Quiz 1 Review - Politics and Government Process/Issues

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts, terms, cases, and constitutional ideas from the lecture notes.

Mixed Government

A theory or system that blends elements of monarchy, aristocracy, and democracy.

Constitutional Monarchy

A monarchy whose powers are limited by a constitution.

Monarchy

Rule by a king or queen, either absolute or constitutional.

Aristocracy

Rule by a wealthy or elite class.

House of Lords

Upper chamber in a bicameral legislature; typically appointed and not elected.

Senate

Upper chamber of a bicameral legislature; often elected with specific terms.

House of Commons

Lower house in a bicameral legislature; members elected in many systems.

House of Representatives

Lower house in the U.S. Congress; members elected by popular vote.

Bicameral Legislature

A legislature composed of two separate chambers.

Electoral College

Indirect system for electing the president, with electors per state.

Popular Vote

Direct vote of the people for a candidate or proposal.

Wesberry v. Sanders (1964)

Constitutional requirement that congressional districts have roughly equal populations.

Thornburg v. Gingles (1986)

District lines cannot dilute minority representation; race cannot be the predominant factor.

Davis v. Bandemer (1986)

Gerrymandering is unconstitutional if it heavily biases against a political party.

Gerrymander

Manipulating district boundaries to favor a party or group.

Referendum

Direct vote by the electorate on a specific proposal.

Apportionment

Distribution of legislative seats among states based on population.

Redistricting

Redrawing electoral district boundaries to reflect population changes.

Census

Official population count used for apportionment and redistricting.

Direct democracy

Citizens vote directly on laws rather than through representatives.

Partisan

Favoring one political party in policymaking or districting.

Preferences

Individual desires or values that influence political choices.

Philosophies

Fundamental beliefs about government and society.

Ideologies

Coherent sets of beliefs about politics and society.

Givens

Assumed starting points or baseline conditions in bargaining.

Bargaining

Negotiating to reach a mutually acceptable agreement.

Compromise

Concessions made to reach a collective decision.

Negotiation

Process of bargaining to resolve differences.

Concessions

Trade-offs made during bargaining.

Collective Decisions

Decisions made by a group after coordination and bargaining.

Institutional Durability

Institutions persist beyond individual people and terms.

Succession

Process by which leadership is transferred to successors.

Continuity

Expectation that institutions maintain stability over time.

Affordable Care Act (ACA)

Legislation addressing healthcare; often cited as an example of policy design amid trade-offs.

Political System Logic

Underlying principles guiding how a political system operates.

Common core values

Shared fundamental values across the political system.

Majority rule

Principle that the majority's preference should guide decisions.

Institutional Design

Framework and rules for how decisions are made within a system.

Constitution

Fundamental legal framework of a country.

By-laws

Internal rules governing organizations.

Charters

Formal documents establishing an organization’s rules and purpose.

Enforcement

Mechanisms to ensure compliance with rules and laws.

Transaction Costs

Time, effort, and resources required to reach collective decisions.

Expedience

A convenient or efficient path, often with lower transaction costs.

Constitutional amendments

Formal changes to the Constitution requiring supermajorities to ratify.

Articles of Confederation

The first U.S. constitution; a weak central government with strong states.

Unanimous consent

All states must agree for major actions under the Articles of Confederation.

Shay’s Rebellion

Postwar uprising highlighting economic distress and the weaknesses of the Articles.

Militia

Home-guard forces used alongside or instead of a standing army.

Continental Army

Official Revolutionary War army formed by the Congress.

Treaty of Paris (1783)

End of the American Revolutionary War; recognized independence.

Three-fifths compromise

Constitutional provision counting enslaved persons as three-fifths of a person for representation and taxation.

1808 slave importation ban

Prohibition on the international slave trade granted by the Constitution.

Fugitive Slave Clause / Runaway slave protection clause

Provisions protecting slaveholders’ rights to recapture escaped slaves.

Logroll

Trading votes among legislators to secure mutual gains.

Federalist No. 10

Madison’s argument that a large republic with pluralism can mitigate faction effects.

Federalist No. 51

Madison’s argument for checks and balances and institutional fragmentation to limit tyranny.

Bill of Rights

First ten amendments; protections for individual liberties and limits on federal power.

Anti-Federalist

Opponents of strong central government who favored states’ rights.

Nullification

States’ alleged right to invalidate federal laws they deem unconstitutional.

Nullification Crisis (1832)

Conflict over states’ rights and federal authority in the early 19th century.

Federalist Papers

A collection of essays arguing for ratification of the U.S. Constitution, authored by Publius.

Cato

Anti-Federalist pseudonym used in early debates against strong central government.

Commander-in-chief

President as head of the armed forces.

Executive orders

Directives issued by the President that manage operations of the federal government.

Advise and Consent

Senate power to approve or reject presidential nominations and treaties.

Veto

Presidential power to reject legislation; can be overridden by Congress.

Agenda control

Power to set the legislative agenda and determine what gets considered.

Bureaucracy

Administrative agencies and employees responsible for implementing laws.

E Pluribus Unum

Latin motto meaning 'Out of many, one' on the Great Seal.

Annuit Coeptis

Latin motto meaning 'He approves of our undertaking' on the Great Seal.

Novus Ordo Seclorum

Latin motto meaning 'New order of the ages' on the Great Seal.