Studied by 24 people
monarchy
a form of government where one ruler, usually a hereditary ruler, holds political power
dictatorship
a form of government where a dictator or small group holds political power
oligarchy
a form of government where a handful of elite society members hold political power
direct democracy
a form of government where people participate directly in making government decisions instead of choosing representatives to do this for them
republic
a form of government in which political power rests in the hands of the people, not a monarch, and is exercised by elected representatives
unitary system
a centralized system of government in which the subnational government is dependent on the central government, where substantial authority is concentrated
federal system
a system of government in which power is divided between the federal government and the state governments
politics
the process by which we decide how resources will be allocated and which policies government will pursue
political power
influence over a government’s institutions, leadership, or policies
ideology
the beliefs and ideals that help to shape political opinion and eventually policy
free enterprise
an economic system in which private business operates in competition and largely free of state control
1st Amendment
right to freedoms of religion and speech; right to assemble and to petition the government for redress of grievances; right to a free press
government
the means by which a society organizes itself and allocates authority in order to accomplish collective goals
John Locke
an English philosopher whose ideas regarding the relationship between government and natural rights were very influential
natural rights
the right to life, liberty, and property; believed to be given by God; no government may take away
Magna Carta
King John's promise to his subjects in 1215 that he and future monarchs would refrain from certain actions that could harm the people of England
social contract
an agreement between people and government in which citizens consent to be governed so long as the government protects their natural rights
self-government
the government of a country by its own people, especially after having been a colony
American Revolution
a political insurrection from 1775 to 1783 by which the 13 colonies won political independence and went on to form the United States of America
taxation without representation
the act of being forced by a government to pay a tax without having a say in the actions of that government
First Continental Congress
a meeting of delegates from 12 colonies in 1774 to organize colonial resistance to the Coercive Acts
Declaration of Independence
the document created in 1776 by the Second Continental Congress proclaiming the 13 colonies' independence from Great Britain
Articles of Confederation
an agreement among the 13 colonies in 1777 that served as its first frame of government
ratify
to sign or give consent to a treaty, contract, or agreement, making it officially valid
bicameral legislature
a legislative body made up of two chambers
Great Compromise
a compromise between the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan that created a two-house Congress; representation based on population in the House of Representatives and equal representation of states in the Senate
Three-Fifths Compromise
an agreement that 3/5 of the slave population would be counted in votes toward 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 the President to refuse to approve a bill or joint resolution and thus prevent its enactment into law
Legislative Branch
made up of Congress; makes all laws, declares war, regulates interstate commerce, and controls taxing and spending policies
Executive Branch
made up of the President, their advisors, and other departments; enforces the laws of the land
Judicial Branch
made up of the Supreme Court; holds the judicial power of the US
Federalists
a political group who supported a strong central government and the Constitution
Anti-Federalists
a political group who feared that a strong central government would be too powerful and would threaten individual liberties
amendment
a modification of the Constitution, directly altering the text
Bill of Rights
the first 10 amendments; spells out Americans' rights in relation to the government
2nd Amendment
protects the right to own a firearm unconnected with the militia and to use that firearm for lawful purposes
5th Amendment
guarantees that an individual cannot be compelled by the government to provide incriminating information about themselves
6th Amendment
guarantees the rights of criminal defendants (speedy trial, lawyer, unbiased jury, know who accusers are and evidence against you
8th Amendment
protects criminals from excessive punishment
governor
the elected head of state of a region or state
mayor
the elected head of state of a town or city
Congress
the bicameral legislature of the United States federal government
House of Representatives
a chamber of Congress made up of representatives from each state based on population
Senate
a chamber of Congress made up of an equal number of representatives from each state
Equal Rights Amendment
a proposed amendment that guarantees equal rights for all Americans, regardless of gender
income tax
a tax imposed on individuals or entities based on the income or profits they earn
payroll tax
a tax imposed on the wages and salaries of employees
sales tax
a tax imposed on the sales of certain goods and services
Dred Scott v. Sandford
ruled that all people of African descent, free or enslaved, were not United States citizens and therefore had no right to sue in federal court
secede
to withdraw formally from membership of a political organization
Emancipation Proclamation
a proclamation issued by Abraham Lincoln in 1863 that declared that all slaves within the rebellious states are free
14th Amendment
granted citizenship to all people born and raised in the United States, including former slaves, and guaranteed all citizens equal protection of the laws
industrialization
the development of industries in a country or region on a wide scale
monopolize
to have or take the greatest share of something
Great Depression
an economic depression between 1929 and 1939 that began after a major fall in stock prices
New Deal
a series of programs and projects instituted during the Great Depression by Franklin Roosevelt that aimed to restore prosperity to Americans
agricultural subsidies
government incentives paid to agricultural businesses to supplement their income, manage the supply of agricultural commodities, and influence the cost of those commodities
Medicaid
an assistance program for low-income patients' medical expenses
Medicare
a medical insurance program for people over 65 and younger disabled people and dialysis patients
Civil Rights Act of 1964
prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin
Voting Rights Act of 1965
prohibits discrimination in voting
Affordable Care Act
aimed at reforming the health insurance industry and helping to reduce the cost of health insurance coverage for individuals who qualify
civil liberties
guarantees and freedoms that governments cannot abridge
civil rights
guarantees of equal social opportunities and protection under the law, regardless of race, religion, or other personal characteristics
Black Codes
restricted Black people's right to own property, conduct business, buy and lease land, and move freely through public spaces
double jeopardy
the prosecution of a person twice for the same offense
self-incrimination
the intentional or unintentional act of providing information that suggests your involvement in a crime
Miranda warning
a warning of rights that suspects have when they are being questioned by the police or arrested (the rights to remain silent and the right to have a lawyer)
eminent domain
the power of the government to take private property and convert it into public use
civil forfeiture
the power of the government to seize any property that is allegedly involved in a crime or illegal activity
plea bargain
an arrangement between prosecutor and defendant whereby the defendant pleads guilty to a lesser charge in exchange for a more lenient sentence or an agreement to drop other charges
bail
the amount of money defendants must post to be released from custody until their trial
affirmative action
the practice or policy of favoring individuals belonging to groups known to have been discriminated against previously
ableism
discrimination against people with disabilities
abolition
the act of officially ending or stopping something
disenfranchisement
the state of being deprived of a right or privilege, especially the right to vote
Jim Crow laws
laws requiring racial segregation in the United States from 1876 to 1965
Plessy v. Ferguson
ruled that Jim Crow laws were constitutional as long as the facilities for each race were equal in quality
Brown v. Board of Education
ruled that racial segregation in public schools is unconstitutional
de jure segregation
legalized racial segregation
de facto segregation
racial segregation that exists, but is not imposed by law
women's suffrage movement
a decades-long fight to win the right to vote for women in the United States
19th Amendment
officially granted women the right to vote
Title IX
prohibits sex discrimination in any education program or activity receiving federal funding
Roe v. Wade
ruled that the right to have an abortion is constitutional
gender wage gap
the average difference between the salary for men and women who are working
glass ceiling
an unofficially acknowledged barrier to advancement in a profession, especially affecting women and other minorities
pink tax
the tendency for products marketed specifically towards women to be more expensive than those marketed towards men
voter registration
the requirement of citizens to become registered in order to vote
franchise
the right to vote
voter turnout
the participation rate of a given election
compulsory voting laws
laws that require citizens to vote in elections or pay a fine
voter fatigue
a sense of apathy or disinterest voters may feel towards an election
midterm elections
the general elections that are held near the midpoint of a president's four-year term
incumbent
the current holder of an office
war chest
a sum of money used for conducting a campaign
political action committees (PACs)
organizations created to raise and spend money to influence politics and contribute to candidates' campaigns
primary elections
elections held to elect the nominees for a specific party
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Flashcard (36)