Reading...
Play button
Play button
Use LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to navigate between flashcards;
Use UP and DOWN arrow keys to flip the card;
H to show hint;
A reads text to speech;
268 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
|
power
|
the ability of one person to get another person to act in accordance with the first person's intentions
|
|
|
authority
|
the right to use power
|
|
|
legitimacy
|
political authority conferred by law or by a state or national constitution
|
|
|
democracy
|
the rule of many
|
|
|
direct or participatory democracy
|
a government in which all or most citizens participate directly
|
|
|
representative democracy
|
a government in which leaders make decisions by winning a competitive struggle for the popular vote
|
|
|
elite
|
persons who possess a disproportionate share of some valued resource, like money or power
|
|
|
Marxist view
|
View that the government is dominated by capitalists
|
|
|
power elite view
|
View that the government is dominated by a few top leaders, most of whom are outside of government
|
|
|
bureaucratic view
|
view that the government is dominated by appointed officials
|
|
|
pluralist view
|
the belief that competition among all affected interets shapes public policy
|
|
|
unalienable
|
a human right based on nature or God
|
|
|
Articles of Confederation
|
a weak constitution that governed America during the Revolutionary War
|
|
|
Constitutional Convention
|
a meeting in Philadelphia in 1787 that produced a new constitution
|
|
|
Shay's Rebellion
|
a 1787 rebellion in which ex-Revolutionary War soldiers attempted to prevent foreclosures of farms as a result of high interest rates and taxes
|
|
|
Virginia Plan
|
proposal to create a strong national government
|
|
|
New Jersey Plan
|
proposal to create a weak national government
|
|
|
Great Compromise
|
plan to have a popularly elected House based on state population and a state-selected Senate, with two members for each state
|
|
|
republic
|
a government in which elected representatives make the decisions
|
|
|
judicial review
|
the power of the courts to declare laws unconstitutional
|
|
|
federalism
|
government authority shared by national and local governments
|
|
|
enumerate powers
|
powers given to the national government alone
|
|
|
checks and balances
|
authority shared by three branches of government
|
|
|
reserved powers
|
powers given to teh state governments alone
|
|
|
concurrent powers
|
powers shared by the national and state governments
|
|
|
separation of powers
|
Constitutional authority is shared by three different branches of government
|
|
|
faction
|
a group with distinct political interest
|
|
|
Federalists
|
those who favor a stronger national government
|
|
|
Antifederalists
|
those who favor a weaker national government
|
|
|
Coalition
|
an alliance of factions
|
|
|
Bill of Rights
|
first ten amendments to the Constitution
|
|
|
habeas corpus
|
an order to produce an arrested person before a judge
|
|
|
bill of attainder
|
a law that declares a person, without trial, to be guilty of a crime
|
|
|
ex post facto law
|
a law that makes an act criminal though the act was legal when it was committed
|
|
|
referendum
|
procedure enabling voters to reject a measure passed by the legislature
|
|
|
line-item veto
|
an executive's ability to block a particular provision in a bill passed by the legislature
|
|
|
federalism
|
government authority shared by national and local governments
|
|
|
devolution
|
the effort to transfer responsibility for many public programs and services from the federal governments to the states
|
|
|
block grants
|
money from the national government that states can spend within broad guidelines determined by Washington
|
|
|
mandates
|
terms set by the national government that steps must meet whether or not they accept federal grants
|
|
|
"necessary and proper" clause
|
Section of the Constitution allowing Congress to pass all laws "necessary and proper" to its duties, and which has permitted Congress to exercise powers not specifically given to it (enumerate) by the Constitution
|
|
|
nullification
|
the doctrine that a state can declare null and void a federal law that, in the state's opinion, violates the Constitution
|
|
|
dual federalism
|
doctrin holding that the national government is supreme in its sphere, the states are supreme in theirs, and the two spheres should be kept separate
|
|
|
police power
|
state power to enact laws promoting health, safety, and morals
|
|
|
initiative
|
process that permits voters to put legislative measures directly on the ballot referendum
|
|
|
recall
|
procedure whereby voters can remove an elected official from office
|
|
|
grants-in-aid
|
money given by the national government to the states
|
|
|
categorical grants
|
federal grants for specific purposes, such as building an airport
|
|
|
revenue sharing
|
federal sharing a fixed percentage of its revenue with the states
|
|
|
conditions of aid
|
terms set by the national government that states must meet if they are to receive certain federal funds
|
|
|
mandates
|
terms set by the national government that states must meet with or they do not get federal grants
|
|
|
waiver
|
a decision by an administrative agency granting some other part permission to violate a law or rule that would otherwise apply to it
|
|
|
second-order devolution
|
the flow of power and money from states to local governments
|
|
|
third-order devolution
|
the increased role of nonprofit organizations and private groups in policy implementation
|
|
|
express preemption
|
a federal law or regulation that contains language explicitly displacing or superseding any contrary state or local laws
|
|
|
political culture
|
a distinctive and patterned way of thinking about how to political and economic life ought to be carried out
|
|
|
civic duty
|
belief that one has an obligation to participate in civic and political affairs
|
|
|
civic competence
|
a belief that one can affect government policies
|
|
|
class consciousness
|
a belief that you are a member of an economic group whose interests are opposed to people in other such groups
|
|
|
orthodox
|
a belief that morality and religion ought to be of decisive importance
|
|
|
progressive
|
a belief that personal freedom and solving social problems are more important than religion
|
|
|
political efficacy
|
a belief that you can take part in politics (internal efficacy) or that the government will respond to the citizenry (external efficacy)
|
|
|
internal efficacy
|
the ability to understand and take part in politics
|
|
|
external efficacy
|
the willingness of the state to respond to the citizenry
|
|
|
due process of law
|
denies the government the right, without due process, to deprive people of life, liberty, and property
|
|
|
public opinion
|
how people think or feel about particular things
|
|
|
poll
|
a survey of public opinion
|
|
|
random sample
|
a method of selecting from a population in which each person has an equal probability of being selected
|
|
|
sampling error
|
the difference between the results of random samples taken at the same time
|
|
|
exit polls
|
polls based on interviews conducted on Election Day with randomly selected voters
|
|
|
political socialization
|
process by which background traits influence one's political views
|
|
|
gender gap
|
difference in political views between men and women
|
|
|
political ideology
|
a more or less consistent set of beliefs about what policies government ought to pursue
|
|
|
political elites
|
persons with a disproportionate share of political power
|
|
|
norm
|
a standard of right or proper conduct
|
|
|
voting-age population
|
citizen who are eligible to vote after reaching the minimum age requirement
|
|
|
registered voters
|
people who are registered to vote
|
|
|
literacy test
|
a requirement that citizens show that they can read before registering to vote
|
|
|
poll tax
|
a requirement that citizens pay a tax in order to register to vote
|
|
|
grandfather clause
|
a clause in registration laws allowing people who do not meet registration requirements to vote if they or their ancestors had voted before 1867
|
|
|
white primary
|
the practice of keeping blacks from voting in the southern states' primaries through arbitrary use of registration requirements and intimidation
|
|
|
Australian ballot
|
a government-printed ballot of uniform dimensions to be cast in secret that many states adopted around 1890 to reduce voting fraud associated with party-printed ballots cast in public
|
|
|
activists
|
people who tend to participate in all forms of politics
|
|
|
political party
|
a group that seeks to elect candidates to public office
|
|
|
mugwumps or progressives
|
Republican party faction of the 1890s to the 1910s, composed of reformers who opposed patronage
|
|
|
critical or realignment period
|
periods when a major, lasting shift occurs in the popular coalition supporitng one or both parites
|
|
|
split ticket
|
voting for candidates of different parties for various offices in the same election
|
|
|
straight ticket
|
voting for candidates who are all of the same party
|
|
|
office-bloc ballot
|
a ballot listing all candidates of a given office under the name of that office; also called a "Massachusetts" ballot
|
|
|
party-column ballot
|
a ballot listing all candidates of a given party together under the name of that party; also called an "Indiana" ballot
|
|
|
national convention
|
a meeting of party delegates every four years
|
|
|
national committee
|
delegates who run party affairs between national conventions
|
|
|
congressional campaign committee
|
a party committee in Congress that provides funds to members and would-be members
|
|
|
national chairman
|
day-to-day party manager elected by the national committee
|
|
|
superdelegates
|
party leaders and elected officials who become delegates to the national convenion without having to run in primaries or caucuses
|
|
|
political machine
|
a party organization the recruits members by dispensing patronage
|
|
|
ideological party
|
a party that values principled stands on issues above all else
|
|
|
solidary incentives
|
the social rewards (sense of pleasure, status, or companionship) that lead people ot join political organizations
|
|
|
sponsored party
|
a local or state political party that is largely supported by another organization in the community
|
|
|
personal following
|
the political support provided to a candidtate on the basis of personal popularity and networks
|
|
|
two-party system
|
an electoral system with two dominant parties that compete in national elections
|
|
|
plurality system
|
an electoral system in which the winner is the person who gets the most votes, even if he or she does not receive a majority; used in almost all American elections
|
|
|
caucus
|
a meeting of party members to select delegates backing one or another primary candidate
|
|
|
incumbent
|
the person already holding an elective office
|
|
|
coattails
|
the alleged tendency of candidates to win more votes in an election because of the presence at the top of the ticket of a better-known candidate, such as the president
|
|
|
political action committee (PAC)
|
a committee set up by a corporation, labor union, or interest group that raises and spends campaign money from voluntary donations
|
|
|
malapportionament
|
drawing the boundaries of legislative districts so that they are unequal in population
|
|
|
gerrymandering
|
drawing the boundaries of legislative districts in bizarre or unusual shapes to favor one party
|
|
|
sophomore surge
|
an increase in the votes congressional candidates usually get when they first run for reelection
|
|
|
position issues
|
an issue about which the public is divided and rival candidates or political parties adopt different policy positions
|
|
|
valence issue
|
an issue about which the public is united and rival candidates or political parties adopt similar positions in hopes that each will be thought to best represent those widely shared beliefs
|
|
|
general election
|
an election held to choose which candidate will hold office
|
|
|
primary election
|
an election held to choose candidates for office
|
|
|
closed primary
|
a primary election in which voting is limited to already registered party members
|
|
|
open primary
|
a primary election in which voters may choose in which party to vote as they enter the polling place
|
|
|
blanket primary
|
a primary election in which each voter may vote for candidates from both parties
|
|
|
runoff primary
|
a second primary election held when no cnadidate wins a majority of the votes in the first primary
|
|
|
independent expenditures
|
spending by political action committees, corporations, or lab unions that is done to help a party or candidate but is done independtly of them
|
|
|
soft money
|
funds obtained by political partiesthat are spent on party activities, such as get-out-the-vote drives, but not on behalf of a specific candidate
|
|
|
527 organizations
|
organizations that, under section 527 of the Internal Revenue code, raise and spend money to advance political causes
|
|
|
prospective voting
|
voting for a candidate because you favor his or her ideas for handling issues
|
|
|
retrospective voting
|
voting for a candidate because you like his or her past actions in office
|
|
|
501(c)(3) organization
|
nonprofit group that may legally address political matters but may not lobby or campaign; donations to it are tax deductible
|
|
|
501(c)(4) organization
|
nonprofit group that is permitted to lobby and campaign; donations to it are not tax deductible
|
|
|
interest group
|
an organization of people sharing a common interest or goal that seeks to influence the making of public policy
|
|
|
incentive
|
something of value one cannot get without joining an organization
|
|
|
solidary incentives
|
the social rewards (sense of pleasure, status, or companionship) that lead people to join political organizations
|
|
|
material incentives
|
money or things valued in monetary terms
|
|
|
purposive incentives
|
a benefit that comes from serving a cause or principle
|
|
|
ideological interest groups
|
political organizations that attract members by appealing to their political convictions or principles
|
|
|
public-interest lobby
|
a political organization whose goals will principally benefit nonmembers
|
|
|
social movement
|
a widely shared demand for change in some aspect of the social or political order
|
|
|
political cue
|
a signal telling a legislator what values are at stake in a vote, and how that issue fits into his or her own political views on party agenda
|
|
|
ratings
|
assessments of a representative's voting record on issues important to an interest group
|
|
|
blog
|
a series, or log, of discussion iterms on a page of the World Wide Web
|
|
|
sound bite
|
a radio or video clip of someone speaking
|
|
|
equal time rule
|
an FCC rule that if a broadcaster sells time to one candidate, it must sell equal time to other candidates
|
|
|
trial balloon
|
information leaked to the media to test public reaction to a possible policy
|
|
|
loaded language
|
words that imply a value judgement, used to persuade a reader without having made a serious argument
|
|
|
routine stories
|
media stories about events that are regularly covered by reporters
|
|
|
feature stories
|
media stories about events that, though public, are not regularly covered by reporters
|
|
|
insider stories
|
media stories about events that are not usually made public
|
|
|
selective attention
|
paying attention only to those news stories with which one already agrees
|
|
|
adversarial press
|
the tendency of the national media to be suspicious of officials and eager to reveal unflattering stories about them
|
|
|
background
|
a public official's statement to a reporter that is given on condition that the official not be named
|
|
|
bicameral legislature
|
a lawmaking body made up of two chambers or parts
|
|
|
filibuster
|
an attempt to defeat a bill in the Senate by talking indefinitely, thus preventing the Senate from taking action on the bill
|
|
|
marginal districts
|
political districts in which candidates elected to the House of Representatives win in close elections, typcially by less than 55 percent of the vote
|
|
|
safe districts
|
districts in which incumbents win by margins of 55 percent or more
|
|
|
conservative coalition
|
an alliance between Republican and conservative Democrats
|
|
|
majority leader
|
the legislative leader elected by party members holding the majority of seats in the House or the Senate
|
|
|
minority leader
|
the legislative leader elected by party members holding a minority of seats in the House or the Senate
|
|
|
whip
|
a senator or representative who helps the party leader stay informed about what party members are thinking
|
|
|
party polarization
|
a vote in which a majority of Democratic legislators oppose a majority of Republican legislators
|
|
|
caucus
|
an association of Congress members created to advance a political ideology or a regional, ethnic, or economic interest
|
|
|
standing committees
|
permanently established legislative committee legislative committees that consider and are responsible for legislation within a certain subject area
|
|
|
select committees
|
congressional committees appointed for a limited time and purpose
|
|
|
joint committees
|
committees on which both senators and representatives serve
|
|
|
conference committees
|
a joint committee appointed to resolve differences in teh Senate and House versions of the same bill
|
|
|
public bill
|
a legislative bill that deals with matters of general concern
|
|
|
private bill
|
a legislative bill that deals only with specific, private, personal, or local matters
|
|
|
simple resolution
|
an expression of opinion either in the House or Senate to settle procedural matters matters in either body
|
|
|
concurrent resolution
|
an expression of opinion without the force of law that requries the approval of both the House and the Senate, but not the president
|
|
|
joint resolution
|
a formal expression of congressional opinion that must be approved by both houses of Congress and by the president; constitutional amendments need not be signed by the president
|
|
|
multiple referral
|
a congressional process whereby a bill may be referred to several important committees
|
|
|
sequential referral
|
a congressional process by which a Speaker may send a bill to a second committeeafter the first is finished acting
|
|
|
discharge petition
|
a device by which any member of the House, after a committee has had the bill for thirty days, may petition to have it brought to the floor
|
|
|
closed rule
|
an order from the House Rules Committeethat sets a time limit on debate; forbids a bill from being amended on the floor
|
|
|
open rule
|
an order from the House Rules Committee that permits a bill to be amended on the floor
|
|
|
restrictive rule
|
an order from the House Rules Committee that permits certain kinds of amendments but not others to be made into a bill on the floor
|
|
|
quorum
|
the minimum number of members who must be present for business to be conducted in Congress
|
|
|
quorum call
|
a roll call in eithe house of Congress to see whether the minimum number of representatives required to conduct business is present
|
|
|
cloture rule
|
a rule used by the Senate to end or limit debate
|
|
|
double-tracking
|
a procedure to keep the Senate going during a filibuster in which the disputed bill is shelved temporarily so that the Senatecan get on with other business
|
|
|
voice vote
|
a congressional voting procedure in which members shout "yea" in approval or "nay" in disapproval, permitting members to vote quickly or anonymously on bills
|
|
|
division vote
|
a congressional voting congressional voting procedure in which members stand and are counted
|
|
|
teller vote
|
a congressional voting procedure in which members pass between two tellers, the "yeas" first and the "nays" second
|
|
|
roll-call vote
|
a congressional voting procedure that consists of members answering "yea" or "nay" to their names
|
|
|
pork-barrel legislation
|
legislation that gives tangible benefits to constituents in several districts or states in the hope of winning their votes in return
|
|
|
franking privilege
|
the ability of members to mail letters to their constituents free of charge by substituting their facsimile signature for postage
|
|
|
divided government
|
one party controls the White House and another party controls one or both houses of Congress
|
|
|
unified government
|
the same party controls the White House and both houses of Congress
|
|
|
gridlock
|
the inability of the government to act because rival parties control different parts of the government
|
|
|
electoral college
|
the people chosen to cast each state's votes in a presidential election. Each state can cast one electoral vote for each senator and representative it has. The District of Columbia has three electoral votes, even though it cannot elect a representative or senator
|
|
|
pyramid structure
|
a president's subordinates report to him through a clear chain of command headed by a chief of staff
|
|
|
circular structure
|
several of the president's assistants report directly to him
|
|
|
ad hoc structure
|
several subordinates, cabinet officers, and committees report directly to the president on different matters
|
|
|
cabinet
|
the heads of the fifteen executive branch departments of the federal governments
|
|
|
bully pulpit
|
the president's use of his prestige and visibility to guide or enthuse the American public
|
|
|
veto message
|
a message fromt he president to Congress stating that he will not sign a bill it has passed. Must be produced within ten days of the bill's passage
|
|
|
pocket veto
|
a bill fails to become law because the president did not sign it within ten days before Congress adjourns
|
|
|
line-item veto
|
an executive's ability to block a particular provision in a bill passed by the legislature
|
|
|
signing statement
|
a presidential document that reveals what the president thinks of a new law and how it ought to be enforced
|
|
|
legislative veto
|
the authority of Congress to block a presidential action after it has taken place. The Supreme Court has held that Congress does not have this power
|
|
|
impeachment
|
charges against a president approved by a majority of the House of Representatives
|
|
|
lame duck
|
a person still in office after he or she has lost a bid for reelection
|
|
|
bureaucracy
|
a large, complex organization composed of appointed officials
|
|
|
government by proxy
|
Washington pays state and local governments and private groups to staff and administer federal programs
|
|
|
laissez-faire
|
an economic theory that government should not regulate or interfere with commerce
|
|
|
discretionary authority
|
the extent to which appointed bureaucrats can choose courses of action and make policies that are not spelled out in advance by laws
|
|
|
competitive service
|
the government offices to which people are appointed on the basis of merit, as ascertained by a written exam or by applying certain selection criteria
|
|
|
name-request job
|
a job that is filled by a person whom an agency has already identified
|
|
|
iron triangle
|
a close relationship between an agency, a congressional committee, and an interest group
|
|
|
issue network
|
a network of people in Washington, D.C.- based interest groups, on congressional staffs, in universities and think tanks, and in the mass media, who regularly discuss and advocate public policies
|
|
|
authorization legislation
|
legislative permission to begin or continue a government program or agency
|
|
|
appropriation
|
a legislative grant of money to finance a government program or agency
|
|
|
trust funds
|
funds for government programs that are collected and spent outside the regular government budget
|
|
|
committee clearance
|
the ability of a congressional committee to review and approve certain agency decisions in advance and without passing a law
|
|
|
legislative veto
|
the authority of Congress to block a presidential action after it has taken place. The Supreme Court has held that Congress does not have this power
|
|
|
red tape
|
complex bureaucratic rules and procedures that must be followed to get something done
|
|
|
judicial review
|
the power of the courts to declare laws unconstitutional
|
|
|
judicial restraint approach
|
the view that judges should decide cases strictly on the basis of the language of the laws and the Constitution
|
|
|
activist approach
|
the view that judges should discern the general principles underlying laws or the Constitution and apply them to modern circumstances
|
|
|
constitutional court
|
a federal court authorized by Article III of the Constitution that keeps judges in office during good behavior and prevents their salaries from being reduced. They are the Supreme Court (created by the Constitution) and appellate and district courts created by Congress
|
|
|
district courts
|
the lowest federal courts; federal trials can be held only here
|
|
|
courts of appeals
|
that hear appeals from district courts; no trials
|
|
|
legislative courts
|
courts created by Congress for specialized purposes whose judges do not enjoy the protections of Article III of the Constitution
|
|
|
litmus test
|
an examination of the political ideology of a nominated judge
|
|
|
federal-question cases
|
cases concerning the Constitution, federal laws, or treaties
|
|
|
diversity cases
|
cases involving citizens of different states who can bring suit in federal courts
|
|
|
writ of certiorari
|
an order by a higher court directing a lower court to send up a case for review
|
|
|
in forma pauperis
|
a method whereby a poor person can have his or her case heard in federal court without charge
|
|
|
fee shifting
|
a rule that allows a plaintiff to recover costs from the defendant if the plaintiff wins
|
|
|
plaintiff
|
the party that initiates a lawsuit
|
|
|
standing
|
a legal rule that stating who is authorized to start a lawsuit
|
|
|
soverign immunity
|
the rule that a citizen cannot sue the government without the government's consent
|
|
|
class-action suit
|
a case brought by someone to help him or her and all others who are similarly situated
|
|
|
brief
|
a written statement by an attorney that summarizes a case and the laws and rulings that support it
|
|
|
amicus curiae
|
a brief submitted by a "friend of the court"
|
|
|
per curiam opinion
|
a brief, unsigned court opinion
|
|
|
opinion of the court
|
a signed opinion of a majority of the Supreme Court
|
|
|
concurring opinion
|
a signed opinion in which one or more members agree with the majority view but for different reasons
|
|
|
dissenting opinion
|
a signed opinion in which one or more justices disagree with the majority view
|
|
|
stare decisis
|
"Let the decision stand," or allowing prior rulings to control the current case
|
|
|
political question
|
an issue the Surpreme Court will allow the executive and legislative branches decide
|
|
|
remedy
|
a judicial order enforcing a right or redressing a wrong
|
|
|
Nancy Pelosi
|
House Speaker
|
|
|
Rahm Emmanuel
|
Chief of Staff
|
|
|
Janet Napolitano
|
Secretary of Homeland Security
|
|
|
Eric Holder
|
US Attorney General
|
|
|
John Roberts
|
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
|
|
|
Ben Bernanke
|
Chairman of the US Federal Reserve
|
|
|
Robert Gates
|
Secretary of Defense
|
|
|
Glenn Beck
|
talk show host of nationally-syndicated talk radio show, conservative political commentator
|
|
|
Mitch McConnell
|
Senate Minority Leader
|
|
|
Harry Reid
|
Senate Majority Leader
|
|
|
John Boehner
|
House Minority Leader
|
|
|
Hillary Clinton
|
Secretary of State
|
|
|
Larry Summers
|
Director National Economic Council
|
|
|
Michael Moore
|
an American filmmaker, author and liberal political commentator. He is the director and producer of Bowling for Columbine, Fahrenheit 9/11, Sicko, and Capitalism: A Love Story, four of the top eight highest-grossing documentaries of all time.
|
|
|
Article I
|
Legislative Branch
|
|
|
Article II
|
Executive Branch
|
|
|
Article III
|
Judicial Branch
|
|
|
Article IV
|
States teh relationship of the states to each other and hte US government
|
|
|
Article V
|
states provisions for amending the Constitution
|
|
|
Article VI
|
established the Constitution as the Supreme Law of the Land
|
|
|
Article VII
|
states provision for ratification of the Constitution
|
|
|
1st Amendment
|
Right to free speech, press, and religion
|
|
|
2nd Amendment
|
Right to bear arms
|
|
|
3rd Amendment
|
prohibits quartering of soldiers in peacetime
|
|
|
4th Amendment
|
guards against unreasonable searches and seizures
|
|
|
5th Amendment
|
For criminal cases- right to due process; double jeopardy
|
|
|
6th Amendment
|
Right to a speedy and public trial
|
|
|
7th Amendment
|
Right to a jury trial (for criminal cases and some civil)
|
|
|
8th Amendment
|
Prohibits excessive bail
|
|
|
9th Amendment
|
Addresses unenumerated rights
|
|
|
10th Amendment
|
Federal powers not states in the constitution are reserved for the states or people
|
|
|
14th Amendment
|
secures rights for former slaves. defining citizenship, also includes equal protection clause (all persons (not just citizens) in the US are equal); due process clause; privileges and immunities clause, and also keep in mind, this amendment is also important because it extends Amendments 1-8 ONTO the STATES.
|
