Intro to U.S. Politics Final

Government

The institutions through which a land and its people are ruled

Autocracy

A form of government in which a single person rules

Oligarchy

A form of government in which a small group of landowners, military officers, or wealthy merchants controls most of the governing decisions

Democracy

A system of rule that permits citizens to play a significant part in govt, usually through the selection of key public officials

Constitutional Government

A system of rule that establishes specific limits on the powers of the government

Politics

Conflict and cooperation over the leadership, structure, and policies of the government

Authoritarian Government

A system of rule in which the government’s power is not limited by law, though it may be restrained by other social institutions

Totalitarian Government

A system of rule in which the government’s power is not limited by law and in which the government seeks to eliminate other social institutions that might challenge it

Instrumental

Done with purpose, sometimes with forethought, and even with calculation

Institutions

A set of formal rules and procedures, often administered by a bureaucracy, that shapes politics and governance.

Jurisdiction

The domain over which an institution or a member of an institution has authority

Agenda Power

The control over what a group will consider for discussion

Veto Power

The ability to defeat something even if it has made it onto the agenda of an institution

Decisiveness Rules

A specification of when a vote may be taken, the sequence in which votes on amendments occur, and how many supporters determine whether a motion passes or fails

Delegation

The transmission of authority to some other official or body (though often with the right of review and revision)

Principal-Agent Relationship

The relationship between a principal (such as a citizen) and an agent (such as an elected official), in which the agent is expected to act on the principal’s behalf

Transaction Costs

The cost of clarifying each aspect of a principal-agent relationship and monitoring it to make sure both parties will comply with all arrangements

Collective Action

The pooling of resources and the coordination of effort and activity by a group of people (often a large one) to achieve common goals

Free Riding

Enjoying the benefits of some good or action while letting others bear the costs

Public Good/Collective Good

A good that:

1) may be enjoyed by anyone if it is provided

2) may not be denied to anyone once it has been provided

Tragedy of the Commons

The idea that a common resource, available to everyone, will more likely than not be abused or overused

Path Dependency

The idea that certain possibilities are made more or less likely because of historical events and decisions — because of the historical path taken

Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union

The United States’ first written constitution. Adopted by the Constitutional Congress in 1777, the Articles were the formal basis for America’s national govt until 1789, when they were superseded by the Constitution.

Great Compromise/The Connecticut Compromise

An agreement reached at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 that gave each state an equal number of senators regardless of the size of its population, but linked representation in the House of Representatives to population size.

Three-Fifths Compromise

An agreement reached at the Constitutional Convention of 1787, stating that for the purpose of distributing congressional seats on the basis of state populations, only three-fifths enslaved people would be counted.

Bicameral Legislature

A legislative body composed of 2 chambers, or houses.

Expressed Powers

Powers that the Constitution explicitly grants to the federal government

Necessary and Proper Clause/Elastic Clause

The last paragraph of Article I, Section 8, which gives Congress the power to make needed to exercise the powers listed in Section 8.

Judicial Review

The power of courts to assess whether the actions of the president, the Congress, and the state legislatures are consistent with the Constitution.