POLS 202

Terminology and definitions:

Here’s a definition of each term you’ve listed:

1. Civic Ignorance: Lack of awareness or understanding about one’s rights, duties, and roles within the political and legal systems of a country.

2. Amendments to the U.S. Constitution: Changes or additions made to the U.S. Constitution. The first 10 are called the Bill of Rights, and others have been added to extend civil rights and liberties (e.g., 13th-15th, 19th, 24th, 26th).

3. Birtherism: A conspiracy theory claiming that Barack Obama was not born in the U.S. and thus ineligible for the presidency, despite evidence proving his U.S. birth.

4. Sheer Ignorance: A complete lack of knowledge or awareness in general.

5. Articles of Confederation: The first governing document of the United States, which was eventually replaced by the current U.S. Constitution due to its weaknesses, like a lack of central authority.

6. Charlottesville 2017: Refers to the violent protests in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017, where white nationalist groups clashed with counterprotesters, highlighting racial tensions.

7. Negligence: Failure to take proper care in doing something, often leading to harm or damage.

8. Federalism: A political system where power is shared between a central government and regional governments (e.g., states in the U.S.).

9. Conspiracy Theories: Beliefs or explanations that suggest events or situations are the result of secret, often sinister, actions by groups or individuals.

10. Wooden-Headedness: Stubbornness or a refusal to change one’s opinion despite evidence or reason.

11. Confederal System: A political system where the constituent states or regions retain most of their power, and the central government has limited authority.

12. Fake News: Misinformation or disinformation spread through media outlets, often with the intent to deceive or manipulate.

13. Shortsightedness: A limited or narrow perspective, typically focusing on immediate concerns rather than long-term consequences.

14. Unitary System: A political system where power is centralized in the hands of the national government, with limited autonomy granted to regions or local governments.

15. Factchecking: The process of verifying the factual accuracy of information, particularly in public discourse.

16. Bone-Headedness: A colloquial term for stupidity or foolishness.

17. Veil of Ignorance: A philosophical concept developed by John Rawls suggesting that decisions about justice should be made as if you didn’t know your own position in society (e.g., wealth, race, etc.).

18. Amusing Ourselves to Death: A book by Neil Postman arguing that the shift from print-based to television-based media has led to a decline in serious discourse and critical thinking.

19. U.S. Citizenship Exam: A test that prospective U.S. citizens must take to demonstrate their knowledge of U.S. history, government, and laws.

20. Plurality/Majority/Supermajority:

    • Plurality: The largest share of votes in an election, but not necessarily a majority.

    • Majority: More than half of the votes.

    • Supermajority: A requirement for a decision that surpasses a simple majority, typically a two-thirds vote.

21. Echo Chambers: Environments where people are exposed to information or opinions that reinforce their existing beliefs, often through social media or news outlets.

22. Naïve Realism: The belief that we see the world objectively, and that others who disagree with us must be uninformed, irrational, or biased.

23. Great Compromise (online): The 1787 agreement between large and small states during the drafting of the U.S. Constitution, creating a bicameral legislature with the House and Senate.

24. Filter Bubbles: A situation where individuals are exposed only to information that aligns with their existing beliefs due to algorithms on social media and search engines.

25. Confirmation Bias: The tendency to search for, interpret, and favor information that confirms one’s pre-existing beliefs.

26. 1st, 13th-15th, 19th, 23rd, 24th, 26th Amendments:

    • 1st: Freedom of speech, press, religion, assembly, and petition.

    • 13th: Abolished slavery.

    • 14th: Equal protection and due process under the law.

    • 15th: Voting rights regardless of race.

    • 19th: Women’s suffrage.

    • 23rd: Electoral votes for Washington D.C.

    • 24th: Abolished poll taxes.

    • 26th: Lowered the voting age to 18.

27. Third-Person Effect: The belief that others are more affected by media and messages than oneself.

28. 1619/1776/1787/1789/1791: Key years in U.S. history.

    • 1619: Arrival of enslaved Africans in Virginia.

    • 1776: Declaration of Independence.

    • 1787: The Constitutional Convention.

    • 1789: The start of the U.S. government under the Constitution.

    • 1791: Ratification of the Bill of Rights.

29. Packing: A tactic used in redistricting where political opponents are concentrated into a single district to reduce their influence in other districts.

30. Dunning-Kruger Effect: A cognitive bias where individuals with low ability in a particular area tend to overestimate their knowledge or skills.

31. 3/5ths Compromise: A provision in the U.S. Constitution where each enslaved person was counted as three-fifths of a person for purposes of representation and taxation.

32. Positive Intermittent Reinforcement: A concept from psychology where behavior is reinforced by unpredictable rewards, making the behavior more persistent.

33. Intellectual Humility: The willingness to recognize and admit the limits of one’s knowledge.

34. Undemocratic Features of the U.S. Constitution: Aspects of the Constitution that limit direct democracy, such as the Electoral College, the Senate, and the filibuster.

35. Republic: A form of government in which elected officials represent the interests of the people, as opposed to a direct democracy.

36. Unicameralism/Bicameralism:

    • Unicameralism: A legislative system with one chamber.

    • Bicameralism: A legislative system with two chambers (e.g., the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives).

37. Cracking: A redistricting strategy where a political group is spread thin across many districts to dilute its voting power.

38. Democracy: A system of government where citizens have the power to participate in decision-making, often through voting.

39. Unequal Representation in the U.S. Senate: The fact that each state has two senators regardless of population size, leading to unequal representation.

40. Rule of Law: The principle that all individuals and institutions are subject to and accountable under the law.

41. Direct Democracy: A form of democracy where citizens directly participate in decision-making, without intermediaries like elected representatives.

42. Representative Democracy: A system where citizens elect officials to make decisions on their behalf.

43. Filibuster (Talking/Silent): A tactic used in the U.S. Senate to delay or block legislation, often by speaking for an extended period (talking filibuster) or using procedural maneuvers (silent filibuster).

44. Cloture: A procedure used in the Senate to end a filibuster and bring a debate to a close.

45. Separation of Powers: The division of government into three branches (executive, legislative, and judicial), each with distinct powers.

46. Checks and Balances: A system where each branch of government can limit the powers of the other branches to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful.

47. Census: A count of the population, conducted every ten years, used to determine congressional representation and allocate federal resources.

48. Cognitive Dissonance: The psychological discomfort experienced when holding two contradictory beliefs or when one’s beliefs conflict with their actions.

49. Reapportionment: The process of redistributing congressional seats based on changes in population, as determined by the decennial census.

50. Nativism/Great Replacement Theory:

    • Nativism: The policy of protecting the interests of native-born citizens over those of immigrants.

    • Great Replacement Theory: A conspiracy theory suggesting that there is a deliberate effort to replace native populations with immigrants, often with racial or ethnic motivations.

51. Redistricting: The redrawing of electoral district boundaries, usually following a census.

52. 2000/2016/2020/2024 Presidential Elections: Key U.S. presidential elections with notable outcomes (e.g., Bush vs. Gore in 2000, Trump’s win in 2016, Biden’s win in 2020, and upcoming 2024).

53. Gerrymandering: The manipulation of electoral boundaries to favor one political party or group over another.

54. Faithless Electors: Members of the Electoral College who do not vote for the candidate they are pledged to support.

55. Initiatives: A process that allows citizens to propose and vote on new laws or amendments.

56. Bipartisan Gerrymandering: When two political parties agree to manipulate district boundaries in their favor.

57. Whitewashing History: The practice of altering or omitting aspects of history that are inconvenient or controversial, often to present a more favorable view.

58. Liberalism: A political ideology that advocates for government intervention to protect individual rights, promote equality, and address social issues.

59. Dog Whistle Politics: Political messaging that appears neutral but carries a hidden, often controversial meaning aimed at a specific group.

60. Conservatism: A political ideology that emphasizes tradition, limited government, and a cautious approach to change.

61. First-Past-the-Post Voting: A voting system where the candidate with the most votes wins, even if they do not have a majority.

62. Downes v. Bidwell: A 1901 U.S. Supreme Court case that ruled on the status of U.S. territories and whether the Constitution applied to them.

63. Yin and Yang of Liberalism and Conservatism: The idea that liberalism and conservatism, though opposing, complement each other and balance societal values.

64. Winner-Take-All Voting: A system where the candidate who receives the most votes wins all the electoral votes or seats.

65. Libertarianism: A political ideology advocating for minimal government intervention in personal and economic matters.

66. Ranked Choice Voting: A voting system where voters rank candidates in order of preference, and votes are redistributed until a candidate wins a majority.

67. Proportional Representation: A voting system where seats are allocated based on the proportion of votes each party receives.

68. Authoritarianism: A political system where a single ruler or small group holds significant power, often without regard for individual freedoms.

69. Spoiler Effect: When a third-party candidate splits the vote, leading to the defeat of a major candidate who would have won otherwise.

70. Spoils System/Merit System:

    • Spoils System: The practice of rewarding political supporters with government jobs.

    • Merit System: The practice of hiring or promoting individuals based on their qualifications and abilities.

71. Social Contract: A theory in political philosophy suggesting that individuals consent to give up certain freedoms in exchange for protection and order provided by government.

72. Electoral College: The system used in U.S. presidential elections where electors cast votes to determine the president, rather than a direct popular vote.

73. Voter Suppression: Efforts to prevent or discourage certain groups from voting, often through legal or procedural obstacles.

74. Declaration of Independence: The 1776 document declaring the American colonies' independence from Britain.

75. Maine/Nebraska/D.C./U.S. Territories: States and areas with unique electoral rules or characteristics, such as Maine and Nebraska’s use of ranked-choice voting in presidential elections.

76. January 6, 2021: The date of the Capitol riot, where supporters of then-President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to overturn the 2020 election results.

77. Preamble to the U.S. Constitution: The introductory statement to the U.S. Constitution, outlining the document’s purposes.

78. 3/100/270/435/538: Key numbers in U.S. politics:

    • 3: Electoral votes for Washington D.C.

    • 100: U.S. Senators.

    • 270: The number of electoral votes needed to win the presidency.

    • 435: Members of the U.S. House of Representatives.

    • 538: Total electoral votes in the Electoral College.

79. Major News Stories: Key events or developments covered widely in the media, often shaping public opinion or policy.