PLS American Government Study Flashcards

Flashcards covering American Government notes including constitutional amendments, congressional features, forms of government, and political science terminology.

Fifth Amendment

Guarantees the grand Jury system, protection against Double Jeopardy, protection against self incrimination, and Due Process.

Sixth Amendment

Guarantees a right to a speedy and public trial.

Eighth Amendment

States that excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishment inflicted.

9th Amendment

Amendment known as natural rights.

Tyranny

A government that exercises unjust and cruel power or extreme harshness or severity.

John Locke's Second Treatise of Civil Government (1689)

A work based on the Social contract and Natural rights.

House of Representatives

Legislative body of 435 congress persons with 2 yr terms, representing approx. 750,000 constituents each.

Senate

Legislative body of 100 senators serving 6 yr terms ($\frac{1}{3}$ elected every two years), where each senator represents a state.

Senate Duties

Led de facto by the senator majority leader, ratifies treaties requiring a $\frac{2}{3}$ vote, and approves major Presidential nominations.

119th Congress Leadership

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and Senator Majority Leader John Thune.

Party Whips

Liaison between the members of the respective Political Parties and the members of congress who are responsible for party discipline.

Logrolling

Term used to describe the reciprocity among law makers in supporting or blocking bills.

Rider

An amendment to a bill not necessarily related to the bill, often used to pass Pork.

Pork Barrel

Legislation designed to reward a specific congressional district or state with projects or grants.

Filibuster

Unlimited debate in the Senate designed to thwart a bill.

The Federalist Papers

A collection of 85 editorials written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay.

First Amendment Freedoms

Includes Religion, Speech, Press, Assembly, and Petition.

Four Categories of Unprotected Speech

1. Commercial speech, 2. Libel/Slander, 3. Direct incitement, and 4. Obscenity.

Second Amendment

Establishes that the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.

Fourth Amendment

Provides protection against unreasonable searches and seizures.

Traditional Method to Amend the Constitution

Proposed by two-thirds ($\frac{2}{3}$) vote in both house of congress and ratified by three-fourths ($\frac{3}{4}$) of the state legislatures.

U.S. Constitution Amendments

The U.S. Constitution has 27 amendments, with the first 10 amendments known as the bill of rights.

Civil Liberties

Rights and freedoms that protect an individual from the state.

Civil Rights

The rights to full legal, social and economic equality.

Separation of Church and State Clauses

The Establishment clause and the Free exercise clause.

Great Compromise

Political agreement that created a Bicameral legislature, where the Senate is comprised of two senators from each state and the House of Representatives is based on population.

Three-Fifths Compromise

Agreement where other persons (slaves) were counted as $\frac{3}{5}$ of a person for purposes of congressional representation.

Status Quo

The state in which something is, the current situation or state of affairs.

Political Science

The art of science of government; described by Harold Lasswell as the science of who gets what when and how.

Anarchy

Absence of government / chaos / Paradise.

Monarchy

Rule of one person usually in the form of a king or queen and is hereditary in nature.

Aristocracy

Form of government ruled by an elite class of Royal family.

Oligarchy

Rule by the few.

Plutocracy

Rule by the wealthy or rich.

Theocracy

Rule by religious laws, edicts, clerics.

Democracy

Government ruled with the consent of the people, existing as Direct Democracy or Republic (Representative Democracy).

Simple Majority

$$50\% + 1$$

Tyranny of Majority

When the majority represses the minority.

Three Structures of Government

Unitarian, Confederation, and Federation.

Bills of Revenue

All bills of revenues must first be introduced in the H of R.