American Politics Study Guide Flashcards

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards generated from the American Politics Study Guide covering government forms, revolutionary history, the Constitution, federalism, civil liberties, and civil rights.

Government

The formal institution with authority to rule over a population and territory (defined by Lasswell as "who gets what, when, how").

Authoritarian Government

A form of government where the leader has near-limitless rule within government, constrained somewhat by social/economic forces.

Totalitarian Government

A form of government where the leader/government has limitless rule and threats/challengers are eliminated.

Autocracy

Power concentrated in a single ruler (or a very small, unified ruling clique acting as one) with essentially unchecked control over government decisions.

Oligarchy

Power held by a small group of individuals (distinct people/families/factions, such as wealthy elites or military leaders) who share control rather than one person ruling alone.

Direct Democracy

A form of democracy where citizens vote directly on bills and laws.

Representative Democracy

A system of government where people vote for representatives who make laws on their behalf.

Pluralism

Group politics involving support and competition among interest groups for political influence.

Political Efficacy

The sense that ordinary people can affect government decisions and policies.

Plyler v. Doe (1982)

Key Supreme Court case establishing undocumented children's right to public education.

Stamp Act (1765)

A British tax on colonial printed materials that helped fund Seven Years' War debt.

Tea Act / Boston Tea Party (1773)

Colonial protest against the East India Company British monopoly, during which 342 chests of tea were dumped into Boston harbor.

Second Continental Congress (1775)

Body that organized a state volunteer army, drafted the Declaration of Independence, acted as provisional government without legal authority, and banned British trade.

Thomas Hobbes

Enlightenment thinker who argued that government must have limits and provides freedom and order to society.

John Locke

Enlightenment thinker who advocated for republican government and maintained that people have the right to overthrow unjust rulers.

Montesquieu

Enlightenment thinker known for developing the principle of separation of powers.

Articles of Confederation (1777)

America's first constitution, which established a weak national government with no executive, no judiciary, no power to tax, and no national military.

Shays' Rebellion (1786–87)

An armed uprising by farmers against Massachusetts foreclosures that exposed the weakness and slow response of Congress under the Articles of Confederation.

Virginia Plan

Constitutional proposal calling for a bicameral legislature with representation based on population, favoring large states.

New Jersey Plan

Constitutional proposal calling for a unicameral legislature with equal representation per state, favoring small states.

Great (Connecticut) Compromise

Agreement creating a bicameral Congress consisting of a House of Representatives (proportional by population) and a Senate (equal representation with 2 per state).

Three-Fifths Compromise

Agreement counting enslaved individuals as three-fifths of a person for federal representation and taxation purposes.

Article I of the Constitution

Establishes the Legislative branch (Congress, consisting of the House and Senate) to make and pass laws.

Article II of the Constitution

Establishes the Executive branch (President) to enforce laws.

Article III of the Constitution

Establishes the Judicial branch (Supreme Court) to interpret laws and exercise judicial review.

Necessary and Proper (Elastic) Clause

Clause granting Congress the authority to make laws needed to carry out its powers.

Expressed Powers

Powers explicitly written and granted to the national government in the Constitution.

Judicial Review

The authority of courts to strike down laws as unconstitutional, established in Marbury v. Madison (1803).

Supremacy Clause

Constitutional requirement establishing that federal law is the supreme law of the land over conflicting state laws.

Full Faith & Credit Clause

Constitutional provision requiring states to honor the official acts and public decisions of other states.

Privileges & Immunities / Comity Clause

Clause preventing states from discriminating against citizens of other states and requiring return of fugitives.

Federalists

Proponents of the Constitution and a strong central government, led by figures like Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay.

Antifederalists

Opponents of the Constitution who favored decentralized state power and insisted on a Bill of Rights to protect individual liberties.

Federalist No. 10

Essay by James Madison arguing that a large, diverse country prevents any single political faction from dominating.

Federalist No. 51

Essay by James Madison outlining the principles of separation of powers, checks and balances, and political ambition counteracting ambition.

Tenth Amendment

Amendment specifying that powers not delegated to the federal government are reserved to the states or the people.

Fourteenth Amendment (1868)

Amendment establishing birthright citizenship, privileges and immunities, due process, and equal protection under the law.

Twenty-Second Amendment

Constitutional amendment limiting the president to two elected terms.

Federalism

The division of power between central (national) and regional (state) governments.

Dual Federalism ("layer cake")

Traditional federal system where national and state governments operate within separate, clearly defined spheres of authority.

Cooperative Federalism ("marble cake")

Federal system characterized by blurred lines between state and federal responsibilities, relying heavily on grants-in-aid.

Regulated Federalism

Federal system where the national government sets uniform national standards across policies like education and the environment.

New Federalism / Devolution

Policy of shifting power back to state and local governments through block grants and revenue sharing.

Categorical Grants

Federal funds provided to states earmarked for a specific, strictly defined purpose.

Block Grants

Federal funding provided to states with broad discretion on how to spend the money.

McCulloch v. Maryland

Landmark Supreme Court decision affirming that Congress has implied powers under the Constitution, including establishing a national bank.

Gibbons v. Ogden

Supreme Court case establishing national government supremacy in regulating interstate commerce.

Unfunded Mandates

Federal requirements imposed on state governments without accompanying federal funding.

Civil Liberties

Personal freedoms protected from improper government action, primarily rooted in the Bill of Rights.

Civil Rights

Guarantees of equal treatment and protection for all citizens through affirmative government action.

Selective Incorporation

The case-by-case process through which the Supreme Court applies Bill of Rights protections to state governments via the 14th Amendment.

Habeas Corpus

Article I protection stopping government from detaining or taking away a person's liberty without a trial.

Establishment Clause

First Amendment clause prohibiting government from official affiliation with a religion ("separation of church and state").

Free Exercise Clause

First Amendment clause protecting individuals' right to believe and practice whatever religion they choose.

Strict Scrutiny

Legal standard placing the legal burden on government to justify restrictions on fundamental rights like speech.

Prior Restraint

Government action blocking or censoring press material prior to publication, generally banned under the First Amendment.

Exclusionary Rule

Fourth Amendment principle preventing illegally obtained evidence from being admitted in court.

Miranda Rule

Fifth Amendment protection requirement that arrested suspects must be informed of their right to remain silent.

DC v. Heller

Supreme Court case ruling that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to possess a firearm in the home for self-defense.

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

Supreme Court ruling establishing the "separate but equal" doctrine to legalize racial segregation.

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

Supreme Court decision declaring that "separate but equal" facilities are inherently unequal in public education.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Landmark legislation banning discrimination in public accommodations, schools, and employment based on race or sex.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Federal legislation banning literacy tests and other discriminatory voting practices.

De Jure Segregation

Racial segregation enforced directly by law.

De Facto Segregation

Racial segregation resulting from social patterns, housing choices, or socioeconomic factors rather than law.

Affirmative Action

Government policies designed to compensate for past discrimination by expanding opportunities in employment and education.