US Government Chapter 1/2 Vocabulary

American Dream

A complex set of ideas that hold that the United States is a land of opportunity where individual initiative and hard work can bring economic success (pg 26)

Anti federalists

Opponents of ratification of the Constitution and of a strong central government generally (pg 41)

Articles of Confederation

The first governing document of the confederated states, drafted in 1777, ratified in 1781, and replaced by the present Constitution of 1787 (pg 33)

Bicamerialism

The principle of a two-house legislature (pg 38)

Capitalism

An economic system based on private property, competitive markets, economic incentives, and limited government involvement in the production, pricing, and distribution of goods and services (pg 27)

Connecticut Compromise

The compromise agreement by states at the Constitutional Convention for a bicameral legislature with a lower house in which representation would be based on population and an upper=house in which each state would have two senators (pg 39)

Constitutional Democracy

Government that enforces recognized limits on those who govern and allows the voice of the people to be heard through free, fair, and relatively frequent elections (pg 24)

Constitutionalism

The set of arrangements, including checks and balances, federalism, separation of powers, rule of law, due process, and a bill of rights, that requires our leaders to listen, think, bargain, and explain before they act or make laws.  We then hold them politically and legally accountable for how they exercise their powers (pg 25)

Democracy

Government by the people, both directly or indirectly, with free and frequent elections (pg 22)

Democratic consensus

A condition for democracy is that the people widely share a set of attitudes and beliefs about governmental procedures, institutions, core documents, and fundamental values (pg 31)

Direct democracy

government in which citizens vote on laws and select officials directly (pg 22)

direct primary

An election in which voters choose party nominees (pg 22)

electoral college

The electoral system used in electing the president and vice president, in which voters vote for electors pledged to cast their ballots for a particular party’s candidates (pg 40

federalists

A group that argued for ratification of the Constitution, including a stronger national government at the expense of states’ powers; they controlled the new federal government until Thomas Jefferson’s election in 1803 (pg 41)

initiative

A procedure whereby a certain number of voters may, by petition, propose a law or constitutional amendment and have it submitted to the voters (pg 22)

majority

the candidate or party that wins more than half the votes case in an election (pg 29)

majority rule

Governance according to the expressed preferences of the majority (pg 29)

natural rights

The rights of all people to dignity and worth; also called human rights (pg 25)

new jersey plan

The proposal at the Constitutional Convention made by William Paterson of New Jersey for a central government with a single-house legislature in which each state would be represented equally (pg 38)

plurality

The candidate or party with the most votes cast in an election, not necessarily more than half (pg 29)

political culture

The widely shared beliefs, values, and normas citizens hold about their relationship to government and to one another (pg 25)

popular consent

The idea that a just government must derive its powers from the consent of the people it governs (pg 28)

recall

A procedure for submitting to popular vote the removal of officials from office before the end of their term. (pg 22)

referendum

A procedure for submitting to popular vote measures by the legislature or proposed amendments to a state constitution (pg 22)

representative democracy / republic

Government in which the people elect those who govern and pass laws; also called a republic (pg 24)

shay’s rebellion

A rebellion led by Daniel Shays of farmers in western Massachusetts in 1786=1787 protesting mortgage foreclosures; it highlighted the need for a strong national government just as the call for the Constitutional Convention went out (pg 35

the federalist

Essays promoting ratification of the Constitution, published anonymously by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison in 1787 and 1788 (pg 42)

theocracy

Government by religious leaders, who claim divine guidance (pg 33)

three fifths compromise

The compromise between northern and southern states at the Constitutional Convention that three-fifths of the slave population would be counted for determining direct taxation and representation in the House of Representatives (pg 40)

virginia plan

The initial proposal at the Constitutional Convention made by the Virginia delegation for a strong central government with a bicameral legislature dominated by the big states (pg 38)

adaptive approach

a method used to interpret the Constitution that understands the document to be flexible and responsive to the changing needs of the times (pg 63)

divided government

Governances divided between the parties, especially when one holds the presidency and the other controls one or both houses of Congress (pg 55)

executive order

A president’s or governor’s formal order to a government agency or agencies that carries the force of law (pg 62

executive privilege

The power to keep executive communication confidential, especially if they relate to national security (pg 62

natural laws

God’s or nature’s law that defines right from wrong and is higher than human law (pg 50)

checks and balances

A constitutional grant of powers tat enbables each o fthe three branches of government to check some acts of the others and therefore ensures that now branch can dominate (pg 53)

impeachment

a formal accusation against the president or another public official; the first step in removal from office (pg 62

judicial review

The power of acour to review the laws or governmental regulations to determine whether they are consistent with the U.S. Constitution, or in a state court – the state constituions (pg 58)

originality speech

an approach to constitutional interpretation that envisions the document as having a fixed meaning that might be determined by a strict reading of the text or Framers’ intent (pg 63)

partisianship

strong allegiance to one’s own political party, often leading to unwillingness to compromise with member of the opposing party (pg 55

separation of powers

Constitutional division of powers among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, with the legislative branch making law, the executive branch applying and enforcing the law, and the judiciary interpreting the law (pg 53)

unified government

governance in which one party controls both the White House and both houses of Congress (pg 55)

writ of mandamus

a court order directing an official to perform an official duty (pg 59)