Social Contract
A contract between the government and the governed. With this contract, the governed understands that they must give up some of their natural rights in exchange for protection from the government, alongside other benefits
Natural Rights
Rights given to every person that can not be taken away by government.
Popular Sovereignty
Idea that the people should have the main voice in the government, and the government should be held accountable to the people.
Republicanism
Representative form of government that is limited
Participatory Democracy
Citizens have the power to decide on a policy, but them politicians that are elected by the people implement the people's decisions
Pluralist Democracy
Nobody dominates policymaking, but instead, different groups of people compete for influence in the government
Elite Democracy
Small group of people makes decisions for everybody; these people are usually wealthy and well-educated
Articles of Confederation
First form of written governmentS
Shay's Rebellion
Revolt led by Daniel Shay and showed the weakness and lack of control of the Articles of Confederation
Federalists
Supported ratification of the Constitution
Anti-Federalists
Opposed ratification of the Constitution
Federalism
Having shared powers between the national, state, and local governments
Check and balances
Having systems incorporated into the government that prevent it from abusing its power and becoming too powerful
Separation of Powers
Having authority and jurisdiction divided up in the government
Limited Government
Government cannot do anything it wants because it is restricted by a written document (Constitution)
The Great Compromise
In one house, number of representatives each state gets is based on their population. In the other house, the number of representatives for each state is the same. Creates bicameral legislature.
Electoral College
Body that determines how the President and Vice President gets elected.
Three-Fifths Compromise
Each slave was counted as 3/5ths of a person when it came to determining representation in congressC
Enumerated powers
Powers explicitly giver to Congress in the Constitution
Implied powers
Powers not expressed in the constitution but are understood powers given to the federal government
Inherent powers
Powers of the President
Reserved powers
Powers reserved for the states (10th amendment)
Privileges and Immunities Clause
States can't discriminate against people based on what state they from
Full Faith and Credit Clause
States must trust documents that come from other states
Extradition
If you commit a crime and flee to a different state, the state you fled to must bring you back to the state you committed the crime in.
Commerce clause
Government can regulate interstate commerce
Necessary and Proper Clause
Government can stretch its enumerated powers in order to perform its job
McCulloch v. Maryland
Maryland tried to tax the Second Bank of the United States in an attempt to close it. The owner of the bank refused to pay the tax and Maryland sued. Maryland argued that they could tax any business in the state and that the federal government was expanding their powers too far, since they shouldn't be able to open a national bank. McCulloch, the cashier of the Baltimore branch of the bank, argued that under the necessary and proper clause, the government could create a bank. Plus, according to the supremacy clause, taxing is state interference with a federal law, which is illegal. The Supreme Court voted unanimously in favor of McCulloch
United States v. Lopez
Congress passed the Gun-Free School Zones Act, which prohibited people from carrying a gun in a school zone. Lopez was found with a gun in a school zone, and the case reached the Supreme Court. Lopez argued that Congress never had the authority to pass the law in the first place, and the US argued that through the elastic (necessary and proper) and commerce clauses, Congress had the power to pass that law. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Lopez, stating that guns were not related to commerce, and therefore Congress didn’t have the power to pass that law
Filibuster
Member holds the Senate floor to prevent a bill from going to vote
Cloture
Used to end a filibuster. Need 3/5th senates votes
Standing Committees
Committee that are always in operation
Conference committee
Committee formed with members from both the senate and the house to iron out differences in similar legistlation
Select committee
Committee created for a specific purpose and will eventually end
Joint committee
Committee with people from both the Senate and the House that is created for a specific reason
Discretionary spending
Programs in which congress and the president have to renew spending for it every year
Mandatory spending
Programs in which the government has already made a commitment to pay
Pork Barrel legislation
When congressmen negotiate for legislation that helps their specific district but not the whole country
Logrolling
When congressmen agree to support each other's bills
Gerrymandering
Redistricting strategically to ensure one party gets more representation in that district, a process that can lead to a majority to have representation in congress
Redistricting
Redrawing of district lines for representation
Reapportionment
Delegation of representatives to different districts based on population- determines which states get more representation
Trustee
Representative votes based on what they think is right, even if it is different from what their constituents want
Delegate
Representative votes based on what his constituents want, even when other representatives don't agree with what the constituents want
Baker v. Carr
Tennessee residents were upset that the government had not redistricted in quite some time so the districts didn’t reflect the current population, causing residents in rural areas’ votes to count more than people in urban areas. The Supreme Court ruled that they could make decisions on the fairness of districts under the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment to make sure everyone’s vote had the same weight.
Shaw v. Reno
North Carolina residents were mad about a majority-minority district and the case reached the Supreme Court where the government ruled that race can’t be the predominant factor in redistricting because that violates the 14th amendment
Cabinent
Groups of advisors that aid the president on numerous topics that he may not be as knowledgeable in
Bill of Rights
First 10 amendments of the constitution that protect individual liberties and rights of the people
Due Process clause of 14th Amendment
Prevents state governments from taking away people's rights to privacy
Liberalism
Political ideology where people believe in less government control over political and social issues, but more government control over economies
Conservatism
Political ideology where people believe the government should have more control over political and social issues, but less over economies
15th Amendment
Suffrage to African American men
17th Amendment
Gave people the right to directly elect Senators instead of senators being elected by state legislature
19th amendment
Gave women suffrage
1965 Voting Rights Act
Banned practices like poll taxes, literacy tests, and grandfather clauses that were created to purposefully disenfranchise people of color
26th Amendment
Gave 18 year olds suffrage