Unit 1 Flashcards
John Locke
Argued that individuals were born equal with natural rights no one could void; believed true justice came from the law
Natural Law
Society should be governed by ethical principles that are a part of nature
Monarchy
Power is vested in hereditary kings and queens
Totalitarianism
A form of government in which power resides in a leader who rules according to self interest and without regard for individual rights and liberties
Republic
People vote for representatives who work on their behalf, i.e. Indirect democracy
Popular Sovreignity
Ultimate authority rests with the people
Thomas Hobbes
Argues that humans natural state is war and therefore government has to intrude on people rights and liberties to better control society and to provide the necessary safeguards for property
Social Contract
An agreement among the people signifying their consent to be governed
Oligarchy
A few people who rule in their own interest
Direct democracy
Every person votes for everything
Indirect democracy
People vote for representatives who work on their behalf
Popular consent
Government must draw power from the consent of the people
Majority rule
Majority of the citizens support changes
Conservative
One who believes government is best when governed least and believes that big government should not infringe on personal and economic rights.
Liberal
One who favors government involved in the economy and provision of social services.
Voter apathy
People that don’t care about the election.
Traditional democracy
The traditional democratic theory emphasizes the values of liberty, equality and justice in any system of governance. It promotes the rule of majority, while protecting minority rights and maintaining the readiness to compromise.
Pluralist theory
The theory that political power is distributed among a wide array of diverse and competing interest groups
Elitist theory
a theory of the state which seeks to describe and explain the power relationships in contemporary society.
Hyperpluralist theory
A theory that asserts that too many groups are getting too much of what they want, resulting in a government policy that is often contradictory and lacking in direction
Articles of Confederation
A compact among the 13 original colonies that created a lose league of friendship, with the national government drawing its power from the states
Shays Rebellion
1786 rebellion where soldiers with Shays marched to Massachusetts and forcibly restrained the state court from foreclosing on their farms. National government couldn’t put a stop to it because they had no power.
Virginia Plan
Wanted a new government with the power resting in the hands of the people; population based reprtesentation
New Jersey Plan
Wanted to keep the Articles of Confederation; equal representation
Great Compromise
Two house legislature: senate, every state is equal, House. population based
Electoral College
Representatives of each state who cast the final ballots that actually elect a president.
Separation of Powers (Montesquieu)
A way of dividing the power of government among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches.
Elastic Clause
Article 1, section 8 of the Constitution gives Congress the authority to pass all laws necessary and proper to carry out the enumerated powers
Supremacy Clause
Portion of article VI of the constitution mandating that national law is supreme to all other laws passed by the states or by any other subdivision of government.
Federalist
Those who favored a stronger national government and supported the proposed US constitution; later became the first US political party
Anti-federalist
Those who favored strong state governments and a weak national; opposed the ratification of the US Constitution.
Informal amendments
A process by which over time many changes have been made in the Constitution which has not involved any changes in its written words
Bill of Rights
First 10 amendments to the Constitution, which largely guarantees specific rights and liberties
Enumerated powers
Seventeen specific powers granted to Congress under Article 1, section 8
Implied Powers
Powers derived from the enumerated powers and the necessary and proper clause; they aren’t stated specifically but are considered reasonably implied
Reserved powers
Powers reserved to the states
Concurrent powers
Powers shared by the national and federal governments
Bill of Attainder
A law declaring an act illegal without a trial.
Ex Post Facto
Making something illegal even if you did it when it was legal
Writ of Habeaus Corpus
A court order to bring someone to court because you have evidence.
Marbury V. Madison
Case in which the Supreme Court first asserted the power of judicial review by ruling something congress did unconstitutional.
Gibbons V. Ogden
The Supreme Court upheld broad congressional power to regulate interstate commerce. The court’s broad interpretation of the constitution’s commerce clause paved the way for later rulings upholding expansive federal powers.
Dual Federalism
The belief that having separate and equally powerful levels of government is the best arrangement.
New Federalism (devolution)
Federal-state relationship proposed by Reagan administration during the 1980’s; hallmark is returning administrative powers to the state governments.
10th Amendment
The power that the federal gov doesn’t have, the states have.
17th Amendment
Made senators directly elected by the people, removing their selection from state legislators.
Categorical grants
Grant that allocated federal funds to states for a specific purpose.
Revenue Sharing
The distribution of a portion of federal tax revenues to state and local governments.
McCulloch V. Maryland
The Supreme Court upheld the power of the national gov and denied the right of a state to tax the fed. Bank using the constitution’s supremacy clause. The court’s broad interpretation of the necessary and proper clause paved the way for later rulings upholding expansive federal powers.
Plessy V. Ferguson
Challenged a Louisiana statute requiring that railroads provide separate accommodations for blacks and whites. The court found that separate but equal accommodations did not violate tie equal protection clause of the 14th amendment.
Cooperative federalism
The intertwined relationship between the national, state, and local governments that began with the New Deal.
16th Amendment
Authorized congress to enact a national income tax.
Block grants
A large grant given to a state by the federal government with only general spending guidelines.
Mandates
A command, indicated by an electorate’s votes, for the elected officials to carry out a part platform or political agenda.
Unfunded Mandates
Things the federal government wants you to do but dos not give you the money to do it.
