Civics and Government Principles Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering types of government, foundational American political principles, division of powers, political ideologies, history of the U.S. two-party system, and modern presidential election processes.

Government

A system by which a country or society is overseen and regulated.

Social Contract

An agreement where people live in a society for collective benefits, but must give up some rights and freedoms and follow laws.

Democracy

A society that is ruled by its citizens, characterized as 'rule by the people'.

Direct Democracy

A form of democracy where all citizens participate directly in making political decisions.

Representative Democracy

A form of democracy where citizens elect officials to make political decisions on their behalf.

Absolute Monarchy

A government ruled by a king or queen who holds the power to make all political decisions.

Constitutional Monarchy

A government ruled by a king or queen whose power is limited by a constitution.

Authoritarian Government

A government where power is concentrated unilaterally in one individual or group that is not accountable to citizens.

Communist Authoritarian

An authoritarian system categorized by communist economic control, such as China ($1949$-$1978$) and the Soviet Union ($1917$-$1991$).

Capitalist Authoritarian

An authoritarian system categorized by capitalist economic structures, such as China ($1978$-present) and Russia under Putin.

Totalitarian Government

A government that is centralized and dictatorial, allowing no individual freedoms.

Theocracy

A government in which political decisions are made by religious leaders.

Oligarchy

A government ruled by a small group of wealthy or influential people, characterized as 'rule by the few'.

Aristocracy

A government ruled by a small group of people due to their nobility or lineage, characterized as 'rule by the best'.

Anarchy

A system characterized by an absence of formal government and absolute freedom of the individual.

Democratic Republic

A government that operates on the principles of both a republic and a democracy.

Rule of Law

The principle that all people, including those who are elected to govern, are bound by the law.

Limited Government

The principle that government cannot be all-powerful and can only do what the people give it the power to do.

Consent of the Governed

The principle that American citizens, the people, are the source of all governmental power.

Individual Rights

Rights of individuals that are protected by, and from, the government.

Representative Government

A system in which the people elect government leaders to make laws and govern on their behalf.

Federalism

The principle that divides governmental power between the federal and state governments.

Enumerated Powers

Powers specifically given to the federal government by the Constitution, such as regulating interstate commerce, negotiating with foreign countries, and declaring war.

Implied Powers

Powers that are unwritten but are necessary to carry out basic functions under the 'necessary and proper clause'.

Reserved Powers

Powers given by the Constitution to state governments, including regulating education, granting licenses, overseeing public safety, and chartering local governments.

Concurrent Powers

Powers shared by multiple levels of government, including levying taxes, borrowing money, and establishing courts.

Political Ideology

A system of beliefs about political and economic theory and policy.

Radicals

Political actors on the far left of the spectrum who favor immediate, extreme, and often violent change, likely supporting a revolution (e.g., anarchists, communist revolutionaries).

Liberals

Political actors who want to move society forward and accept change through democratic processes, favoring a strong central government with equality as a core value.

Moderates

Individuals who share viewpoints of both liberals and conservatives, representing the true position of most Americans.

Conservatives

Political actors who favor small government, limited business regulation, traditional values including military power, and liberty as a core value, while opposing change.

Reactionaries

Political actors on the far right who desire immediate, often violent change to restore the order of things 'the way things used to be' (e.g., KKK, Al-Qaeda).

Horseshoe Theory

The theory that the two far ends of the political spectrum (radical and reactionary) arch back toward one another, but do not touch.

Political Compass

A model organizing political ideologies on a two-axis grid with four directions: Left, Right, Authoritarian, and Libertarian.

Libertarian

An ideological stance favoring minimal government intervention in the economy and the private lives of citizens.

Political Polarization

The movement away from the political center towards extremes, which George Washington warned against in his Farewell Address.

The Federalist Party

A party during the First Two Party System ($1800$-$1824$) that supported big government.

The Democratic-Republican Party

A party during the First Two Party System ($1800$-$1824$) that supported limited government before later splitting into factions.

Jacksonian Democrats

A faction led by Andrew Jackson during the Second Two Party System ($1824$-$1854$) advocating for populism and universal white male suffrage, marking the beginning of the modern Democratic Party.

Whig Party

A splinter group in the Second Two Party System ($1824$-$1854$) that opposed Andrew Jackson's populism and favored government regulation and big government.

Republican Party

Known as the 'Party of Lincoln' in the Third Two Party System ($1854$-$1896$), formed to prevent the expansion of slavery and support government intervention in the economy.

Hyperpartisan

An extreme and dangerous state of political polarization resulting in government gridlock due to parties refusing to work with one another.

Exploratory Committee

A committee formed by presidential candidates, typically those with little name recognition, to determine if they have sufficient support before running.

Political Action Committees (PACs)

Interest groups formed to support candidates or specific parties, subject to a contribution limit of $5,000$ dollars per election.

Soft Money

Money raised to indirectly support candidates and campaigns that is not subject to limitations set by the Federal Elections Commission (FEC).

Citizens United v. FEC

A $2010$ Supreme Court ruling establishing that campaign finance rules violated free speech and that corporations/groups can spend unlimited money on elections if not in direct connection with a candidate or party.

Primary

A mini-election method used by most states and territories to select party delegates for presidential nomination.

Caucus

An in-person meeting format used by select states where voters physically stand in groups to demonstrate support for their chosen candidate.

National Convention

A large mid-to-late summer gathering held by political parties to officially nominate a presidential candidate based on delegate counts.

Electoral College

The official body where state electors cast ballots based on the popular vote, requiring a candidate to reach $270$ electoral votes to become President-Elect.