Chapter 1 & 2

Front 1

Comparative Study

Back 1

In politics, comparing political institutions and behaviors from state to state and community to community in order to identify and explain similarities or differences

Front 2

Economic Development

Back 2

Broadly defined as population growth and the income and educational levels of a state's population

Front 3

Income

Back 3

Money that is received as a result of the normal business activities of an individual or a business (e.g., wages).

Front 4

Political Refugees

Back 4

Those residing in the United States because they have “a well-founded fear of persecution" in their country of origin

Front 5

Illegal Immigration

Back 5

The unlawful entry of people from other nations into the United States.

Front 6

Undocumented or unauthorized immigrants

Back 6

Person residing illegally in the nation.

Front 7

Amnesty

Back 7

Government forgiveness of a crime, usually granted to a group of people.

Front 8

US immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Back 8

Federal agency responsible for the enforcement of immigration and custom laws.

Front 9

Liberalism

Back 9

Referring to a state's tendency to expand welfare benefits, regulate business, adopt progressive state income taxes, and generally use the resources of government to achieve social change.

Front 10

Conservatism

Back 10

Referring to a state's tendency to limit welfare benefits, deregulate business, keep taxes low, and generally place less reliance on government and more reliance on individuals and the marketplace to achieve social goals

Front 11

Political culture

Back 11

Historical styles and traditions in states' politics that cannot be directly attributed to socioeconomic factors.

Front 12

Wedges

Back 12

Moral issues designed to cause someone to cross party lines.

Front 13

Political Entrepreneurship

Back 13

The tendency of candidates in electoral campaigns to propose policy innovations in order to publicize themselves and win votes

Front 14

Commonwealth

Back 14

Although four states call themselves "commonwealths”

(Pennsylvania,Virginia,Massachusetts, and Kentucky), the term refers to any self-governing community and currently describes the government of Puerto Rico, a territory of the United States.

Front 15

Limited government

Back 15

The principle that government power over the individual is limited, that there are some personal liberties that even a majority cannot regulate, and that government itself is restrained by law.

Front 16

Constitutionalism

Back 16

A government of laws, not people, operating on the principle that governmental power must be limited, that government officials should be restrained in their exercise of power over individuals.

Front 17

Constitutionalism

Back 17

A government of laws, not people, operating on the principle that governmental power must be limited, that government officials should be restrained in their exercise of power over individuals.

Front 18

Colonial Charters

Back 18

Documents granted to American colonies by English kings establishing governments; fostered American tradition of written constitutions.

Front 19

Constitution

Back 19

The legal structure establishing governmental bodies, granting their powers, determining how their members are selected, and prescribing the rules by which they make their decisions. Considered basic or fundamental, a constitution cannot be changed by ordinary acts of governmental bodies.

Front 20

Bill of Rights

Back 20

In state constitutions, written protections for basic freedoms; most resemble the Bill of Rights in the U.S. Constitution but some extend these rights.

Front 21

Bill of Rights

Back 21

In state constitutions, written protections for basic freedoms; most resemble the Bill of Rights in the U.S. Constitution but some extend these rights.

Front 22

Separation of Powers

Back 22

The constitutional allocation of powers among the three branches of government:

legislative, executive, and judicial.

Front 23

Bicameral

Back 23

A legislative body that consists of two separate chambers or houses.

Front 24

Bicameral

Back 24

A legislative body that consists of two separate chambers or houses.

Front 25

Homestead

Back 25

An owner-occupied home; many states grant tax breaks to this type of property.

Front 26

Legislative proposal

Back 26

The state legislature places a constitutional amendment on the ballot for voter approval.

Front 27

Popular Initiative

Back 27

Registered voters sign a petition to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot for voter approval.

Front 28

Democracy

Back 28

Popular participation in government. (The Greek root of the word means "rule by the many.")

Front 29

Bicameral

Back 29

A legislative body that consists of two separate chambers or houses.

Front 30

Homestead

Back 30

An owner-occupied home; many states grant tax breaks to this type of property.

Front 31

Legislative proposal

Back 31

The state legislature places a constitutional amendment on the ballot for voter approval.

Front 32

Popular Initiative

Back 32

Registered voters sign a petition to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot for voter approval.

Front 33

Democracy

Back 33

Popular participation in government. (The Greek root of the word means "rule by the many.")

Front 34

Representative Democracy

Back 34

Popular participation in government through the selection of public officials by a vote of the people in periodic, competitive elections in which candidates and voters can freely express themselves.

2.4

Front 35

Direct democracy

Back 35

Popular participation in government through direct voter initiation of policy (usually by petition) and voter approval or rejection of policy decisions by popular vote.

Front 36

Initiative

Back 36

A device by which a specific number or percentage of the voters may petition to have a constitutional amendment or law placed on the ballot for adoption or rejection by the electorate; found in some state constitutions but not in the U.S. Constitution.

Front 37

REFERENDA

Back 37

Proposed laws or constitutional amendments submitted to the voters for their direct approval or rejection; found in some state constitutions but not in the U.S. Constitution.

Front 38

Recall

Back 38

An election to allow voters to decide whether to remove an elected official before his or her term expires; found in some state constitutions but not in the U.S. Constitution.

Front 39

Recall

Back 39

An election to allow voters to decide whether to remove an elected official before his or her term expires; found in some state constitutions but not in the U.S. Constitution.

Front 40

CHECKS AND BALANCES

Back 40

Constitutional provisions giving each branch of the national government certain checks over the actions of other branches.

Front 41

Recall

Back 41

An election to allow voters to decide whether to remove an elected official before his or her term expires; found in some state constitutions but not in the U.S. Constitution.

Front 42

CHECKS AND BALANCES

Back 42

Constitutional provisions giving each branch of the national government certain checks over the actions of other branches.

Front 43

PROPOSITION 13

Back 43

A constitutional amendment to reduce property taxes passed by California voters; has come to symbolize tax revolts.

Front 44

Recall

Back 44

An election to allow voters to decide whether to remove an elected official before his or her term expires; found in some state constitutions but not in the U.S. Constitution.

Front 45

CHECKS AND BALANCES

Back 45

Constitutional provisions giving each branch of the national government certain checks over the actions of other branches.

Front 46

PROPOSITION 13

Back 46

A constitutional amendment to reduce property taxes passed by California voters; has come to symbolize tax revolts.

Front 47

SPECIAL INTERESTS

Back 47

Specific groups bound together by their common preferences on key policy issues.

Front 48

TERM LIMITS

Back 48

Constitutional limits on the number of terms or the number of years that a public official may serve in the same office.