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US History 2 > Final Test > Flashcards

Final Test Flashcards

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1
Q

Declaration of
Independence

A

Drafted by Thomas Jefferson, the document that proclaimed the right of the colonies to separate from Great Britain

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2
Q

social contract theory

A

The belief that the people agree to set up rulers for certain purposes and thus have the right to resist or remove rulers who act against those purposes.

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3
Q

republic

A

A government without a monarch; a government rooted in the consent of the governed, whose power is exercised by elected representatives responsible to the governed.

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4
Q

confederation

A

A loose association of independent states that agree to cooperate on specified matters.

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5
Q

Articles of Confederation

A

The compact among the thirteen original states that established the first government of
the United States.

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6
Q

Virginia Plan

A

A set of proposals for a new
government, submitted to
the Constitutional Convention
of 1787; included separation
of the government into three
branches, division of the
legislature into two houses,
and proportional representation in the legislature

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7
Q

legislative branch

A

The law-making branch of
government.

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8
Q

executive branch

A

The law-enforcing branch of
government

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9
Q

judicial branch

A

The law-interpreting branch
of government

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10
Q

New Jersey Plan

A

Submitted by the head of
the New Jersey delegation to
the Constitutional Convention
of 1787, a set of nine resolutions that would have, in
effect, preserved the Articles
of Confederation by amending rather than replacing
them

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11
Q

Great Compromise

A

Submitted by the Connecticut delegation to the Constitutional Convention of 1787,
and thus also known as the
Connecticut Compromise, a
plan calling for a bicameral
legislature in which the
House of Representatives
would be apportioned
according to population and
the states would be represented equally in the Senate.

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12
Q

electoral college

A

A body of electors chosen
by voters to cast ballots for
president and vice president.

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13
Q

republicanism

A

A form of government in
which power resides in the
people and is exercised by
their elected representatives.

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14
Q

federalism

A

The division of power
between a central
government and regional
governments

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15
Q

separation of powers

A

The assignment of lawmaking,
law-enforcing, and lawinterpreting functions to
separate branches of
government.

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16
Q

checks and balances

A

A government structure that
gives each branch some
scrutiny of and control over
the other branches.

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17
Q

judicial review

A

The power to declare congressional (and presidential)
acts invalid because they violate the Constitution.

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18
Q

Bill of Rights

A

The first ten amendments to
the Constitution. They prevent the national government
from tampering with fundamental rights and civil liberties, and emphasize the
limited character of national
power

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19
Q

federalism

A

The division of power
between a central
government and regional
governments.

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20
Q

dual federalism

A

A view holding that the Constitution is a compact among
sovereign states, so that the
powers of the national government and the states are
clearly differentiated

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21
Q

implied powers

A

Those powers that Congress
needs to execute its enumerated powers.

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22
Q

cooperative federalism

A

A view holding that the
Constitution is an agreement
among people who are
citizens of both state and
nation, so there is much
overlap between state
powers and national powers.

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23
Q

states’ rights

A

The idea that all rights not
specifically conferred on the
national government by the
U.S. Constitution are reserved
to the states

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24
Q

grant-in-aid

A

Money provided by one
level of government to
another to be spent for a
given purpose.

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25
Q

categorical grants

A

Grants-in-aid targeted for a
specific purpose by either
formula or project

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26
Q

formula grants

A

Categorical grants distributed
according to a particular set
of rules, called a formula, that
specify who is eligible for
the grants and how much
each eligible applicant will
receive

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27
Q

project grants

A

Categorical grants awarded
on the basis of competitive
applications submitted by
prospective recipients to
perform a specific task or
function

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28
Q

block grants

A

Grants-in-aid awarded for
general purposes, allowing
the recipient great discretion
in spending the grant money

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29
Q

municipal governments

A

The government units that
administer a city or town.

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30
Q

county governments

A

The government units that
administer a county.

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31
Q

school district

A

The government unit that
administers elementary and
secondary school programs

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32
Q

home rule

A

The right to enact and
enforce legislation locally.

33
Q

reapportionment

A

Redistribution of representatives among the states, based
on population change. The
House is reapportioned after
each census

34
Q

impeachment

A

The formal charging of a government official with ‘‘treason, bribery, or other high
crimes and misdemeanors.’’

35
Q

gerrymandering

A

Redrawing a congressional
district to intentionally benefit one political party

36
Q

casework

A

Solving problems for constituents, especially problems
involving government
agencies

37
Q

standing committee

A

A permanent congressional
committee that specializes in
a particular policy area.

38
Q

joint committee

A

A committee made up of
members of both the House
and the Senate

39
Q

select committee

A

A temporary congressional
committee created for a specific purpose and disbanded
after that purpose is fulfilled.

40
Q

conference committee

A

A temporary committee created to work out differences
between the House and
Senate versions of a specific
piece of legislation

41
Q

Speaker of the House

A

The presiding officer of the
House of Representatives.

42
Q

majority leader

A

The head of the majority
party in the Senate; the
second-highest-ranking
member of the majority
party in the House

43
Q

filibuster

A

A delaying tactic, used in the
Senate, that involves speechmaking to prevent action on
a piece of legislation.

44
Q

constituents

A

People who live and vote in
a government official’s district or state.

45
Q

incumbent

A

A current officeholder

46
Q

veto

A

The president’s disapproval
of a bill that has been passed
by both houses of Congress.
Congress can override a veto
with a two-thirds vote in
each house

47
Q

pocket veto

A

an indirect veto of a legislative bill by the US president or a state governor by retaining the bill unsigned until it is too late for it to be dealt with during the legislative session.

48
Q

inherent powers

A

Authority claimed by the
president that is not clearly
specified in the Constitution.
Typically, these powers are
inferred from the
Constitution.

49
Q

delegation of powers

A

The process by which Congress gives the executive
branch the additional authority needed to address new
problems

50
Q

Executive Office of the
President

A

The president’s executive
aides and their staffs; the
extended White House
executive establishment.

51
Q

divided government

A

The situation in which one
party controls the White
House and the other controls
at least one house of
Congress.

52
Q

gridlock

A

A situation in which government is incapable of acting
on important issues

53
Q

electoral mandate

A

An endorsement by voters.
Presidents sometimes argue
they have been given a
mandate to carry out
policy proposals.

54
Q

judicial review

A

The power to declare congressional (and presidential)
acts invalid because they
violate the Constitution.

55
Q

common, or judge-made
law

A

Legal precedents derived
from previous judicial
decisions

56
Q

U.S. district courts

A

Courts within the lowest tier
of the three-tiered federal
court system; courts where
litigation begins.

57
Q

U.S. courts of appeals

A

Courts within the second tier
of the three-tiered federal
court system, to which decisions of the district courts
and federal agencies may be
appealed for review

58
Q

precedent

A

A judicial ruling that serves
as the basis for the ruling in
a subsequent case.

59
Q

original jurisdiction

A

The authority of a court to
hear a case before any other
court does.

60
Q

appellate jurisdiction

A

The authority of a court to
hear cases that have been
tried, decided, or reexamined in other courts.

61
Q

docket

A

A court’s agenda.

62
Q

judicial restraint

A

A judicial philosophy by
which judges tend to defer
to decisions of the elected
branches of government.

63
Q

judicial activism

A

A judicial philosophy by
which judges tend not to
defer to decisions of the
elected branches of government, resulting in the invalidation or emasculation of
those decisions

64
Q

concurrence

A

The agreement of a judge
with the Supreme Court’s
majority decision, for a reason
other than the majority reason.

65
Q

dissent

A

The disagreement of a judge
with a majority decision.

66
Q

political participation

A

Actions of private citizens by
which they seek to influence
or support government and
politics.

67
Q

conventional participation

A

Relatively routine political
behavior that uses institutional channels and is acceptable to the dominant
culture

68
Q

unconventional
participation

A

Relatively uncommon political behavior that challenges
or defies established institutions and dominant norms

69
Q

suffrage/franchise

A

The right to vote

70
Q

progressivism

A

A philosophy of political
reform based on the goodness and wisdom of the individual citizen as opposed to
special interests and political
institutions.

71
Q

standard socioeconomic
model

A

A relationship between
socioeconomic status and
conventional political
involvement: people with
higher status and more
education are more likely to
participate than those with
lower status.

72
Q

political party

A

An organization that sponsors candidates for political
office under the organization’s name

73
Q

nomination

A

Designation as an official candidate of a political party

74
Q

electoral college

A

A body of electors chosen
by voters to cast ballots for
president and vice president.

75
Q

caucus

A

A closed meeting of the
members of a political party
to decide questions of
policy and the selection
of candidates for office.

76
Q

national/nominating convention

A

A gathering of delegates of a
single political party from
across the country to choose
candidates for president and
vice president and to adopt
a party platform.

77
Q

two-party system

A

A political system in which
two major political parties
compete for control of the
government. Candidates from
a third party have little
chance of winning office.

78
Q

party identification

A

A voter’s sense of psychological attachment to a party.

79
Q
A

US History 2 (1 decks)

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