POLI 10D

Progressivism

Political ideology that aims to improve human society through political change and government action

Conservatism

Political ideology that emphasizes the value of traditional institutions and practices, opposes radical change and government intervention

Redistribution

Social Security, Medicare, and progressive tax system

Constitution

A body of rules by which an organization is governed

Madison, James

He explained the difficulty of having people govern other people. ANGELS

Enumerated Powers

Specific powers granted to Congress

Supremacy Clause

National laws and treaties supreme law of the land, superseding state laws

Status Quo

Existing state of affairs

Federalists

Argued for new constitution. Elites best to govern, “excessive democracy” bad. Strong central power to create powerful nation.

Antifederalists

Modification of articles. Government close to people, power dispersed. Retention of power by states.

Political Parties as Facilitators

Facilitate legislative activity and provide a framework for electoral competition and coordination

Enumerated Powers (Specific)

Raise revenue, borrow money, regulate commerce, declare war

Duverger’s Law

In electoral systems with single-winner plurality elections, multiple parties tend to coalesce into two.

Hamilton, Alexander

Commercial and manufacturing interests, British economic model, federal power.

Patronage

Awarding jobs, grants, licenses, or other special favors in exchange for political support

Party machines

State or local party organizations based on patronage

Agency Loss

Discrepancy between a principal would like and what agent does

Incentives for political party building

Opposing candidates criticize current government

Retrospective Voting Rule

Vote for incumbent if delivered adequate performance

Single-issue voters

One dominant issue they care about

Median Voter Theorem

A majority rule voting system selects the outcome most preferred by the median vote

Polarization

Collapse of ideological diversity within each party coalition

Federalism

Different elected bodies share responsibilities and powers with overlapping jurisdictions

Judicial Review

Power of courts to declare laws of Congress or state legislatures null and void

Plain-meaning-of-text-theory

Constitutionality of a law following words of the Constitution

Original-intent theory

Constitutionality of a law by inferring original intent of those who wrote and ratified the Constitution.

Living-Constitution theory

Based on entirety of American experience from founding through today

Writ of certiorari

“Cert” requires endorsement of four of nine justices

Marbury v. Madison

Declares part of Judiciary Act of 1789 unconstitutional, establishes judicial review

Plessy v. Ferguson

Segregation ruled consistent with post-Civil War 14th and 15th amendments for equal protection, establishing principle of “separate but equal”

Articles of Confederation

The compact among the thirteen original states that formed the basis of the first national government of the United States from 1777 to 1789, when it was supplanted by the Constitution

Australian Ballot

A ballot prepared and distributed by government officials that places the names of all candidates on a single list and is filled out by voters in private

Bicameral

A legislature composed of two houses or chambers

Caucuses

Closed meetings of political or legislative group to choose candidates for office or to decide issues of policy

Checks and balances

A constitutional mechanism giving each branch some oversight and control of the other branches

Cognitive shortcut

A mental device allowing citizens to make complex decisions based on a small amount of information

Collective Action

An action taken by a group of like-minded individuals to achieve a common goal

Commerce Clause

The clause in Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution that gives Congress the authority to regulate commerce with other nations and among the state

Conformity Cost

The difference between what a person ideally would prefer and what the group with which that person makes collective decisions actually does

Conservative

In the United States, a proponent of a political ideology that favors small or limited government, an unfettered free market, self-reliance, and traditional social norms

Coordination

The act of organizing a group to achieve a common goal

Direct Democracy

The act of one person or body authorizing another person or body to perform an action on its behalf

Dissenting Opinion

The written opinion of one or more Supreme Court justices who disagree with the ruling of the Court’s majority

Dual and Shared Federalism

A system of government in which the federal government and state governments each have mutually exclusive spheres of action

Electoral College

A body of electors in each state, chosen by voters, who formally elect the president and vice president of the United States

Faction

A group of people sharing common interests who are opposed to other groups with competing interests

Free-rider problem

A situation in which individuals can receive the benefits from a collective activity whether or not they helped to pay for it, leaving them with no incentive to contribute

Ideology

A comprehensive, integrated set of views about government and politics

Issue Voting

Voting for candidates based on their positions on specific issues, as opposed to their party or personal characteristics

Liberal

In the United States, a proponent of a political ideology that favors extensive government action to redress social and economic inequalities and tolerates social behaviors that conservatives view as deviant

Majority Rule

The principle that decisions should reflect the preferences of more than half of those voting

Necessary and Proper Clause

The last clause of Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution

New Deal Coalition

An electoral alliance that was the basis of Democratic dominance from the 1930s to the early 1970s

Opinion Leader

A citizen who is highly attentive to and involved in politics or some related area and to whom other citizens turn for political information and cues

Party Identification

An individual’s enduring affective or instrumental attachment to one of the political parties

Pluralism

A theory describing a political system in which all significant social interests freely compete with one another for influence over the government’s policy decisions

Plurality Vote

Rule in electing members of Congress by which the candidate who receives the most votes wins, regardless of whether the plurality reaches a majority

Primary Election

An election held before the general election in which voters decide which of a party’s candidates will be the party’s nominee for the general election

Progressive Era Reforms

A period of American history extending roughly from 1880 to 1920 and associated with the reform of government and electoral institutions in an attempt to reduce corruption and weaken parties

Proportional Representation

An electoral system in which legislative seats are awarded to candidates or parties in proportion to the percentage of votes received

Republic

A form of democracy in which power is vested in elected representatives

Separation of Powers

The distribution of government powers among several political institutions

Split Ticket Voting

The act of voting for candidates from different political parties for different offices

Stare Decisis

In court rulings, a reliance on precedents, or previous rulings, in formulating decisions in new cases

Transaction Costs

The costs of doing political business reflected in the time and effort required to compare preferences and negotiate compromises in making collective decisions

Tyranny of the Majority

A form of government in which the ruling power exploits its authority and permits little popular control

Veto

The formal power of the president to reject bills passed by both houses of Congress