Studied by 63 people
Limited Government
a government’s power cannot be absolute; The ideal of limited government is ensured by the interaction of these principles
Natural Rights
all people have certain rights that cannot be taken away
Popular Sovereignty
all government power comes from the consent of the governed
Social Contract
an implicit agreement among the in a society to give up some freedom to maintain social order.
Representative Democracy
a system of government in which all eligible citizens to vote on representatives to make public policy for them.
Participatory Democracy
emphasizes broad participation in politics and civil soceity.
Pluralist Democracy
emphasizes group-based activism by nongovernmental interests striving for impact on political decision making.
Elite Democracy
emphasizes limited participation in politics and civil liberty.
Anti-Federalists
opposed the ratification of The Constitution and wanted more power to go to the state governments.
Federalists
Supported the ratification of The Constitution and wanted more power to go to the federal government.
Democracy
A system of government in which power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly.
Faction
a party or group that is often contentious or self-seeking
Shays’s Rebellion
an armed uprising in opposition to high taxation and insufficient economic policies that exposed concern over the weakness of the federal government under the Articles Of Confederation.
Great Compromise
created a dual system of congressional representation with the House of Representatives based on each state’s population and the senate representing each state equally.
3/5th compromise
provided a formula for a state to calculate their enslaved population for purposes of representation in the house and for taxation.
Ratifacation
the act of consenting to the U.S. Constitution through state ratification conventions. requiring 9/13 states pass the amendment.
Separation of Powers
specific and separate powers delegated to congress, the president, and the courts allow each branch to check and balance the power of the others.
Checks and Balances
allow legal actions to be taken against public officials deemed to have abused their power
Federalism
the system of government in the United States in which power is shared between the national and state governments
Enumerated Powers
Written in the constitution
Implied Powers
not specifically written in the Constitution but are inferred from the Necessary and Proper Clause
Reserved Powers
those not delegated or enumerated to the national government but are reserved to the states, as stated in the Tenth Amendment
Concurrent Powers
shared between both levels of government such as the power to collect taxes, the power to make and enforce laws and the power to build roads
Revenue Sharing
national funding with almost no restrictions to the states on its use and is the least used form of funding
Categorical Grants
national funding that is restricted to specific categories of expenditures, is preferred by the national government, and is the most commonly used form of funding
Block Grants
national funding with minimal restrictions to the states on its use and is preferred by the states
Mandates
requirements by the national government of the states
Tenth Amendment
the last of the Bill of Rights to define the balance of power between the federal government and the states ; establishes reserved powers of the states
Commerce Clause
gives the national government the power to regulate interstate commerce, but Supreme Court interpretations can influence the extent of this power
Elastic Clause
gives Congress the power to make laws related to carrying out its enumerated powers, but Supreme Court interpretations can influence the extent of these powers.
Supremacy Clause
gives the national government and its laws general precedence over states’ laws, but Supreme Court interpretations may affect when specific actions exceed this constitutional power
Formal Power
power delegated to a branch of government explicitly listed in the U.S. Constitution
Informal Power
powers not listed in the U.S. Constitution but implied or granted
Bicameral
two-house legislature
Senate
designed to represent states equally ; has 100 members and debate is less formal than the House ; One-third of the Senate is elected every two years, creating a continuous legislative body ; bills are typically brought to the floor by unanimous consent, but a Senator may request a hold on a bill to prevent it from getting to the floor for a vote. During debate, a Senator can use the filibuster or make a motion for cloture
House
designed to represent the people ; Debate in the House, which has 435 members, is more formal than in the Senate ; all House members are elected every two years ; All revenue bills must originate in the House. Rules for debate in the House on a bill are established by the Rules Committee. The House can form a Committee of the Whole in order to expedite debate on bills. An individual representative in the House can file a discharge petition to have a bill brought to the floor for debate, but it is rarely done
Federal Budget
generated by Congress to address both mandatory and discretionary spending
Oversight
Congressional authority to ensure legislation is implemented as intended, including i. review, monitoring, and supervision of bureaucratic agencies ii. Investigation and committee hearings of bureaucratic activity iii. Power of the purse ; serves as a check of executive authorization
Speaker of The House
elected by a majority of House members and presides over the legislative work in the House
Bill
a draft or proposed law in Congress
Committee
conduct hearings and debate and mark up bills with revisions and additions ; leadership in committees is determined by the majority political party ; a majority of bills do not pass committees to floor debate and vote
Committee Hearing
a method of both houses by which committee members gather and analyze information, evidence, and testimony in deliberation over a bill prior to full chamber debate and vote
Mark Up
additions and/or revisions of a bill done in congressional committee
Rules Committee
establishes rules for debate on a bill in the House
Committee of the Whole
a committee formed in the House to expedite debate on bills
Discharge Petition
a filing by a House member to have a bill brough to the floor for debate, but rarely done
Unanimous Consent
a typical Senate procedure to bring bills to the floor for debate and vote
Hold
a filing by a Senator to prevent a bill from getting to the floor for a vote
Filibuster
a tactic to prolong debate and delay or prevent a vote on a bill
Cloture
a procedure to end a debate
Conference Committee
meets when a bill passed by both chambers on the same topic has variation in its wording and attempt to reconcile those differences
Mandatory Spending
required by law for entitlement programs such as Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid
Entitlements
any government-provided or government-managed benefit or service to which some or all individuals are entitled
Social Security
a social insurance program funded by a payroll tax on current employers and employees to be redistributed to qualifying individuals for retirement, disability, or survivor benefits
Medicare
a federal government-subsidized healthcare program for qualified elderly Americans
Medicaid
a federal government-subsidized healthcare program for qualified low-income households
Discretionary Spending
approved on an annual basis for defense spending, education, and infrastructure ; as entitlement costs grow, discretionary spending opportunities will decrease unless tax revenues increase, or the budget deficit increases
Infrastructure
a set of facilities, structures, and utilities developed, owned, operated, and maintained by the federal, state, and/or municipal government ; includes highways, roads, railroads, bridges, ports, airports, public transportation, water and sewage systems, electrical grids, and broadband systems
Pork Barrel
funding for a local project in a larger appropriation bill
Logrolling
vote trading between legislators
Partisan Voting
when members of Congress vote based on their political party affiliation
Polarization
when political attitudes move toward ideological extremes
Gridlock
a situation in which no congressional action on legislation can be taken due to a lack of consensus
Reapportionment
redistribution of congressional seats to the several states based on the U.S. Census held every 10 years
Redistricting
redrawing of congressional districts by state legislatures based on congressional reapportionment
Gerrymandering
redrawing of congressional districts with the intent to create undue advantage for a political party
Divided Government
when one party controls the presidency and the other party controls at least one of the chambers of Congress
Trustee Representative
A representative who will vote on issues based on their own knowledge and judgment
Delegate Representative
A representative who sees themselves as an agent of those who elected them and will vote on issues based on the interests of their constituents
Politico Representative
uses a combination of trustee and delegate role conceptions
Policy Agenda
a list of subjects or issues to which government officials will agree to consider as part of public policy making
Majority-Minority Districting
drawing an electoral district in which the majority of constituents are racial or ethnic minorities
Power of The Purse
the ability of Congress to check the bureaucracy by appropriating or withholding funds
Senate Confirmation
an important check on appointment powers but there can be a potential for conflict based on who is chosen by the president for appointments, including: i. Cabinet members ii. Ambassadors iii. Some positions within the Executive Office of the President iv. Supreme Court Justices, Court of Appeals judges, and District Court judges, but the president’s longest lasting influence lies in life-tenured judicial appointments
Impeachment
the House formally charges an official with abuse of power or misconduct
Removal
if the official is convicted in a Senate impeachment trial
Precedent
the Supreme Court’s power to determine the constitutionality of a congressional law, executive action, or state law or state court decision
Stare Decisis
the legal doctrine under which courts follow legal precedents when deciding cases with similar facts “to make more certain”
Jurisdiction
legal authority delegated to the federal courts to rule on cases and controversies
Original Jurisdiction
the power of a court to hear a case for the first time
Appellate Jurisdiction
the power of a court to hear a case that has already been heard and decided by a lower court
Judicial Activism
asserts that judicial review allows the courts to overturn current Constitutional and case precedent or invalidate legislative or executive acts
Judicial Restraint
asserts that judicial review should be constrained to decisions that adhere to current Constitutional and case precedent
Rule of 4
takes 4 justices to agree to take an appeal
Writ of Certorari
“to make more certain”; the court will grant this writ when they agree to hear a case
Core Values
include individualism, equal opportunity, free enterprise, and rule of law
Individualism
each person has the ability to shape their life and destiny through the choices they make
Equal Oppurtunity
each person has the ability to shape their life and destiny through the choices they make
Free Enterprise
the market determines prices, products, and services
Rule of Law
every person, even those in power, must follow and is accountable to the same laws that govern all
Political Socialization
the process by which individuals develop political beliefs, values, opinions, and behaviors ; family, schools, peers, media, and social environments (including civic and religious organizations) contribute to the development of an individual’s political attitudes and values
United States Political Culture
its democratic ideals, principles, and core values
Globalization
process of interaction and integration among people, companies, and governments worldwide ; U.S. political culture has both influenced and been influenced by the values of other countries
Political Ideology
a set of political ideas and beliefs on how society should function in achieving and prioritizing goals and methods ; influenced by generational effects and life cycle effects, political events, political socialization
Generational Effects
experiences shared by people of a common age
Life Cycle Effects
experiences a person encounters during different life stages
Scientific Poll
a human research survey of public opinion using statistical information to randomly select representative respondents and obtain timely results through unbiased questioning
Opinion Poll
measuring public opinion on various issues
Benchmark Poll
creating baseline views of a candidate
Tracking Poll
following how views of a candidate change during a campaign
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