Final Test

Question 1

Declaration of
Independence

Answer 1

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

Question 2

social contract theory

Answer 2

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.

Question 3

republic

Answer 3

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.

Question 4

confederation

Answer 4

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

Question 5

Articles of Confederation

Answer 5

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

Question 6

Virginia Plan

Answer 6

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

Question 7

legislative branch

Answer 7

The law-making branch of
government.

Question 8

executive branch

Answer 8

The law-enforcing branch of
government

Question 9

judicial branch

Answer 9

The law-interpreting branch
of government

Question 10

New Jersey Plan

Answer 10

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

Question 11

Great Compromise

Answer 11

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.

Question 12

electoral college

Answer 12

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

Question 13

republicanism

Answer 13

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

Question 14

federalism

Answer 14

The division of power
between a central
government and regional
governments

Question 15

separation of powers

Answer 15

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

Question 16

checks and balances

Answer 16

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

Question 17

judicial review

Answer 17

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

Question 18

Bill of Rights

Answer 18

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

Question 19

federalism

Answer 19

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

Question 20

dual federalism

Answer 20

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

Question 21

implied powers

Answer 21

Those powers that Congress
needs to execute its enumerated powers.

Question 22

cooperative federalism

Answer 22

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.

Question 23

states’ rights

Answer 23

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

Question 24

grant-in-aid

Answer 24

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

Question 25

categorical grants

Answer 25

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

Question 26

formula grants

Answer 26

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

Question 27

project grants

Answer 27

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

Question 28

block grants

Answer 28

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

Question 29

municipal governments

Answer 29

The government units that administer a city or town.

Question 30

county governments

Answer 30

The government units that administer a county.

Question 31

school district

Answer 31

The government unit that administers elementary and secondary school programs

Question 32

home rule

Answer 32

The right to enact and enforce legislation locally.

Question 33

reapportionment

Answer 33

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

Question 34

impeachment

Answer 34

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

Question 35

gerrymandering

Answer 35

Redrawing a congressional district to intentionally benefit one political party

Question 36

casework

Answer 36

Solving problems for constituents, especially problems involving government agencies

Question 37

standing committee

Answer 37

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

Question 38

joint committee

Answer 38

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

Question 39

select committee

Answer 39

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

Question 40

conference committee

Answer 40

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

Question 41

Speaker of the House

Answer 41

The presiding officer of the House of Representatives.

Question 42

majority leader

Answer 42

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

Question 43

filibuster

Answer 43

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

Question 44

constituents

Answer 44

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

Question 45

incumbent

Answer 45

A current officeholder

Question 46

veto

Answer 46

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

Question 47

pocket veto

Answer 47

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.

Question 48

inherent powers

Answer 48

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

Question 49

delegation of powers

Answer 49

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

Question 50

Executive Office of the President

Answer 50

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

Question 51

divided government

Answer 51

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

Question 52

gridlock

Answer 52

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

Question 53

electoral mandate

Answer 53

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

Question 54

judicial review

Answer 54

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

Question 55

common, or judge-made law

Answer 55

Legal precedents derived from previous judicial decisions

Question 56

U.S. district courts

Answer 56

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

Question 57

U.S. courts of appeals

Answer 57

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

Question 58

precedent

Answer 58

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

Question 59

original jurisdiction

Answer 59

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

Question 60

appellate jurisdiction

Answer 60

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

Question 61

docket

Answer 61

A court’s agenda.

Question 62

judicial restraint

Answer 62

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

Question 63

judicial activism

Answer 63

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

Question 64

concurrence

Answer 64

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

Question 65

dissent

Answer 65

The disagreement of a judge with a majority decision.

Question 66

political participation

Answer 66

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

Question 67

conventional participation

Answer 67

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

Question 68

unconventional participation

Answer 68

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

Question 69

suffrage/franchise

Answer 69

The right to vote

Question 70

progressivism

Answer 70

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

Question 71

standard socioeconomic model

Answer 71

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.

Question 72

political party

Answer 72

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

Question 73

nomination

Answer 73

Designation as an official candidate of a political party

Question 74

electoral college

Answer 74

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

Question 75

caucus

Answer 75

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

Question 76

national/nominating convention

Answer 76

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.

Question 77

two-party system

Answer 77

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.

Question 78

party identification

Answer 78

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