Unit 1 Key Terms

Question 1

Issue

Answer 1

a conflict, real or apparent, between the interests, ideas, or beliefs or different citizens

Question 2

Politics

Answer 2

the activity by which an issue is agitated or settled

Question 3

Power

Answer 3

the ability of one person to get another person to act in accordance with the first person’s intentions

Question 4

Authority

Answer 4

the right to use power

Question 5

Legitimacy

Answer 5

political authority conferred by law or by a state or national constitution

Question 6

Democracy

Answer 6

the rule of the many/the rule of the people

Question 7

Direct or participatory democracy

Answer 7

a government in which all or most citizens participate directly

Question 8

representative democracy

Answer 8

a government in which leaders make decisions by winning a competitive struggle for the popular vote or people choose leaders to make law for them.

Question 9

Elite

Answer 9

persons who possess a disproportionate share of some valued resource, such as money, prestige, or expertise (in this case political power)

Question 10

Class view

Answer 10

view that the government is dominated by capitalists

Question 11

Power elite view

Answer 11

view that the government is dominated by a few top leaders, most of whom are outside of the government

Question 12

Bureaucratic view

Answer 12

view that the government is dominated by appointed officials

Question 13

Pluralist view

Answer 13

view that competition among all affected interests shapes public policy

Question 14

Creedal passion view

Answer 14

view that morally impassioned elites drive important political changes

Question 15

Political agenda

Answer 15

issues that people believe require governmental action

Question 16

Cost

Answer 16

a burden that people believe they must bear if a policy is adopted

Question 17

Benefit

Answer 17

a satisfaction that people enjoy if a policy is adopted

Question 18

Majoritarian politics

Answer 18

almost everybody benefits and almost everybody pays

Question 19

Interest group politics

Answer 19

one small group benefits and another small group pays

Question 20

Client politics

Answer 20

one small group benefits and almost everybody pays

Question 21

Entrepreneurial politics

Answer 21

almost everybody benefits and a small group pays

Question 22

Pork-barrel legislation

Answer 22

legislation that gives tangible benefits to constituents in several districts or states in the hope of winning their voters in return

Question 23

Log-rolling

Answer 23

a legislator supports a proposal favored by another in return for support of his or hers

Question 24

Policy entrepreneurs

Answer 24

activists in or out of government who pull together a political majority on behalf of unorganized interests

Question 25

Unalienable

Answer 25

a human right based on nature or God

Question 26

Articles of Confederation

Answer 26

a weak constitution that governed American during the Revolutionary War

Question 27

Constitutional Convention

Answer 27

a meeting in Philadelphia in 1787 that produced a new constitution.

Question 28

Shay's Rebellion

Answer 28

a 1787 rebellion in which ex-Revolutionary War soldiers attempted to prevent foreclosures of farms as a result of high interest rates and taxes

Question 29

Virginia Plan

Answer 29

proposal to create a strong national government

Question 30

New Jersey Plan

Answer 30

proposal to create a weak national government

Question 31

Great Compromise (Connecticut Compromise)

Answer 31

plan to have a popularly elected House based on state population and a state-selected Senate, with two members for each state.

Question 32

Republic

Answer 32

a government in which elected representatives make the decisions.

Question 33

Judicial Review

Answer 33

the power of the courts to declare laws unconstitutional.

Question 34

Federalism

Answer 34

government authority shared by national and local governments.

Question 35

Enumerated powers

Answer 35

powers given to the national government alone.

Question 36

Reserved powers

Answer 36

powers given to the state government alone

Question 37

Concurrent powers

Answer 37

powers shared by national and state governments.

Question 38

Separation of powers

Answer 38

sharing of constitutional authority by multiple branches of government or each branch has its own power and independence.

Question 39

Checks and balances

Answer 39

Constitutional ability of multiple branches of government to limit each other’s power.

Question 40

Faction

Answer 40

a group with a distinct political interest

Question 41

Coalition

Answer 41

an alliance of groups

Question 42

Habeas corpus

Answer 42

an order to produce an arrested person before a judge.

Question 43

Bill of Attainder

Answer 43

a law that declares a person, without a trial, to be guilty of a crime.

Question 44

Ex post facto law

Answer 44

a law that makes an act criminal even though the act was legal when it was committed.

Question 45

Bill of Rights

Answer 45

first 10 amendments to the Constitution.

Question 46

Sovereignty

Answer 46

the ultimate political authority in a system

Question 47

Unitary system

Answer 47

a system of government where sovereignty if fully vested in the national government, not the states.

Question 48

Confederation or confederal system

Answer 48

a system of government where state governments are sovereign, and national government can do only what the states permit.

Question 49

Federal system

Answer 49

a system of government where the national and state governments share sovereignty.

Question 50

“Necessary and proper” clause

Answer 50

section of the Constitution allowing Congress to pass all laws “necessary and proper” to its duties, and that has permitted Congress to exercise powers not specifically given to it (enumerated) by the Constitution.

Question 51

Nullification

Answer 51

the doctrine that a state can declare null and void a federal law that, in the state’s opinion, violates the Constitution.

Question 52

Dual federalism

Answer 52

doctrine holding that the national government is supreme in its sphere, the states are supreme in theirs, and the two spheres should be kept separate.

Question 53

Cooperative federalism

Answer 53

idea that the federal and state governments share power in many policy areas.

Question 54

Laboratories of democracy

Answer 54

idea that the different states can implement different policies, and the successful ones will spread.

Question 55

Initiative

Answer 55

process that permits voters to put legislative measures directly on the ballot.

Question 56

Referendum

Answer 56

procedure enabling voters to reject a measure passed by the legislature.

Question 57

Recall

Answer 57

procedure whereby voters can remove an elected official from office.

Question 58

Grants-in-aid

Answer 58

money given by the national government to states.

Question 59

Categorical grants

Answer 59

federal grants for specific purposes, such as building an airport.

Question 60

Conditions of aid

Answer 60

terms set by the national government that states must meet if they are to receive certain federal funds.

Question 61

Mandates

Answer 61

terms set by the national government that states must meet whether or not they accept federal grants.

Question 62

Waiver

Answer 62

a decision by an administrative agency granting some other party permission to violate a law or rule that would otherwise apply to it.

Question 63

Devolution

Answer 63

the transfer of power from the national government to state and local governments.