government final study guide

constitutional government

constitutional government

a system of rule in which formal and effective limits are placed on the powers of the government

direct democracy

a system of rule that permits citizens to vote directly on laws and policies

digital citizenship

using the internet, social media, and other information technology to engage in society and government

political efficacy

the ability to influence government and politics

articles of confederation

America's first written constitution; served as the basis for America's national government until 1789

Three-Fifths Compromise

the agreement reached at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 that stipulated that for purposes of the apportionment of congressional seats, every slave would be counted as three-fifths of a person

checks and balances

mechanisms through which each branch of government is able to participate in and influence the activities of the other branches; major examples include the presidential veto power over congressional legislation, the power of the Senate to approve presidential appointments, and judicial review of congressional enactments

federalism

a system of government in which power is divided, by a constitution, between a central government and regional governments

Full Faith and Proper Clause

provision from Article IV, Section 1 of the Constitution requiring that the states normally honor the public acts and judicial decisions that take place in another state

home rule

power delegated by the state to a local unit of government to manage its own affairs

dual federalism

the system of government that prevailed in the United States from 1789 to 1937 in which most fundamental governmental powers were shared between the federal and state governments

preemption

the principle that allows the national government to override state or local actions in certain policy areas; in foreign policy, the willingness to strike first in order to prevent an enemy attack

tenth amendment

states that the powers the constitution does not delegate to the national government or prohibit to the states are "reserved to the states respectively, or to the people"

devolution

a policy to remove a program from one level of government by delegating it or passing it down to a lower level of government, such as from the national government to the state and local governments

unfunded mandate

a law or regulation requiring a state or local government to perform certain actions without providing funding for fulfilling the requirement

selective incorporation

the process by which different protections in the Bill of Rights were incorporated into the Fourteenth Amendment, thus guaranteeing citizens protection from state as well as national governments

strict scrutiny

places a heavy burden of proof on the government if it seeks to regulate or restrict speech

libel

a written statement made in "reckless disregard of the truth" that is considered damaging to a victim because it is "malicious, scandalous, and defamatory"

slander

an oral statement made in "reckless disregard of the truth" that is considered damaging to the victim because it is "malicious, scandalous, and defamatory"

Fourteenth Amendment

guaranteed equal protection and due process under the law

Jim Crow Laws

laws enacted by southern states following Reconstruction that discriminated against African Americans

"separate but equal"

doctrine the accommodations could be segregated by race but still be considered equal

public opinion

citizens' attitudes about political issues, leaders, institutions, and events

conservative

today this term refers to those who generally support the social and economic status quo and are suspicious of efforts to introduce new political formulas and economic arrangements; believe that a large and powerful government poses a threat to citizens' freedom

socialism

someone who generally believes in social ownership, strong government, free markets, and reducing economic inequality

political socialization

the introduction of individuals into the political culture; learning the underlying beliefs and values on which the political system is based

gender gap

a distinctive pattern of voting behavior reflecting the differences in views between women and men

sample

a small group selected by researchers to represent the most important characteristics of an entire population

push poll

a polling technique in which the questions are designed to shape the respondent's opinion

bandwagon effect

a shift in electoral support to the candidate whom public opinion polls report as the front-runner

digital citizen

a daily Internet user with broadband (high-speed) home Internet access and the technology and literacy skills to go online for employment, news, politics, entertainment, commerce, and other activities

agenda setting

the power of the media to bring public attention to particular issues and problems

framing

the power of the media to influence how events and issues are interpreted

traditional political participation

activities designed to influence government including voting and face-to-face activities such as protesting or volunteering for a campaign

mobilization

the process by which large numbers of people are organized for a political party

same-day registration

the option in some states to register on the day of the election, at the polling place, rather than in advance of the election

political parties

organized groups that attempt to influence the government by electing their members to important government offices

Micro-targeting

when political campaigns tailor messages to individuals in small homogenous groups based on their group interests to support a candidate or policy issue

national convention

convened by the Republican National Committee or the Democratic National Committee to nominate official candidates for president and vice president in the upcoming election, establish party rules, and adopt the party's platform

patronage

the resources available to higher officials, usually opportunities to make partisan appointments to offices and to confer grants, licenses, or special favors to supporters

Policy Entrepreneur

an individual who identifies a problem as a political issue and brings a policy proposal into the political agenda

dealignment

a movement away from the major political parties; a decline in partisan attachment

primary elections

elections held to select a party's candidate for the general election

incumbent

a candidate running for re-election to a position that he or she already holds

527 committee (Super PAC)

a nonprofit independent political action committee that may raise unlimited sums of money from corporations, unions, and individuals but is not permitted to contribute to or coordinate directly with parties or candidates

prospective voting

voting based on the imagined future performance of a candidate

pluralism

the theory that all interests are and should be free to compete for influence in the government; the outcome of this competition is compromise and moderation

public interest groups

groups that claim they serve the general good rather than only their own particular interest

collective goods

benefits, sought by groups, that are broadly available and cannot be denied to nonmembers

material benefits

special goods, services, or money provided to members of groups to entice others to join

solitary benefits

selective benefits of group membership that emphasize friendship, networking, and consciousness raising

lobbying

A strategy by which organized interests seek to influence the passage of legislation by exerting direct pressure on government officials

issue network

a loose network of elected leaders, public officials, activists, and interest groups drawn together by a specific policy issue

agency representation

a type of representation in which a representative is held accountable to a constituency if he or she fails to represent that constituency properly; this is incentive for good representation when the personal backgrounds, views, and interests of the representative differ from those of his or her constituency

conference committee

joint committees created to work out a compromise on House and Senate versions of a piece of legislation

closed rule

a provision by the House Rules Committee limiting or prohibiting the introduction of amendments during debate

open rule

The provision by the House Rules Committee that permits floor debate and the addition of amendments to a bill

filibuster

a tactic used by members of the Senate to prevent action on legislation they oppose by continuously holding the floor and speaking until the majority backs down; once given the floor, senators have unlimited time to speak, and it requires a vote of three-fifths of the Senate to end it

logrolling

a legislative practice whereby agreements are made between legislators in voting for or against a bill; vote trading

oversight

the effort by Congress, through hearings, investigations, and other techniques, to exercise control over the activities of executive agencies

impeachment

the formal charge by the House of Representatives that a government official has committed "Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors"

signing statements

announcements made by the president when signing bills into law, often presenting the president's interpretation of the law

fiscal policy

the government's use of taxing, monetary, and spending powers to manipulate the economy

iron triangle

the stable, cooperative relationship that often develops among a congressional committee, an administrative agency, and one or more supportive interest groups. Not all of these relationships are triangular, but the iron triangle is the most typical

civil law

the branch of law that deals with disputes that do not involve criminal penalties

stare decisis

"let the decision stand"; the doctrine that a previous decision by a court applies as a precedent in similar cases until that decision is overruled

writ of habeas corpus

a court order that the individual in custody be brought into court and shown the cause for detention; this is guaranteed by the Constitution and can be suspended only in cases of rebellion or invasion

judicial restraint

judicial philosophy whose adherents refuse to go beyond the clear words of the Constitution in interpreting the document's meaning

gross domestic product

the total value of goods and services produced in a country in a given year

inflation

a consistent increase in the general level of prices

Keynesians

followers of the economic theories of John Maynard Keynes, who argued that the government can stimulate the economy by increasing public spending or by cutting taxes

supply-side economics

an economic theory that posits that reducing the marginal rate of taxation will create a productive economy by promoting levels of work and investment that would otherwise be discouraged by higher taxes

monetary policies

efforts to regulate the economy through the manipulation of the supply of money and credit; America's most powerful institution in this area of monetary policy is the Federal Reserve Board

progressive taxation

taxation that hits upper income brackets more heavily

redistribution

a policy whose objective is to tax or spend in such a way as to reduce the disparities of wealth between the lowest and the highest income brackets

medicare

a form of national health insurance for the elderly and the disabled

in-kind benefits

noncash goods and services provided to needy individuals and families by the federal government

entitlement

a legal obligation of the federal government to provide payments to individuals, or groups of individuals, according to eligibility criteria or benefit rules

Isolationism

avoidance of involvement in the affairs of other nations

appeasement

the effort to forestall war by giving in to the demands of a hostile power

World Trade Organization

international organization promoting free trade that grew out of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade

Bush doctrine

foreign policy based on the idea that the United States should take preemptive action against threats to its national security