Government Vocabulary

government

the action or manner of controlling or regulating a nation, organization, or group of people

power

political or social authority or control, especially, that exercised by a government

policy

a course or principle of action adopted or proposed by a government, party, business, or individual

state

a nation or territory considered as an organized political community under one government

sovereignty

the authority of a state to govern itself or another state

politics

the activities of governments concerning the political relations between countries

legitimacy

conformity to the laws or to rules

divine right of kings

the doctrine that kings derive their authority from God, not from their subjects, from which it follows that rebellion is the worst of all crimes

social contract theory

the view that persons' moral and/or political obligations are dependent on a contract or agreement among them to form the society in which they live

monarchy

a form of government with a sovereign head of state, especially a king, queen, or emperor, at the head

dictatorship

a country governed by a ruler with total power of a country, typically one who has obtained control by force

oligarchy

a small group of people having control over a country, organization, or institution

direct democracy

direct participation of citizens in democratic decision making, in contrast to indirect or representative democracy

republic

a state in which supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives, and which has an elected or nominated president rather than a monarch

unitary system

most or all of the governing power resides in a centralized government

federal system

political organization that unites separate states within an overarching political system in a way that allows each to maintain its own integrity

confederal system

weak or loose organization of states agrees to follow a powerful central government

presidential system

a head of government, typically a president, leads an executive branch separate from the legislative branch in systems that use separation of powers

parliamentary system

party with the greatest representation in the cabinet forms the government its leader becoming the prime minister or chancellor

political power

the ability to control the behavior of people and/or influence the outcome of events

ideology

system of ideas and ideals, especially one which forms the basis of economic or political theory and policy

liberty

the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one's way of life, behavior, or political views

majority rule

the principle that the greater number should exercise greater power

minority rights

normal individual rights as applied to members of racial, ethnic, class, religious, linguistic, or gender and sexual minorities, and also the collective rights accorded to any minority group

free enterprise

an economic system in which private business operates in competition and largely free of state control

elite theory of government

theoretical perspective according to which a community's affairs are best handled by a small subset of its members

pluralist theory of government

recognition and affirmation of diversity within a political body, which is seen to permit the peaceful coexistence of different interests, convictions, and lifestyles

first amendment

congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances

civic engagement

individual and collective actions designed to identify and address issues of public concern

social capital

the networks of relationships among people who live and work in a particular society, enabling that society to function effectively

fifteenth amendment

allowed males of all races the opportunity to vote

partisanship

prejudice in favor of a particular cause

private good

a product or service produced by a privately owned business and purchased to increase the utility, or satisfaction of the buyer

public good

a commodity or service that is provided without profit to all members of a society, either by the government or a private individual or organization

toll good

only paying customers have access (excludable) and consumed by people but whose supply is not affected by people's consumption (non-rivalrous)

political engagement

the role of citizens in influencing governance

direct vs. representative democracy

voting directly; better for small countries vs. voting for representatives who then make decisions; better for larger countries; both represent voices of citizens

social contract theory vs. force theory

states what government can/can't do vs. state developed through force; willingness vs. force; freedom vs. fear

government systems vs. economic systems

provide protection for citizens through laws and security vs. provide resources for citizens; federal, confederal, presidential, parliamentary systems vs. communism, capitalism, socialism

purpose of sovereignty

power to make laws or modify them, allows freedom, equality, and justice

federal vs. confederal systems

central government and divided power vs. weak central government, regional governments with more power, each state run differently

individualism vs. egalitarianism

allow individual freedoms, happiness, and cooperation vs. equality of income wealth

John Locke

philosopher and political theorist; came up with natural rights theory

natural rights

people may enjoy the rights they believe in through natural law: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness

Magna Carta

a charter of liberties to which the English barons forced King John to give his assent in 1215

English Bill of Rights

act signed into law by William III and Mary II that outlines specific constitutional and civil rights and ultimately gave Parliament power over the monarchy

self-government

government of a country by its own people, especially after having been a colony

American Revolution

the war in 1775-83 in which the 13 American British colonies broke free from British rule and became the U.S.A.

taxation without representation

a populace that is required to pay taxes to a government authority without having a say in that government's policies

Stamp Act of 1765

required American colonists to pay a tax, represented by a stamp, on various forms of papers, documents, and paying cards

Townshend Acts of 1767

taxed goods imported to the American colonies

Boston Massacre

deadly riot that occurred on on King Street in Boston in 1770

Boston Tea Party

political protest in Boston in 1773 where colonists disposed of British goods in Griffin's Wharf

Coercive or Intolerable Acts of 1774

tax measure enacted after the Boston Tea Party to punish colonists; led to First Continental Congress

First Continental Congress

first governing body of America; decided to break free from Britain

Declaration of Independence

proclamation made by Second Continental Congress signed on July 4, 1776, asserted freedom and independence from Britain

Thomas Jefferson

third president, Founding Father, and main author of the Declaration of Independence

Articles of Confederation

Original Constitution of U.S.A.

ratify

sign or give formal consent to a treaty, contract, or agreement, making it official

confederation

an organization which consists of a number of parties or groups in alliance

Shays' Rebellion

uprising led by former militia officer Daniel Shays in Massachusetts

Constitutional Convention

The gathering that drafted the Constitution of the United States in 1787

Bicameral Legislature

a system of government in which the legislature comprises of 2 houses

Great Compromise

an agreement made between large and small U.S. states that partly defined the representation each state would have in the legislature under the Constitution

Three-Fifths Compromise

the compromise agreement between delegates from the Northern and Southern states that three-fifths of the slave population would be counted for determining direct taxation and representation in the House of Representatives

separation of powers

an act of vesting the legislative, executive, and judicial powers of government in separate bodies

checks and balances

a system that allows each branch of government to amend or veto acts of another branch so as to prevent any one branch from exerting too much power

veto power

the power of a president, governor, or mayor to prevent something from becoming a law

legislative branch

Congress has power to pass legislation, declare war, senate has power to ratify treaties, must give consent to federal appointment of judges, ambassadors, and heads of executive departments, congress may impeach and remove president from office, may establish number of Supreme Court justices and regulate court's jurisdiction

executive branch

president of the United States is commander- in chief of nation's armed forces, responsible for conducting foreign affairs, appoints federal judges, ambassadors, and heads of executive departments, grants pardons to those who have broken federal law, power to veto legislation passed by Congress

judicial branch

Supreme Court hears cases involving federal law and is the nation's final court of appeal, has power to declare laws and actions by the executive branch unconstitutional, Chief Justice presides over impeachment trials

enumerated powers

powers granted to the federal government

reserved powers

powers that are neither enumerated nor prohibited by the Constitution

supremacy clause

federal constitution and federal law take precedence over state laws, and even state constitutions

federalists

people who advocated for a system in which several states unite under a central authority

anti-federalists

people who opposed the adoption of the U.S. Constitution

Federalist Papers

a collection of essays written in the 1780s in support of the proposed U.S. Constitution and the strong federal government it advocated

term limits

legal restriction that limits the number of terms an officeholder may serve in a particular office

amendment

a minor change or addition designed to improve a text, piece of legislation, etc.; an article added to the U.S. Constitution

Bill of Rights

the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution

First Amendment

protects freedom of speech, the press, assembly, religion, and right to petition

Second Amendment

right of the people to keep and bear Arms

Fifth Amendment

guarantees right to grand jury, and right to remain silent

Sixth Amendment

guarantees rights of criminal defendants, including the right to a public trial without unnecessary delay, a lawyer, an impartial jury, and to know who your accusers and the nature of your charges

Eighth Amendment

excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted

Tenth Amendment

the powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people

forms of protest in American colonies

letters, boycotting, Boston Tea Party, Declaration of Independence, violence: Battles of Lexington and Concord

how British policies led to American independence

couldn't pay debt or taxes, British Parliament wouldn't address complaints, boycotts became common, acts and taxes increased as "payback" for French and Indian War, everything escalated to American Revolution

Thomas Paine's ideas

government's purpose is to serve, having a king is a bad idea, America should be home of the free, America has the opportunity to be a nation, a strong central government is needed

John Locke's ideas

separation of powers, life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness

events that convinced leaders of stronger central government

Shays' Rebellion: British had to borrow money from foreign creditors and citizens for war, goal was to stop trial and imprisonment of debt-ridden citizens

flaws and disadvantages of the Articles of Confederation

favored more powerful state governments and a weaker central government, no executive branch: laws needed 9 votes out of the 13 colonies, no national military

main features of the Constitution

document established to create government in the U.S.; grants power to appoint, sign, create, and manage; helped slow down war with Great Britain

federalism

the principles and ideologies of the Federalist Party

federal government

the system of government as defined in the Constitution which is based on the separation of powers

president

the elected head of a republic

governor

the elected executive head of a state

mayor

the elected head of a city, town, or other municipality

congress

national legislative body; formal meeting or series of meetings for discussion between delegates, especially those from a political party or labor union or from within a particular discipline

house of representatives

the lower house of a legislative body, comprised of a number of representatives from each state based on population