Lecture Notes: Government, Federalism, and Constitutional Foundations

Vocabulary flashcards covering core terms related to government, constitutional foundations, and federalism from the lecture notes.

Government

The formal institutions through which a territory and its people are ruled and services (public goods) are provided.

Public Goods

Goods that benefit all citizens but are unlikely to be produced voluntarily by individuals or private markets due to cost or difficulty of exclusion.

The Great Society

a set of domestic programs launched by President Lyndon B. Johnson in the 1960s to eliminate poverty and racial injustice, expand education, and strengthen health and welfare programs, further increasing the role of the federal government.

Pluralism

A theory that politics is a competition among groups, with policy outcomes resulting from group competition and compromise.

Politics

Conflict and struggles over the leadership, structure, and policies of government.

Forms of Government

The ways political authority is organized and exercised.

Democracy

Rule by the people.

Oligarchy

Rule by a few.

Direct Democracy

Citizens make policy decisions directly rather than through representatives.

Initiative

Citizens place proposed laws/amendments on the ballot via petition.

Referendum

Voters approve or reject laws or amendments passed by the legislature.

Representative Democracy

A system in which the populace elects representatives who influence decision-making.

Political Power

The ability of a person or group to influence others’ political behavior, including decisions about who governs.

Political Knowledge

Information about formal institutions, political actors, and political issues.

Disinformation

False or misleading information deliberately spread to shape public opinion or obscure the truth.

Political Efficacy

The belief that one can influence government and politics.

Political Attitudes

Citizens’ preferences about whether government should actively solve problems (larger government) or rely on individuals/private sector (smaller government).

Political Trust

The degree of citizen confidence in government institutions and leaders to act in the public’s best interest.

Sugar Act of 1764

British law taxing sugar and molasses to raise revenue; fueled resistance due to lack of representation.

Stamp Act of 1765

British law requiring colonists to purchase stamps for legal documents and newspapers.

East India Company

Powerful British corporation granted a monopoly on colonial tea trade.

Tea Act of 1773

Parliamentary act giving the East India Company a monopoly on tea traded in colonies.

Declaration of Independence

Adopted July 4, 1776; proclaimed the colonies’ separation from Britain and natural rights.

Articles of Confederation

The first U.S. constitution (ratified 1781); created a weak national government with most power at the states.

Shay’s Rebellion

1786–87 uprising by Massachusetts farmers led by Daniel Shays protesting debt and foreclosures.

Virginia Plan

1787 proposal for a strong national government with a two-chamber legislature based on population.

New Jersey Plan

1787 proposal for a single-chamber legislature with equal state representation.

The Great Compromise

1787 agreement creating a bicameral Congress: House (population) and Senate (equal), resolving representation disputes.

The Three-Fifths Compromise

Agreement that enslaved people would count as three-fifths of a person for representation.

Separation of Powers

Dividing governmental power among legislative, executive, and judicial branches.

Checks and Balances

A system that allows each branch to limit the powers of the others.

Federalism

System of government where power is divided between national and state governments.

Bill of Rights

First ten amendments guaranteeing individual liberties (speech, religion, etc.).

Supremacy Clause

Article VI: Constitution, federal laws, and treaties are the supreme law of the land.

Ratifying the Constitution

Process by which the Constitution was approved by state conventions (nine of thirteen states required).

Amending the Constitution

Process for formally changing the Constitution (proposal by two-thirds of Congress or state conventions).

Constitution

Fundamental law establishing the framework of government, powers, duties, and rights.

Unitary System

System in which all formal authority rests with the national government.

Federalism: Benefits and Drawbacks

Benefits: local flexibility, states as laboratories of democracy; Drawbacks: inequality across states, patchwork policies.

Intergovernmental Relations

Interactions among national, state, and local governments, including regulations and transfers.

10th Amendment

Powers not delegated to the United States or prohibited to the states are reserved to the states.

Reserved Powers

Powers not granted to the national government and reserved for the states.

Full Faith and Credit Clause

Requires states to recognize and honor official acts, records, and judgments from other states.

Privileges and Immunities Clause

Prevents states from discriminating against citizens of other states or giving special privileges to in-state residents.

Commerce Clause

Gives Congress power to regulate commerce with foreign nations, among the states, and with Native tribes.

Layer Cake Federalism (Dual Federalism)

Traditional system with clearly defined powers for state and national governments.

Marble Cake Federalism (Cooperative Federalism)

System where national and state governments jointly exercise powers and cooperate.

The Great Depression

The severe economic crisis of the 1930s that spurred expanded federal action.

Expressed Powers

Powers specifically granted to the national government by the Constitution, especially in Article I, Section 8.

Implied Powers

Powers not explicitly listed but derived from the Necessary and Proper Clause.

Police Powers

Powers reserved to the states to regulate health, safety, welfare, and morals.

Concurrent Powers

Powers shared by both the national and state governments.

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

Supreme Court upheld national power and implied powers to establish a national bank; state tax barred.

Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)

Supreme Court broadly interpreted the Commerce Clause, confirming Congress’s power to regulate interstate commerce.