American Gov and Politics Midterm

government

a social institution that controls the behavior of people ; the political and administrative hierarchy of an organized state

public good

a government policy or action that benefits society as a whole rather than a specific individual

politics

the give-and-take in a governmental system, and the resolution of the problems that arise in that system through the process of discussion, bargaining, and competition

democracy

a system of government in which political power is exercised by the people

direct democracy

a democracy in which the people are able to participate directly in decision-making

indirect/representative democracy

a democracy in which people do not participate directly in decision-making and instead elect individuals to represent their interests

constitution

a set of formal written rules and principles governing a state

constitutional democracy

a government that derives its authority from a constitution

classical liberalism

a body of Western European political philosophy that is concerned with the freedom of the individual and the role of government in protecting that freedom

classical republicanism

a theory that rule by the people ought to be indirect through representatives

liberal

an individual who believes that government has a role to play in the lives of individuals and that government can provide solutions to policy problems

conservative

individual who believes that government should play a limited role in the lives of individuals and that government is not the source of solutions for problems

doctrine of separation of powers

refers to the division of government responsibilities into distinct branches to limit any one branch from exercising the core functions of another. The prevents the concentration of powers in any one branch of government and provides for checks and balances

republican form of government

a government whose powers are exercised by elected representatives who are directly or indirectly accountable to the people governed

tradition of exclusion

a tradition that excludes groups from the political system based on their ascribed traits, such as race, gender, and religion

Naturalization Act of 1790

the first law of the United States Congress that set the first uniform rules for the granting of United States citizenship by naturalization.  The law limited naturalization to free white people and excluded American Indians, slaves, and free Blacks

unitary form of government

a system in which the central government exercises complete control and authority over subunits of  government, which means that states or other governmental units do not have autonomous powers

confederation

a system in which states or other types of government units organize a weak central government with limited scope and powers while reserving ultimate power for themselves

unicameral form of government

a government system that consists of only one legislative body (rather than two or more)

concurrent powers

powers shared by the national government and state governments, such as the power to tax and borrow money

national government

a system of government in which powers are distributed between the central government and subunits, such as states

Virginia Plan

drafted by James Madison of Virginia at the 1787 Constitutional Convention, a proposal for a system of government that called for the establishment of a strong central government with three branches: a bicameral legislature, a chief executive chosen by the legislature, and a powerful judiciary

bicameral legislature

a legislature with two bodies usually referred to as the upper and lower chambers, or, as is most common in the United States, the House and the Senate

New Jersey Plan

drafted by William Paterson of New Jersey at the 1787 Constitutional Convention; a proposal for a system of government that called for the maintenance of a confederation with a unicameral legislature in which all states were represented equally, a multimember executive without the power to veto legislation, and a supreme court

Connecticut Compromise (The Great Compromise)

worked out by a committee at the 1787 Constitutional Convention, a compromise that called for a membership in the House of Representatives based on population, with states having equal representation in the Senate

Three-Fifths Compromise

a compromise reached at the Constitutional Convention over how state populations were to be counted for purposes of allocating seats in the House of Representatives; each slave was to be counted as three-fifths of a person for representational purposes

federalists

proponents of the Constitution during the ratification process

antifederalists

opponents of the Constitution during the ratification process

The Federalist Papers

a collection of the 85 articles written by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay in support of the ratification of the Constitution

Bill of Rights

the first 10 amendments to the Constitution, which focus primarily on individual liberties and basic rights

supremacy clause

a clause in the Article of the Constitution stipulating that the Constitution and national laws are "supreme", meaning that when state laws are in conflict with national laws, the latter supersede and take precedence

enumerated powers

powers of the federal government specifically stated in the Constitution

necessary and proper clause

a clause in Article 1 of the Constitution giving Congress the authority to make whatever laws are necessary and proper to carry out its enumerated responsibilities (sometimes called the elastic clause)

separation of powers

the manner in which the Constitution divides power among the three branches of government - the legislature, the executive, and the judiciary

Electoral College

the entity that selects the president and vice president, consisting of 538 electors chosen from the 50 states and the District of Columbia

federalism

the balance of power between the national government on one side and the state and local government on the other side

sovereignty

complete political power and authority

Voting Rights Act of 1963

a federal law that has significantly curtailed disenfranchisement of racial and ethnic minorities by banning literacy tests, empowering the federal government to investigate voting discrimination based on race and ethnicity and requiring federal supervision of jurisdiction with a history of voting discrimination

municipalities

the incorporated districts, usually cities or towns, that comprise the local government

school districts

local government entities that create policies for public schools

Supremacy Clause

a clause in Article VI of the Constitution stipulating that the Constitution and national laws are supreme, meaning that when state laws conflict with national laws, national laws take precedence

Thirteenth Amendment

an amendment to the Constitution that prohibits slavery throughout the United States

Fourteenth Amendment

an amendment to the Constitution that prevents states from denying on the basis of race full citizenship to their residents

due process clause

a specific provision of the Fourteenth Amendment that requires states to use normal judicial and criminal procedures before denying a citizen life, liberty, or property

equal protection clause

a specific provision of the Fourteenth Amendment that prevents states from passing laws that treat people differently on account of race or ethnicity

Fifteenth Amendment

an amendment to the Constitution that prevents states from denying the right to vote on the basis of race or ethnicity

Nineteenth Amendment

an amendment to the Constitution that prevents states from denying women the right to vote because of their sex

poll taxes

fees that states charged citizens as a condition of being able to vote; abolished with the 24th Amendment

police powers

general and unwritten powers to regulate health, safety, and morals

Tenth Amendment

an amendment to the Constitution that guarantees states powers not given to the national government or forbidden to the states

implied power

government powers that are inferred from the powers expressly enumerated in the Constitution

dual federalism

a view of federalism in which the national government is limited to a strict interpretation of the powers granted in the Constitution, while states enjoy broad police power to rule within their own territory

separate but equal

a legal principle that allowed states to segregate the races in public facilities, as long as the state provided each race with basic access to the public facility in question

cooperative federalism

a view of federalism in which the national government expands its power and blurs the lines between national and state authority

incorporation

the application of the Bill of Rights to state and local governments

Civil Rights Act of 1964

a federal law that prevents private businesses from discriminating in service and personnel policies

preemption

a concept that permits the national government to overturn state and local laws

civil liberties

constitutional freedoms that Americans enjoy and on which the government may not encroach

eminent domain

a provision in the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution that requires the government to provide compensation when it takes private property for public use

selective incorporation

the process by which the Supreme Court has gradually incorporated specific liberties deemed absolutely necessary in a free society

clear and present danger test

a guideline that requires the government to demonstrate that banned expression poses a definitie and immediate threat to peace or national security

fighting words

derisive, insulting, or offensive words that inflict damage on other people and are therefore not protected by the First Amendment

hate speech

hostile expression based on race, ethnicity, gender, LGBTQ+ identity or religious preference

Miranda Rights

the Supreme Court’s requirement that law enforcement must inform criminal suspects of the following: (1) that they have the right to remain silent, (2) that anything they say can be used against them in court, (3) that they have the right to the presence of an attorney, and (4) that if they cannot afford an attorney, then the court will appoint one before the interrogation takes place

civil rights

the protection against unequal treatment that the government guarantees to all groups

disenfranchisement

a government denying a group the right to vote

literacy tests

a form of disenfranchisement in which potential voters need to demonstrate the ability to read as a condition for registering to vote

grandfather clauses

a policy designed to disenfranchise Blacks by exempting Whites, but not Blacks, from literacy tests

Brown v. Board of Education

a landmark 1954 Supreme Court case that prohibited government-sponsored segregation as a violation of the Fourteenth Amendment equal protection clause

affirmative actions

corrective policies that attempt to help racial and ethnic minorities achieve equality in education and the workforce by providing them with advantages in college admissions, hiring, promotion, and the awarding of contracts

minority party

the political party in the House or the Senate that has fewer than half of the seats and therefore does not control the leadership, rules, or outcome of legislation

majority party

the political party in the House or the Senate that has more than half of the seats and therefore controls the leadership, rules, and outcome of legislation

Senate Majority Leader

most powerful position in the Senate; the person who articulates the majority party’s legislative priorities and works to pass them

representative

a person chosen to make policy decisions on behalf of a defined group of people

constituency

the people who choose a representative to act on their behalf

reapportionment

the process of assigning states a number of representatives to the House of Representatives after each decennial census

redistricting

the process by which a state is divided into geographical regions, with each region electing a member of the House of Representatives

gerrymandering

the practice in which a group, usually a political party, uses redistricting to maximize its chances of winning elections

majority-minority districts

legislative districts that contain a population made up of more than 50 percent of a racial or ethnic minority group

descriptive representation

the extent to which a representative correspond with the general characteristics of his or her constituency

symbolic representation

the extent to which constituents trust and accept their representation and the legislative institution as a whole

substantive representation

the extent to which representatives advocate policies that benefit their constituents

political party

mass organizations that seek to elect candidates to public office and influence policymaking

Speaker of the House

the most powerful position in the House of Reps.; the leader of the majority party; the person who articulates the House’s legislative priorities and ensures their passage

House Majority Leader

the second most powerful leader in the House of Representatives; the person who assists the Speaker in passing the majority party’s legislative priorities

whip

a legislative leader who assists the party by counting votes and persuading members to vote according to the party leaders’ wishes

House Minority Leader

the leader of the minority party in the House of Representatives; the person who articulates the legislative priorities of the minority party and opposes the majority party’s priorities but exerts minimal control over the outcome of legislation

Senate Minority Leader

the leader of the minority party of the Senate; the person who articulates the legislative priorities of the minority party and opposes the majority party’s priorities but exerts limited control over the outcome of legislation

Senate Majority Whip

a majority party leader in the Senate who counts votes, persuades members to vote according to the leadership’s wishes, and assists the majority leader in passing the majority party’s legislation

caucus

informal organization within Congress; a method for political parties to select their candidates for office whereby party members convene at local meetings

impeachment

the process by which the House of Representatives charges a president, vice president, or federal judge with a high crime or misdemeanor; the Senate can then decide to remove that official from office with a two-thirds vote

unified government

a period in which both houses of Congress are controlled by the same party as the president

divided government

a period in which the president is of one political party and the majority of one or both houses of Congress is of the other party

primary

a method for political parties to select their candidates for office whereby people vote in an election

veto power

the president’s ability to cancel legislation passed by Congress

State of the Union address

an annual occasion in which the president speaks before Congress to suggest laws that Congress should pass

cabinet

the key presidential aides, each of whom heads an executive branch department, as well as others that the president designates

public law

a type of law in which the government is a party to the casepr

private law

a type of law that concerns disputes between individuals

constitutional law

a type of law pertaining to the rules for our government expressed in the Constitution