civics: final review sheet Flashcards
Government
The institution where a society makes: public policy
State
A body of people living in a defined territory who have a government with the power to make and enforce law and are sovereign
Public policy
Anything the government does
Executive
Power to enforce law
Legislative power
Power to make laws
Us congress
Judicial power
Interprets law
Supreme Court
Sovereignty
Highest political authority
Democracy
Majority of people allowed to participate
Dictatorship
One person or small elite group participate in government
Oligarchy
Small group of elite
Autocracy
One person participates in government
Rule of law
People who make the law must obey it
Presidential government
A system of government where executive and legislative branches are separate
Constitution
set of customs, fundamental laws, values, principles to which define a governement
Parliamentary government
A system of government having the executive power in a cabinet of member s of the legislature
Concurring opinion
Written by someone else in majority that has something to add
Dissenting opinion
Written by most senior member of the minority
Original jurisdiction.
First court to hear a case
Appellate jurisdiction
The court can only hear case if it was appealed w
Incumbent
The current office holder
Suffrage
The right to vote
Gerrymandering
The drawing of electoral district lines to the advantage I’d a party or group
Judicial review
The power of a court to determine the constitutionality of a government action or law
Partisanship
Government action based on firm allegiance to a political party
Filibuster
speaking a bill to death, only in the senate
silent filibuster- 40 senators agree to filibuster and not vote on the bill
popular sovereignty
type of government where people are the source of any and all governmental power, government can exist only with the consent of the governed
limited government
government is restricted in what it may do and each individual/ has rights that the states cannot take away
constitutionalism and popular sovereignty
representative government
system of government where public policies are made by officials selected by the voters and held accountable in periodic elections
bipartisan
supported by two parties
coalition
a temporary alliance of several groups who come together to form a working majority and so to control the government
veto
chief executive,s power to reject a bill passed by legislature
pardon
release from the punishment or legal consequence of a federal crime, by the President
cabinent
presidential advisory body, made up of heads of the executive departments
impeach
to bring formal charges against a public official
House of Representatives has sole power to impeach
Sectionalism
Loyalty to your region, not your country
Poll tax
Tax to vote used to block african americans from voting
Literacy tests
Tests on,y given to blacks to prevent them from voting and they always failed
Grandfather clause
Law saying to vote your grandfather must have been able to vote
Amendment
A formal change or addition to the constitution
Treaty
A formal agreement between two or more sovereign states
Quorum
The least number of members who must be present in order to conduct business
agrarian economy
mostly farming- South in the 1800s
pocket veto
the president does not say no to a bill and congress goes on recess within 10 days- can’t go back to legislative
major parties
political party that has a reasonable chance of being elected to a national offfice
party in power
president’s political party
political party
a group of citizens who agree on major ideas facing the nation
minor party
third parties any party that exists and is not two major parties
want to influence what people talk about, draw their issue forward
two party system
only two major political parties
multiparty system
more than two main political parties
hard to win majority
often coalitions
one-party system
only one party has reasonable chance of winning
often in dictatorship
constitiuency
the people that an elected official represents
aquit
find not guilty of a charge
bicameral
two house legislature
unicameral
one house legislature
equal representation
relies on nothing, every state has same amount of representation
proportional representation
representation based on something else
apportionment
distribute seats of house of representatives, based on census done every ten years
appeal
have a higher court review your case
electorate
all the people entitles to vote in an election
propoganda
persuasive media
off-year election
election year when the presidency isn’t up for election
nationalsim
prioritize what is better for the nation over region
strict constructionalists
Democrat-Republican early political party thought there were no implied powers in the Constitution, they were all expressed
liberal constructionalists
Federalist political party thought there were implied powers
federal governenment
power is shared between a centralized place and smaller areas of power, DC over states
Confederate government
power is shared between smaller areas and one centralized place of power
unitary government
all power in one place
President pro Tempore
temporary or substitute presiding officer of the senate
Speaker of the house
presiding officer in the house
whip
helps minority/ majority leaders (are in both houses)
standing committee
permanent
one house
gather information about common type of bill
joint committee
permanent
both houses
gather information about common bill
select committees
temporary
one house
gather information on uncommon bill
conference committee
temporary
both houses
rectify difference between versions of bills
rule of cloture
ends a filibuster
need 60 senators to agree
once enacted voting will occur
floor leader
minority and majority leaders
president of the senate
presiding officer in the senate
vice president
Joe Biden (D)
electoral college
group of people chosen in each State every four years to elect the president
expressed power
specifically written in constitution
inherent power
part of what it is and is supposed to do
implied power
assumed because of the expressed powers
