GOVT 2305 Foundations & Texas Government Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering core foundational concepts of American federal government, the U.S. Constitution, Federalist papers, congressional structure, and Texas constitutional government based on the exam review bank.

Constitutional government

A government whose powers are formally restricted by laws and rules.

Laissez-faire capitalism

An economic system in which government intervention in the economy should generally be limited.

Popular sovereignty

The principle that government receives its political authority from the people.

Political equality

The principle that citizens should have equal political standing.

Liberty

Freedom from unnecessary government restraint.

Direct democracy

A form of democracy in which citizens vote directly on policy decisions.

Representative democracy

A form of democracy in which citizens primarily influence government by electing officials.

Rule of law

The principle that political power should be exercised according to established laws.

Shays' Rebellion

An armed uprising that exposed weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation and convinced leaders that the central government was too weak.

Articles of Confederation

The original governing framework of the U.S. that emphasized state sovereignty and created a weak central government lacking the power to tax individuals directly.

Virginia Plan

A plan at the Constitutional Convention favoring legislative representation based largely on state population.

New Jersey Plan

A plan at the Constitutional Convention favoring equal representation for all states in the national legislature.

Great Compromise

An agreement that created a bicameral legislature combining population-based representation in the House and equal representation in the Senate.

Three-Fifths Compromise

An agreement to count three-fifths of enslaved people for legislative representation and taxation purposes, granting Southern states additional House representation.

Separation of powers

The division of governmental authority among distinct legislative, executive, and judicial institutions.

Checks and balances

The constitutional mechanism giving each branch of government the ability to restrain or limit the actions of the other branches.

Supremacy Clause

A constitutional provision establishing that valid federal law is superior to conflicting state law.

Federalists

Proponents of ratifying the U.S. Constitution who supported a stronger national government.

Anti-Federalists

Opponents of the U.S. Constitution who feared an overly powerful national government and demanded the addition of a Bill of Rights.

Faction

As defined by James Madison in Federalist No. 10, a group of citizens united by a shared interest or passion that is potentially adverse to the rights of others or the community.

Federalist No. 10

An essay written by James Madison arguing that a large representative republic best controls the effects of factions due to a greater diversity of interests.

Federalist No. 51

An essay written by James Madison addressing separation of powers and checks and balances under the premise that ambition must be made to counteract ambition.

Article I, Section 8

The section of the U.S. Constitution detailing the enumerated powers granted to Congress, such as coining money, regulating interstate commerce, and declaring war.

Necessary and Proper Clause

Also known as the Elastic Clause, a constitutional provision giving Congress the authority to pass laws necessary to execute its enumerated powers.

Commerce Clause

A clause in Article I, Section 8 granting Congress the power to regulate commerce among the states.

Ex post facto law

A law that criminalizes conduct retroactively, prohibited under Article I of the U.S. Constitution.

Bill of attainder

A legislative act that declares a person or group guilty and imposes punishment without a judicial trial.

Filibuster

A Senate tactic used to delay or prevent final action on legislation through extended speech.

Cloture

The official Senate procedure used to end a filibuster and limit debate.

Standing committee

A permanent congressional committee specializing in a specific area of policy.

Congressional oversight

The monitoring and supervision by Congress of executive agencies and the implementation of laws.

Delegate model

A model of representation in which an elected representative acts primarily according to constituent wishes.

Trustee model

A model of representation in which an elected official relies on personal judgment to make decisions rather than strictly following constituent opinion.

Reapportionment

The process of redistributing U.S. House seats among states based on population changes recorded in the census.

Redistricting

The redrawing of legislative district boundaries following population shifts.

Gerrymandering

The practice of drawing legislative district boundaries intentionally to produce a political advantage for a specific party or group.

Plural executive

An executive branch structure where power is divided among several independently elected officials, limiting the governor's institutional authority.

Federalism

A system of government that divides authority between a central national government and regional state governments.

Enumerated powers

Powers specifically granted to the national government by the U.S. Constitution.

Reserved powers

Powers not delegated to the national government that remain with the states or the people under the Tenth Amendment.

Concurrent powers

Powers shared and exercised by both national and state governments simultaneously, such as the power to tax.

Unfunded mandate

A federal law or regulation requiring states or local governments to perform specific actions without providing adequate funding.

Block grant

Federal financial aid given to states with general guidelines, offering states broad discretion in spending.

Categorical grant

Federal financial aid targeted toward a specific, narrowly defined program or purpose.

13th Amendment

The constitutional amendment that formally abolished slavery in the United States.

14th Amendment

The constitutional amendment providing key protections related to citizenship, due process, and equal protection under the law.

15th Amendment

The constitutional amendment prohibiting the denial of voting rights based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

Brown v. Board of Education

The Supreme Court case ruling that racially segregated public schools violate the Constitution, rejecting the 'separate but equal' doctrine.

DACA

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals; an immigration policy regarding certain undocumented individuals brought to the United States as children.

Impeachment

The formal bringing of charges or accusation against a public official for serious official misconduct.