U.S Gov Vocab Midterm

common goods

goods that all people may use but that are of limited supply

democracy

a form of government where political power rests in the hands of the people

direct democracy

a form of government where people participate directly in making government decisions instead of choosing representatives to do this for them

elite theory

claims political power rests in the hands of a small, elite group of people

government

the means by which a society organizes itself and allocates authority in order to accomplish collective goals

ideology

the beliefs and ideals that help to shape political opinion and eventually policy

intense preferences

beliefs and preferences based on strong feelings regarding an issue that someone adheres to over time

latent preferences

beliefs and preferences people are not deeply committed to and that change over time

majority rule

a fundamental principle of democracy; the majority should have the power to make decisions binding upon the whole

minority rights

protections for those who are not part of the majority

monarchy

a form of government where one ruler, usually a hereditary one, holds political power

oligarchy

a form of government where a handful of elite society members hold political power

partisanship

strong support, or even blind allegiance, for a particular political party

pluralist theory

claims political power rests in the hands of groups of people

political power

influence over a government's institutions, leadership, or policies

politics

the process by which we decide how resources will be allocated and which policies government will pursue

private goods

goods provided by private businesses that can be used only by those who pay for them

public goods

goods provided by government that anyone can use and that are available to all without charge

representative democracy

a form of government where voters elect representatives to make decisions and pass laws on behalf of all the people instead of allowing people to vote directly on laws

social capital

connections with others and the willingness to interact and aid them

toll good

a good that is available to many people but is used only by those who can pay the price to do so

totalitarianism

a form of government where government is all-powerful and citizens have no rights

Anti-Federalists

those who did not support ratification of the Constitution

Articles of Confederation

the first basis for the new nation's government; adopted in 1781; created an alliance of sovereign states held together by a weak central government

bicameral legislature

a legislature with two houses, such as the U.S. Congress

Bill of Rights

the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution; most were designed to protect fundamental rights and liberties

checks and balances

a system that allows one branch of government to limit the exercise of power by another branch; requires the different parts of government to work together

confederation

a highly decentralized form of government; sovereign states form a union for purposes such as mutual defense

Declaration of Independence

a document written in 1776 in which the American colonists proclaimed their independence from Great Britain and listed their grievances against the British king

enumerated powers

the powers given explicitly to the federal government by the Constitution (Article I, Section 8); power to regulate interstate and foreign commerce, raise and support armies, declare war, coin money, and conduct foreign affairs

federal system

a form of government in which power is divided between state governments and a national government

Federalists

those who supported ratification of the Constitution

Great Compromise

a compromise between the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan that created a twohouse Congress; representation based on population in the House of Representatives and equal representation of states in the Senate

natural rights

the right to life, liberty, and property; believed to be given by God; no government may take away

New Jersey Plan

a plan that called for a one-house national legislature; each state would receive one vote

republic

a form of government in which political power rests in the hands of the people not a monarch, and is exercised by elected representatives

reserved powers

any powers not prohibited by the Constitution or delegated to the national government; powers reserved to the states and denied to the federal government

separation of powers

the sharing of powers among three separate branches of government

social contract

an agreement between people and government in which citizens consent to be governed so long as the government protects their natural rights

supremacy clause

the statement in Article VI of the Constitution that federal law is superior to laws passed by state legislatures

The Federalist Papers

a collection of eighty-five essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay in support of ratification of the Constitution

Three-Fifths Compromise

a compromise between northern and southern states that called for counting of all a state's free population and 60 percent of its enslaved population for both federal taxation and representation in Congress

unicameral legislature

a legislature with only one house, like the Confederation Congress or the legislature proposed by the New Jersey Plan

veto

the power of the president to reject a law proposed by Congress

Virginia Plan

a plan for a two-house legislature; representatives would be elected to the lower house based on each state's population; representatives for the upper house would be chosen by the lower house

bill of attainder

a legislative action declaring someone guilty without a trial; prohibited under the Constitution

block grant

a type of grant that comes with less stringent federal administrative conditions and provide recipients more latitude over how to spend grant funds

categorical grant

a federal transfer formulated to limit recipients' discretion in the use of funds and subject them to strict administrative criteria

concurrent powers

shared state and federal powers that range from taxing, borrowing, and making and enforcing laws to establishing court systems

cooperative federalism

a style of federalism in which both levels of government coordinate their actions to solve national problems, leading to the blending of layers as in a marble cake

creeping categorization

a process in which the national government attaches new administrative requirements to block grants or supplants them with new categorical grants

devolution

a process in which powers from the central government in a unitary system are delegated to subnational units

dual federalism

a style of federalism in which the states and national government exercise exclusive authority in distinctly delineated spheres of jurisdiction, creating a layer-cake view of federalism

elastic clause

the last clause of Article I, Section 8, which enables the national government "to make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying" out all its constitutional responsibilities

ex post facto law

a law that criminalizes an act retroactively; prohibited under the Constitution

federalism

an institutional arrangement that creates two relatively autonomous levels of government, each possessing the capacity to act directly on the people with authority granted by the national constitution

full faith and credit clause

found in Article IV, Section 1, of the Constitution, this clause requires states to accept court decisions, public acts, and contracts of other states; also referred to as the comity provision

general revenue sharing

a type of federal grant that places minimal restrictions on how state and local governments spend the money

immigration federalism

the gradual movement of states into the immigration policy domain traditionally handled by the federal government

new federalism

a style of federalism premised on the idea that the decentralization of policies enhances administrative efficiency, reduces overall public spending, and improves outcomes

nullification

a doctrine promoted by John Calhoun of South Carolina in the 1830s, asserting that if a state deems a federal law unconstitutional, it can nullify it within its borders

privileges and immunities

clause found in Article IV, Section 2, of the Constitution, this clause prohibits states from discriminating against out-of-staters by denying such guarantees as access to courts, legal protection, and property and travel rights

race-to-the-bottom

a dynamic in which states compete to attract business by lowering taxes and regulations, often to workers' detriment

unfunded mandates

federal laws and regulations that impose obligations on state and local governments without fully compensating them for the costs of implementation

unitary system

a centralized system of government in which the subnational government is dependent on the central government, where substantial authority is concentrated

venue shopping

a strategy in which interest groups select the level and branch of government they calculate will be most receptive to their policy goals

writ of habeas

corpus a petition that enables someone in custody to petition a judge to determine whether that person's detention is legal

apportionment

the process by which seats in the House of Representatives are distributed among the fifty states

bicameralism

the political process that results from dividing a legislature into two separate assemblies

bill

proposed legislation under consideration by a legislature

cloture

a parliamentary process to end a debate in the Senate, as a measure against the filibuster; invoked when three-fifths of senators vote for the motion

collective representation

the relationship between Congress and the United States as a whole, and whether the institution itself represents the American people

conference committee

a special type of joint committee that reconciles different bills passed in the House and Senate so a single bill results

constituency

the body of voters, or constituents, represented by a particular politician

delegate model of representation

a model of representation in which representatives feel compelled to act on the specific stated wishes of their constituents

descriptive representation

the extent to which a body of representatives represents the descriptive characteristics of their constituencies, such as class, race, ethnicity, and gender

enumerated powers

the powers given explicitly to the federal government by the Constitution to regulate interstate and foreign commerce, raise and support armies, declare war, coin money, and conduct foreign affairs

filibuster

a parliamentary maneuver used in the Senate to extend debate on a piece of legislation as long as possible, typically with the intended purpose of obstructing or killing it

implied powers

the powers not specifically detailed in the U.S. Constitution but inferred as necessary to achieve the objectives of the national government

inherent powers

the powers neither enumerated nor implied but assumed to exist as a direct result of the country's existence

joint committee

a legislative committee consisting of members from both chambers that investigates certain topics but lacks bill referral authority

majority leader

the leader of the majority party in either the House or Senate; in the House, the majority leader serves under the Speaker of the House, in the Senate, the majority leader is the functional leader and chief spokesperson for the majority party

markup

the amending and voting process in a congressional committee

minority leader

the party member who directs the activities of the minority party on the floor of either the House or the Senate

oversight

the right to review and monitor other bodies such as the executive branch

politico model of representation

a model of representation in which members of Congress act as either trustee or delegate, based on rational political calculations about who is best served, the constituency or the nation

pork-barrel politics

federal spending intended to benefit a particular district or set of constituents

president pro tempore

the senator who acts in the absence of the actual president of the Senate, who is also the vice president of the United States; the president pro tempore is usually the most senior senator of the majority party

representation

an elected leader's looking out for constituents while carrying out the duties of the office

select committee

a small legislative committee created to fulfill a specific purpose and then disbanded; also called an ad hoc, or special, committee

Speaker of the House

the presiding officer of the House of Representatives and the leader of the majority party; the Speaker is second in the presidential line of succession, after the vice president

standing committee

a permanent legislative committee that meets regularly

surge-and-decline theory

a theory proposing that the surge of stimulation occurring during presidential elections subsides during midterm elections, accounting for the differences we observe in turnouts and results

bully pulpit

Theodore Roosevelt's notion of the presidency as a platform from which the president could push an agenda

cabinet

a group of advisors to the president, consisting of the most senior appointed officers of the executive branch who head the fifteen executive departments

executive agreement

an international agreement between the president and another country made by the executive branch and without formal consent by the Senate

Executive Office of the President

the administrative organization that reports directly to the president and made up of important offices, units, and staff of the current president and headed by the White House chief of staff

executive order

a rule or order issued by the president without the cooperation of Congress and having the force of law

executive privilege

the president's right to withhold information from Congress, the judiciary, or the public

going public

a term for when the president delivers a major television address in the hope that public pressure will result in legislators supporting the president on a major piece of legislation