Midterm 1 Key Terms Flashcards
Economic liberty
Belief that individuals should be able to pursue their economic self interest without government restrictions.
Popular Soverignty
Belief that authority of government comes from the consent of the people living within the boundaries.
Social contract
An agreement by which individuals voluntarily commit to establish a government that will protect the common interests of all.
Democracy
Government by the people, both directly and indirectly, with free and frequent elections.
Direct Primary
An election in which voters choose party nominees.
Initiative
A procedure by which a certain number of voters may, by petition, propose a law or constitutional amendment and have it submitted to the voters.
Referendum
Procedure for submitting to popular vote measures passed by the legislature or proposed amendments to a state constitution.
Recall
A procedure for submitting to popular vote the removal of officials from office before the end of their term.
Constitutional democracy
Government by enforces recognized limits on those who govern and allows the voice of the people to be heard through fair, free, and frequent elections. Generally includes a constitution. Limits on government officials.
Constitutionalism
The set of arrangements, including checks and balances, federalism, separation of powers, rule of law, due process, and a bill of rights, that requires our leader to listen, think, bargain, and explain before they act or make laws. We then hold them accountable for how they exercise powers.
Statism
Belief that the rights of the nation are supreme over the rights of the individuals who make up the nation.
Popular consent
Belief that government derives its powers from the convent of people it governs
What is the difference between majority and plurality rule?
Majority rule means that a candidate wins more than half the votes cast in an election.
Plurality rule means that a candidate wins the most votes in an election, not always more than half.
Constitutional convention
Philadelphia
1787
Debated and agree on constitution
Shays rebellion
Led by Daniel shays, farmers in Massachusetts in 1786-1787 protesting mortgage foreclosures. Government unable to respond, highlighted need for strong national government
Bicameralism
Principle of a two house legislature
Virginia plan
Initial proposal at convention for a strong central government with bicameral legislature dominated by the big states.
New Jersey plan
Second proposal made at convention, central government with a single house legislature in which each state is represented equally.
Connecticut compromise
Compromise between Virginia and New Jersey. Bicameral legislature in which representation in lower house based on population and upper house equal with two for each state
Electoral college
Voters vote for electors pledged to cast their ballots for a particular candidate used in electing president and Vice President.
Federalists
Supporters of ratification of the constitution and of a strong national government
Antifederalists
Opponents of ratification of the constitution and only a generally strong central government.
The Federalist Papers
Essays promoting ratification of the constitution, published by:
- Alexander Hamilton
- John Jay
- James Madison
Judicial Review
The power of a court to review laws or governmental regulations to determine if they are constitutional or not. National and state level.
Writ of mandamus
A court order directing an official to perform an official duty.
Congressional elaboration
Legislation that gives more meaning to the constitution based on sometimes vague constitutional authority.
Ex: necessary and proper clause
Impeachment
An accusation made my lower house of legislature. The FIRST step in removal from office.
What are the two approaches to interpreting the constitution?
- Orginalist- document has fixed meaning. Strict.
2. Adaptive- document is flexible and responsive to changing needs of the times.
Executive order
Directive issued by president or governor that has the force of law
Executive privilege
Power to keep executive communications confidential, especially when related to national security.
Impoundment
Presidential refusal to allow an agency to spend funds that congress authorized and appropriated.
Federalism
A constitutional agreement in which power is distributed between a central government and states. The national and states exercise direct authority over individuals.
Unitary system
A constitutional arrangement that concentrates power in a central government.
Confederation
Constitutional arrangement in which sovereign nations or states, by compact, create a central government but carefully limit its power and do not give it direct authority over individuals.
Delegated or express powers
Powers given explicitly to national government and listed on the constitution
Implied powers
Powers inferred from the express powers that allow congress to carry out its functions
Necessary and proper clause
- Article 1, section 8, clause 3
- The clause in the constitution setting forth the implied powers of congress. It states that congress, in addition to its express powers, has the right to make all laws necessary and proper to carry out all the powers the constitution vests in the national government.
Inherent powers
The powers of the national government in foreign affairs that the Supreme Court has declared do not depend on constitutional grants but rather grow out of the national governments obligation to protect the nation from domestic and foreign threats.
Supremacy clause
- Article IV of constitution that gives national laws absolute power even when they compete with states laws.
Commerce clause
- Article 1, section 8, clause 1
- Gives congress power to regulate all business activities that cross over state lines or affect more than one state or other nations.
Federal mandate
Requirement national government imposes as a condition for receiving federal funds.
Reserve powers
- Tenth amendment
2. Powers not specifically given to national government given to states
Full faith and credit clause
- Article IV, section 1
- Requires states to recognize civil judgements rendered by courts of other states and accept their public records and acts as valid.
Extradition
Legal process by which an alleged criminal offender is surrendered by officials of one state to another in which crime is said to have been committed.
Interstate compact
Agreement between two or more states, congress must approve most all of them
Devolution revolution
Effort to slow growth of national government by returning many functions back to the states.
Ethnocentrism
Belief in superiority of ones nation or ethnic group.
Demography
Study of characteristics of populations
Types of cleavages?
- Reinforcing- divisions in society that reinforce one another, making groups more homogeneous, polorizing, conflict more intense.
- Cross-cutting- divisions that cut across demographic categories to produce groups that are more heterogeneous. Pull people in directions. (Economic and religious can put you in two different groups)
Manifest destiny
19th century, us destined to rule continent
Sun belt
South and southwest, growing more than other states, attracts retirees.
Bible Belt
Region in south with strongly committed Protestants who see public role for religion.
Rust belt
States in Midwest once known for industrial output, seen factories close and have high unemployment
Fundamentalists
Conservative Christians, becoming more active in politics past two decades. Influential in 2000 and 2004 elections.
GDP
Total output of all economic activity in nation, including goods and services
SES
Socioeconomic status, division in population based on occupation, income, and education.
Patronage
Dispensing of government jobs to persons belonging to the winning party
Honeymoon
Beginning of presidents term with usually positive relations with press and congress, lasts about six months
Caucus
Meeting of local party members to choose party officials or candidates for public office and decide platform
Party convention
Meeting of party delegates to vote on matters of policy and, in some cases, to select party candidates for public office.
Direct primary
An election in which voters choose party nominees.
Two types of primary?
- Open- anyone may vote regardless of party
2. Closed- only people registered to party may vote
Crossover voting
Voting by a member of one party for a candidate of another party (republicans and independents help choose democratic nominee)
National party convention
A national meeting of delegates elected in primaries, caucuses, or state conventions who assemble once every four years to nominate candidates for president and Vice President, ratify the party platform, elect officers, and adopt rules.
Platform
Every four years the political parties draft a document stating the policy positions of the party. General party wide stances. Written vague on purpose to avoid controversy.
Soft money
Money raised in unlimited amounts by political parties for party building purposes. Now largely illegal except for limited contributions to state and local parties for voter registration and get out the vote efforts.
Party independent expenditures
Spending by political party committees that is independent of the candidate. The spending occurs in relatively few competitive contests and is often substantial.
Hard money
Political contributions given to a party, candidate, or interest group that are limited in amount and fully disclosed. Raising such funds was harder than raising unlimited soft money, hence the term hard money.
Pluralism
Theory of government that open, multiple, and competing groups can check each other’s power.
Interest group
Collection of people who share a common interest or attitude and seek to influence government for specific ends. Within framework of government. (Ex: lds church, NRA)
Social movements
Seek to change attitudes and institutions, not just policies.
Terms of unions
- Open shop- company that does not require membership to union as employment.
- Closed shop- company that does require membership as condition of employment
- Free rider- person who does not join a group representing him but still receives the benefit of the groups influence.
Federal register
Official document, published every weekday, that lists the new and proposed regulations of executive departments and regulatory agencies.
Amicus curiae brief
“Friend of the court” brief, filed by individual or organization urging Supreme Court to hear a case (or not to), or to present arguments in addition to those presented by immediate parties to a case.
Super PACs
Independent expenditure only PACs, may accept donations of any size and can endorse candidates. Their contributions and spending must be reported to the FEC.
Bundling
Tactic used by PACs to collect contribution from like minded individuals (each limited to 2,000) and present them to a candidate or political party as a bundle, this increasing the PACs influence.
Lobbyist
Employed by and acts for an organized interest group
Revolving door
Employment cycle in which individuals who work or government agencies that regulate interests eventually end up working for interest groups or business with same policy concern.
Issue network
Relationships among interest groups, congressional committees and sub-committed, and government agencies that share similar policy concern.
PAC
Political arm of an interest group that is legally entitled to raise funds on a voluntary basis from members, stockholders, or employees to contribute funds to candidates or political parties.
Leadership PAC
A PAC formed by an office holder that collects contributions from individuals and other PACs and then makes contributions to other candidates and political parties.
BCRA
Bipartisan campaign reform act, largely banned party soft money, restored long standing prohibition on corporations and labor unions use of general treasury funds for electoral purposes, and narrowed the definition of issue advocacy.
Independent expenditures
The Supreme Court has ruled that individuals, groups, and parties can spend unlimited amounts in campaigns for or against candidates as long as they operate independently from candidates.
Issue advocacy
Unlimited and undisclosed spending by an individual or group on communications that do not use words vote for or vote against, although much of this activity is actually about electing or defeating candidates.
527 Organization
Political group organized under section 527 of the IRS code that may accept and spend unlimited amounts of money on election activities so long as they are not spent of broadcast ads run in the last 30 days of a primary or 60 days before a general election in which a clearly identified candidate is referred to and a relevant electorate is targeted.
