GES Vocab Midterm Review

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