Gov final

sovereignty

The authority of a state to govern itself or another state.

oligarchy

A government ruled by a few powerful people.

confederation

An alliance of mostly independent states.

public policy

Decisions and laws that a government makes in an area of public concern.

dictatorship

Form of government in which the leader has absolute power and authority.

budget

A plan for collecting and spending money.

direct democracy

Political system in which all citizens meet to discuss government matters and to vote firsthand

republic

A system of limited government in which people are the ultimate source of government power

autocracy

A system of government in which the power to rule is in the hands of a single individual.

citizens

Community members who owe loyalty to the government and are entitled to protection from it.

Social Contract

An agreement by which people give up some freedoms for an organized society.

Petition of Right

Document signed by Charles I of England that further limited the powers of the English monarch.

unitary government

A centralized government in which all government powers belong to a single, central agency.

Mayflower Compact

Formal document, written in 1620, that provided law and order to the Plymouth colony.

Magna Carta

A written legal agreement signed in 1215 that limited the English monarch's power.

majority rule

Principle by which a group agrees to abide by the opinion that most members hold.

Leviathan

Enlightenment-era work by Thomas Hobbes in which he expresses his ideas on government.

popular sovereignty

Government by consent of the governed.

Virginia Plan

Constitutional Plan that favored large states because representation was based on population.

Common Sense

A 1776 essay by Thomas Paine that urged the colonies to declare independence

common law

System that rests on previous court decisions.

Preamble

Introduction to the Constitution that states the purpose of government.

English Bill of Rights

Document signed in 1689 that guaranteed the rights of English citizens

egalitarianism

Theory of equality.

New Jersey Plan

Plan that favored small states because state representation was equal.

Articles of Confederation

A weak constitution that governed America during the Revolutionary War.

Elastic Clause

Part of the constitution that says Congress has implied powers

concurrent powers

Powers exercised by both the national and state governments.

Supreme Court

Has the final authority on interpreting the Constitution.

implied powers

Powers of Congress that are not specifically listed in the Constitution.

Three-Fifths Compromise

Included part of the slave population in calculating representation.

reserved powers

Powers that can be exercised only by state governments.

Federalists

Supporters of the Constitution during the Constitutional Convention

Article I of the Constitution

Outlines the lawmaking powers of Congress.

Northwest Ordinance

Organized new territorial governments

Article V of the Constitution

Specifies the process for amending the Constitution.

seniority

System in which longer-serving members get the best committee assignments.

expressed powers

Specific powers of Congress listed in the Constitution.

filibuster

Senatorial practice of talking a bill to death.

census

Used to determine each state’s number of representatives.

veto

President’s refusal to sign a bill.

gerrymander

A way to draw district boundaries that favors one party over another.

pork-barrel projects

Federal government projects that benefit home districts or states.

lobbyist

Person hired by a private group to influence government decisions.

impeach

To accuse officials of misconduct in office.

Electoral College

Group that elects the president and vice president

cabinet

An advisory group chosen by the president to help accomplish the work of the executive branch

political party

Group of people with similar beliefs who seek to control government by winning elections and holding office.

executive order

A rule or command made by the president that has the force of law

bias

Prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair.

national security

The ability to keep the country safe from attack or harm

treaty

A formal agreement between the governments of two or more countries

caucus

A meeting of party members to select delegates backing one or another primary candidate.

two party system

System here in America where 2 political parties dominate all aspects of government.

nomination

The process of candidate selection in an electoral system

appeals court

Court that reviews decisions from lower district courts

primary election

Nominating election held to choose party candidates who will run in the general election

hard money

Campaign money that is subject to regulations by the FEC

super PAC

Political committee that can solicit and spend unlimited sums of money but not directly to a politician or political party.

opinion

Detailed explanation of the legal thinking behind a court decision.

unanimous opinion

Situation in which all justices vote the same way.

majority opinion

View of the majority of justices on a case.

district court

Federal court where trials are held and lawsuits are begun.

precedent

Past opinion that guides judges by offering a model upon which to base their own decisions in similar cases.

dissenting opinion

Opinion that presents the view of justices who disagree with the majority decision.

judicial review

Power to review any federal, state, or local law or action to see if it goes against the Constitution.

appellate jurisdiction

Authority of a court to hear a case appealed from a lower court.

concurrent jurisdiction

Situation in which both state and federal courts have jurisdiction.

writ of certiorari

Request for Supreme Court to review a case.

jurisdiction

Court’s authority to hear and decide a case.

briefs

Written document that explains one side’s position in a case.

Miranda Rule

The constitutional rights which police must read to a suspect before questioning can occur.

original jurisdiction

Authority to hear cases for the first time.

slander

False speech intended to damage a person's reputation.

isolationism

Policy of avoiding involvement in world affairs

libel

A false written statement about an individual.

civil case

Legal action by a person or group against another person or group.

concurrent powers

Powers shared by state governments and the federal government.

Free exercise clause

People should have the right to practice religion as they choose.

the CIA

Established in 1947 for gathering information and keeping America safe abroad.

prior restraint

Government action that prohibits speech or other expression before it can take place.

Secretary of State

The head of the U.S. Department of State; a member of the President's Cabinet.

county

Normally the largest territorial and political subdivision in a state.

NAFTA

North American Free Trade Agreement; allows open trade with US, Mexico, and Canada.

metropolitan area

Central city and its surrounding suburbs.

ordinances

Regulations that govern a local government unit

strong mayor

Person who tends to dominate city government.

Municipal government

The local government unit that administers a city or town

weak-mayor system

Form of government in which the council appoints department heads and makes most policy decisions

magistrates

Handle minor civil complaints in urban areas.

Ancient Rome set up a ___ where citizens elected representatives to the Senate to rule.

Republic

A system of government in which power is divided between national, state, and local levels is a

Federal system

This is NOT needed for democracy to prosper.

an uneducated public

The Declaration of Independence founded government on principles of

human liberty and consent of the governed.

Under the Articles of Confederation, the plan for the central government did NOT include

an executive branch

Generally, conservatives believe that the government should be used for protecting -

only equal opportunity, not equality of results.

Someone on the left side of the political spectrum can best be described as ____ , while someone on the right side is considered ______, and someone in the center is considered ________.

Liberal, Conservative, Moderate

Locke argued that if government does not protect the rights of people, then

People have a right to (and should) overthrow the government.

Generally, liberals believe that the government can be used for which of the following?

Redistributing of wealth through taxation

The major function of political parties in America is:

nominating candidates for public office and presenting them to voters