American Government and Foundational Documents Lecture Review

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering Federalist Papers, landmark Supreme Court cases, Constitutional amendments, voting behavior, and government structure as detailed in the lecture transcript.

Fed $10$

Written by James Madison, this document argued that a large, diverse republic under the new US constitution would effectively control the dangerous effects of factions, protecting liberty and the common good.

Fed $51$

Written by james madison, it describes how the Constitution's separation of powers and system of checks and balances protect liberty and prevent tyranny.

Fed $70$

Written by alexander hamilton, it addresses the anti-federalist idea that a plural executive is superior by arguing for a single, energetic, executive.

Fed $78$

Written by alexander hamilton, it argues that federal judges should hold their offices for life as long as they behave to keep the judicial branch independent.

Brutus I

An anti-federalist document that warned a strong central government would destroy state sovereignty, threaten individual liberties, and fail in a large republic.

Declaration of Independence

Written by thomas jefferson, this document formally announced the American colonies' separation from Great Britain and asserted fundamental rights such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Articles of Confederation

The written document that established the functions of the national government where states remained sovereign and independent after declaring independence from britain.

Constitution

Established a republican style government with a federal system consisting of three branches where representatives do the work on behalf of the people.

Letter from Birmingham Jail

A letter written by Martin Luthr King Jr. that addressed the moral responsibility of individuals to break unjust laws through nonviolent direct action.

Marbury v Madison (Judicial review)

Case that established judicial review because the Judiciary act of $1789$ was deemed unconstitutional for giving the supreme court more power than allowed by the constitution.

McCulloch v Maryland (banks)

Case where the court ruled the establishment of a national bank was constitutional based on the necessary and proper clause in article $1$ section $8$.

Schenck v US (pamphlets)

Case involving charles chank and the socialist party; result led to the Brandenburg test which distinguishes the intent of speech from the likelihood of lawless activity.

Brown v Board of Education (segregation)

Ruled that racial segregation in schools was a violation of the equal protection clause of the $14^{th}$ amendment because separate facilities are inherently unequal.

Engel v Vitale (prayer)

Case identifying that a non denominational prayer composed by the New York board of regents to be recited by school children violated the first amendment's establishment clause.

Baker v Carr (redistricting)

Established the one person one vote doctrine, requiring states to apportion representatives to equally represent all people so no votes count more than others.

Gideon v Wainwright (Wain the wright to an attorney)

Ruled that the $6^{th}$ amendment protects the rights of the accused and does not distinguish between capital and noncapital cases regarding the right to a lawyer.

Tinker v Des Moines (arm bands)

Case involving $5$ children suspended for wearing black arm bands to protest the vietnam war; the court ruled the school's prohibition violated the $1^{st}$ amendment.

New York Times v US

Addressed prior restraint when the administration tried to keep the paper from publishing documents showing that presidencies and agencies had deceived the public about the war.

Wisconsin v Yoder (amish)

Ruled in favor of $3$ amish families, stating that Wisconsin’s law requiring education until $16$ years old violated their first amendment right to free exercise of religion.

Shaw v Reno (gerrymandering)

Ruled that racial gerrymandering—drawing districts only with race in mind to favor one group—was unconstitutional under the equal protection clause.

US v Lopez (highschool and pistol)

Case where a high school senior was arrested for carrying a gun on school property; the court cited federalism to rule the federal Gun free zone act exceeded Commerce clause powers.

McDonald v Chicago (gun control)

Argued that Chicago's strict gun control laws infringed on the people’s second amendment rights to own handguns for self-defense.

Citizens United v US (BICRA)

Ruled that BCRA's restriction on electioneering communications by corporations or non-profits for $60$ days before an election violated $1^{st}$ amendment rights.

Checks and Balances

System that divides power between the three branches of government to ensure no branch is more powerful than the others.

Separation of Powers

Division of government responsibilities to prevent tyranny and promote the system of checks and balances.

Federalism

The division of power between the federal and state governments.

Federalists

Advocated for a strong central government and the ratification of the constitution.

Antifederalists

Feared tyranny and preferred stronger state sovereignty and a weaker central authority.

Elitism

Theory that power is concentrated in the hands of the elites, such as wealthy groups considered the minority.

Pluralism

Theory that power is distributed among many competing groups, ensuring no single group dominates.

Hyper-Pluralism

When too many influential interest groups block one another, leading to gridlock in the government.

Shay’s Rebellion

Armed uprising against the weakness of the articles of confederation which led to the creation of the constitution.

Virginia Plan

A proposal favored by large states that advocated for a bicameral legislature with proportionate representation.

New Jersey Plan

A proposal favored by small states that advocated for a unicameral legislature with equal representation.

Connecticut/Great Compromise

Created a bicameral legislature with a House based on population and a Senate with equal state representation to resolve arguments between large and small states.

Judicial Review

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

Necessary and Proper Clause

The elastic clause that authorizes implied powers, allowing congress to create federal laws necessary to execute enumerated powers.

Commerce Clause

Empowers congress to regulate interstate commerce with foreign nations and among the states.

Implied Powers

Authority not explicitly stated in the us constitution but deemed necessary to carry out the government's enumerated powers.

Concurrent Powers

Authority shared by both the federal and state governments.

Inherent Powers

Authority possessed by a government, branch, or court that is essential for functioning effectively, managing crises, and conducting foreign affairs.

Enumerated Powers

Powers specifically granted to the branches of government.

Reserved Powers

Powers not acquired by the federal government or prohibited by states that are reserved to the states by the $10^{th}$ amendment.

Fiscal Federalism

The process of dividing economic functions between federal, state, and local authorities.

Privileges and Immunities

Intended to protect fundamental rights by prohibiting states from creating and enforcing laws that abridge the rights of citizens.

Agents of political socialization

Entities that influence political beliefs, including family (the most influential), school, peers, media, and religion.

American exceptionalism

The idea that the united states is unique or superior because of its history and principles like liberty and individualism.

Public opinion polling

Surveying a representative sample relative to demographics to measure political views and guide political agendas.

Sampling error

A polling shortcoming where the representative sample failed to represent the specifics in the area, such as demographics.

Watchdog

Media role focused on investigating political personalities and exposing scandals.

Agenda setter

Role where media acts as a gatekeeper to decide what stories are important and tell the public what to think about.

Scorekeeper

Role where the national press keep track of political reputations, candidacies, and who is winning or losing.

Political efficacy

An individual's belief that their actions can influence political processes.

Linkage institutions

Channels that connect citizens to the government, such as elections, political parties, interest groups, and the media.

Liberal ideology

Promotes government regulation of markets and safety nets to address inequality, focusing on equity.

Conservative ideology

Favors free-market solutions, tax incentives, and minimal government intervention, emphasizing individual responsibility.

Lobbyists

Individuals hired by interest groups to influence government policy and legislation proposals through data and evidence.

PACs

The financial arms that special interest groups use to fund campaigns and influence policy.

Super PACs

Entities that can spend unlimited amounts of money on elections, but cannot give directly to a candidate or campaign.

Frontloading

When states move presidential primaries to earlier dates to influence candidate selection and voting behavior in other states.

Rational choice voting

Voting based on what is perceived to be in the citizen’s individual interest.

Prospective voting

Voting based on predictions of how a party or candidate will perform in the future.

Retrospective voting

Voting based on the recent past to decide whether the party or candidate in power should be reelected.

Caucus

A system of local gatherings where voters decide which candidate to support and select nominating convention delegates.

Primary

A statewide voting process in which voters cast secret ballots for their preferred candidates.

Open primary

An election in which any registered voter can vote in any party’s primary.

Closed primary

An election in which only voters registered for the party holding the primary may vote.

Party conventions

Large gatherings organized by political parties to nominate candidates for the presidency and establish the party Platform.

Winner-take-all system

A system where all of a state's electoral votes are awarded to the candidate winning that state's popular vote.

Split-ticket voting

The act of voting for candidates of different political parties for different seats in office during the same election.

$15^{th}$ Amendment

Prohibits denying voting rights based on skin color.

$17^{th}$ Amendment

Established the direct election of senators by the people.

$19^{th}$ Amendment

Established womens suffrage.

$23^{rd}$ Amendment

Treats Washington, D.C. as a state for presidential elections, giving citizens there the right to vote for electors.

$24^{th}$ Amendment

Prohibits poll taxes in federal elections.

$26^{th}$ Amendment

Lowers the voting age from $21$ to $18$.

Expressed Powers

Powers explicitly listed in the Constitution, such as levying taxes, declaring war, and coining money.

Standing Committees

Permanent panels that hold legislative jurisdiction, consider bills, and recommend measures to their chambers.

Conference Committees

Temporary joint committees formed specifically to reconcile different House and Senate versions of the same bill.

Reapportionment

The redistribution of $435$ U.S. House seats among states every $10$ years based on Census population changes.

Redistricting

The process of redrawing electoral district boundaries to reflect population changes.

Gerrymandering

The manipulation of electoral district boundaries to favor one party using techniques like packing and cracking.

Delegate

A decision-making approach where representatives follow the judgment or wishes of their constituents.

Trustee

A decision-making approach where representatives use their own best judgment.

Politico

A decision-making approach where a representative acts as a delegate or trustee depending on the situation.

War Powers Resolution

A law checking the President's power by requiring notification of Congress within $48$ hours of troop deployment and withdrawal within $60-90$ days without a declaration of war.

$22^{nd}$ Amendment

Limits the president to $2$ terms in office.

$25^{th}$ Amendment

Specifies that the VP becomes President if the office is vacant and allows for the voluntary transfer of power.

Nixon v US

Case confirming that executive privilege is not absolute and reinforcing that no person is above the law.