Government - Final Exam Review Guide

Flashcards for Government Final Exam Review.

Government

The institution through which a society makes and enforces its public policies

Public Policies

All the things a government decides to do

Limited Government

Government with enumerated powers.

Legislative Power

The power to make laws and to frame public policies

Executive Power

The power to execute, enforce, and administer laws

Judicial Power

The power to interpret laws, to determine their meaning, and to settle disputes that arise within the society

Constitution

The body of fundamental laws setting out the principles, structures, and processes of a government

Dictatorship

A form of government in which the leader has absolute power and authority.

Democracy

A form of government in which the supreme authority rests with the people

State

A body of people living in a defined territory organized politically and with the power to make and enforce law without the consent of any higher authority

Sovereign

Having supreme power within its own territory; neither subordinate nor responsible to any other authority

Politics

The process by which a society decides how power and resources will be distributed within that society

Federal Government

A form of government in which powers are divided between a central government and several local governments

Division of Powers

The constitutional provisions by which governmental powers are divided on a geographic basis

Compromise

An adjustment of opposing principles or systems by modifying some aspect of each in order to find the position most acceptable to the majority

Free-enterprise

An economic system characterized by private or corporate ownership of capital goods; investments that are determined by private decision rather than by state control, and determined in a free market

Mixed Economy

An economy in which private enterprise exists in combination with a considerable amount of government regulation and promotion

Rule of Law

The concept that government and its officers are always subject to the law

Separation of Powers

Basic principle of American system of divided government, that the executive, legislative, and judicial powers are divided among three independent and coequal branches of government

Checks and Balances

A system of overlapping the powers of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches to permit each branch to check the actions of the others

Judicial Review

The power of a court to determine the constitutionality of a governmental action

Unconstitutional

Contrary to constitutional provision and so illegal, null and void, of no force and effect

Federalism

A system of government in which a written constitution divides power between a central, or national, government and several regional governments

Moderate

Person whose views are neither extreme left or extreme right

Liberal

Belief that government should be actively involved in the social and economic problems

Radical

Advocating complete or dramatic social and political reform

Political Party

A group of persons who seek to control government through the winning of elections and the holding of public office

Major Parties

In American politics, the Republican and Democratic parties

Minor Parties

One of the many political parties without wide voter support in this country

Single Issue Parties

Parties that concentrate on only one public policy matter

Ideological Parties

Parties based on a particular set of beliefs, a comprehensive view of social, economic, and political matters

Splinter Parties

Parties that have split away from one of the major parties

Multiparty System

A system in which several major and many lesser parties exist, seriously compete for, and actually win, public offices

Two Party System

A political system dominated by two major parties

Single Party System

A political system in which only one party exists

Party Platform

A formal set of principal goals which are supported by a political party or individual candidate, in order to appeal to the general public for the ultimate purpose of garnering the general public's support and votes about complicated topics or issues

Nomination

The process of candidate selection in an electoral system

Public Affairs

Events and issues that concern the people at large

Public Opinion

The complex collection of the opinions of many different people; the sum of all their views

Mass Media

Means of communication that reach large audiences

Peer Group

People with whom one regularly associates, including friends, classmates, neighbors, and co-workers

Political Spin

A slanting of information in favor of a particular point of view

Public Opinion Poll

Device that attempt to collect information by asking people questions

Watchdog

The press's role as a monitor of government activity

Biased

Information that supports only one point of view

Gatekeeper

The media is the gatekeeper of information.

Exposes

The press exposes wrong doing.

Public Agenda

The societal problems that the nation's political leaders and the general public agree need government attention.

Incumbent

The current officeholder

Bicameral

An adjective describing a legislative body composed of two chambers

Term

Two-year period of time during which Congress meets

Adjourn

Suspend until the next session

Apportion/Reapportion

Distribute, as in seats in a legislative body

Session

Period of time during which Congress assembles and conducts business

Party in Power

In Congress, the majority party in each house

Partisanship

Government action based on firm allegiance to a political party

Continuous Body

Governing body whose seats are never all up for election at the same time

Acquit

To find not guilty of a charge

Perjury

The act of lying under oath

Subpoena

An order for a person to appear and produce documents or other requested materials

Federal Budget

A plan of predicted revenues and spending for a period of time

Deficit Spending

Spending more money than is collected in revenue

Surplus

More income than spending

National Debt

The total amount of money the United States owes

Veto

Chief executive's power to reject a bill passed by a legislature

Electoral College

A body of people representing the states of the US, who formally cast votes for the election of the president and vice president.

Electoral Votes

The votes cast by electors in the electoral college.

Treaty

A formal agreement between two or more sovereign states

Balance the Ticket

The practice of choosing a vice presidential running mate who can strengthen the presidential candidate's chance of winning, usually by virtue of certain ideological, geographic, racial, ethnic, gender, or other characteristics

Swing States

A U.S. state where the two major political parties have similar levels of support among voters, viewed as important in determining the overall result of a presidential election.

Cabinet

An advisory body to the president

Inferior Courts

The federal district courts; below the Supreme Court

Jurisdiction

The authority of a court to hear a case

Original Jurisdiction

The power of a court to hear a case first, before any other court

Supreme Court

The highest court in the United States

Federal Courts

The lower courts of the federal court system

Plaintiff

In civil law, the party who brings a suit or some other legal action against another in court

Defendant

In a civil suit, the person against whom a court action is brought by the plaintiff; in a criminal case, the person charged with the crime

Civil Case

A case involving a noncriminal matter such as a contract dispute or a claim of patent infringement

Criminal Case

A case in which a defendant is tried for committing a crime as defined by the law

Precedent

Court decision that stands as an example to be followed in future, similar cases

Majority Decision

The opinion on which the decision of the Court is based, which identifies the conclusion of the Court as well as the reasons supporting that conclusion

Concurring Opinion

An opinion which is basically in agreement with the decision that the Court has made, but which bases that opinion on different reasons

Dissenting Opinion

An opinion disagreeing with the majority decision in a Supreme Court ruling

Dual Court System

A court system made up of both federal and state courts

Political Efficacy

One's own influence or effectiveness on politics

Political Socialization

The process by which people gain their political attitudes and opinions

Gender Gap

Measurable differences between the partisan choices of men and women

Independent

Voters who do not identify with a political party

General Election

An election which determines which candidates will fill government positions

Bipartisan

Supported by two parties

Political Spectrum

Range of political views

Reactionary

A person who wants to go back to the way things were in the past

Conservative

A person who believes government power, particularly in the economy, should be limited in order to maximize individual freedom

Constituency

The people and interests that an elected official represents

Partisan

Lawmaker who owes his/her allegiance to his/her political party and votes according to the party line

Expressed Powers

Those powers delegated to the National Government in so many words - spelled out, expressly, in the Constitution

Implied Powers

Powers authorized by a legal document (from the Constitution) which, while not stated, seem to be implied by powers expressly stated

Consensus

General agreement among various groups

Naturalization

The legal process by which citizens of one country become citizens of another