American Government Exam Review Flashcards

Vocabulary practice flashcards generated from the American Government lecture transcript covering foundational terms, landmark Supreme Court cases, and political science concepts.

Shelby County versus Holder

A Supreme Court ruling that stripped down parts of the Voting Rights Act that no longer applied, rather than eliminating the entire law.

Miranda versus Arizona

A Supreme Court ruling requiring law enforcement to inform suspects of their rights, including the right to remain silent and that anything said can and will be used against them.

Civil Rights

Rights associated with members of a protected class.

Civil Liberties

Rights guaranteed in the first 10 amendments to the Constitution.

Free Market System

An economic system operating primarily based on price without a government agency setting prices, where consumers choose to buy or not buy based on price.

Authority

The official power exercised by government officials, during which they normally cannot be sued when exercising powers they are allowed to exercise.

Unalienable

Meaning cannot be violated; rights belonging to everyone that cannot be taken away by the government.

Ex Post Facto Law

An after-the-fact law that retroactively penalizes actions that were legal at the time they were taken; Congress is prohibited from passing these.

Revolution of 1800

Thomas Jefferson's term referring to his electoral presidential victory in the year 1800.

Three-Fifths Compromise

An agreement between Northern and Southern states that allowed the United States to establish a government under the Constitution rather than continuing under the Articles of Confederation.

Marbury versus Madison (1803)

An 1803 Supreme Court decision establishing the power of judicial review over both Congress and the executive branch.

Anti-Federalists

A group worried that the government would be dominated by political leaders, prompting them to petition for the Bill of Rights to protect average citizens.

New Federalism

The approach to federalism advocated by President Ronald Reagan.

United Government

A political condition occurring when one party controls the presidency and both houses of Congress.

Divided Government

A political condition where at least one house of Congress is controlled by a party different from the president's party.

Interstate Commerce Clause

A constitutional clause used by the federal government to expand its power relative to the states by claiming broad jurisdiction over matters.

TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families)

The 1996 Welfare Reform Act block grant restricting family access to federal assistance to five years with specific work requirements.

Categorical Grants

Grants-in-aid from the federal government that are very restrictive in how states may spend the money.

Block Grants

Federal funds provided to states that allow a lot of freedom in how the money is spent.

Proportional Representation

An electoral system where a political party receives seats in the national legislature proportional to the percentage of total votes it earned in an election.

Apportionment

The distribution of legislative representatives to states based on their population size.

De Jure Discrimination

Discrimination established by official government laws, actions, and policies.

De Facto Discrimination

Discrimination existing in reality or practice, rather than established by law.

Exclusionary Rule

A legal principle established in Mapp versus Ohio prohibiting the use of illegally obtained evidence in court.

Planned Parenthood versus Casey

A Supreme Court decision allowing state restrictions on abortion services provided they do not impose an undue burden on the woman.

Gideon versus Wainwright

A Sixth Amendment Supreme Court ruling establishing the right to an attorney.

Mapp versus Ohio

A Fourth Amendment Supreme Court case establishing the exclusionary rule for illegally obtained evidence.

Schenck versus United States

A Supreme Court case ruling that speech can be restricted when national security is at stake.