Unit 5: Governments and Policies Flashcards
Bureaucracy Definition
the group of departments, agencies, and commissions that make up the executive branch
Department of Defense Definition
the department that protects the nation and organizes the military
Federal System of Government Definition
a national government that shares some responsibilities and powers with the state governments, but is ultimately seen as the supreme law
Municipal Definition
relating to the running of a town
Jurisdiction Definition
the territory where a court or government agency can exercise its power
Federalism Definition
a system of government where the same territory is controlled by two levels of government with one overarching national government
Local Government Definition
a government, including cities, municipalities, and counties, designed for serving local citizens on a small scale and focusing on municipal and local services
State Government Definition
a government designed for managing state-level affairs, including maintaining state highways, upholding state laws, and collecting taxes
Critique Definition
to question or analyze something for the purpose of improving
Proxy Definition
in place of
County Definition
the largest of the local government divisions
Municipality Definition
provides the governance of a local area, smaller than a county; examples include cities, towns, and villages
Resident Definition
a person who permanently lives somewhere
School Board Definition
elected citizens who make decisions to administer the local school system
Special District Definition
a form of local government that provides one special service or type of services not covered by the county or municipality
Township Definition
a type of local government that is a smaller division of a county in some states
Constituent Definition
a person who resides within an elected official’s state or district
Excise Tax Definition
a tax on specific items that are purchased, most commonly tobacco, alcohol, and gasoline
Infrastructure Definition
the public works that include transportation systems (roads, bridges, railroads, airports) and water systems essential for economic activity
Labor Definition
the work, especially hard work; or, the workers
Revenue Definition
the income received
Sales Tax Definition
a tax on items sold
Tax Definition
a compulsory contribution made by residents to federal, state, or local revenue for goods, services, or some other transaction
At Large Definition
elected by the whole
Ordinances Definition
laws passed by a local government
City/Town Commission Definition
the five to seven people who are individually elected to serve together as both the lawmakers and those who make sure the laws are executed
City/Town Council Definition
the people who are elected to enact laws for the city/town
City/Town Manager Definition
the person who is hired by the city or town to make sure the laws are enforced and the government runs smoothly
Mayor Definition
a person who is elected to be the head of a city or town
Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Definition
the primary agency responsible for policies related to Indigenous Americans
Indian Citizenship Act of 1924 Definition
the act that granted citizenship to all Indigenous people who had not already become citizens
McGirt v. Oklahoma Definition
the Supreme Court decision that determined that large portions of the state of Oklahoma were still considered to be part of the reservations of several tribes
Sovereignty Definition
a person or government’s right to rule themselves
“A Century of Dishonor” Definition
a book that highlights the treatment of several Indigenous American tribes at the hands of the United States government
Indian Removal Act Definition
a law passed by Congress designed to move Indigenous Americans from the areas in the eastern United States to the West
Trail of Tears Definition
the dangerous and deadly journey of the Cherokees from their traditional lands to present day Oklahoma
Treaty of Tellico Definition
an agreement between the U.S. government and the Cherokee Nation that gave Cherokee land to the U.S. government
Progressive Tax Definition
a tax that increases the burden on an individual or business who has an increase in income or revenue
Regressive Tax Definition
a tax that poses a bigger burden on those individuals and businesses that make less money; a tax that decreases when income increases
User Fee Definition
a tax based on the use of something
Adoption Definition
the stage of the policy-making process where you try to get people to agree to your solution or policy idea
Agenda Setting Definition
the first step in the policy-making process, which involves getting people to pay attention to a problem
Buy-In Definition
the idea that people in the policy-making process are invested in and agree to the policy
Evaluation Definition
the critiquing of a policy by looking at how it was met with predetermined standards or outcomes
Formulation Definition
the second step of the policy-making process that deals with coming up with a solution to the problem
Implementation Definition
the step in the policy-making process that requires coming up with procedures or actions for individuals, groups, or teams to perform
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Definition
the agency in charge of conducting research and implementing regulations to ensure the protection of the environment
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Definition
the federal government agency tasked with helping people in the United States before, during, and after natural disasters and other emergencies
Intended Impact Definition
a desired outcome in a government decision made to improve or protect the public
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Definition
a government agency responsible for collecting taxes and administering tax laws; the government agency that collects federal income taxes in the United States
Unintended Impact Definition
an unexpected result in a government decision made to improve or protect the public
Central Bank Definition
a financial institution given control over the production and distribution of money and credit for a nation or a group of nations
Discount Rate Definition
the rate of interest that a central bank charges on its loans and advances to a commercial bank; also known as the bank rate
Federal Funds Rate Definition
the interest rate that commercial banks charge each other for overnight loans
Federal Reserve System Definition
the central bank of the United States responsible for regulating member banks as well as formulating monetary policy; serves as bank for the federal government and is also known as “the Fed”
Monetary Policy Definition
the steps a nation’s central bank takes to control the quantity of money and credit available in an economy as well as the methods by which new money is supplied; the power to control the amount of money in circulation
Open Market Operations Definition
the activity by a central bank to give liquidity in its currency to a bank or a group of banks
Reserve Requirements Definition
the central bank regulation that sets the minimum amount that a commercial bank must hold in liquid assets
Consumer Price Index (CPI) Definition
a measure of prices of goods and services within the economy
Economic Indicator Definition
a macroeconomic measurement used by analysts to understand current and future economic activity and opportunity
Fiscal Policy Definition
the power to tax and spend
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Definition
a dollar measure of the goods produced by the economy
Inflation Definition
a condition of the economy in which prices become so high that purchasing power diminishes
Macroeconomics Definition
the branch of economics that studies the economy as a whole
Recession Definition
a condition that occurs when there are two economic quarters of negative GDP
Unemployment Rate Definition
a measure of the percentage of individuals actually looking for employment who cannot obtain employment
Proportional Tax Definition
a tax system where all levels of yearly income are taxed at the same rate
Capital Gains Definition
tax collected by the federal and some state governments on any capital gains or profits made by people or businesses from the sale of certain assets including stocks, bonds, or real estate
Corporate Tax Definition
a type of tax collected by the federal government that is imposed on the profit of a business
Inheritance Tax Definition
a type of tax levied by state governments on individuals who inherit the estate of a deceased person
Tariffs Definition
a tax by a country on an imported good
Feedback Loop Definition
the idea that after a policy goes through the stages model it starts again
Protected Class Definition
a defined group of people protected from discrimination by law
Sunset Provision Definition
a statement built into a law that provides it with an automatic expiration date
Vote Dilution Definition
the use of gerrymandering to prevent racial groups from electing a candidate of their choice
Cost-Benefit Analysis Definition
a way to analyze the effectiveness of public policy by studying whether or not it will lead to a stronger economic condition
Mandate Definition
an official instruction to do something
Stimulus Checks Definition
the money provided to Americans which aims to stimulate demand for goods and services resulting in higher gross domestic product
Stock Definition
a piece of a company that is bought and sold
Monopoly Definition
the exclusive possession or control of the supply of or trade in a commodity or service
Red Tape Definition
the excessive rules and regulations made by the bureaucracy
Regulatory Agency Definition
an independent body of the government established to set standards in a specific field or industry
Spoils System Definition
a system in which government winners reward their close supporters with government jobs
Appropriations Bill Definition
a bill that authorizes the spending of government funds
Balanced Budget Definition
a situation that occurs when the amount of spending equals the amount of revenue received by the government
Budget Deficit Definition
a situation that occurs when the government spends more money than it collects in revenue
Discretionary Spending Definition
the spending that is done by choice and must be authorized by Congress
Line-Item Veto Definition
the rejection of parts of a bill
Nondiscretionary Spending Definition
the spending that is automatically occurring from prior legislation
Political Gridlock Definition
a stalemate that occurs when the government is unable to act or pass laws because rival parties control different branches of government and are unable to compromise
Activist Group Definition
a collection of people who have a common interest to promote
Committee Definition
a group of people who come together to make decisions about issues
Interstate Commerce Definition
trade between states
Lobbyist Definition
a person who is paid to work on behalf of a company or industry to promote their interests
Public Policy Definition
any government policy designed to help solve problems
Subsidize Definition
provide public money
Domestic Policy Definition
the set of public policies that address problems within a country’s borders
Foreign Policy Definition
how a nation’s government deals with other nations
Public Transit Systems Definition
ways of transporting the public, such as buses, trains, and subways
Original Jurisdiction Definition
the authority of the court to hear cases for the first time based on evidence
Diplomacy Definition
working on international relations with other countries
Internationalism Definition
supporting political and economic cooperation with other countries
Isolationism Definition
remaining separate from other countries in political affairs and interests
Globalization Definition
a term that describes how the economy, ideas, and cultures among different countries are interconnected
Sanctuary City Definition
a community that does not enforce federal immigration laws
Cabinet Definition
the major advisors to the president; made up mostly of the secretaries that control the various departments in the executive branch
National Security Advisor Definition
an individual appointed by the president to advise on matters of national security
Secretary of Defense Definition
the head of the defense department who is responsible for overseeing the military branches
Secretary of State Definition
the head of the state department who is responsible for diplomatic relations
