Test 1 Flashcards
government
the institutions and procedures through which a land and its people are ruled
autocracy
a form of government in which a single individual rules
oligarchy
a form of government in which a small group of landowners, military officers, or wealthy merchants control most of the governing decisions
democracy
a system of rule that permits citizens to play a significant part in the governmental process, usually through the selection of key public officials
constitutional government
a system of rule - a constitution - specifying formal and effective limits on the powers of government
authoritarian government
a system of rule in which the government recognizes no formal limits but may nevertheless be restrained by the power of other social institutions
totalitarian government
a system of rule in which the government recognizes no formal limits on its power and seeks to absorb or eliminate other social institutions that might challenge it
coercion
forcing a person to do something by threats or pressure
free riding
enjoying the benefits of some good or action while letting others bear the costs
public good
a good that may be enjoyed by anyone if it is provided and that may not be denied to anyone once it has been provided
politics
conflict, struggle, cooperation, and collaboration over the leadership, structure, and policies of the government
institutions
the rules and procedures that provide incentives for political behavior, thereby shaping politics
principal-agent relationship
the relationship between a principal and his or her agent. This relationship may be affected by the fact that each is motivated by self-interest, yet their interests may not be well aligned
census
an official count or survey of a population at a given moment
Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union
America’s first written constitution. Adopted by the Continental Congress in 1777
Great Promises
an agreement reached at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 that gave each state an equal number of senators regardless of its population but linked representation in the House of Representatives to population
Three-Fifths Compromise
an agreement reached at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 stipulating that for purposes of the apportionment of congressional seats, only three-fifths of slaves would be counted
bicameralism
the division of a legislative body into two chambers, or houses
expressed powers
the powers that the Constitution explicitly grants to the federal government
necessary and proper clause
Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution, which enumerates the powers of Congress and provides Congress with the authority to make all laws “necessary and proper” to carry them out; also referred to as the elastic clause
judicial review
the power of the courts to determine whether the actions of the president, the Congress, and the state legislatures are or are not consistent with the Constitution. The Supreme Court asserted the power to review federal statutes in Marbury v. Madison (1803)
supremacy clause
a clause of Article VI of the Constitution that states that all laws and treaties approved by the national government are the supreme laws of the United States and superior to all laws adopted by any state or other subdivision
separation of powers
the division of governmental power among several institutions that must cooperate in decision making
federalism
the system of government in which a constitution divides power between a central government and regional governments
Bill of Rights
the first 10 amendments to the US Constitution, adopted in 1791. The Bill of Rights ensures certain rights and liberties to the people
checks and balances
the mechanisms through which each branch of government is able to participate in and influence the activities of the other branches
2 key principles of the Constitution
separation of powers and federalism
legislative power
- passes federal laws
- controls federal appropriations
- approves treaties and presidential appointments
- regulates interstate commerce
- establishes lower-court system
executive power
- enforces laws
- serves as commander in chief of armed forces
- makes foreign treaties
- nominates Supreme Court justices and federal court judges
- pardons those convicted in federal court
judicial power
- reviews lower-court decisions
- decides constitutionality of laws
- decides cases involving disputes between states
Federalists
those who favored a strong national government and supported the constitution proposed at the American Constitutional Convention of 1787
antifederalists
those who favored strong state governments and a weak national government and who were opponents of the constitution proposed at the American Constitutional Convention of 1787
sovereignty
independent political authority. A sovereign possesses such authority
implied powers
powers derived from the necessary and proper clause (A1, S8) of the Constitution. Such powers are not specifically expressed but are implied through the expansive interpretation of delegated powers
reserved powers
powers that are not specifically delegated to the national government or denied to the states by the Constitution; under the tenth amendment, these powers are reserved to the states
eminent domain
the right of the government to take private property for public use, with reasonable compensation awarded
concurrent powers
authority possessed by both state and national governments, such as the power to levy taxes
full faith and credit clause
the provision in Article IV, S1 requiring that each state normally honor the government actions and judicial decisions that take place in another state
comity clause
Article IV, S2 which prohibits states from enacting laws that treat the citizens of other states in a discriminatory manner
home rule
the power delegated by state to a local unit of government to manage its own affairs
dual federalism
the system of government that prevailed in the US from 1789 to 1937, in which most fundamental governmental powers were shared between the federal and state governments, with the states exercising the most important powers
commerce clause
the clause found in A1 S8, which delegates to Congress the power “to regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States and with the Indian tribes.” This clause was interpreted by the Supreme Court to favor national power over the economy
cooperative federalism
a type of federalism existing since the New Deal era in which grants-in-aid have been used strategically to encourage states and localities to pursue nationally defined goals. Also known as intergovernmental cooperation
grants-in-aid
a general term for funds given by Congress to state and local governments
categorical grants-in-aid
funds given to states and localities by Congress that are earmarked by law for specific policy categories, such as education or crime prevention
project grants
grants-in-aid for which states and local governments submit proposals to federal agencies, who provide funding for them on a competitive basis
formula grants
grants-in-aid for which a formula is used to determine the amount of federal funds a state or local government will receive
regulated federalism
a form of federalism in which Congress imposes legislation on state and local governments that require them to meet national standards
unfunded mandates
national standards or programs imposed on state and local governments by the federal government without accompanying funding or reimbursement
block grants
federal funds given to state governments for goods, services, or programs, with relatively few restrictions on how the funds may be spent
states’ rights
the principle that states should oppose the increasing authority of the national government. This view was most popular before the Civil War
state sovereign immunity
a legal doctrine, based on the Eleventh Amendment to the Constitution, holding that states cannot be sued for violating an act of Congress
legislative supermacy
the preeminent position within the national government that the Constitution assigns to Congress
divided government
the condition in American government in which the presidency is controlled by one party, while the opposing party controls one or both houses of the Congress
executive privilege
the claim that confidential communications between a president and the president’s close advisors should not be revealed without the consent of the president
constituency
the district making up an area from which an official is elected
delegate
a legislator who votes according to the preferences of his or her constituency
trustee
a legislator who votes based on what he or she thinks is best for his or her constituency
agency representation
the type of representation in which representatives are held accountable to their constituents if they fail to represent them properly. That is, constituents have the power to hire and fire their representatives
bicameral legislature
a legislative assembly composed of two chambers, or houses
money bill
a bill concerned solely with taxation or government spending
incumbency
holding the political office for which one is running
casework
an effort by members of Congress to gain the trust and support of constituents by providing personal services. One important type of casework is helping constituents obtain favorable treatment from the federal bureaucracy
patronage
the opportunities available to legislators to provides direct benefits and services to their constituents, especially making partisan appointments to offices and conferring grants, licenses, or special favors to supporters
pork-barrel legislation
legislative appropriations that legislators use to provide government funds for projects benefiting their home district or state
gerrymandering
the apportionment of voters in districts in such a way as to give an advantage to one political party
party caucus, or party conference
a nominally closed meeting of a political or legislative group to select candidates or leaders, plan strategy, or make decisions regarding legislative matters
speaker of the house
the chief presiding officer of the House of Representatives. The Speaker is elected at the beginning of every Congress on a straight party vote. He or she is the most important party and House leader
majority leader
the elected leader of the party holding a majority of the seats in the House of Representatives or in the Senate. In the House, the majority leader is subordinate to the Speaker in the party hierarchy
minority leader
the elected leader of the party holding less than a majority of the seats in the House or Senate
standing committee
a permanent legislative committee that considers legislation within its designated subject area; the basic unit of deliberation in the House and the Senate pg 144
