us governmet Flashcards
absentee ballot
A ballot, usually sent in the mail, that allows those who cannot go to their precinct on election day to vote.
absolutism
The belief that the government should have all the power and be able to do whatever it wants.
acquisitive model
A view of bureaucracies that argues agency heads seek to expand the size, budget, and power of their agency.
actual malice
Knowingly printing falsehoods in order to harm a person’s reputation.
administrative adjudication
The bureaucratic function of settling disputes by relying on rules and precedents.
affirm
An action by the Supreme Court to uphold a ruling by a lower court; that ruling is now the legally binding one.
affirmative action
Measures to give minorities special consideration for hiring, school admission, and so on, designed to overcome past discrimination.
agency capture
The gaining of control (direct or indirect) over a government regulatory agency by the industry it regulates.
agency representation
A type of representation in which the representative is seen as an agent, acting on behalf of the district, who is held accountable if he or she does not do as the constituents wish.
agenda
setting
amendment
A change to the Constitution.
American conservatism
The belief that freedom trumps all other political considerations; the government should play a small role in people’s lives.
American exceptionalism
The view that the United States is different from other countries.
American liberalism
The belief that the government should promote equality in politics and economics.
Americans with Disabilities Act
The major law banning discrimination against the disabled, it requires employers to make all reasonable accommodations to disabled workers; it passed in 1990.
amicus curiae brief
Literally, a “friend of the court” brief. A brief submitted to the court by a group not involved in the case; it presents further arguments for one side in the case.
anarchism
The belief that all governments are repressive and should be destroyed.
appellate jurisdiction
The authority to review cases heard by lower courts.
appointment power
The president’s power to appoint people to key federal offices.
appropriation
The act of Congress formally specifying the amount of authorized money that an agency can spend.
Articles of Confederation
America’s first national constitution, which loosely bound the states under a weak national Congress.
attack journalism
Journalism that aims to undermine political leaders.
Australian ballot
A ballot printed by the government that allows voting to be secret.
authoritarian regime
A government that can do whatever it wants, without limits.
authority
The ability of the government to exercise power without resorting to violence.
authorization
A formal declaration by a congressional committee that a certain amount of money is available to an agency.
autocracy
A regime in which the government holds all the power.
bad
tendency rule
Bakke case
This Supreme Court Case decided in 1978 that affirmative action is legal as long as race is not the only factor considered.
balanced budget
When a government spends exactly as much as it takes in.
bicameral legislature
A legislature with two houses.
bilateral
A state acting in cooperation with another state.
bill
A proposed law or policy.
bill of attainder
A bill passed by the legislature that declares a person guilty of a crime.
Bill of Rights
The first ten amendments to the Constitution, which safeguard some specific rights of the American people and the states.
Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act
A law passed in 2002 that banned soft money, put limits on issue advertising, and increased the amount people can donate to candidates; also called the McCain
bipolar system
An international system characterized by two superpowers that roughly balance each other.
blanket primary
A primary in which voters can choose candidates from more than one party; declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
block grant
A grant
blog
A weblog on the Internet; the thoughts and opinions of a person or group posted online.
brief
A document submitted to a court that presents one side’s argument in a case.
broadcast media
Media that is distributed over the airwaves.
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas
Supreme Court case that ended segregation and declared “separate but equal” to be unconstitutional.
bundling
The practice of lumping campaign donations from several donors together.
bureaucracy
An administrative way of organizing large numbers of people to work together; usually relies on specialization, hierarchy, and standard operating procedure.
buying power
One’s ability to purchase things; it is undermined by inflation.
cabinet
A group, composed of the heads of federal departments and key agencies, that advises the president.
caesaropapism
The belief that the powers of church and state should be united in one person.
candidate
centered politics
case law
The collection of court decisions that shape law.
casework
Work done by a member of Congress or his or her staff on behalf of constituents.
categorical grants
Money given for a specific purpose that comes with restrictions concerning how the money should be spent. There are two types of categorical grants: project grants and formula grants.
caucus
A gathering of political leaders to make decisions, such as which candidate to nominate for an office; set policy; and plot strategy.
census
Counting the population to determine representation in the House of Representatives; the constitution mandates one every ten years.
central bank
The institution with the power to implement monetary policy.
centralization
the process by which law
centrally planned economy
An economy where all decisions are made by the government.
charter
A document issued by state government granting certain powers and responsibilities to a local government.
checks and balances
The ability of different branches of government to stop each other from acting; designed to prevent one branch from gaining too much power.
chief of state
The ceremonial head of government; in the United States, the president serves as chief of state.
citizen
A legal member of a political unit.
civic education
Education geared toward training the young to be good citizens.
civil liberties
Individual freedoms that the government cannot take away, including free speech, freedom of religion, and the rights of the accused.
civil rights
The rights of equality under the law.
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The major civil rights legislation in the modern era, the Civil Rights Act banned discrimination and segregation in public accommodations.
Civil Rights Cases
Supreme Court decision in 1883 that said the Fourteenth Amendment only made discrimination by government illegal; private citizens could do as they pleased.
civil service
Government employees hired and promoted based on merit, not political connections.
Civil Service Commission
The first federal personnel agency.
Civil Service Reform Act of 1883
Law that established the federal civil service; also known as the Pendleton Act.
Civil Service Reform Act of 1978
Law that updated and reformed the civil service.
civil society
The network of community relationships that builds social capital.
civil war
A war fought within a single country between or among different groups of citizens who want to control the government and do not recognize another group’s right to rule.
classical conservatism
A view that arose in opposition to classical liberalism; it claimed that tradition was very valuable, human reason limited, and stability essential.
classical liberalism
A view that arose in the early modern era in Europe; it argues for the value of the individual, the necessity for freedom, the importance of rationalism, and the value of the free market.
clear
and
closed primary
A primary in which the voter must belong to the party in which he or she participates.
closed rule
A rule on a bill, issued by the House Rules Committee, which limits or bans amendments during floor debate.
cloture
A motion to end debate in the Senate, it must be approved by sixty votes.
codetermination
A policy used in some states with strong social democratic parties that forces large corporations to have substantial representation from the workers on the board of directors
command economy
An economy where all decisions are made by the government.
commerce clause
A clause in Article I, Section 8, of the U.S. Constitution that grants Congress the power to regulate interstate commerce.
common
carrier role
common law
A system of law, originally from England, in which previous decisions guide judges in interpreting the law.
communism
An extreme form of socialism that advocates violent revolution to create a socialist state.
comparative politics
An academic discipline that compares states in order to understand how they work.
concurrent powers
Powers exercised simultaneously by the states and the federal government.
concurring opinion
An opinion issued by a judge who votes with the winning side but disagrees with the majority or plurality opinion.
confederacy
A loose relationship among a number of smaller political units.
confederate system
A system of government with a very weak central government and strong states.
conformism
A tendency for people to act the same way, watch the same television programs, read the same books, and so on.
constituency
The people in a district represented by a legislator.
constitution
A set of rules that govern how power will be distributed and used legitimately in a state.
constitutional democracy
A type of government characterized by limitations on government power spelled out in a constitution.
constitutional government
A regime in which the use of power is limited by law.
constitutional powers
Powers of the president granted explicitly by the Constitution.
continuing resolution
A measure passed by Congress that temporarily funds an agency while Congress completes its budget.
conventional participation
Political participation in activities deemed appropriate by most; includes voting, donating to a campaign, and writing letters to officeholders.
convention delegate
A party member or official who goes to the national convention to vote for the party’s presidential nominee and to ratify the party’s platform.
cooperative federalism
A term used to describe federalism for most of the twentieth century (and into the twenty
corrupt practices acts
A series of laws in the early twentieth century that were the first attempts to regulate campaign finance.
credentials committee
Party officials who decide which delegates may participate in the national convention.
critical election
An election that marks the advent of a realignment.
dealignment
The loosening of party ties as more voters see themselves as independents.
decision
A document issued by the court stating who wins the case.
Declaration of Independence
The document written by Thomas Jefferson in 1776 that broke the colonies away from British rule.
de facto?segregation
Segregation that exists due to economic and residential patterns, not because of law.
defamation of character
Unfairly hurting a person’s reputation.
deficit spending
When a government intentionally spends more money than it takes in.
de jure segregation
Segregation imposed by law.
delegated powers
Powers granted by Congress to help the president fulfill his duties.
demand
side economics
democracy
Rule by the people.
democratic socialism
A peaceful form of socialism that works within democratic governments to attain socialism gradually.
demosclerosis
The inability of the U.S. government to get anything significant done because interest groups block all major change.
denial of power
Declaring that a certain person or group does not have a particular power.
depression
A severe economic downturn that lasts a long time; more serious than a recession.
deregulation
The repeal or reduction of regulations in order to boost efficiency, increase competitiveness, and benefit consumers.
deterrence
Threatening to use military force to prevent another state from taking a particular course of action.
devolution
The process of the national government giving responsibilities and powers to state, local, or regional governments.
dictatorship
An absolute government in which one person holds all the power and uses it for his or her own self
diplomacy
The act of negotiating and dealing with other nations in the world, trying to achieve goals without force.
direct democracy
A government in which the people come together to vote on all important issues.
discharge petition
A measure in the House that forces a bill out of a committee for consideration by the whole House.
dissenting opinion
A court opinion written by the losing side that explains why it disagrees with the decision.
diversity
A mix of different cultural and religious traditions and values.
divided government
A situation in which one party controls the presidency, while the other controls at least one house of Congress.
divine right theory of kingship
The view that the monarch is chosen by God to rule with absolute power over a country.
division of labor
The practice of dividing a job into smaller component parts and assigning one person or group to do each part.
dual federalism
A term to describe federalism through most of the nineteenth century, where the federal and state governments each had their own issue areas, which rarely overlapped; also known as layer
due process clause
Part of the Fourteenth Amendment, which declares that no person can be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law.
duopoly
A term to describe the overwhelming power of the two major parties in American politics.
Earned Income Tax Credit
A federal welfare program that refunds all or part of a poor family’s social security tax.
economic aid
Assistance to other countries designed to help the recipient’s economy.
economic group
An interest group that seeks material benefits for its members.
economic growth
The expansion of the economy, leading to the creation of more jobs and more wealth.
effective tax rate
The actual percentage of one’s income that one pays in taxes, after deductions and tax credits.
elastic clause
Clause in Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution that says the Congress has the power to do anything that is necessary and proper in order to carry out its explicit powers; also called the necessary and proper clause.
elector
A member of the Electoral College.
Electoral College
The body that elects the president of the United States; composed of electors from each state equal to that state’s representation in Congress; a candidate must get a majority of electoral votes to win.
elitism/elite theory
The view that a small capable group should rule over the rest.
emergency powers
Inherent powers exercised by the president to deal with emergencies.
empire
A state that governs more than one national group, usually as a result of conquest.
enabling legislation
A law passed by Congress that lays out the general purposes and powers of an agency but grants the agency the power to determine the details of how it implements policy.
entitlement program
A program under which the federal government is obligated to pay a specified benefit to people who meet certain requirements.
enumerated powers
The powers specifically given to Congress in Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution.
environmental impact statement
A statement that must be prepared by the federal government prior to acting that describes how the environment will be affected.
environmentalism
The belief that humans have an obligation to protect the world from the excesses of human habitation, including pollution and the destruction of wilderness.
equality of opportunity
When all people are given the same chances to compete and achieve so that those with talent and diligence will succeed, whereas others will not.
equality of outcome
When all people achieve the same result, regardless of talent or effort.
equal protection clause
Part of the Fourteenth Amendment, which states that states must give all citizens the equal protection of the law.
Equal Rights Amendment
A proposed amendment that would end gender discrimination; it failed to be ratified.
equal time rule
A broadcast media regulation that requires media outlets to give equal amounts of time to opposing candidates in an election.
equity
When all parties to a transaction are treated fairly.
establishment clause
A part of the First Amendment that forbids government establishment of religion.
excess demand
An economic situation in which the demand for something exceeds the supply.
exclusionary rule
A legal rule that excludes from trial evidence obtained in an illegal search.
executive leadership
The view that the president should have strong influence over the bureaucracy.
Executive Office of the President
A set of agencies that work closely with the president to help him perform his job.
executive order
An order issued by the president that has the effect of law.
executive privilege
The right of officials of the executive branch to refuse to disclose some information to other branches of government or to the public.
ex post facto law
A law that declares something illegal after it has been done.
expressed powers
The specific powers given to Congress or the president by the Constitution; also called the enumerated powers.
fairness doctrine
A broadcast media regulation that requires a broadcaster that airs a controversial program to also provide airtime to people with an opposing view.
faithless elector
An elector who votes for someone other than the candidate who won the most votes in the state.
fascism
Ideology from Italy that stresses national unity, a strong expansionist military, and absolute rule by one party.
federal budget
A document detailing how the federal government will spend money during a fiscal year.
Federal Communications Commission
The federal agency that regulates the broadcast media.
Federal Election Campaign Act
A law, passed in 1971, that limited expenditures on media advertising and required disclosure of donations above $100; made more stringent following the Watergate scandal.
Federal Election Commission
The independent agency established in 1974 to enforce campaign finance laws.
federalism
A system of government in which power is shared by national and state governments.
Federal Register
A federal publication that lists all executive orders.
federal reserve bank
The name of the central bank of the United States; often called the Fed.
federal system
A system of government where power is shared between the central government and state and local governments.
feminism
The belief that women are equal to men and should be treated equally by the law.
filibuster
A Senate tactic; a senator in the minority on a bill holds the floor (in effect shutting down the Senate) until the majority backs down and kills the bill.
First Continental Congress
A gathering of representatives from all thirteen colonies in 1774; it called for a total boycott of British goods in protest against taxes.
fiscal federalism
The practice of states spending federal money to help administer national programs.
fiscal policy
How the government influences the economy through taxing, borrowing, and spending.
fiscal year
A twelve
527 groups
A political organization, not affiliated with a party, that can raise and spend soft money; named after a section of the Internal Revenue Code.
flat taxes
A taxation system in which everyone is charged the same rate, regardless of income.
food stamps
Coupons issued by the government that can be used to purchase food.
foreign policy
A state’s international goals and its strategies to achieve those goals.
formalized rules
Another term for standard operating procedure.
formula grants
Grants in which a formula is used to determine how much money each state receives.
framers
The men who wrote the Constitution.
franking
The ability of members of Congress to mail informational literature to constituents free of charge.
free exercise clause
The part of the First Amendment that forbids the government from interfering in the free exercise of religion.
free rider
A person who benefits from an interest group’s efforts without actually contributing to those efforts.
front
loading
front
runner
full faith and credit clause
A clause in Article IV of the Constitution that declares that state governments must give full faith and credit to other state governments’ decisions.
fundamentalism
The belief that a religious document is infallible and literally true.
gag order
An order by a court to block people from talking or writing about a trial.
gender discrimination
Treating people differently and unequally because of gender.
general election
An election contest between all party nominees and independent candidates; the winner becomes a member of Congress.
general jurisdiction
A court’s power to hear cases, which is mostly unrestricted.
gerrymandering
The term used to describe the process by which the party that controls the state government uses redistricting to its own political advantage.
Gibbons v. Ogden
An 1824 Supreme Court case that gave the federal government extensive powers through the commerce clause.
Gideon v. Wainwright
Supreme Court case of 1963 that ordered governments to provide an attorney to criminal defendants who cannot afford one.
