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American Government > Midterm Review > Flashcards

Midterm Review Flashcards

1
Q

Creation Mandate

A

the first commandment by God to man telling us to exercise wise & responsible dominion of the earth

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2
Q

human depravity

A

all men are fallen and have no innate sense of goodness; what requires governments to protect us from ourselves

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3
Q

oligarchy

A

a form of dictatorship government rules by an elite group with supreme power

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4
Q

theocracy

A

government rules directly by God or the clergy

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5
Q

democracy

A

government by the people

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6
Q

dictatorship

A

an authoritative form of government in which the ruler or rulers have unshared power over the making and enforcing of laws

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7
Q

tyranny

A

Rule of many becoming the rule of one.

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8
Q

jingoism

A

unquestioning support for the state

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9
Q

patriotism

A

love and devotion to one’s country and a concern for its social, political, and overriding spiritual welfare

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10
Q

government

A

a system of public rule or authority

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11
Q

Mayflower Compact

A

(1620) established the first government in the New World based on a social contract

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12
Q

Fundamental Orders of Connecticut

A

first written constitution in the United States

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13
Q

Old Deluder Satan’s Act of 1647

A

a law that required a town that had 50 or more families to provide a primary school

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14
Q

Act of 1642

A

a law issued by Massachusetts that required parents to provide for the education of their children

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15
Q

Magna Carta

A

(1215) The “Great Charter” that stated that there were certain rights of which the government could not rightfully deprive an Englishman of; shows that government was limited in its reach by laws that all mean, including the king, were bound to obey

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16
Q

Glorious Revolution

A

(1688) the bloodless revolution in England which resulted in Parliament firmly establishing its authority over the king

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17
Q

Quebec Act

A

a law by English Parliament that made the colonists concerned that the influence of the Catholic Church and the wars of Europe would be coming to America

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18
Q

social contract

A

government is formed by consent of the governed

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19
Q

Great Awakening

A

a revival that brought spiritual life back to importance in the colonies

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20
Q

republic

A

state in which the supreme power rests in the people and their elected representatives or officers

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21
Q

totalitarianism

A

system of government in which the state has complete control over all aspects of its citizens’ lives

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22
Q

autocracy

A

a government ruled by one person who holds supreme power

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23
Q

federalism

A

system in which governmental power is divided into two or more levels, usually a central government and component local governments

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24
Q

delegated powers

A

powers given to the national government by the Constitution that define the limits of its authority

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25
Q

bicameral

A

a legislative branch divided into two separate houses

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26
Q

unicameral

A

a legislature made up of only one house

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27
Q

three branches of government

A

executive, legislative, judicial

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28
Q

reserved powers

A

powers the Constitution withholds from the national government but does not withhold from state governments

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29
Q

prohibited powers

A
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30
Q

townships

A

a political subdivision of a county

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31
Q

liberty

A
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32
Q

equality

A
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33
Q

House of Burgessess

A

(1619) the first representative assembly in the New World, organized by the Virginia Colony

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34
Q

Stamp Act

A

a law passed by Parliament in 1765 to help pay England’s war debt through a series of taxes and trade restriction on the colonies and produced more resentment than revenue from America

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35
Q

First Continental Congress

A

(1774) the colonial governmental meeting that sent the Declaration of Grievances to King George III

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36
Q

Second Continental Congress

A

(1775-89) the colonial governmental meeting that became the ruling government during the Revolutionary War

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37
Q

Articles of Confederation

A
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38
Q

ratification

A

the formal approval process of a constitution, constitutional amendment, or treaty

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39
Q

Shay’s Rebellion

A

the event that resulted in the new colonial government to worry about the possibility of widespread anarchy; it also convinced many state legislatures to support a revision of the Articles of Confederation

40
Q

Federalist

A

advocates of the Constitution

41
Q

Anti-Federalists

A

those in opposition to the Constitution and new government

42
Q

broad constructionist

A

those who take a broader and somtimes more creative approach to constitutional interpretation

43
Q

strict constructionist

A

those who believe that the text of the Constitution is important, and that any interpretation should be kept to a minimum

44
Q

necessary and proper clause

A

also called the elastic clause; constitutional clause giving lawmakers great leeway in making laws for the execution of enumerated and implied powers

45
Q

amendment process

A
46
Q

Bill of Rights

A

the first ten amendments to the Constitution

47
Q

limited government

A

a principle that limits government to only those powers granted by law

48
Q

separation of powers

A

the principle of separating powers among different branches of government in order to prevent any group or individual from gaining too much control

49
Q

popular sovereignty

A

philosophy of government that asserts that the people are the ultimate source of their government’s authority

50
Q

checks and balances

A

the principle of keeping each branch of government in check through the power of another branch of government with the goal of hindering the concentration of power and thus protecting personal liberty

51
Q

elastic clause

A

also known as the necessary and proper clause; this clause greatly enlarges the scope of national power and has at times been stretched to cover congressional acts

52
Q

enumerated powers

A

also called expressed powers; government powers specifically listed in the Constitution

53
Q

dual federalism

A

a system in which the national and state levels are sovereign within their own spheres

54
Q

implied powers

A

national government powers derived from powers expressly given by the Consitution

55
Q

full faith & credit clause

A

Constitutional clause requiring states to respect each other’s public acts, records, and judicial hearings

56
Q

political parties

A

a group that advances certain political goals and gains power by winning elections

57
Q

major parties

A

the dominant parties in the political landscape, in American politics, the Republicans and Democrats

58
Q

minor parties

A

also called third parties; smaller political parties usually organized around a particular issue

59
Q

third parties

A

also called minor parties

60
Q

two-party system

A

a political system dominated by two major partiesi

61
Q

party platform

A

formal statement of a party’s position on current issues; drafted at a party’s national convention

62
Q

multiparty system

A

political system in which several parties compete for public office and majority support; system most used in Europe

63
Q

coalition

A

a temporary alliance of several groups

64
Q

caucus

A

historically, a small meeting of a political party’s top leaders and legislators in Congress in order to select party nominees; a form of district and state conventions used to nominate candidates in areas that do not hold primaries

65
Q

independent voters

A

voters who have no party affiliation

66
Q

ticket splitting

A

voting for candidates of both parties for different offices

67
Q

bipartisan

A

two major parties working together to support an issue

68
Q

partisanship

A

strong devotion to a political party

69
Q

unalienable right

A

a right that cannot be given by government because it is not government’s to give; it is a gift of God

70
Q

pluralistic society

A

a society in which differing opinions and parties exist freely

71
Q

John Locke

A

wrote the Two Treatises of Government; known as the one who created the idea of the social contract

72
Q

Alexander Hamilton

A

wrote a majority of The Federalist Papers

73
Q

Patrick Henry

A
74
Q

Roger Sherman

A
75
Q

Elbridge Gerry

A
76
Q

George Mason

A
77
Q

Boston Massacre

A

a result of Britain’s sending of troops to act as the policing force in the American colonies and the outrage of the colonists towards such

78
Q

Boston Tea Party

A

the American colonists’ act of retaliation towards the taxes placed on tea by the British Parliament

79
Q

Protestant Reformation

A

the spiritual revival that began in Europe; started by Martin Luther and his 95 Theses

80
Q

French and Indian War

A

the war that caused much of Britain’s debts, which led to the taxation of their colonies

81
Q

direct primary

A

preliminary election held to select candidates and/or delegates to the party’s convention

82
Q

closed primary

A

a primary in which participants must be registered as members of one party and may vote only for the candidates from that party

83
Q

open primary

A

primary in which voters do not have to declare their party membership

84
Q

blanket primary

A

“wide open” primary in which every voter receives a ballot listing all party candidates for nomination and selects one candidate for each office

85
Q

hard money

A

campaign money raised for a specific candidate in federal elections and spent according to federal laws and restrictions

86
Q

soft money

A

campaign money raised apart from federal regulations and given to local, state, and national party organizations or PACs to be used for voting related activities

87
Q

polling place

A

location in a specific precinct where those who live in that area go to vote

88
Q

poll watchers

A

individuals appointed by political parties and candidates to observe the polls on election day

89
Q

incumbent

A

a candidate who is the current officeholder

90
Q

constituent

A

residents of a district represented by an elected official

91
Q

slander

A

false verbally communicated statements which damage one’s reputation or character

92
Q

libel

A

published false statements that damage reputation or character

93
Q

extradition

A

legal process of returning a fugitive to the state in which he has been charged with a crime

94
Q

naturalization

A

the process by which a foreign-born person gains citizenship

95
Q

English Bill of Rights

A

a landmark of English constitutional history

96
Q

Open primary

A

primary in which voters do not have to declare their party membership

American Government (3 decks)

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