Government and Politics Review

A comprehensive set of flashcards covering key terms and concepts in U.S. government and politics.

Constitutional government

A system in which government power is defined and limited by a constitution to protect individual rights and prevent abuse of authority.

Political culture

The shared beliefs, values, and attitudes about government and politics within a society.

Articles of Confederation

The first constitution of the United States (1781–1789), which created a weak central government and gave most powers to the states.

New Jersey Plan

A proposal at the 1787 Constitutional Convention that called for equal representation for each state in Congress, regardless of population size.

Virginia Plan

A proposal at the Constitutional Convention that called for representation in Congress based on population, favoring larger states.

Shay’s Rebellion

A 1786–87 uprising of Massachusetts farmers protesting high taxes and debt, which exposed the weakness of the Articles of Confederation.

Legislature

The branch of government responsible for making laws.

Executive branch

The branch of government responsible for enforcing and administering laws.

Judiciary

The branch of government responsible for interpreting laws and resolving legal disputes.

Supremacy clause

A clause in Article VI of the Constitution declaring that federal law is the 'supreme law of the land,' taking precedence over state laws.

Necessary and proper clause

A clause in Article I, Section 8 granting Congress the power to make all laws necessary and proper to carry out its enumerated powers.

Commerce clause

A clause in Article I, Section 8 giving Congress the power to regulate trade among the states, foreign nations, and with Native American tribes.

Three-fifths compromise

An agreement that each enslaved person would count as three-fifths of a person for representation and taxation purposes.

Dual federalism

A system where state and national governments have clearly defined and separate areas of authority.

Cooperative federalism

A system where national and state governments share powers and responsibilities.

Regulated federalism

A system in which the federal government sets standards or mandates that states must follow, often linked to federal funding.

“New” federalism

A movement to return power and decision-making to the states from the federal government.

Unitary government

A system in which all key powers are held by a central or national government.

Judicial review

The power of courts to declare laws or executive actions unconstitutional.

Separation of powers

The division of governmental authority among legislative, executive, and judicial branches to prevent concentration of power.

Bicameralism

The division of a legislature into two chambers or houses.

Sovereignty

The authority of a state to govern itself or another state.

Implied powers

Powers not explicitly stated in the Constitution but derived from the Necessary and Proper Clause.

Enumerated powers

Powers specifically granted to Congress in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution.

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, which guarantee individual rights and liberties.

Reserved powers

Powers not delegated to the national government nor prohibited to the states, reserved for the states under the Tenth Amendment.

Full faith and credit clause

A clause requiring each state to recognize the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of other states.

McCulloch v. Maryland

A landmark Supreme Court case that established federal supremacy over the states and upheld the implied powers of Congress.

Marbury v. Madison

A Supreme Court case that established the principle of judicial review, allowing courts to declare laws unconstitutional.

New Deal

A series of programs and policies introduced by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1930s to address the economic crisis of the Great Depression.

Great Depression

A severe worldwide economic downturn beginning with the 1929 stock market crash and lasting through the 1930s.

FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation)

A New Deal agency created in 1933 to insure bank deposits and restore public confidence in the banking system.

NLRA (Wagner Act)

A 1935 law protecting workers’ rights to form unions and engage in collective bargaining.

Grants-in-aid

Funds provided by the federal government to state or local governments for specific projects or programs.

Block grants

Federal funds given to state and local governments for broad purposes, allowing flexibility in spending.

States’ rights

The principle that states retain certain powers and autonomy under the Constitution.

Fourteenth Amendment

Adopted in 1868, it grants citizenship and guarantees equal protection and due process under the law.

Barron v. Baltimore

A Supreme Court case ruling that the Bill of Rights applied only to the federal government, not states.

Dual citizenship

The idea that Americans are citizens of both the U.S. and their individual states.

Incorporation

The process by which the Supreme Court applied the protections of the Bill of Rights to the states.

Gitlow v. New York

A Supreme Court case that held that the First Amendment applies to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment.

Gideon v. Wainwright

A Supreme Court decision ruling that states must provide an attorney to defendants who cannot afford one.

Griswold v. Connecticut

A Supreme Court case that recognized a constitutional right to privacy implied by several amendments.

Roe v. Wade

A landmark Supreme Court decision recognizing a woman’s constitutional right to choose to have an abortion.

Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health

A Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade and returning the issue of abortion to state governments.

Civil liberties

Individual freedoms protected from government interference, primarily found in the Bill of Rights.

Procedural liberties

Constitutional protections defining how the government must act when enforcing laws.

Substantive liberties

Constitutional limits protecting specific rights and freedoms.

Establishment clause

A clause in the First Amendment prohibiting the government from establishing an official religion.

Civil rights

The rights of citizens to equal protection and treatment under the law, ensuring freedom from discrimination.

Plessy v. Ferguson

A Supreme Court case that upheld racial segregation under the 'separate but equal' doctrine.

Brown v. Board of Education

A Supreme Court decision that overturned Plessy, ruling segregation in public schools violated the Fourteenth Amendment.

“Jim Crow” laws

State and local laws enforcing racial segregation and discrimination in the U.S. South.

De facto segregation

Racial segregation occurring by social or economic circumstances, not by law.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

A landmark law prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, or sex in public accommodations and employment.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

A law aimed at overcoming racial barriers to voting by banning literacy tests.

Americans w/ Disabilities Act of 1990

A civil rights law prohibiting discrimination against individuals with disabilities.

EEOC

A federal agency established to enforce laws prohibiting employment discrimination.

Equal Rights Amendment

A proposed amendment stating equality of rights shall not be denied on the basis of sex.

Affirmative Action

Policies that seek to improve opportunities for marginalized groups by considering race, gender, or ethnicity.