Studied by 0 people
Politics
the system of influencing the actions and policies of government
Government
the rules and institutions that make up the system of policy making
Democracy
a system of government where power is held by the people
Natural Rights
the right to life, liberty, and property, which government cannot take away
Social Contract
people allow their government to rule over them to ensure an orderly and functioning society
American Political Culture
the set of beliefs,customs, traditions, and values that Americans share
Popular Sovereignty
the idea that the government right to rule comes from the people
Republicanism:a system in which the government's right to rule comes from the people
Inalienable Rights
rights the government cannot take away
Liberty
social, political, and economic freedom
Participatory Democracy
the theory that widespread participation is essential for democratic government
Civil Society Groups
independent associations outside the governments control
Pluralist Theory
a theory of democracy that emphasizes the role of groups in the policy making process
Elitist Theory
a theory of government that elites have a disproportionate amount of influence in the policy making process
Political Institution
the structure of government, including the executive, legislature, and judiciary
Constitutional Republic
a democratic system with elected representatives in which the constitution is the supreme law
Constitution
a document that sets out the foundational principles of governance and establishes the institutions of government
Republic
a government ruled by representatives of the people
Articles of Confederation
a governing document that created a union of 13 sovereign states in which the states, not the union were supreme
Unicameral
a one house legislature
Shay's Rebellion
a popular uprising against the government of Massachusetts
Constitutional Convention
a meeting attended by state delegates in 1787 to fix the articles of confederation
Habeas Corpus
the right of people detained by the government to know the charges against them
Bills of Attainder
when the legislature declares someone guilty without a trial
Ex Post Facto Laws
laws punishing people for acts that were not crimes at the time they were committed
Virginia Plan
a plan of government calling for a three branch government with a bicameral legislature, where more populous states would have more representation in congress
New Jersey Plan
a plan of government that provided a unicameral legislature with equal voted for each states
Grand Committee
a committee at the constitutional convention that worked out to compromise on representation
Great (Connecticut) Compromise
an agreement for a plan of government that drew up both the VA and NJ plan called for a bicameral legislature with a house of representative and senate
Bicameral
a two house legislature
Three-Fifths Compromise
an agreement reached by delegates at the constitutional convention that a slave would count as three-fifth of a person in calculating a state's representation
Compromise on Importation:congress could not restrict slave trade until 1808
Separation of Power; a design of government that distributes powers across institutions in order to avoid making one branch too powerful on its own
Checks and Balances
a design of government in which each branch has powers that can prevent other branches from making policy
Federalism
the sharing of power between the national government and the states
Legislative Branch
the institution responsible for making laws
Expressed or Enumerated Powers
authority specifically granted to a branch of government in the constitution
Necessary and Proper Clause
language in Article 1, Section 8 granting congress the powers necessary to carry out its enumerated powers
Implied Powers
authority of the federal government that goes beyond its expressed powers
Executive Branch
the institution responsible for carrying out laws passed but he legislative branch
Judicial Branch
the institution responsible for hearing and deciding cases through the federal court
Supremacy Clause
constitutional provision declaring that the constitution and all federal laws and treaties are the supreme law of the land
Amendment
the process by which changes may be made to the constitution
Federalists
supporters of the proposed constitution, who called for a strong national government
Antifederalists
those opposed to the proposed constitution, who favored stronger state governments
Federalist Papers
a series of 85 essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and john jay published 1787-1788 that lay out the theory behind the constitution
Federalist No. 51
an essay which Madison argues that the separation of powers and federalism will prevent tyranny
Faction
a group of self interested people who use the government to get what they want, trampling the rights of others in the process
Federalist No. 10
an easy in which Madison argue that the dangers of factions can be mitigated by a large republic and republican government
Brutus No. 1
an anti federalist paper arguing that the country was too large to be governed as a republic and that the constitution gave too much power to the national government
Federalism
a system that divides power between the national and state governments
Unitary System
a system where the central government has all of the power over sub national governments
Confederal System
a system where the sub national governments have most of the power
Federal System
a system of where power is divided between the national and state governments
Enumerated/Expressed Powers
powers explicitly granted to the national government through the constitution
Exclusive Powers
powers only the national government may exercise
Implied Powers
powers not specifically to the national government but considered necessary to carry out the enumerated powers
Commerce Clause
grants congress the authority to regulate interstate business and commercial activity
Tenth Amendment
reserves power not delegated to the national government to the state and the people (basis of federalism)
Reserved Powers
powers not given to the national government which are retained by the states and the people
Concurrent Powers
powers granted to both states and the federal government in the constitution
Full Faith and Credit Clause
constitutional clause requiring states to recognize the public acts, records, and civil court proceedings from another state
Extradition
the requirement that officials in one state return a defendant to another state where the crime was committed
Privileges and Immunities Clause
constitutional clause that prevents states from discriminating against people from out of state
Thirteenth Amendment
constitutional amendment that outlawed slavery
Fourteenth Amendment
constitutional amendment that provided that persons born in the US are citizens and prohibits states from denying persons due process or equal protection under the law
Fifteenth Amendment
constitutional amendment that gave african Americans the right to vote
Dual Federalism
a form of American federalism in which the states and the national government operate independently in their own areas of public policy
Selective Incorporation
the process through which the Supreme Court applies fundamental rights in the Bill of Rights to the states on a case-by-case basis
Cooperative Federalism
the national government and the states working together
Grants-in Aid
federal money provided to states to implement public policy objectives
Fiscal Federalism
the federal government's use of grants-in-aid to influence policies in the states
Categorical Grant
grant-in-aid provided to states with specific provisions on their use
Unfunded Mandate
federal requirements the states must follow, without being provided with funding
Block Grant
a type of grant-in-aid that gives state officials more authority in the disbursement of the federal funds
Revenue Sharing
when the federal government apportions tax money to the states with no strings attached
Devolution
returning more authority to state or local governments
Political Culture
the dominant set of beliefs, customs, traditions, and values that define the relationship between citizens and government
Individualism
the belief that individuals should be responsible for themselves and for the decisions they make
Laissez-Faire/Free Enterprise
an economic system in which government intrudes as little as possible in the economic transactions among citizens and businesses
Rule of Law
the principle that no one, including public officials, is above the law
Political Socialization
the experiences and factors that shape an individual's political values, attitudes, and behaviors
Political Ideology
an individual's coherent set of beliefs about government and politics
Generational Effect
the impact of historical events experienced by a generation upon their political views
Life-Cycle Effect:the impact of a person's age and stage in life on his or her political views
Globalization
the increasing interconnectedness of people, businesses, and countries throughout the world.
Outsourcing
when a company moves its business to a place where labor costs are cheaper or production is more efficient because workers work longer hours.
Focus Group
a small group of individuals assembled for a conversation about specific issues.
Scientific Poll
a representative poll of randomly selected respondents with a statistically significant sample size, using neutral language.
Sample
a subgroup of individuals from a larger population used to measure public opinion.
Random Selection
a method of choosing all poll respondents in a way that does not over- or underrepresent any group of the population.
Representative Sample
a sample that reflects the demographics of the population
Weighting
a procedure in which the survey is adjusted according to the demographics of the larger population
Sampling Error
the margin of error in a poll, which is usually calculated to around plus or minus three percentage points
Mass Survey
a survey designed to measure the opinions of the population, usually consisting of 1,500 responses
Entrance Survey
a poll conducted of people coming to an event
Exit Poll
a survey conducted outside a polling place in which individuals are asked who or what they just voted for and why
Benchmark Poll
a survey taken at the beginning of a political campaign in order to gauge support for a candidate and determine which issues are important to voters
Tracking Poll
a survey determining the level of support for a candidate or an issue throughout a campaign
Random Digit Dialing
the use of telephone numbers randomly generated by computer to select potential survey respondents
Note
Flashcard