Midterm Exam Study Set

Social Contract Theory

The belief that people are free and equal by natural right, and that this in turn requires that all people give their consent to be governed; espoused by John Locke and influential in the writing of the declaration of independence.

Bill of Rights, 1791

The Bill of Rights is the collective name for the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution. Proposed to assuage the fears of Anti-Federalists

Cabinet

Advisory council for the president consisting of the heads of the executive departments, the vice president, and a few other officials selected by the president.

Treaties

formal agreements between nations

Supremacy Clause

Article VI of the Constitution, which makes the Constitution, national laws, and treaties supreme over state laws when the national government is acting within its constitutional limits.

Logrolling (Pork Barrel Politics)

Mutual assistance in the passage of legislation so that one member of Congress votes for a colleague's bill in return for his/her support on their bill.

Census

the official count of a population

John Locke

English philosopher who advocated the idea of a "social contract" in which government powers are derived from the consent of the governed and in which the government serves the people; also said people have natural rights to life, liberty and property.

mandate

an official order or commission to do something.

Electoral College

A group of people named by each state legislature to select the president and vice president

Constitution

A document which spells out the principles by which a government runs and the fundamental laws that govern a society

senatorial term

6 years

legislative oversight

Congress's monitoring of the bureaucracy and its administration of policy, performed mainly through hearings.

winner-take-all system

an election system in which the candidate with the most votes wins

Patronage

Granting favors or giving contracts or making appointments to office in return for political support

Spoils System

A system of public employment based on rewarding party loyalists and friends.

Veto

Chief executive's power to reject a bill passed by a legislature

Population

A group of individuals that belong to the same species and live in the same area

Democracy

A political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them

territory

an area of land under the jurisdiction of a ruler or state.

Government

The institution through which a society makes and enforces its public policies

federal system

A government that divides the powers of government between the national government and state or provincial governments

socialist system

The state owns and controls key means of production

confederal system

A system consisting of a league of independent states, each having essentially sovereign powers. The central government created by such a league has only limited powers over the states.

unitary system

A government that gives all key powers to the national or central government

Politics

Method of maintaining, managing, and gaining control of government (who gets what, when, and how)

Constitutional Law

law that involves the interpretation and application of the U.S. Constitution and state constitutions

Laissez-faire

Idea that government should play as small a role as possible in economic affairs.

free market

An economic system in which prices and wages are determined by unrestricted competition between businesses, without government regulation or fear of monopolies.

Autocracy/Dictatorship

A system of government in which the power to rule is in the hands of a single individual

Monarchy

A government ruled by a king or queen

Oligarchy

A government ruled by a few powerful people

Article 1 of the Constitution

Legislative Branch

Article 2 of the Constitution

Executive Branch

Article 3 of the Constitution

Judicial Branch

U.S. Senate

the upper house of the U.S. Congress

U.S. House of Representatives

the lower house of the U.S. Congress

Supreme Court

the highest federal court in the United States

Preamble of the US Constitution

Introduction to U.S. Constitution, gives reasons for constitution...

Amendment

A change to the Constitution

Legislative Branch

the branch of government that makes the laws

Executive Branch

the branch of government that carries out laws

Judicial Branch

the branch of government that interprets laws

enumerated powers

The powers explicitly given to Congress in the Constitution.

Delegated Powers/Enumerated Powers

Powers given to the federal government by the Constitution

concurrent powers

Powers held jointly by the national and state governments.

reserved powers

Powers not specifically granted to the federal government or denied to the states belong to the states and the people

Supremacy Powers

makes the constitution the supreme law of the land

constituent

a person whom a member of Congress has been elected to represent

voters

people who vote

caseworker

a member of a lawmaker's personal staff who handles requests for help from constituents

Redistricting

The redrawing of congressional and other legislative district lines following the census, to accommodate population shifts and keep districts as equal as possible in population.

Gerrymandering refers to the

manipulation of electoral districts to serve the interests of a particular group.

repportionment

the process by which congressional districts are redrawn and seats are redistributed among states in the house

pandering

saying whatever will please an audience even if it is not what the speaker really believes

Lobbying

Engaging in activities aimed at influencing public officials, especially legislators, and the policies they enact.

Speaker of the House

the leader of the majority party who serves as the presiding officer of the House of Representatives

Majority Whip

a go-between with the majority leadership and party members in the house of representatives

majority leader

the legislative leader elected by party members holding the majority of seats in the House or Senate

Senate Majority Leader

The chief spokesperson of the majority party in the Senate, who directs the legislative program and party strategy.

Vice President of the US

the President of the Senate

standing committee

A permanent committee established in a legislature, usually focusing on a policy area

Taxes

Fees for the support of government required to be paid by people and businesses.

uncontrollable expenditures

Expenditures that are determined not by a fixed amount of money appropriated by Congress but by how many eligible beneficiaries there are for a program or by previous obligations of the government.

special interest group

an organization of people with some common interest who try to influence government decisions

Entitlements

Policies for which Congress has obligated itself to pay X level of benefits to Y number of recipients. Social Security benefits are an example.

Election Day

The first Tuesday after the first Monday in November

Impoundment

Presidential refusal to allow an agency to spend funds that Congress authorized and appropriated.

immunity

freedom from some charge or obligation

Impeachment

A formal document charging a public official with misconduct in office

press corps/white house press corps

the journalists invited to represent their news companies at presidential press conferences and other events

Chief of Political Party

The leader of the political party in power

Congressional Override

The power of Congress to pass legislation over a president's veto

Pardon

legal forgiveness of a crime

State of the Union Address

The president's annual statement to Congress and the nation.

White House Address

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington D.C.

President Pro Tempore

Officer of the Senate selected by the majority party to act as chair in the absence of the vice president

executive order

A rule issued by the president that has the force of law

Mandates

terms set by the national government that states must meet whether or not they accept federal grants

de facto

(adj.) actually existing or in effect, although not legally required or sanctioned; (adv.) in reality, actually

regulatory commissions

agencies of the executive branch of government that control or direct some aspect of the economy

Bureaucrats/Bureaucracy

nonelective government officials, system of managing government through departments run by appointed officials

civil servant

a person who works for a government

government corporation

a business owned and operated by the federal government

Checks and Balances

A system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other branches in order to prevent abuse of power

Presidential Government

a form of government in which the executive and legislative branches of the government are separate, independent, and coequal

Parliamentary Government

A form of government in which the executive branch is made up of the prime minister, or premier, and that official's cabinet

Advise and Consent

the power of the senate to approve or disapprove of any of the president's appointments or treaties

Congressional elections

congress sets date - first Tuesday after first Monday in November every even year

impeachment

Charges against a president approved by a majority of the House of Representatives

Judicial Review

Allows the court to determine the constitutionality of laws

Pardon

A declaration of forgiveness and freedom from punishment

executive orders

Formal orders issued by the president to direct action by the federal bureaucracy.

government corporations

A government agency that operates like a business corporation, created to secure greater freedom of action and flexibility for a particular program.

civil servants

employees of bureaucratic agencies within the government

Executive Office of the President

The cluster of presidential staff agencies that help the president carry out his responsibilities. Currently the office includes the Office of Management and Budget, the Council of Economic Advisers, and several other units.

Office of Management and Budget

An office that prepares the president's budget and also advises presidents on proposals from departments and agencies and helps review their proposed regulations.

PACs

Political Action Committees, raise money for candidates &/or parties

Preamble

Introduction to the Constitution

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the Constitution