Vocabulary (1-4)

Question 1

Direct Democracy

Answer 1

type of government characterized by citizens attending a town meeting and voting on issues raised, with the majority prevailing

Question 2

Elite and Class Theory

Answer 2

group theory that revolves around an economic strata of society controlling the policy agenda

Question 3

Government

Answer 3

those institutions that create public policy

Question 4

HYperpluralism

Answer 4

group theory characterized by many interest groups vying for control resulting in a government that is tied up in gridlock

Question 5

Linkage institution

Answer 5

means by which individuals can express preferences regarding the development of public policy

Question 6

Loose construction

Answer 6

liberal interpretation of the Constitution

Question 7

Pluralism

Answer 7

group theory that involves different groups all vying for control of the policy agenda. NO single group emerges, forcing the groups to compromise.

Question 8

Policy agenda

Answer 8

agenda that results from the interaction of linkage institutions.

Question 9

Political party

Answer 9

group of people joined together by common philosophies and common approaches with the aim of getting candidates elected in order to develop and implement public policy. It is characterized by an organization that is responsible to the electorate and has a role in government.

Question 10

Public policy

Answer 10

the final action(s) taken by government in promotional, regulatory, or distributive form

Question 11

Representative Democracy

Answer 11

form of government that relies on the consent of the people and is often called a republican government.

Question 12

Strict constructionists

Answer 12

individuals who believe in a conservative interpretation of the Constitution

Question 13

Unitary system of government

Answer 13

type of government that centralizes all the powers of government into one central authority.

Question 14

Anti Federalists

Answer 14

led by Thomas Jefferson, one of the first political parties urging the rejection of the Constitution. Its members were farmers and represented the interest of the common people.

Question 15

Articles of Confederation

Answer 15

the first adopted written constitution of the newly independent United States. Because of its weaknesses, the period of time it governed (1781-1789) became known as the critical period.

Question 16

Connecticut Compromise

Answer 16

offered at the Constitutional Convention of Philadelphia, it was adopted by the delegates and created a bicameral legislature, where one house is represented by population, and the other house is represented by the states.

Question 17

Consent of the governed

Answer 17

a derivative of the doctrine of natural rights; a philosophy, later adopted by Jefferson when he drafted the Declaration of Independence, that puts the authority of the government in the people’s hands.

Question 18

Constitution

Answer 18

provides the basic framework of government. It is the supreme law of the land.

Question 19

Declaration of Independence

Answer 19

blueprint for the American Revolution containing three parts. 1) introduction including ideas such as natural rights as related to life, liberty, and property, the consent of the governed, and the concept of limited government. 2) a list of grievances against the King of England 3) a declaration of independence

Question 20

Democratic-Republicans

Answer 20

led by Thomas Jefferson, they were characterized as the party of the “common man.” They believed in a more limited role of the central government.

Question 21

Federalist Papers

Answer 21

written using the pen name Publius; John Jay, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison wrote a series of articles urging the adoption of the Constitution. They argued for establishing a government that could deal with “the tyranny of the majority” by creating three branches of government having distinctive and separate powers.

Question 22

Federalist Party

Answer 22

headed by Alexander Hamilton, made up of the country’s upper class, supported a strong national government and set a policy agenda that would solve the nation’s economic problems.

Question 23

Limited government

Answer 23

derived from the doctrine of natural rights, it was adopted by Jefferson and restricts the power of government especially in the area of protecting the rights of the people.

Question 24

Natural rights

Answer 24

part of Locke’s philosophy; rights that are God given such as life, liberty, and property.

Question 25

New Jersey Plan

Answer 25

offered at the Constitutional Convention at Philadelphia, it urged the delegates to create a legislature based on equal representation by the states.

Question 26

Second Treatise of Civil Government

Answer 26

written by John Locke, it contains the blueprint principles found in the Declaration of Independence.

Question 27

Shay’s Rebellion

Answer 27

failed attempt by Daniel Shay, a farmer who lost his property, to revolt against the state government.

Question 28

Three-Fifths Compromise

Answer 28

offered at the Constitutional Convention at Philadelphia, it was adopted by the delegates and counted every five slaves as three people for representation and tax purposes.

Question 29

Unalienable rights

Answer 29

rights such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, which are derived from the doctrine of natural rights.

Question 30

Virginia Plan

Answer 30

offered at the Constitutional Convention at Philadelphia, it urged the delegates to create a legislature based on the population of each state.

Question 31

Politics

Answer 31

who gets what, when, how and why.

Question 32

BIcameral

Answer 32

two house legislature

Question 33

Checks and balances

Answer 33

a key aspect of the Constitution of the United States protecting the balance of power among the three branches of government. The concept was first suggested by James Madison in the Federalist Papers.

Question 34

Elastic Clause

Answer 34

found in Article 1 Section 8 of the Constitution, it gives Congress the power to make “all laws necessary and proper” to carry out the other defined powers of Congress.

Question 35

Electoral College

Answer 35

consists of presidential electors from each state. The number of electors is based on the state’s population. The states with the greatest population have the most electoral votes. When the voter casts a vote for president, in reality the vote goes to one of the presidential electors designated by the candidate in that state, The number of electors for each state equals the number of senators and representatives that state has in Congress. The candidate with a majority of the electoral votes is elected to office. If no candidate receives the majority, the House of Representatives will determine the outcome of the election.

Question 36

Enumerated powers

Answer 36

delegated powers of Congress, including the power to collect taxes, pay debts, provide for the common defense and general welfare, regulate commerce among the states, coin money, and declare war.

Question 37

Ex post facto laws

Answer 37

laws that take effect after the act takes place. Congress is prohibited from enacting this type of legislation.

Question 38

Executive privilege

Answer 38

the ability of the president to protect personal material.

Question 39

Federalism

Answer 39

the overall division of power between the federal government and state governments; as defined in the Tenth Amendment of the Constitution. It specifically tells the states that they have reserved powers. Powers not delegated to the government by the Constitution are given to the respective states.

Question 40

Full faith and credit

Answer 40

phrase used to describe the mutual respect and legality of laws, public records, and judicial decisions made by states.

Question 41

Judicial review

Answer 41

derived from the Marbury v Madison decision, it gives the Supreme Court the power to interpret the Constitution and specifically acts of Congress, the present, and the states.

Question 42

Preamble

Answer 42

the introduction to the Constitution, outlining the goals of the document.

Question 43

Privileges and immunities

Answer 43

the guarantees that the rights of a citizen in one state will be respected by other states. Also a clause in the 14th Amendment that protects citizens from abuses by a state.

Question 44

Reserved Power Amendment

Answer 44

found in the 10th Amendment, it gives states powers not delegated to the national government.

Question 45

Separation of powers

Answer 45

originally developed by Montesquieu in The Spirit of Natural Laws written during the Enlightenment and James Madison in Federalist No. 48, this important doctrine resulted in the establishment of 3 separate branches of government– the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, each having distinct and unique powers

Question 46

Supremacy clause

Answer 46

clause that states that “the Constitution, and the laws of the United States…shall be the supreme law of the land.”

Question 47

Unwritten Constitution

Answer 47

traditions, precedent, and practice incorporated into our form of government that add to the Constitution’s elasticity and its viability. Political parties, the president’s cabinet, political action committees, and the federal bureaucracy are important examples.

Question 48

Block grants

Answer 48

a form of fiscal federalism where federal aid is given to the states with few strings attached.

Question 49

Categorical Grants

Answer 49

include project and formula grants and aim at assisting the states in areas such as health, income security, and education.

Question 50

Competitive federalism

Answer 50

begun under Richard Nixon and known as the new federalism, this approach stressed the downsizing of the federal government and more reliance on revenue sharing and grants.

Question 51

Cooperative federalism

Answer 51

developed during the New Deal, it is characterized by the federal government becoming more intrusive in what were traditionally state powers.

Question 52

Creative federalism

Answer 52

developed during President Lyndon Johnson’s administration, it was characterized by the Great Society programs, which placed a major responsibility on federally funded programs.

Question 53

Dual federalism

Answer 53

the earliest type of relationship established between the federal government and the states where the federal government’s powers were defined as delegated and the state government;s powers were reserved.

Question 54

Fiscal federalism

Answer 54

a concept of federalism where funding is appropriated by the federal government to the states with specific conditions attached. The legislation can be in the form of mandates.

Question 55

Funded mandates

Answer 55

those regulations passed by Congress or issued by regulatory agencies to the states with federal funds to support them.

Question 56

Layer cake federalism

Answer 56

federalism characterized by a national government exercising its power independently from state governments.

Question 57

Marble Cake federalism

Answer 57

also known as cooperative federalism, it developed during the New Deal, and is characterized by the federal government’s becoming more intrusive in what was traditionally states’ powers.

Question 58

Unfunded mandates

Answer 58

those regulations passed by Congress or issued by regulatory agencies to the states without federal funds to support them

Question 59

Bill of Rights

Answer 59

adopted in 1791 by the states two years after the ratification of the Constitution, it established the basis of civil liberties for Americans.

Question 60

Civil liberties

Answer 60

those rights of the people that are protected by the Bill or Rights.

Question 61

Clear and Present Danger Doctrine

Answer 61

established in Schenck v United States (1919), it gives government the right to censor free speech if, during national emergencies such as war, it can be proven that the result of the speech will significantly hurt national security.

Question 62

Cruel and unusual punishment

Answer 62

doctrine found in the 8th Amendment to the Constitution that prohibits the federal government from imposing excessive penalties for crimes committed.

Question 63

Double jeopardy

Answer 63

legal concept wherein once a verdict is handed down, you cannot be tried again for the same crime.

Question 64

Establishment clause

Answer 64

component of the 1st Amendment to the Constitution that defines the right of the citizens to practice their religions without governmental interference. It also places a restriction on government creating a “wall of separation” between church and state.