OpenStax American Government Study Guide Flashcards

Vocabulary-style flashcards based on lecture notes covering foundational concepts of American Government, the Constitution, federalism, civil liberties, civil rights, interest groups, and elections.

Public goods

Goods that are available to all without direct payment.

Oligarchy

A form of government in which a small group of elite people hold political power.

Elite theory

The theory that wealthy, politically powerful people control government, and government has no interest in meeting the needs of ordinary people.

Pluralist theory

The theory that government policy is formed as a result of the competition between groups with different goals and interests.

Partisanship

Supporting the actions of a political party simply because one identifies oneself as a member of that party.

Latent preferences

Answers given to political questions about issues a person has little interest in and has not thought much about.

John Locke

An Enlightenment philosopher who greatly influenced British colonists in North America in the late seventeenth century.

Social contract

The agreement that citizens will consent to be governed so long as the government protects their natural rights.

Articles of Confederation

The original framework of the U.S. government which lacked the important power to impose taxes.

The Federalist Papers

A series of essays written to encourage the state of New York to ratify the Constitution.

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the Constitution that protect individual freedoms.

Federal system

A system of government where the constitution allocates powers between the states and the federal government.

McCulloch v. Maryland

A Supreme Court case that invoked the necessary and proper clause and the supremacy clause of the Constitution.

New federalism

A political philosophy launched by President Nixon and continued by President Reagan based on the idea that decentralization of responsibility enhances administrative efficiency.

Unfunded mandates

Federal requirements or regulations that impose obligations on state and local governments without providing the funding necessary to comply.

Venue shopping

A strategy where interest groups like MADD redirect their advocacy to a level of government or branch they believe will be more biased toward their case.

Selective incorporation

The process by which the Bill of Rights was applied to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment.

Exclusionary rule

A judicial rule interpreting that evidence gathered illegally cannot be used against a defendant in court.

Lemon test

A legal standard used to determine if the separation of church and state has been violated.

Strict scrutiny

The legal standard used by courts when deciding cases where a group, such as African American students, believes they have been discriminated against.

Plessy v. Ferguson

The Supreme Court decision ruling that 'separate but equal' was constitutional, allowing racial segregation.

Comparable worth

The doctrine that people who do jobs requiring the same level of skill, training, or education are entitled to equal pay.

Purposive incentives

Incentives that appeal to someone's concern about a specific cause.

Iron triangles

The symbiotic relationship among Congressional committees, executive agencies, and interest groups.

Revolving door laws

Laws designed to prevent lawmakers from becoming lobbyists immediately after leaving office.

Bradley effect

A phenomenon where polled voters say they will vote for a candidate but then vote against him or her.

Coattail effects

A phenomenon most likely seen in presidential elections where a popular candidate at the top of the ticket helps other candidates of the same party win.

Retrospective voting

A type of voting where voters hold the incumbent or current administration responsible for past actions, especially regarding the economy.

Initiative process

A process of direct democracy involving the collection of signatures and a state-wide vote, but not requiring a signature or veto by the state governor.