Textbook Vocab Flashcards
Democracy
System of government by which the people rule; rule by many. Trusts common people.
Oligarchy
Rule by the few; a minority group (i.e. aristocracy or clergy) holds power over the majority. Does not trust common people.
Monarchy
Rule by one, power rests in king or queen
(often some sense of divine sanction). Does not trust common people.
Direct Democracy
public business decided by all citizens in small assemblies
Representative Democracy
Also indirect democracy; people rule through elected representatives
Majority Rule
Policies are decided based on what a majority of people want (there is some assumption that majorities shift, so that everyone gets what they want at least some of the time)
Political Equality
The principle that each person carries equal wait in public business
Civil Rights
Guarantee by government of equal citizenship to all
Political Liberty
Principle that citizens in a democracy are protected from government interference in certain basic freedoms (i.e. speech, association, conscience)
Social Contract
Idea that the government is the result of an agreement among the people, and they have the right to establish a new government if the terms of the agreement (contract) are violated by the existing one
Also a philosophical device used by Enlightenment thinkers (i.e. Locke, Rousseau)
Liberal democracy
Representative Democracy characterized by popular sovereignty, liberty, an political equality
Confederation
Loose associate of territorial units (states) with a weak central authority
AoC writers liked this because they feared executive tyranny
Current example is the United Nations
Constitution
Basic framework that prescribes how government should be organized, how decisions will be made, and what powers and responsibilities the government has.
Articles of Confederation
First constitution, adopted during the last stages of the Revolutionary War established the U.S. a confederation
Republicanism
Political doctrine advocating a limited government based on popular consent and protected against majority tyranny
Stay Acts
Laws postponing the collection of taxes or mortgage payments (shortly after the revolution)
The Connecticut Compromise
Also called the Great Compromise; Compromise between the New Jersey and Virginia plans. Established a lower legislative house based on population, and an upper house based on equal representation of the states.
Electoral College
Elected representatives of the states who formally elected the President. Today, citizens vote for the party/candidate they want the representative to vote for. Number of electors in each state is equal to its total senators and representatives
Federal(ism)
A system in which government powers are divided between a central government and smaller territories/states
Supremacy Clause
In Article VI of the Constitution. Asserts that the Constitution and federal laws take supremacy over state laws
Elastic Clause
Article I, Section 8. The “necessary and proper” clause. Gives Congress the authority to make whatever laws are necessary to carry out the enumerated powers.
Bill of Rights
First 10 amendments to the Constitution, concerned with the protection of basic liberties
Separation of Powers
Distribution of governmental powers among the 3 branches of government
Checks and Balances
Principle that each of the branches has the power to hinder the actions of the other branches, to prevent tyranny of any one branch
Free enterprise
Economic system characterized by competitive markets and private ownership. Like capitalism, but the framers encouraged it before the actual rise of capitalism
Federalists
Proponents of the Constitution during the ratification fight. Wanted a more centralized gov, and encouraged in this by Shay’s Rebellion. Hamilton, Washington, Adams.
Anti-Federalists
Opponents of Constitution during the ratification fight. Fear of centralized power and concern about absence of bill of rights.
Judicial Review
Power of the Supreme Court to declare the actions of the other branches and levels of government unconstitutional
Signing Statement
Document issued by president when he signs a bill, outlining his understanding of the bill and how executive branch officials should carry it out. Bush infamously issued signing statements that effectually said he wouldn’t follow the law he was signing.
Unitary System
Central government has complete power over its constituent units/states. i.e. China, Japan, the U.K. and France
The Tenth Amendment
10th Amendment in Bill of Rights, also known as the reservation clause, powers not given to the federal government and not prohibited from the states are reserved for states or the people
Concurrent Powers
Powers under the constitution that are shared by the federal and state governments
Horizontal Federalism
Constitution regulates this, it is the relations among the states (i.e. public acts and judgements valid in one state are valid in all states)
Interstate Compacts
Agreements among state to cooperate on solving mutual problems. Must be approved by Congress
Nationalist Position
View of American federalism that the Constitution made the federal government supreme relative to states, and granted the federal government a broad range of powers. Invokes the elastic clause. Has prevailed over most of American history.
State’s Rights Position
View that the constitution created a system of dual sovereignty, in which the national and state governments are each sovereign in their own spheres. Supports dual federalism (that state and federal powers do not overlap). Tempers the expansion of the federal government.
Nullification
Attempt by states to declare national laws or actions null and void
Preemption
Exclusion of states from actions that might interfere with federal authority
Civil War Amendments
13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments adopted after the Civil War. 13 abolished slavery, 14 calls for equal protection, rights, and liberties, 15th gives black men the right to vote
Due Process Clause
Section of the 14th Amendment. Prohibits states from depriving anyone of life/liberty/property “without due process of law” Goal to prevent unfair government action
Equal Protection Clause
Section of 14th Amendment, provides equal protection of the laws to all persons
Devolution
The delegation of power by the central government to state or local bodies. Reagan, WH Bush, and Clinton.
Cooperative Federalism
Powers and responsibilities of the state and national governments are intertwined, and they work smoothly together to solve problems. Characterized the 1960s and 70s.
Fiscal Federalism
The transfer of money from the national government to state and local governments
Grants-in-Aid
Funds from national gov given to state and local governments to support programs created by the national government
Categorical Grants
Federal aid to states/localities clearly specifying what the money can be used for
Block Grants
Federal grants to be used for general activities (more general than categorical grants)
General Revenue Sharing
Federal aid to states without any conditions
Conditional Grants
Grants with provisions requiring that state/local governments follow certain policies to obtain funds, no clear line between incentive and coercion
Mandate
Formal order from the national government that states carry out certain policies
Esp important in movements for civil rights and the environment
Nativist
Anti-foreign; applied to political movements active in the 19th century in the US
Median Household Income
midpoint of all households ranked by income, has grown only modestly, and has not kept pace with the overall growth of the economy
Capitalism
Economic system characterized by private ownership of productive assets, where decisions about how to use these assets are made by individuals and firms rather than the government
Core Beliefs
Most fundamental beliefs in a national population about human nature, the country, government, the economy.
Political Culture
The core beliefs in a country. Shapes how people behave politically, and what they believe the government should do
Political Socialization
The process by which individuals obtain certain core beliefs and political attitudes
Populism
Distrust of the elite and those in power. Belief in the judgement of the common person, a variation of this is common in conservative political ideologies
Public Opinion
Political attitudes (and core beliefs) as expressed through surveys
Sample Survey
Interview study questioning a set of people who are chosen as representative of the whole population
Random Sampling
Selection of survey respondents by chance, with equal probability of being selected, to ensure their representativeness of the whole population
Agents of Socialization
Institutions and individuals that shape political attitudes and core beliefs - school, families, neighborhood, popular culture
Political Ideology
A coherent system of interlocking attitudes and beliefs about politics, the economy, and the role of government
Rational Public
The notion that collective public opinion is rational, in the sense that it is generally stable and consistent, and when it changes it does so as an understandable response to events or new information
Presidential Approval Rating
Percentage of Americans who approve a president’s “handling of his job”
Economic Conservatives
People who favor private enterprise and oppose government regulation of business
Economic Liberals
People who favor government regulation of business, and gov spending for social programs
Social (lifestyle) Liberals
People who favor civil liberties, abortion rights, and alternative lifestyles
Social (lifestyle) Conservatives
People who favor traditional social values, and strong law and order measures. Oppose abortion and gay marriage
Policy Preferences
Citizen’s ideas about what policies they want government to pursue.
A majority of Americans are philosophical conservatives and moderates, but operational liberals
Isolationism
Policy of avoiding involvement in foreign affairs
Unilateralist
U.S. should “go it alone” in foreign policy, pursuing its own national interests without seeking the cooperation of other nations or multilateral institutions
Multilateralist
U.S. should seek the cooperation of other nations and multilateral institutions in pursuing foreign policy goals
Roughly 2/3 of Americans
Enumerated Powers
Powers of the federal government that are specifically given by the Constitution
Bicameral
legislative body of 2 houses or chambers
Descriptive Representation
Also statistical representation, degree to which the composition of a representative body reflects the demographic composition of the population
Constituency
District of a legislator
Constituent
citizen who lives in the district of an elected official
Reapportionment
The allocation of House seats among the states, done after each national census, to ensure that the represent equal population sizes
Redistricting
Redrawing of congressional district lines
Gerrymandering
Redrawing district lines to give an advantage to a particular party or candidate
Packing
concentrating voters of one party into fewer districts, to weaken their influence elsewhere
Open-Seat Election
election in which there is no incumbent officeholder
Franking Privilege
Public subsidization of mail from members of Congress to their constituents
Casework
Services performed by members of Congress for constituents
Pork
federally funded projects designed to bring a constituency jobs and public money… for which Congress members can claim credit
Party Conference
Organization of the members of a political party in the House or Senate
Caucus
A regional, racial, economic, or party subgroup within the House or Senate
Whip
Political party member in Congress charged with keeping members informed of the plans of party leadership, counting votes before action on important issues, and rounding up party members for votes on bills
Standing Committees
Relatively permanent congressional committees that address specific areas of legislation
Hearings
taking of testimony by a congressional committee or subcommittee
Markup
Process of revising a bill in committee
Select Committees
Temporary committees in Congress created to conduct studies or investigations, no power to report bills. Resolve matters for standing committees
Joint Committees
Congressional committees with members from both the House and Senate
Conference committees
Ad hoc committees made up of members of both the House and Senate to reconcile differences in the provisions of bills
Reciprocity
Deferral by members of Congress to the judgement of subject-matter specialist, in decline in favor of deference to party leaders
filibuster
In the Senate, opponents of a bill can tie it up by refusing to stop debating, can talk about anything. Even the threat of a filibuster can stop a bill.
Cloture
Vote to end a filibuster, requires 3/5 of the Senate (60 votes).
Discharge Petition
Petition signed by 218 House members to force a bill that has been before a committee for 30 days or longer onto the floor
Rarely successful
Oversight
Congressional responsibility for monitoring the actions of executive branch agencies and personnel to ensure conformity to federal statutes and congressional intent
Habeas Corpus
The legal doctrine that a person who is arrested must have a timely hearing before a judge. Suspended by Abraham Lincoln.
State of the Union
Annual report to the nation by president. Now delivered before a joint session of Congress. Discusses the state of the nation and their legislative proposals for addressing national problems
Executive Order
Rule or regulation issued by the president that has the force of law. Based on constitutional powers of the presidency or congressional statutes
Treaty
Formal international agreement between 2 or more countries. Requires the “advice and consent” of the Senate
Executive Agreement
Agreement with another signed by the president. Has the force of law like a treaty, but does not require Senate approval. Originally only used for minor matters, now a very powerful tool for the president
Institutional Presidency
Permanent bureaucracy associated with the presidency, to help him carry out his duties
Chief of Staff
Top adviser to the president who also manages the White House staff
National Security Advisor
Top foreign policy and defense advisor to the president. Heads the National Security Council.
Executive Office of the President
Group of organizations that advise the president on a wide range of issues
Divided Government
Control of the executive and legislative branches by different political parties
