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74 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Amendment process |
officially proposed by a two-thirds vote in both houses of Congress (or by two-thirds of all state legislatures), then it needs to be ratified by three-fourths of the state legislatures
(Article 5, Section 1) |
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Anti-Federalists |
Delegates against the constitution. Didn't want supreme power in the government. |
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Articles of Confederation |
First constitution of the U.S. (Drafted in 1777 and ratified in 1781) |
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Authority |
The right to use power |
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Bicameral |
legislative body having two branches or chambers |
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Bill of Rights |
A list of rights and liberties for the American people. ( Freedom of speech, religion) |
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Block Grants |
Grants of money from the federal government to states for broad programs |
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Categorical Grants |
Federal grants for specific purposes defined by federal law. |
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Checks and Balances |
The power of the legislature, Executive, and Judicial to block some acts by the other two branches |
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Civic Duty |
Belief that one has the obligation to participate in civic and political affairs |
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Concurrent Powers |
Powers shared by both the national government and the states. |
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Confederate System |
States or regional government retain ultimate authority |
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Connecticut Compromise |
providing the states with equal representation in the Senate and proportional representation in the House of Representatives. |
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Consent of the governed |
Citizens agreed to be governed |
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Constitution |
basic written set of principles and models of federal government in the US. Approved Sep. 17, 1787 |
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Constitutional convention |
meeting in 1787 to revise the Articles, but instead created a whole new government |
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Cooperative Federalism |
Asserts the National Government is supreme over the states |
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Decentralization |
loosening power of the national government to represent government |
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Declaration of Independence |
Document written by Jefferson claiming independence from Britain |
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Delegated power |
Powers that are granted to the national government |
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Democracy |
System in which people are said to rule, directly or indirectly |
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Devolution |
Effort to scale back responsibility (power) of the government and to shift it to the states |
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Devine Right Theory |
Asserts that monarch derives his right to rule directly from god |
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Dual Federalism |
The national and state governments have defined areas of authority |
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Elastic Clause |
Necessary and proper |
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Elite and class theory |
Identifiable group of people who possess a disproportionate share of some political power. Modern Society in two major classes, capitalists and workers |
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Enumerated powers |
Powers directly stated in the constitution |
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External efficiency |
Belief that the system will respond to citizens (has changed a lot) |
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Extradition |
The requirement for a state to return a fugitive to a state from where he or she fled. |
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Factions |
Groups of people who influence public policy in ways for the public good |
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Federalism |
Ultimate authority is shared between a central government and state or regional governments |
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Federalists papers |
Series of essays written by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay published in 1787-1788 to convince people to amend the constitution |
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Federalists |
Supporters of the constitution. Supported a stronger central government |
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Fiscal Federalism |
Using money to influence states |
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Formula Grant |
Grant awarded based on statistical criteria for specific types of work |
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Full Faith and Credit |
States must give F.F.C. to legal documents of other states |
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Government |
individuals in charge of running a state or region |
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Grants-in-aid |
Amount of money given to local government, institution, or scholar |
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Great compromise |
providing the states with equal representation in the Senate and proportional representation in the House of Representatives. |
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Hyperpluralism |
A state in which many groups or factions are so strong that a government is unable to function |
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Implied Powers |
Powers that are necessary for carrying out enumerated powers. (Necessary and proper) |
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Intergovernmental Relations |
a department in a city that is accountable for coordinating and monitoring activities with the state, federal and other local governments, and public agencies. |
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Internal Efficiency |
Confidence in own abilities to understand and influence politics |
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Judicial Review |
The power of the courts to declare acts of the legislature and executive to be unconstitutional |
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Legitimacy |
Political authority conferred by law, authority, public opinion, or constitution. |
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Limited Government |
Government that is limited by law |
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Linkage institutions |
A structure that connects the people to the government |
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Majority Rule |
greater number should exercise greater power |
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Mandate |
Requirements that direct states or local gov. to comply with federal rules under threat of penalty or as a condition of receipt of federal grants. |
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Minority rights |
Rights applied to various minority groups |
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Natural Rights |
Unalienable rights (laws that can't be taken away: Liberty and speech) |
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Necessary and proper clause |
Congress can pass all laws that are N&P to carry out enumerated powers |
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New Jersey plan |
Proposed to amend the Articles, enhanced national gov. power, each state still had 1 vote |
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Pluralist theory |
competition among all affected interests shapes public policy. |
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Policy Agenda |
a set of issues and policies laid out by ideological or political groups |
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Policy Gridlock |
Situation in which there's difficulty passing laws (Gridlocked when the ratio between bills passed and the agenda of the legislature decreases) |
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Policymaking institutions |
Congress, the presidency, and the courts established by the Constitution to make policy. |
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Political Culture |
A patterned set of ways of thinking about how politics and governing ought to be carried out |
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Political Efficiency |
Ability to effect government |
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Political Ideology |
set of views as to the as to the policies government should pursue |
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Politics |
Process in which gov. leaders are selected and what policies they pursue |
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Power |
The ability of one person to get another person to act on their intentions |
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Privileges and immunities |
Prevents a state from treating citizens of another state in discrimination manner. (Act IV, sec. Clause 1) |
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Project Grants |
awarded based on the merits of an application |
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Public Policy |
Principle on which social laws are based |
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Representation |
Speaking or acting on behalf of someone or the state of being represented |
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Republic |
power is vested in people and representatives, which are selected by popular vote |
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Reserved powers |
Powers granted to the state and people (10th amendment) |
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Revenue sharing |
A portion of federal tax revenues is shared with state and local governments.
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Separation of Powers |
the legislative, executive, and judicial powers of government are in separate bodies. |
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Shay's Rebellion |
1787 rebellion to fight foreclosures of forms as a result of high-interest rates and taxes. |
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Social Contract Theory |
societies exist through a mutual contract between individuals, and the state exists to serve the will of the people. |
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Sovereignty |
Supreme political authority **A sovereign government is one that is legally and politically independent of any other gov.** |
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Supremacy Clause |
Makes the constitution the supreme law of the land |
