POL 110 American Government — Final Exam Flashcards

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the U.S. Judiciary, Congress, Presidency, Bureaucracy, Elections, and Media as described in the lecture notes.

Article III

The section of the Constitution that establishes the judicial branch and the Supreme Court, allowing Congress to create lower federal courts.

Federal Judges' Tenure

Judges serve for life during “good behavior,” unless they are impeached.

Levels of the Federal Court System

The three tiers consisting of District Courts, Courts of Appeals, and the Supreme Court.

District Courts

The trial courts in the federal system where cases begin.

Courts of Appeals

Courts that review decisions made by lower courts.

Supreme Court

The highest court in the United States and the final interpreter of the Constitution.

Judicial review

The power of courts to declare laws or government actions unconstitutional.

Marbury v. Madison

The landmark Supreme Court case that established the principle of judicial review.

Judicial restraint

The belief that courts should avoid policymaking and defer to elected branches of government.

Judicial activism

The belief that courts should actively interpret the Constitution to protect rights and address modern issues.

Writ of certiorari

An official order issued by the Supreme Court when it agrees to hear a case.

Rule of Four

The requirement that four justices must agree in order for the Supreme Court to hear a case.

Article I

The section of the Constitution that establishes the legislative branch.

House of Representatives

The house of Congress where seats are determined by the state population.

Senate

The house of Congress where each state is represented by two senators.

Functions of Congress

The major roles including lawmaking, budgeting, oversight, and representation.

Gerrymandering

The manipulation of district boundaries to provide a political advantage.

Incumbency advantage

The benefits and resources current officeholders possess when running for reelection.

Article II

The section of the Constitution that establishes the presidency.

Electoral College

The system used to formally elect the president through electors from each state, intended to balance influence between large and small states.

Executive order

A directive issued by the president to manage the operations of the executive branch.

Federal bureaucracy

The system of agencies that exists to implement and administer laws and government programs.

The “fourth branch”

A nickname for the bureaucracy because its agencies have significant influence over policy and regulation.

Four types of federal agencies

Cabinet departments, independent executive agencies, regulatory commissions, and government corporations.

Benchmark polls

One of the three main types of polls used to shape public opinion.

Tracking polls

A type of survey used to follow changes in public opinion over time.

Exit poll

A survey conducted after people vote to predict election outcomes.

19th Amendment

The amendment that gave women the right to vote.

26th Amendment

The amendment that lowered the voting age to 18.

Political polarization

The increasing ideological division between different political groups.

FCC

The Federal Communications Commission, which regulates broadcasting and communications.

Lobbying

The act of attempting to influence lawmakers or government officials.

PAC

A Political Action Committee that raises money for political campaigns.

Super PAC

An organization allowed to spend unlimited money independently of political campaigns.

Dark money

Political spending where the identities of the donors are not publicly disclosed.

Pluralist argument

The theory that interest groups are beneficial because they allow many voices and interests to be represented.