Unit 1 Vocab

Politics

the process of influencing the actions and policies of government

Government

the rules and institutions that make up that system of policy-making

Democracy

a system of government where power is held by the people

Natural Rights

the right to life, liberty, and property, which government can’t take away

Social Contract

People allow their governments to rule over them to ensure an orderly and functioning society

Popular Sovereignty

the idea that the government’s right to rule comes from the people

Republicanism

a system in which the government’s authority comes from the people through their representatives

Inalienable Rights

rights the government can’t take away

Liberty

social, political, and economic freedoms

Participatory Democracy

a theory that widespread political participation is essential for democratic government

Civil Society Groups

independent associations outside the government’s control

Pluralist Theory

a theory of democracy that emphasizes the role of groups in the policy-making process

Elitist Theory

a theory of democracy that the elites have a disproportionate amount of influence in the policy-making process

Political Institutions

the structure of government, including the executive, legislature, and judiciary

Constitutional Republic

a democratic system with elected representatives in which the Constitution is the supreme law

Constution

a document that sets out the fundamental principles of governance and established the institutions of government

Republic

a government ruled by representatives of the people

Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union

a governing document that created a union of 13 sovereign states in which the states, not the national government, were supreme

Unicameral

a one-house legislature

Shay’s Rebellion

a popular uprising against the government of Massachusetts

Constitutional Convention

a meeting attended by state delegates in 1787 to fix thee Articles of Confederation

Writ of Habeas Corpus

the right of people detained by the government to know the charges against them

Bills of Attainder

when the legislature declares someone guilty without a trial

Ex Post Facto Laws

laws punishing people for acts that were not crimes at the time they were committed

Virginia Plan

a plan of government calling for a 3-branch government with a bicameral legislature, where more populous states would have more representation in Congress

New Jersey Plan

a plan of government that provided for a unicameral legislature with equal votes for each state

Grand Committee

a committee at the Constitutional Convention that worked out the compromise on representation

Great (Connecticut) Compromise

an agreement for a plan of government that drew upon both the Virginia and New Jersey Plans; it settles issues of state representation by calling for a bicameral legislature with a house of representatives apportioned proportionately and a Senate apportiones equally.

Bicameral

a 2-house legislature

Three- Fifths Compromise

an agreement reached by delegates at the Constitutional Convention that a slave would count as three-fifths of a person in calculating a state’s representation

Compromise on Importation

Congress couldn’t restrict the slave trade until 1808

Separation of Powers

a design of government that distributes powers across institutions in order to avoid making one branch too powerful on its own

Expresses or Enumerated Powers

authority specifically granted to a branch of the government in the Constitution

Necessary and Proper or Elastic Clause

language in Article 1, Section 8, granting Congress the powers necessary to carry out its enumerated powers

Implied Powers

authority of the federal government that goes beyond its expressed powers

Executive Branch

the institution responsible for carrying out laws passed by the legislative branch

Checks and Balances

a design of government in which each branch has powers that can prevent the other branches from making policy

Federalism

the sharing of power between the national government and the states

Legislative Branch

the institution responsible for making laws

Judicial Branch

the institution responsible for hearing and deciding cases through the federal courts

Supremacy Clause

constitutional provision declaring that the Constitution and all national laws and treaties are the supreme law of the land

Amendment

the process by which changes may be made to the Constitution

Federalist Papers

a series of 85 essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay and published between 1787 and 1788 that lay out the theory behind the Constitution

Federalist No. 51

an essay in which Madison argues that separating of powers and federalism will prevent tyranny

Federalists

supporters of the proposed Constitution, who called for a strong national government

Antifederalists

those opposed to the proposed Constitution, who favored stronger state governments

Brutus No. 1

an Antifederalist Paper arguing that the country was too large to be governed as a republic and that the Constitution gave too much power to the national government

Faction

a group of self-interested people who use the government to get what they want, trampling the rights of others in the process

Federalist No. 10

an essay in which Madison argues that the dangers of faction can be mitigated by a large Republic and republican government

Federalism

a system that divides power between the national and state governments

Federal System

a system where power is divided between the national and state governments

Enumerated or Expressed Powers

powers explicitly granted to the national government through the Constitution; also called expressed powers

Exclusive Powers

powers only the national government may excercise

Implied Powers

powers not granted specifically to the national government but considered necessary to carry out the enumerated powers

Unitary System

a system where the central government has all of the power over subnational governments

Confederal System

a system where the governments have most of the power

Full Faith and Credit Clause

constitutional clause requiring states to recognize the public acts, records, and civil court proceedings from another state

Commerce Clause

grants Congress the authority to regulate interstate business and commercial activity

Necessary and Proper Clause

grants the federal government the authority to pass laws required to carry out its enumerated powers. Also called the elastic clause

Supremacy Clause

establishes the Constitution and the laws of the federal government passed under its authority as the highest laws of the land

Tenth Amendment

reserves powers not delegated to the national government to the states and the people; the basis of federalism

Reserved Powers

powers not given to the national government, which are retained by the states and the people

Concurrent Powers

powers granted to both states and the federal government in the Constitution

Extradition

the requirement that officials in one state return a defendant to another state where a crime was committed

Privileges and Immunities Clause

constitutional clause that prevents states from discriminating against people from out of state

Thirteenth Amendment

constitutional amendment that outlaws slavery

Fourteenth Amendment

constitutional amendment that provides that persons born in the United States are citizens and prohibits states from denying person due process or equal protection under the law

Selective Incorporation

the process through which the Supreme Court applies fundamental rights in the Bill of Rights to the states on a case-by-case basis

Cooperative Federalism

a form of American federalism in which the states and the national government work together to shape public policy

Fifteenth Amendment

constitutional amendment that gave African American males the right to vote

Dual Federalism

a form of American federalism in which the states and the national government operate independently in their own areas of public policy

Grants-in-Aid

federal money provided to states to implement public policy objectives

Fiscal Federalism

the federal government’s use of grants-in-aid to influence policies in the states

Categorical Grants

grants-in-aid provided to states with specific provisions on their use

Unfunded Mandate

federal requirements that states must follow without being provided with funding

Revenue Sharing

when the federal government apportions tax money to the states with no strings attached

Devolution

returning more authority to state or local governments

Block Grant

a type of grant-in-aid that gives state officials more authority in the disbursement of federal funds