Fields Unit 1 Vocab

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Politics

The process of influencing the actions and policies of government

Government

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

Equal Access Act of 1984

Legislation passed in 1984 to ensure students have equal access to extracurricular activities and clubs in public schools, regardless of their religious or political affiliations.

Board of Education of Westside Community Schools v. Mergens

**Issue:** Can public schools deny equal access to religious student groups?
**Holding:** No, public schools must allow religious clubs if they allow other non-curricular clubs.
**Significance:** Upheld the Equal Access Act, protecting students' First Amendment rights to freedom of religion and speech in public schools.

Democracy

system of gov where power is held by the people

Natural Rights

The right to life, liberty, and the property, which the gov cannot take away

social contract

people allow their gov to rule over them to ensure an orderly and functioning society

Montesquie belief in government

* Advocated for the separation of powers
* Believed in a system of checks and balances
* Ideas influenced the creation of modern democratic governments

Hume belief in government

* Advocated for limited government intervention.
* Argued for the protection of individual rights and order without excessive control.
* Emphasized the importance of consent and voluntary cooperation in governance.

American political culture

set of beliefs, customs, traditions, values that Americans share

1st part of DOI “Preamble”

“When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another . . .”

Set the stage for the argument that the British government was no longer legitimate.

2nd part of the DOI

“Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness

3rd part of the DOI

List of grievances against the King of England.

Mainly included charges against misrepresentation in gov.

4th part of DOI

Denunciation of the British people (how US will be separate)

5th part of DOI

Pledge by the signers to each other to protect “our Lives, our Fortunes, and our Sacred Honor.”

Popular Sovereignty

The principle of political power resting with the people, who have the right to govern themselves through elected representatives and participate in decision-making.

republicanism

A system in which the government’s authority comes from the people.

inalienable rights

rights that gov cant take away (pursuit of happiness are among those inherent, self-evident rights)

The Pursuit of Happiness

The belief that individuals should be able to achieve their goals through hard work, sacrifice, and their own talents

Liberty

social, political, and economic freedoms

Participatory Democracy

Theory that widespread political participation is essential for democratic gov (EX: ACLU, NRA, AARP)

Civil Society Groups

An Independent association outside the gov control

Pluralist theory

Theory of democracy that emphasizes the role of groups in policy making process

Elitist Theory

Theory of democracy that elites (rich people) have a disproportionate amount of influence in the policy making process

Political institutions

structure of gov including Executive, Legislative, and Judiciary powers

Constitutional Republic

A democratic system with elected representatives in which the constitution is the supreme law

Constitution

document that sets out fundamental principles of gov and establishes the institutions of gov

Republic

a gov ruled by representatives of the people

Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union

A governing document that created a union of thirteen sovereign states in which the states, not the union, were supreme

Unicameral

A one-house legislature

Bicameral

A two-house legislature

Shays’s Rebellion

a popular uprising against gov of Massachusents

AoC Article I

Names the Union as “The United States of America.”

AoC Article II

Provides that states retain sovereignty not delegated to the national government.

AoC Article III

Creates a “league of friendship” for defense and security.

AoC Article IV

protects equal treatment and freedom of movement for citizens.

AoC Article V

Allocates one vote in Congress for each state.

AoC Article VI

Gives the national government the power to declare war.

AoC Article VII

Gives states the power to assign military ranks

AoC Article VIII

Expenditures by the United States will be paid with funds raised by state legislatures.

AoC Article IX

Gives Congress the power to declare war and peace, appoint tribunals for crimes on the seas, regulate the post office, appoint a president, and request requisitions from the states. Nine states are required to consent to declare war

AoC Article X

Allows a “committee of the states” to exercise the powers of Congress when Congress is not in session

AoC Article XI

Provides that Canada may join the Union.

AoC Article XII

Provides that the Confederation accepts the war debt.

AoC Article XIII

Provides that amendments require approval of all state legislatures.

US Constitution Article I

Creates a bicameral legislature, establishes requirements for serving in the House of Representatives and Senate, lists expressed powers of Congress, and allows for implied powers.

US Constitution Article II

Creates the presidency, establishes requirements for office, lists expressed powers of the executive.

US Constitution Article III

Creates a Supreme Court and provides that Congress may establish lower federal courts.

US Constitution Article IV

Sets forth the relationships between states.

US Constitution Article V

Establishes the process for amending the Constitution.

US Constitution Article VI

Establishes that the Constitution, federal laws, and treaties are the supreme law of the land.

US Constitution Article VII

Describes how the Constitution will be ratified.

US Constitution Article Preamble

Sovereignty comes from the people, and the Constitution will create a “more perfect Union.”

Virginia Plan: Structure of Legislature

Bicameral

Virgina Plan: Apportionment

**Lower House:**

* Number of seats apportioned by state population.
* Members directly elected by citizens.

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**Upper House:**

* Number of seats apportioned by state population.
* Members elected by lower house (from list supplied by state legislatures).

Virgina Plan: Powers

Legislature has strong powers, including the ability to veto state laws.

NJ Plan: Structure of Legislature

Unicameral

NJ Plan: Apportionment

**Legislature:**

* Equal representation for states regardless of state population. Members appointed by the states.

NJ Plan: Powers

Legislature has similar power as under the Articles of Confederation but can also levy taxes and regulate commerce.

Great Compromise: Structure of Legislature

Bicameral

Great Compromise: Apportionment

**House of Reps:**

* States represented according to population.
* Members directly elected by citizens.

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**Senate:**

* States represented equally (two senators per state).
* Members appointed by state legislatures.

Great Compromise: Powers

* Legislature has broad powers over commerce and the ability to make laws as necessary.
* House of Representatives has the “power of the purse” to levy taxes.

Virginia Plan: Summarized

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

NJ Plan: Summarized

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

Constitutional Convention

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

Writ of habeas corpus

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

bill of attainder

when the legislature declares someone guilty without trial

ex post facto laws

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

Grand Committee

a committee at the constitutional convention that worked out the compromise on representation.

Great (Connecticut) Compromise

An agreement for plan of go that drew upon both the Virginia and NJ plans; settled issue of state rep by calling for a bicameral legislature with HOR apportioned proportionately and Senate apportioned equally.

3/5 compromise

Agreement reached by delegates at the Constitutional Convention that a slave would count as 3/5 of a person in calculating a state’s rep

Compromise on Imporation

Congress could not restrict the slave trade till 1808

Executive Branch (Lawmaking power)

* Executes laws.
* Works to shape legislative agenda.
* Has power to veto legislation.
* Nominates judges to the federal judiciary.
* Nominates key executive branch officials.
* Gives State of the Union Address.

Legislative Branch (Lawmaking power)

* Writes nation’s laws.
* Can override a presidential veto.
* Determines number of Supreme Court justices.
* Creates lower courts.

Judicial Branch (Lawmaking power)

* Interprets contested laws.
* Can declare both federal and state laws unconstitutional.

Executive (National Security and Foreign Policy Responsibilities)

* President acts as commander in chief of the military.
* Sets foreign policy agenda.
* Negotiates treaties.

Legislative (National Security and Foreign Policy Responsibilities)

* Declares war.
* Senate ratifies treaties.

Executive (Oversight Responsibilities)

**Oversees federal bureaucracy.**

Legislative (Oversight Responsibilities)

* House issues articles of impeachment; Senate holds impeachment trials (over president, executive branch officials, and federal judges).


* Budget authority and oversight over executive branch agencies. Senate confirms judicial nominees.
* Senate confirms key executive branch officials.

Judicial (Oversight Responsibilities)

May declare executive branch actions in conflict with the Constitution

Seperation of powers

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

checks & balances

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

federalism

divides power between the national and state governments

expressed or enumerated powers

authority specifically granted to a branch of the government Constitution

necessary and proper or elastic clause

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

supremacy clause

constitutional provision declaring that the constitution and all federal laws and treaties are the supreme law of the land

amendment

the process by which changes may be made to the constitution

Federalist

* Supporters of the Constitution
* Advocated for Strong National Government
* Included wealthy merchants and southern plant owners

Antifederalists

* Opposers of the Constitution
* Advocated for Strong State Government
* Included rural areas, more farmers and shopkeepers

Federalist Papers

A series of 85 essays written by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay that lay out the theory behind the constitution

Faction

group of self-interested people who use gov to get what they want → tramples over other’s rights

Fed 10

Essay in which Madison argues that dangers of factions can be mitigated by a large republic and republican gov

Fed 51

Essay in which Madison argues that separation of powers and federalism will prevent tyranny

Brutus 1

Antifed paper arguing that the country was too large to be governed as a republic and that constitution gave too much power to national government

Step 1: Amendment Proposed by

2/3 Votes in both house and congress OR Constitutional congress called by 2/3 States

Step 2: Amendment Ratified By

3/4 of 50 States legislatures OR 3/4 of State constitutional conventions

Unitary System

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

Confederation

system where the subnational governments have most of the power.

Enumerated or expressed powers

powers explicitly **granted to the national governmen**t through the constitution (AKA Expressed Powers)

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Includes:

* Coin money
* Declare war
* Raise and support armed forces
* Make treaties
* Provide for the naturalization of citizens
* Regulate interstate and foreign trade and trade with indian tribes

exclusive powers

powers only the national government may exercise