Foundations of Political Science and American Government

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the characteristics of the state, systems and forms of government, ancient roots in Athens and Rome, Enlightenment philosophy, and the drafting, principles, and ratification of the U.S. Constitution.

Sovereignty

The supreme governing authority—having 'no one above you'—to make and enforce decisions within a territory without being controlled by an external political power.

Federalism

A system of government in which political power is divided and shared between a national government and regional or state governments.

Anarchy

A political condition in which there is no recognized governing authority or formal government.

Autocracy

A form of government in which one person holds all or most political power.

Monarchy

A government led by a king or queen, whose authority is typically passed down through family inheritance and tradition.

Dictatorship

A form of autocracy where one ruler exercises dominant, highly concentrated political power, usually without meaningful legal or institutional limits.

Junta

A government controlled by a small group of military leaders, typically coming to power after a military takeover.

Oligarchy

A government in which political power is concentrated in the hands of a small elite group based on wealth, status, family connections, or military control.

Direct Democracy

A system in which citizens participate personally in government by voting directly on laws and public decisions rather than relying on elected representatives.

Representative Democracy

A system of government where citizens elect officials to make laws, govern on their behalf, and remain accountable to voters.

Theocracy

A government guided by religious authority, religious institutions, or divine law.

Universal Health Coverage (UHC)

A healthcare system where people can receive needed medical services without suffering severe financial hardship due to cost.

Selection by Lot

The Athenian practice of filling government offices by random selection to prevent powerful families from controlling office and give ordinary citizens opportunities to govern.

Patrician

A member of Rome's traditional aristocratic upper class that originally held much of the political power and wealth.

Plebeian

A member of the common social class in ancient Rome, including farmers, workers, and merchants, distinct from the aristocratic patricians.

Consuls

The two top elected executive officials in the Roman Republic who shared authority, served limited terms, and held the power to limit or check each other.

Twelve Tables

An early written collection of Roman laws that made legal rules publicly known and established the principle that government should operate according to law.

Rule of Law

The principle that laws govern society, apply equally to all people, and require that leaders and government officials act within established legal limits.

State of Nature

A theoretical condition of human existence without laws, government, or central authority, characterized by Hobbes as a state of fear and conflict.

Social Contract Theory

The political philosophy that government authority is based on an agreement wherein people surrender certain freedoms in exchange for order, protection, and security of rights.

Tabula Rasa

John Locke's concept that the human mind begins as a blank slate, shaped entirely by experience and education rather than innate predetermined qualities.

Natural Rights

Basic, unalienable rights possessed by all individuals simply by virtue of being human, defined by John Locke as life, liberty, and property.

Separation of Powers

Montesquieu's principle of dividing governmental authority among distinct legislative, executive, and judicial branches to prevent tyranny.

Checks and Balances

A structural system that grants each branch of government constitutional mechanisms to limit, oversee, and restrain the powers of the other branches.

General Will

Jean-Jacques Rousseau's concept describing what is best for the collective interest of society as a whole, rather than private, selfish preferences.

Common Law

A legal tradition developed through centuries of court decisions, precedents, and customs rather than a single written legislative code, systematized by William Blackstone.

Popular Sovereignty

The constitutional principle that political authority is derived from and sustained by the consent of the people, expressed by 'We the People.'

Limited Government

The principle that government is not all-powerful and may only exercise powers specifically granted to it under the constitution and the law.

Judicial Review

The power of federal courts to evaluate legislative laws and executive actions and declare them unconstitutional if they conflict with the Constitution.

Bicameralism

A legislative body composed of two separate houses or chambers, such as the U.S. Congress consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Extradition

The constitutional process under Article IV whereby an accused person who flees from one state to another is returned to face legal prosecution.

Supremacy Clause

The provision in Article VI establishing that the U.S. Constitution, federal statutes, and treaties constitute the supreme law of the land over conflicting state laws.

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1791 to provide explicit protections for individual civil liberties and limit federal authority.

Articles of Confederation

The first written framework of government for the United States, which created a weak national confederation that left primary sovereignty and taxation power with the states.

Shays' Rebellion

A 1786 armed uprising of indebted farmers in Massachusetts led by Daniel Shays, highlighting the financial instability and military helplessness of the central government under the Articles of Confederation.

Northwest Ordinance of 1787

Legislation passed under the Articles of Confederation establishing an orderly protocol for creating territorial governments, admitting new states, and prohibiting slavery in the territory.

Great Compromise

The agreement authored by Roger Sherman at the Constitutional Convention establishing a bicameral legislature with state representation based on population in the House and equal state representation in the Senate.

Three-Fifths Compromise

A constitutional agreement specifying that three-fifths of the enslaved population would be counted for determining both direct taxation and representation in the House of Representatives.

Necessary and Proper Clause

The Article I provision (also called the elastic clause) authorizing Congress to pass all laws appropriate and necessary for carrying out its enumerated constitutional powers.

Federalists

Proponents of ratifying the U.S. Constitution who advocated for a stronger national government and authored the Federalist Papers under the pseudonym Publius.

Anti-Federalists

Critics of the proposed U.S. Constitution who feared a consolidated national government would threaten state sovereignty and individual liberties without an explicit bill of rights.