American Government and Civic Engagement - Key Concepts Flashcards

A set of practice flashcards covering key concepts from the notes on government, federalism, civil liberties, and civil rights.

What is government?

The means by which a society organizes itself and allocates authority to accomplish collective goals and provide benefits that the society as a whole needs.

What is politics?

The process of gaining and exercising control within a government for the purpose of setting and achieving goals, especially those related to the division of resources within a nation.

What are public goods?

Goods or services provided by the government that are available to all without charge, such as national security, education, and infrastructure.

What are private goods?

Goods provided by private businesses that are excludable and rival in consumption, available only to those who pay.

What is a toll good?

A good that is available to many people but requires payment, occupying a middle ground between public and private goods (e.g., private schooling).

What is a republic?

A form of government in which political power rests with the people but is exercised through elected representatives; emphasizes majority rule with minority rights.

What is a direct democracy?

A system in which the people participate directly in making government decisions, rather than electing representatives to do so.

What is federalism?

An institutional arrangement that divides power between two relatively autonomous levels of government (national and subnational) and requires cooperation between them.

What is the Supremacy Clause?

A constitutional clause stating that the Constitution, federal laws, and treaties are the supreme law of the land, superseding state laws.

What is the Necessary and Proper (Elastic) Clause?

Allows Congress to make laws necessary and proper for carrying out its enumerated powers, enabling implied powers.

What is the Great Compromise?

The agreement that created a bicameral Congress: a Senate with equal representation for all states and a House with representation based on population.

What is the Three-Fifths Compromise?

A provision that counted three-fifths of enslaved people for purposes of representation and taxation, shaping early congressional apportionment.

What is the ratification process for the Constitution?

Article VII provided that nine of thirteen states must ratify the Constitution via state ratifying conventions for it to become law.

What is a Bill of Rights?

The first ten amendments to the Constitution, intended to protect fundamental rights and liberties from government infringement.

What is a categorical grant?

A federal grant with strings attached that constrain how funds are spent and often require matching funds.

What is a block grant?

A federal grant with fewer restrictions, giving states more flexibility in how funds are used.

What is an unfunded mandate?

A federal law or regulation that requires state or local governments to perform certain actions without providing full funding.

What is the difference between civil liberties and civil rights?

Civil liberties are protections against government power (freedoms). Civil rights are guarantees of equal protection and equal treatment under the law.

What is the Establishment Clause?

The First Amendment clause that prohibits the government from establishing an official religion or endorsing one religion over others.

What is the Free Exercise Clause?

The First Amendment clause protecting an individual's right to practice their religion freely, within legal limits.

What is selective incorporation?

The process by which the Supreme Court has gradually applied portions of the Bill of Rights to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment.

What is the Exclusionary Rule?

Evidence obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendment generally cannot be used in court (Mapp v. Ohio).

What is the Miranda rule?

The requirement that suspects be informed of their rights (including the right to remain silent) before interrogation (Miranda v. Arizona).

What does the First Amendment protect?

Freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition; includes both establishment and free exercise protections.

What is the Fourth Amendment about?

Protection against unreasonable searches and seizures and requirements for warrants based on probable cause.

What is the Fifth Amendment known for besides due process?

Protection against self-incrimination and double jeopardy; takings clause requires just compensation when private property is taken for public use.

What is the right to privacy?

Not explicitly stated in the Constitution, but derived from several amendments; recognized in Griswold v. Connecticut and expanded in later cases (e.g., Roe v. Wade, Lawrence v. Texas, Obergefell v. Hodges).

What are civil rights?

Guarantees of equal protection under the law and freedom from discrimination on grounds such as race, gender, or religion (as enforced through the Fourteenth Amendment and related laws).

What is the difference between de jure and de facto segregation?

De jure segregation is segregation by law; de facto segregation arises from social, political, or economic factors and is not legally required.

What is the Voting Rights Act of 1965?

A landmark civil rights law prohibiting racial discrimination in voting, banning literacy tests, and providing federal oversight in voting practices.

What is the ERA and what happened to it?

The Equal Rights Amendment proposed to guarantee equal rights regardless of sex; it did not achieve ratification by the required states by the deadline, though Virginia ratified it in 2020.

What is the difference between dual federalism and cooperative federalism?

Dual federalism envisions distinct, separate spheres for federal and state governments (layer cake). Cooperative federalism envisions overlapping, interdependent powers and joint problem solving (marble cake).