government Flashcards
1
Q
power
A
the ability of one person to get another person to act in accordance with the first person’s intentions
2
Q
authority
A
the right to use power
3
Q
legitimacy
A
Political authority conferred by law or by a state or national constitution
4
Q
Democracy
A
the rule of the many
5
Q
direct/ participatory democracy
A
a government in which all or most citizens participate
6
Q
equal protection of the law
A
a standard of equal treatment that must be observed by the government
7
Q
elite
A
persons who possess a disproportionate share of some valued resource, like money or power
8
Q
equality of opportunity
A
giving people an equal chance to succeed
9
Q
judical review
A
the power of the courts to declare laws unconstitutional
10
Q
constitutional convention
A
meeting in Philadelphia in 1787 that produced a new constitution
11
Q
concurrent powers
A
powers shared by the national and state governments
11
Q
bureaucratic view
A
view that the government is dominated by appointed officials
12
Q
representative democracy
A
a government in which leaders make decisions by winning a competitive struggle for the popular vote
13
Q
habeas corpus
A
an order to produce an arrested person before a judge
14
Q
ex post facto law
A
a law that makes an act criminal although the act was legal when it was committed
14
Q
checks and balances
A
authority shared by three branches of government
15
Q
bill of attainder
A
a law that declares a person, without a trial, to be guilty of a crime
16
Q
devolution
A
effort to devolve government functions to states
17
Q
reserved powers
A
powers given to the state government alone
18
Q
virginia plan
A
proposal to create a strong national government
18
Q
coalition
A
an alliance of factions
19
Q
line item veto
A
an executive’s ability to block a particular provision in a bill passed by the legislature
20
Q
unalienable
A
a human right based on nature or God
21
Q
federalism
A
a relationship between national and state government
21
new jersey plan
proposal to create a weak national government
22
faction
a group with a distinct political interest
23
federalists
those who favor a stronger national government
24
great compromise
plan to have a popularly elected house based on state population and a state selected senate with two members for each state
25
nullification
the doctrine that a state can declare null and void a federal law that in the state's opinion violates the constitution
25
dual federalism
doctrine holding that the national government is supreme in its sphere, the states are supreme in theirs and the two spheres should be kept separate
26
bill of rights
first ten amendments to the constitution
26
police power
state power to enact laws promoting health safety and morals
27
separation of powers
constitutional authority is shared by three different branches of government
28
block grants
money given to states to spend in a broad guidelines determined by Washington
29
necessary and proper clause
section of the constitution allowing congress to pass all laws necessary and proper to its duties and which has permitted congress to exercise powers not specifically given to it by the constitution
30
mandates
terms set by the national government that states must meet whether or not they accept federal grants
31
political culture
a coherent way of thinking about how politics and government ought to be carried out
31
enumerated powers
powers given to the national government alone
32
recall
procedure whereby voters can remove an elected official from office
33
referendum
procedure enabling voters to reject a measure passed by the legislature
33
power elite view
view that government is dominated by a few top leaders, most of whom are outside of government
34
republic
a government in which elected representatives make the decisions
34
grants-in-aid
money given by the national government to the states
35
categorical grants
federal grants for specific purposes such as building an airport
36
orthodox
a belief that morality and religion ought to be the decisive importance
37
progressive
a belief that personal freedom and solving social problems are more important than religion
38
internal efficacy
the ability to understand and take part in politics
38
political efficacy
a belief that you can take part in politics or that the government will respond to the citizenry
39
articles of confederation
a weak constitution that governed
America during the Revolutionary War
39
civic competence
a belief that one can affect government policies
40
class consciousness
a belief that you are a member of an economic groups whose interests are opposed to people in other such groups
41
external efficacy
the willingness of the state to respond to the citizenry
42
civic duty
a belief that one has an obligation to participate in civic and political affairs
43
conditions of aid
terms set by the national government that states most meet if they are to receive certain federal funds
44
revenue sharing
federal sharing of a fixed percentage of its revenue with the states
45
initiative
process that permits voters to put legislative measures directly on the ballot
45
antifederalists
those who favor a weaker national government
46
marxist view
view that the government is dominated by capitalists
47
pluralist view
the belief that competition among all affected interests shapes public policy
47
shay's rebellion
a 1787 rebellion in which ex-revolutionary war soldiers attempted to prevent foreclosures of farms as a result of high interest rates and taxes
48
civil disobedience
opposing a law one considers unjust by peacefully disobeying it and accepting the resultant punishment
49
freedom of expression
right of people to speak publish and assemble
50
exclusionary rule
improperly gathered evidence may not be introduced in a criminal trial
51
civil rights
the rights of people to be treated without unreasonable or unconstitutional differences
52
selective incorporation
court cases that apply bill of rights to states
53
affirmative action
programs designed to increase minority participation in some institution (businesses, schools, labor unions, or government agencies) by taking positive steps to appoint more minority-group members
54
strict scrutiny
a supreme court test to see if a law denies equal protection because it does not serve a compelling state interest and is not narrowly tailored to achieve that goal.
55
separate but equal doctrine
the doctrine established in Plessy v. Ferguson that African Americans could constitutionally be kept in separate but equal facilities
56
de jure
racial segregation that is required by law
57
wall of separation
court ruling that government cannot be involved with religion
57
suspect classifications
classifications of people on the basis of their race or ethnicity
58
de facto
racial segregation that occurs in schools not as a result of the law but as a result of patterns of residential settlement
59
free exercise clause
first amendment requirement that law cannot prevent free exercise of religion
60
symbolic speech
an act that conveys a political message
61
libel
writing that falsely injures another person
62
prior restraint
censorship of a publication
63
clear and present danger test
law should not punish speech unless there was a clear and present danger of producing harmful actions
63
freedom of religion
people shall be free to exercise their religion and government may not establish a religion
64
due process of law
denies the government the right, without due process, to deprive people of life, liberty, and property
65
establishment clause
First Amendment ban on laws "respecting an establishment of religion"
66
reverse discrimination
using race or sex to give preferential treatment to some people
67
equality of result
making certain that people achieve the same result
68
police powers
state power to enact laws promoting health safety and morals
69
public opinion
how people think or feel about particular things
70
poll
A Survey of public opinion
71
random sample
method of selecting from a population in which each person has an equal probability of being selected
72
sampling error
the difference between the results of random samples taken at the same time
73
exit polls
polls based on interviews conducted on Election Day with randomly selected voters
74
political socialization
process by which background traits influence one's political views
75
elite
people who have a disproportionate amount of some valued resource
76
political ideology
a more or less consistent set of beliefs about what policies government ought to pursue
77
political elites
persons with a disproportionate share of political power
78
voting-age population
citizens who are eligible to vote after reaching the minimum age requirement
79
registered voters
people who are registered to vote
80
literacy test
a requirement that citizens pass a literacy test in order to register to vote
81
poll tax
a requirement that citizens pay a tax in order to register to vote
82
grandfather clause
a clause in registration laws allowing people who do not meet registration requirements to vote if they or their ancestors had voted before 1867
83
white primary
the practice of keeping blacks from voting in the southern states' primaries through arbitrary use of registration requirements and intimidation
84
australian ballot
a government printed ballot of uniform dimensions to be cast in secret that many states adopted around 1890 to reduce voting fraud associated with party printed ballots cast in public
85
activists
people who tend to participate in all forms of politics
86
conservative
republican
87
liberal
democrat
88
political party
a group that seeks to elect candidates to public office
89
mugwumps/progressives
republican party faction of the 1890s to the 1910s composed of reformers who opposed patronage
90
critical/realignment period
periods when a major lasting shift occurs in the popular coalition supporting one or both parties
91
split ticket
voting for candidates of different parties for various offices in the same eleciton
92
straight ticket
voting for candidates who are all the same party
93
office bloc ballot
a ballot listing all candidates of a given office under the name of that office also called a Massachusetts ballot
94
party column ballot
a ballot listing all candidates of a given party together under the name of that party also called an Indiana ballot
95
national convention
a meeting of party delegates held every four years
96
national committee
delegates who run party affairs between national conventions
97
Congressional campaign committee
a party committee in congress that provides funds to members and would be members
98
national chairman
day to day party manager elected by the national committee
99
superdelegates
party leaders and elected officials who become delegates to the national convention without having to run in primaries or caucuses
100
political machine
party organization that recruits members by dispensing patronage
101
ideological party
a party that values principled stands on issues above all else
102
solidary incentives
the social rewards (sense of pleasure status or companionship) that lead people to join political organizations
103
sponsored party
a local or state political party that is largely supported by another organization in the community
104
personal following
the political support provided to a candidate on the basis of personal popularity and networks
105
two-party system
an electoral system with two dominant parties that compete in national elections
106
plurality system
an electoral system in which the winner is the person who gets the most votes even if he or she does not receive a majority used in almost all American elections
107
caucus
a meeting of party members to select delegates backing one or another primary candidate.
