Unit 1 Vocab (Foundations of Govt.) Flashcards
Declaration of Independence
The formal statement written by Thomas Jefferson declaring the freedom of the thirteen American colonies from Great Britain. Adopted on July 4, 1776
Natural rights
Natural rights are not dependent on any laws or customs, everyone is born with them and they are universal and inalienable.
Consent of the governed
The idea that a government’s right to use state power is only justified and lawful when the people that the political power is being exercised over consent to it.
Limited government
A government whose legal power is restricted through delegated and enumerated authorities.
Articles of Confederation
An agreement between each of the thirteen colonies that served as the first official form of a “national” government for the United States of America. It was very limited so it was eventually replaced by the Constitution.
Equal Rights Amendment
A proposed amendment to the US Constitution designed to guarantee equal legal rights for all American citizens regardless of sex
Amendment (to amend)
A minor change or addition designed to improve a text, piece of legislation, etc
Judicial review
Review by the US Supreme Court of the constitutional validity of a legislative act
Federalism
A type of government in which the power is divided between the national government and other governmental units
Unitary government
A state governed as a single entity in which the central government is ultimately supreme
Intergovernmental relations
An interacting network of institutions at national, provincial, and local levels, created and refined to enable the various parts of government to cohere in a manner more or less appropriate to the institutional arrangements
Supremacy clause
Establishes that the Constitution, federal laws made pursuant to it, and treaties made under its authority, constitute to the “supreme law of the land,” and thus take priority over any conflicting state laws
10th amendment
The powers not delegated to the US by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people
Enumerated powers (expressed powers)
Congress may exercise the powers that the Constitution grants it, subject to the individual rights listed in the Bill of Rights
Implied powers
Powers that Congress exercises that the Constitution does not explicitly define, but are necessary and proper to execute the powers
Elastic clause (necessary and proper clause)
Grants Congress the power to pass all laws necessary and proper for carrying out the enumerated list of powers
Full faith and credit
The obligation of the US Constitution for each state to recognize the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other state
Extradition
An act in which one jurisdiction delivers a person accused or convicted of committing a crime in another jurisdiction, over to their law enforcement
Privileges and immunities
Prevents a state from treating citizens of other states in a discriminatory manner
Dual federalism
Political arrangement in which power is divided between the federal and state governments in clearly defined terms, with state governments exercising those powers accorded to them without interference from the federal government
Cooperative federalism
Concept of federalism in which federal, state, and local governments interact cooperatively and collectively to solve common problems, rather than making policies separately but more or less equally
Devolution
The transfer or delegation of power to a lower level, especially by central government to local or regional administration
Fiscal federalism
Financial relations between units of governments in a federal government system
Categorical grants
Grants issued by the US Congress which may be spent only for narrowly defined purposes
Project grants
Grants given to state and local governments on the basis of merit
Formula grants
A type of mandatory grant that is awarded based on statistical criteria for specific types of work
Block grants
A grant-in-aid of a specified amount from the federal government of the US to individual states and local governments to help support various broad purpose programs, such as law enforcement, social services, public health, and community development
Government
the governing body of a nation, state, or community.
Collective Goods
items and resources that benefit everyone, and from which people cannot be excluded.
Politics
the activities associated with the governance of a country or other area, especially the debate or conflict among individuals or parties having or hoping to achieve power.
Political Participation
Actions of private citizens by which they seek to influence or support government and politics.
Single-issue groups
is a political party or group that campaigns on only one issue
Policymaking system
The process by which policy comes into being and evolves over time. People’s interests, problems, concerns create political issues for government policymakers
Linkage institutions
The political channels through which people’s concerns become political issues on the policy agenda. In the United States, linkage institutions include elections, political parties, interest groups, and the media
Policy agenda
The issues that attract the serious attention of public officials and other people actually involved in politics at any given point in time.
Political issue
An issue that arises when people disagree about a problem and how to fix it.
Policymaking institutions
The branches of government charged with taking action on political issues. The U.S. Constitution established three policymaking institutions-Congress, the presidency, and the courts. Today the power of the bureaucracy is so great that most political scientists consider it a fourth policymaking institution.
Shay’s Rebellion
An armed uprising in Western Massachusetts due to a debt crisis and the state government’s increased initiative to collect taxes from the citizens. Was eventually put down.
U.S. Constitution
Document that gave the national government much more power than the weak Articles of Confederation. Outlined the fundamental laws of the country and guaranteed certain basic rights for the citizens.
Factions
A small organized dissenting group within a larger one.
New Jersey Plan
The New Jersey Plan was a proposal by William Paterson for the structure of the U.S. federal government. It was written as a response to the Virginia Plan which he feared would give too much power to larger states. He proposed one vote per state in Congress.
Virginia Plan
Proposal for the creation of a supreme national government with three branches and two houses for legislature (Senate and the House of Representatives). This was to give representation to the smaller states, but also cater to the size of the larger states. It was voted to pass into law in 1787.
Connecticut Compromise
An agreement between large and small states that the House of Representatives would give each state seats based on their population, and in Senate each state has the same amount of seats. This occured in 1787.
3/5 Compromise
Compromise between delegates from the Northern and Southern states that established that the slave population would count as 3/5 of a person per slave in establishing seats for representation in the House of Representatives and taxation.
Writ of habeas corpus
A fundamental right in the Constitution that protects citizens from unlawful and indefinite imprisonment. It means “show me the body” in Latin.
Madisonian system
A structure of government in which powers are separated into three branches which are the executive, legislative, and judicial.
Separation of powers
Refers to the division of government into distinct branches to limit any one branch from exercising the core functions of another branch.
Checks and balances
Counterbalancing influences by which an organization or system is regulated, typically those ensuring that political power is not concentrated in the hands of individuals or groups.
Republic
A state in which supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives.
Federalists
A supporter of a federal, or supreme national government. A major political party in the early years of the U.S.
Anti-Federalists
A political movement that opposed the creation of a stronger national government and opposed the ratification of the Constitution.
Federalist Papers
A collection of articles and essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay. They outlined the federal government, and separated the powers of the national government.
Bill of Rights
Document comprising the first ten amendments of the Constitution.
Ratification (to ratify)
The action of signing or giving formal consent to a treaty, contract, or agreement, and making it officially valid.
Public policy
A choice that government makes in response to a political issue. A policy is a course of action taken with regard to some problem.
Policy impacts
The effects a policy has on people and problems. Impacts are analyzed to see how well a policy has met its goal and at what cost.
Democracy
A system of selecting policymakers and of organizing government so that policy represents and responds to the public’s preference.
Majority rule
A fundamental principle of traditional democratic theory. In a democracy, choosing among alternatives requires that the majority’s desire be respected. See also minority rights.
Minority rights
A principle of traditional democratic theory that guarantees rights to those who do not belong to majorities and allows that they might join majorities through persuasion and reasoned argument. see also majority rule
Representation
A basic principle of traditional democratic theory that describes the relationship between the few leaders and the many followers
Pluralism
a theory of government and politics emphasizing that many groups compete and counterbalance one another in the political marketplace. elitism.
Hyperpluralism
A theory of government and politics contending that groups are so strong that government is weakened. Hyper pluralism is an extreme, exaggerated, or perverted form of pluralism.
Policy gridlock
A condition that occurs when no coalition is strong enough to form a majority and establish policy. The result is that nothing may get done.
Political culture
An overall set of values widely shared within a society;
Constitution
A nation’s basic law. It creates political institutions, assigns or divides powers in government, and often provides certain guarantees to citizens.
Elitism
a theory of government and politics contending that an upper-class elite will hold most of the power and thus in effect run the government
