and state government

10th Amendment (Reserved Powers)

the powers not delegated to the US by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively (or the people)

Congressional enumerated powers

congressional powers explicitly expressed in the Constitution

Congressional Implied powers

congressional powers implied in the Constitution

House Constitutional Powers

impeach, tax, foreign trade/treaties, VP appointment, elect President in case of tie

Senate Constitutional Powers

impeachment trials, President nominees, 2/3 vote for treaties, elect VP in case of tie

Raising revenue/power of the purse

congressional ability to tax and spend raised revenue

Discretionary spending

portion of budget that president requests and Congress appropriates

Mandatory/entitlement spending

spending determined by laws and regulations, not by Congress

Congressional leadership

Senate → president pro tempore, majority leader, minority leader; House → speaker of the house, majority leader, minority leader

Pork Barrel projects/Earmarks

(often local) projects that are funded by the federal budget through Congressman

Logrolling/reciprocity

exchanging of favors between politicians, particularly through reciprocal voting

Trustee/partisan/politico models

elected representatives are responsible for governing all; elected representatives are responsible fro deciding in line with party

Bully Pulpit

office/position that gives occupant opportunity to address any issue

Executive orders

informal powers of the president to manage operations of the federal government

Executive agreements

an international agreement made by executive branch dealing with routine matters

Judicial Review

constitution is supreme and must be upheld/interpreted by SCOTUS judges

Judicial activism

loose interpretation of constitution; interpreted generally and applied to modern circumstances

Judicial restraint

decide cases by strictly interpreting the Constitution

Representation: House and Senate

two houses that make up the bicameral legislature in Congress. House consists of 435 members and Senate consists of 100 members

Necessary and Proper clause

congressional powers to make a law are deemed necessary and proper

Committee Hearings

meeting of Senate/House/joint/special committee to gather information and opinions on proposed legislation, conduct an investigation, and evaluate activities of a government department

Senate filibuster/cloture

filibuster → an action (ie prolonged speech) to delay or prevent a decision regarding legislation; cloture → procedure to end debate and take a vote

Cabinet v White House Staff

Cabinet → body made of 15 heads of executive departments; White House Staff → body responsible for helping the President carry out his role as Chief Executive Officer

Bureaucracy

body of government appointed officials in executive branch who works for the President

Civil liberties

enumerated rights to protect citizens from the government; found in the Bill of Rights

Civil rights

personal rights to protected citizens social freedom and equality; guaranteed by the constitution

Minority rights

personal rights belonging to racial, ethnic, religious, gender, and class minorities

Rights of the accused

right to remain silent, right to an attorney, right to a fair and speedy trial, right to know that anything said can be used against them in court, right to know who your accuser is

Selective Incorporation

when the federal law is applied to states, ensuring they cannot override their granted constitutional rights

Right to privacy

fourth amendment protection from unreasonable searches and seizures

Free Exercise clause

allows citizens to practice their religion at they wish (as long as it does not interfere with public morals or government interest)

Establishment clause

the government cannot establish one religion

Exclusionary Rule

law that prohibits the use of illegally obtained evidence

Due Process clause

states cannot deny an person life, liberty, or property without due process of law

Equal Protection clause

all citizens of the US are equally protected under the law regardless of factors like race, gender, religion, etc

Patriot Act/USA Freedom Act (2001)

law with purpose to prevent against terrorist attacks

National Organization for Women

group of activists working to end gender inequality and discrimination

Civil Rights Act of 1964

law that prohibited discrimination on basis of race, religion, sex, and ethnicity

Voting Rights Act of 1965

prohibited discriminatory voting practices (literacy tests, poll taxes, etc)

Title IX

prohibited discrimination on basis of sex in education programs and activities (with federal financial assistance)

Political culture

the values, feelings, and knowledge associated with the political process

Political socialization

the process of forming one’s own political view

Social demographics

characteristics of a population

Political ideology

a collection of views on/way of thinking of politics

Keynesian economics

economic theory that government should manage economy (spend more in recession, cut spending when inflation occurs)

Globalization

the process of businesses integrating and influencing internationally

Public policy making

the process in which public policies are made

Individualism/Individual freedom

principle of being independent and self reliant

Conservative ideology

a set of political views typically held by Republicans; in support of tradition and individualism

Liberal ideology

a set of political views typically held by Democrats; in support of modernization and equality

Marketplace Regulation policy

policies regarding the government’s role in the marketplace

Federal Reserve

central bank of the US

Libertarian ideology

way of thinking that puts emphasis on freedom; socially liberal, economically conservative

Equality of Opportunity policy

people are given an equal and fair chance to ‘compete’

Party platforms

platforms to establish clear party position and views; used for campaigning

Republican Party (GOP)

one of two main political parties; characterized as being right-leaning and conservative

Democratic Party

one of two main political parties; characterized as left-leaning, liberal, and progressive

Traits of reliable scientific polling

what makes a poll credible’ random sample, large population (→ lower margin of error), unbiased

Political participation

expression of political views and opinions through activities and tasks

Rational Choice voting

primary and rational use of one’s own knowledge to vote

Retrospective voting

voting based on past performance of party in power; emphasis on past over future when voting

Prospective voting

voting based on the candidate’s future agenda

Structural Barriers (voting)

obstacles that affect a group disproportionately in process of voting

Voter mobilization

a process of motivating people to vote and raising awareness of voting

Realignments (critical elections)

elections in which a group of voters switch allegiance to the other party (election of 1932)

Lobbying

influencing public policy making and agenda setting on a specific issue

Issue networks

system of relationships between the bureaucracy, Congress, and interest groups in which public policies are made

Caucus

meetings that are held for picking of party delegates

Gatekeeping (media)

process in which information is filtered in the media

Horse Race/scorekeeper journalism

journalism that focuses on who is currently winning at any given time

Watchdog (investigative) journalism

type of journalism that closely follows and keeps government accountable so that they act in favor of the public

Voter registration

process of gaining the ability to exercise right to vote

Candidate centered campaigns

campaigns that emphasize the candidates over political parties

Primary elections

voting process in which a delegate is voted to represent the people in support a particular presidential candidate

Party conventions

meeting of party delegates to select presidential and vice-presidential candidates as well as finalize a party platform

Proposals to reform Electoral college

proposed ideas to change the electoral college process and role in elections