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