FG Bold Terms Chapter 1

martial law

A situation in which the military is charged with administering government functions and maintaining public order. Usually martial law is instituted during times of crisis.

sovereignty

Political power, independence, or authority. Popular sovereignty refers to a system of government in which power is vested in the people, who make political decisions or elect officials to make political decisions on their behalf.

constitution

A framework that outlines the structure and powers of government

confederation

An alliance of sovereign states united for common objectives.

Founders

Prominent leaders of the American Revolution and Constitutional Convention.

ratification

Formal and legally binding approval.

bicameral

A legislature with two chambers, or houses.

enumerated powers

A list of powers specifically granted to the government. The enumerated powers of Congress are found in the first 17 clauses of Article I, section 8, of the U.S. Constitution.

Federalists

Those in support of ratifying the Constitution.

Anti-Federalists

Those opposed to ratifying the Constitution.

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution containing the civil liberties guaranteed to the states and individuals.

republicanism

A system of government involving representative democracy. In the United States, officials elected at the local level serve in state and federal government to represent the interests of the constituents who voted them into office.

Framers

The 55 delegates who were appointed to the Constitutional Convention in 1787.

federalism

The division of power between the national government and state governments.

separation of powers

The division of power between three separate bodies, or branches, of government—the executive, legislative, and judicial branches.

Congress

The legislative branch of the U.S. government, which consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

checks and balances

The system by which each branch of the government is able to limit the power of the others so that no one branch is too powerful.

direct election

A system of election in which voters select candidates or parties to hold power. By contrast, an indirect election is a system in which voters select officials who then select candidates or parties to hold power; an example would be electors chosen by voters to vote in the Electoral College for president.

Suffrage

The right to vote in political

The due process

The principal that government must protect the legal rights of people. These protections are grounded in the Bill of Rights and inform the US judicial system.

Sovereign immunity

illegal principle stating that the government cannot be sued without its consent

Franchise

The right to vote

Full Faith and Credit Clause

The common term for the provision an article V section one of the US Constitution that requires each state to recognize an honor, the laws, public records, and judicial decisions of any other stat

Supremacy Cause

The common term for the provision in IV of the U.S. Constitution establishing that national law override, state law and cases were the two conflict

Federalism

The division of power between the national government and state government

Double security

Madison’s belief, expressed in Federalist No. 51, that federalism and the separation of powers would protect citizens from governmental abuses of power by dividing power both within the branches of the national government and between the national government and the state governments.

Net neutrality

The idea that Internet service providers should provide equal access to content and not discriminate by adjusting speeds or changes based on the user or source

Commerce Clause

He enumerated power from article one section 8 of the constitution that grants Congress, the authority to regulate Commerce Clause has provided the basics for expanded national power through federal legislation on the broad area of issues.

New Deal era

A series of wide reaching public programs enhanced by President Franklin D Roosevelt from 1933 to

1939

A period of global economic crisis that lasted from roughly 1929 to 1939

Cooperative federalism

A type of federalism where state and the federal government work together to achieve certain goals

Grants-in-aid

Federal funding given to Tate and local government

Coercive federalism

A type of federalism where the federal government uses regulation mandates and other conditions to four state government to change their policies

Unfounded mandates

Federal standards or programs that require states to take particular action, but do not provide state government with funding to meet the requirements.

Republic revolution

The term used to describe the Republican parties 1994 electoral victory, which gave the party control about the house in the Senate for the first time in 40 years

Devolution

The delegation of power by the federal government to state and local governments

Welfare State

A government that provides for basic economic and social needs of its citizens

Government corporation

A government organization that performs business or commercial activities typically associated with the private sector. Amtrak and the U.S. Postal Service are both government corporations.

Deregulation

The process of reducing excessive government rules that control social and economic activity, with the purposes of promoting competition, increasing productivity, and lowering prices.

Block grant

Federal funding given to states to spend on general programs and services, with very few restrictions.

Categorical grant

Federal funding given to state and local governments for narrow purposes specified by the federal government.

Policy Capacity

The ability of a government to identify and respond effectively to policy challenges.