Unit 1: Foundations of American Democracy

Foundations Vocab

Policymaking Institutions

The branches of government charged with taking action on political issues. The Constitution created 3 policymaking institutions - Congress, the presidency and the courts. The bureaucracy is often considered the 4th branch.

New Jersey Plan

The proposal at the Constitutional Convention that called for equal representation of each state regardless of the state's population.

Elastic Clause

The final paragraph of Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution, which authorizes Congress to pass all laws 'necessary and proper' to carry out the enumerated powers.

Unfunded Mandate

Federal government requiring states to provide additional services under threat of penalties or as a condition of receipt of a federal grant. Difficult for states to deal with because sometimes Congress doesn't give them money for this service.

U.S. Constitution

The document that sets forth the institutional structure of the U.S. Government.

Connecticut Compromise

The compromise reached at the Constitutional Convention that established two houses of Congress (Senate / House of Representatives).

Policymaking System

Process of policy comes into being and evolves over time. People's interest, problems, and concerns create political issues for government policymakers.

Block Grants

Federal grants given more or less automatically to states or communities to support broad programs in areas such as community development and social services.

Supremacy Clause

The clause in Article VI of the Constitution that makes the Constitution, national laws, and treaties supreme over state laws as long as the national government is acting within its constitutional limits.

Devolution

The process of transferring responsibility for policies from the federal government to the state and local governments.

Separation of Powers

A feature of the Constitution that requires each of the three branches of government to be relatively independent of the others so that one cannot control the others.

Linkage Institutions

The political channels through which people's concerns become political issues on the policy agenda (elections, political parties, interest groups, media).

Implied Powers

Powers of the federal government that go beyond those enumerated in the Constitution, in accordance with the statement in the Constitution that Congress has the power to "make all laws necessary and proper for carrying into execution" the powers enumerated in Article I.

Judicial Review

The power of the courts to determine whether acts of Congress and, by implication, the executives are in accord with the U.S Constitution. Judicial review was established by Marbury v. Madison.

Fiscal Federalism

The pattern of spending, taxing, and providing grants in the federal system; it is the cornerstone of the national government's relations with state and local governments.

Political Efficacy

The belief that one's political participation really matters - that one's vote can actually make a difference.

Single-Issue Groups

Groups that have a narrow interest, tend to dislike compromise.

Enumerated (Delegated) Powers

Powers of the federal government that are specifically addressed in the Constitution.

Limited Government

The idea that certain restrictions should be placed on government to protect the natural rights of citizens.

Federalism

A way of organizing a nation so that two or more levels of government have formal authority over the same land and people. It is a system of shared power between units of government.

Shared (Concurrent) Powers

Powers granted to both national and state government.

Virginia Plan

Proposal at the Constitutional Convention to have proportional representatives.

Hyperpluralism

Theory of government and politics contending that groups are so strong that government is weakened.

Categorical Grants

The main source of federal aid to state and local governments. Only can be used for specific purposes of state and local spending.

Reserved Powers

Powers left to the state via the 10th Amendment.

Checks and Balances

Features of the constitution that limit government power by requiring that power be balanced among the different governmental institutions. These institutions continually constrain one another's activity.

Policy Agenda

Issues that attract the serious attention of public officials and other people actually involved in politics at any given point of time.

Politics

The process by which we select our governmental leaders and what policies these leaders pursue. Politics produces authoritative decisions about public issues.

Pluralism

A theory of American democracy emphasizing that the policymaking process is very open to the participation of all groups with shared interests, with no single group usually dominating, as a result, public interest generally prevails.

Cooperative Federalism

States and national governments share powers. More like a marble cake instead of a layered cake. Responsibilities mingle.

Full Faith and Credit

A clause in Article IV of the Constitution requiring each state to recognize the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of all other states.