2022-23 Vocab J-Z Flashcards
Legitimacy
The citizens belief that the government has the right to use power in the way that it does.
Limited government
A governing body whose power exists within limits that are set by a constitution (the government is limited by a written set of rules).
Linkage institutions
channels that connect individual with government, including elections, political parties, interest groups, and the media.
Majority rule
A fundamental democratic principle requiring that the majority’s view be respected.
Mandates
An order from the federal government that all state and local governments must follow.
Marbury v. Madison
A Supreme Court decision that established judicial review over federal laws.
McCulloch v. Maryland
Established the supremacy of the Constitution. Established federal banks, that cannot be taxed because it is necessary and proper.
Minority rules
A theory that guarantees rights to those who do not belong to majorities and allows that they might join majorities through persuasion and reasoned argument.
Marxists
The ideology adopted by Karl Marx which holds that government is a reflection of economic forces, primarily ownership of the means of production. (If you control the economy, you have the power).
Monarchy
undivided rule or absolute sovereignty by a single person.
Natural rights
The rights to life, liberty, and property, which government cannot take away.
Necessary and proper clause
Language in Article I, Section 8, granting Congress the powers necessary to carry out its enumerated powers. Also called elastic clause.
New Jersey Plan
A plan of government that provided for a unicameral legislature with equal votes for each state.
Northwest ordinance
1787, defined the process by which new states could be admitted into the Union from the Northwest Territory.
Oligarchy
A government in which control is exercised by a small group of individuals whose authority generally is based on wealth or power.
Original jurisdiction
The authority of a court to act as the first court to head a case, which includes the finding of facts in the case.
Pluralist theory
A theory of democracy that emphasizes the role of groups in the policymaking process.
Policy agenda
The set of issues to which government officials, voters, and the public, are paying attention.
Policy gridlock
A situation where there are difficulty passing laws that satisfy the needs of the people.
Policymaking institutions
The branches of government charged with taking action on political issues. (Congress, presidency, and the courts).
Policymaking system
The process by which policy comes into being and evolves over time.
Policymaking sovereignty
The idea that the government’s right to rule comes from the people.
Power
The capacity or ability to direct or influence the behavior of others or the course of events.
Project grants
Federal categorical grants given for specific purposes and awarded on the basis of the merits of applications.
Public policy
The intentional use of government power to secure the health, welfare, opportunities, and national security of citizens.
Representative democracy
A political system in which voters select representatives who then vote on matters of public policy.
Republic
A government ruled by representatives of the people.
Reserved powers
Powers not given to the national government, which are retained by the states and the people.
Separation of powers
A design of government that distributes powers across institutions in order to avoid making one branch too powerful on its own.
Shays’ Rebellion
A popular uprising against the government of Massachusetts demanding for a war bonus.
Single-issue groups
An association focusing on one specific area of public policy, often a moral issue about which they are unwilling to compromise.
Social contract
People allow their governments to rule over them to ensure an orderly and functioning society.
State of nature
The condition of people living in a situation without man-made government, rules, or laws.
Supremacy clause
Constitutional provision declaring that the Constitution and all national laws and treaties are the supreme law of the land.
Thomas Hobbes
Advocated absolute sovereignty as the only kind of government that could resolve problems caused by the selfishness of human beings.
Treason
A crime that undermines the offender’s government.
Unalienable rights
Mentioned in the Declaration of Independence referring to rights that cannot be given or taken away.
Unicameral legislature
One house legislature.
Unitary government
A system where the central government has all of the power.
Veto
Formal rejection by the president of a bill that has passed both houses of Congress.
Virginia Plan
A plan of government calling for a three-branch government with a bicameral legislature, where more populous states would have more representation in Congress.
Line-item veto
Presidential power to strike, or remove, specific items from a spending bill without vetoing the entire package.
Subnational government
Another way of referring to state and local government.
