Our Government Flashcards
Voting Rights Act of 1965
Passed to try to get rid of legal obstacles to voting.
Commerce Clause
A very important part of the Constitution. controls trade between states. This power has been used to justify giving the legislature more power over national problems because they could affect trade between states.
Session
The term of the Texas Legislature when they meet every other Spring.
Brown v. Board of Education
In 1954, the Supreme Court decided that segregation in public schools was against the Constitution. This changed what it had said in Plessy v. Ferguson.
Regressive Tax
a tax system that puts more of the tax load on people with less money and less on people with more money.
Proportional Tax
A tax system where the rate is set and the amount paid is based on how much money the person being taxed makes.
Constitution: Article 2
What the Executive Branch can do, who can do it, and what it can’t do.
House of Representatives
With proportional representation, there is only one house of Congress.
Determined by proportional representation (based on census every 10 years)
Constitution: Article 7
The process of getting ratified
House of Burgesses
The first elected government body, which served as a model for the governments of other countries. We met in Jamestown, Virginia.
Separation of Powers
There are three departments of government: the executive, the judicial, and the legislative. This keeps power from getting corrupted or centralized.
The Media
Even though it is not an official part of the political system, it is very important to the way politics work. Reports on political events and laws, and does research into how the government works and who works there.
Naturalization
How a person who is not born in a country becomes a member of that country.
Citizen
a person who is officially a part of a government, whether they were born there or moved there. A US person has to follow the law, serve on a jury if they are called, and pay taxes. Citizens are also expected to know about important topics, vote in elections, help out in their communities, and, if they want to, join the military.
Political Action Committees (PACs)
Committees that raise money to support specific candidates for political office who will likely support their goals.
which are committees that raise money to support specific candidates for political office who will presumably support their agendas
Super PACs
As a result of the Citizens United case in 2010, in which the Supreme Court found that limits on political donations violated the right to free speech, political campaigns can now accept any amount of money and spend more than ever before.
have formed which have no limits on contributions
Bicameral
The legislature was split into two houses, each of which had a different set-up and purpose.
Veto
Congress makes rules, but the president has the power to reject them. With 2/3 of the votes, Congress can override a veto.
Constitution: Article 1
What the Legislative Branch Can Do, Who Can Do It, and What It Can’t Do
Great Compromise / Connecticut Compromise
An deal between all states that the two houses of Congress will be run by two different systems.
Preamble
a statement at the beginning of a document that explains the document’s goal and main ideas..
Electoral College
The method for choosing the President is based on how many members of Congress each state has. Each state has a certain number of electors.
Minority Leader
The leader of the minority party in the House of Representatives
Marbury v. Madison
1801: Created Judicial Review, which gives the Supreme Court the power to declare a law illegal and get rid of it.
Capital Gains Tax
a tax on the money made from selling something, like stocks, bonds, or land.
Property Tax
A tax that the owner of a home or piece of land pays to the government based on its value.
Federalism
The way the national government, state governments, and local governments share power
Income Tax
a tax on a person’s salary
Sale Tax
a tax on the price of a good that is generally charged by state and local governments
Speaker of The House
The leader of the party that has the most votes in the House of Representatives. This person is chosen by the members of the ruling party.
Implied Powers
The “elastic clause” lets the government have powers that aren’t written in the Constitution.
Constitution: Article 3
What the Judicial Branch Can Do, Who Can Do It, and What It Can’t Do
Lobbying
How interest groups try to get elected officials, policy makers, and politicians to do what they want.
Interest groups influence legislation through the process of lobbying,
Progressive Tax
A tax system in which the tax rate is based on a person’s income. As a person’s income goes up, their tax rate moves from bracket to bracket.
Constitutional Convention
A meeting of at least two-thirds of the states to accept an amendment to the Constitution. The amendment still needs to be ratified by three-fourths of the states.
Supreme Court
The Constitution set up the Supreme Court as the top court in the country. Justices on the Supreme Court are chosen by the President and accepted by the Senate. They serve until they die or retire, whichever comes first.
Regulators
In the 1760s, a group of colonists in North Carolina fought with colonial officials and soldiers over what they thought were corrupt policies and practices.
US Constitution
Document that lays the groundwork for the US government and gives the rest of the world a plan for how democracy should work.
Judicial Review
It is up to the Supreme Court and the rest of the government judiciary to decide whether or not a law is legal.
President Pro Tempore
When the Vice President is not there, the Senate is led by the most senior member of the ruling party.
Checks and Balances
Each branch can control how much power the other two branches have.
Dred Scott Case
In this case, the Supreme Court said that Scott, a former slave, was not a citizen and did not have the right to sue in court.
Senate
All states have the same number of seats in Congress.
Determined by equal representation (2 senators per state)
Electors
members of the national electoral college who vote for the president
Constitution: Article 5
The Amendment Process
Constitution: Article 6
Debts from the past, the supremacy of the Constitution, and the oaths of office were all discussed.
Constitution: Article 4
The States and Their Citizens’ Roles, Rights, and Privileges
Flat Tax
A tax system in which people pay a set percentage of the item’s value
Proportional Representation
a system in which groups get seats based on how many votes they get.
