Chapter 1 & 2

Front 1

individualism

Back 1

the moral, political, and ethical philosophy of life that emphasizes individual rights, effort, and independence

Front 2

popular sovereignty

Back 2

the belief that the authority and legitimacy of government is based in the consent and authority of the individuals living within its boundaries

Front 3

equality of opportunity

Back 3

all individuals, regardless of race, gender, or circumstance have the opportunity to participate in politics, self-government, and the economy

Front 4

freedom of religion

Back 4

the belief that individuals living in a society should be free to exercise their personal religious convictions without government restriction

Front 5

economic liberty

Back 5

the belief that individuals should be allowed to pursue their economic self-interest without government restrictions

Front 6

government

Back 6

the processes and institutions through which binding decisions are made for a society

Front 7

politics

Back 7

the process by which decisions are made and carried out within and among nations, groups, and individuals

Front 8

politician

Back 8

an individual who participates in politics and government often in the service of a group or political community

Front 9

political science

Back 9

an academic discipline that studies the theory and practice of politics and government. It is one of the social sciences that use data and methods that overlap with anthropology, economics, geography, history, psychology, and sociology

Front 10

social contract

Back 10

an agreement whereby individuals voluntarily commit to establish a government that will protect the common interests of all

Front 11

democracy

Back 11

government by the people, both directly or indirectly, with free and frequent elections

Front 12

direct democracy

Back 12

government in which citizens vote on laws and select officials directly

Front 13

direct primary

Back 13

an election in which voters choose party nominees

Front 14

initiative

Back 14

a procedure whereby a certain number of voters may, by petition, propose a law or constitutional amendment and have it submitted to the voters

Front 15

referendum

Back 15

procedure for submitting to popular vote measures passed by the legislature or proposed amendments to a state constitution

Front 16

recall

Back 16

a procedure for submitting to popular vote the removal of officials from office before the end of their term

Front 17

representative democracy

Back 17

government in which the people elect those who govern and pass laws; also called a republic

Front 18

constitutional democracy

Back 18

government that enforces recognized limits on those who govern and allows the voice of the people to be heard through free, fair, and relatively frequent elections

Front 19

constitutionalism

Back 19

the set of arrangements, including checks and balances, federalism, separation of powers, rule of law, due process, and bill of rights, that requires our leaders to listen, think, bargain, and explain before they act or make laws

Front 20

natural rights

Back 20

the rights of all people to dignity and worth

Front 21

political culture

Back 21

the widely shared belief, values, and norms citizens hold about their relationship to government and to one another

Front 22

statism

Back 22

the idea that the rights of the nation are supreme over the righters of the individuals who make up the nation

Front 23

popular consent

Back 23

the idea that a just gov. must derive its powers from the consent of the people it governs

Front 24

plurality

Back 24

the candidate or party with the most votes cast in an election, not necessarily more than half

Front 25

democratic consensus

Back 25

a condition for democracy is that the people widely share a set of attitudes and beliefs about gov. procedures, institutions, core documents and fundamental values

Front 26

constitutional convention

Back 26

the convention in Philadelphia, from May 25 to September 17, 1787, that debated and agreed on the Constitution of the US

Front 27

Shay's Rebellion

Back 27

a rebellion led by Daniel Shays of farmers in western Massachusetts in 1786-1787 protesting mortgage foreclosures

Front 28

bicameralism

Back 28

the principle of the two house legislature

Front 29

virginia Plan

Back 29

the initial proposal at the constitutional convention made by the Virginia delegation for a strong central gov. with a bicameral legislature dominated by the big states

Front 30

New Jersey Plan

Back 30

the proposal at the Constitutional Convention made by William Paterson of NJ for a central gov. with a single-house legislature in which each state would represented equall

Front 31

Connecticut Compromise

Back 31

the compromise agreement by states at the constitutional convention for a bicameral legislature with a lower house in which representation would be based on pop. and an upper house in which each state would have two senator

Front 32

three-fifths compromise

Back 32

the compromise between northern and southern states at the constitutional convention that three-fifths of the slave pop. would be counted for determining direct taxation and representation in the House of Rep.

Front 33

electoral college

Back 33

the electoral system used in electing the president and vice president, in which voters vote for electors pledged to cast their ballots for a particular party's candidates

Front 34

Federalists

Back 34

supporters of ratification of the Constitution and of a strong central gov.

Front 35

Antifederalist

Back 35

opponents of ratification of the Constitution and of a strong central gov. generally

Front 36

The Federalist

Back 36

Essays promoting ratification of the Constitution, published by Alexander Hamilton and John Madison in 1787 and 1788

Front 37

natural law

Back 37

God's or nature's law that defines right from wrong and is higher than human law

Front 38

separation of powers

Back 38

Constitutional division of powers among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, with the legislative branch making law, the executive applying and enforcing the law, and judiciary interpreting the law

Front 39

checks and balances

Back 39

a constitutional grant of powers that enables each of the three branches of gov. to check some acts of the others and therefore ensures that no branch can dominate

Front 40

autocracy

Back 40

a type of gov. in which one person with unlimited power rules

Front 41

judicial review

Back 41

the power of a court to review laws or governmental regulations to determine whether they are consistent with the US Constitution, or in a sate court, the state constitution

Front 42

writ of mandamus

Back 42

a court order directing an official to perform an official duty

Front 43

congressional elaboration

Back 43

congressional legislation that gives further meaning to the Constitution based on sometimes vague constitutional authority, such as the necessary and proper clause

Front 44

impeachment

Back 44

a formal accusation by the lower house of a legislature against public official; the first step in removal from office

Front 45

originalist approach

Back 45

an approach to constitutional interpretation that envisions the document as having a fixed meaning that might be determined by a strict reading of the text or the Framers' intent

Front 46

adaptive approach

Back 46

a method used to interpret the Constitution that understands the document to be flexible and responsive to the changing needs of the times

Front 47

executive order

Back 47

a directive issued by a president or governor that has the force of law

Front 48

executive privilege

Back 48

the power to keep executive communications confidential, especially if they relate to national security

Front 49

impoundment

Back 49

presidential refusal to allow an agency to spend funds that Congress authorized and appropriated

Front 50

federalism

Back 50

a constitutional arrangement in which power is distributed between a central gov. and states, which are sometimes called provinces in other nations. The national and states exercise direct authority over individuals

Front 51

unitary system

Back 51

a constitutional arrangement that concentrates power in a central gov.

Front 52

confederation

Back 52

a constitutional arrangement in which sovereign nations or states, by compact, create a central government but carefully limit its power and do not give it direct authority over individuals

Front 53

delegated (express) powers

Back 53

powers given explicitly to the national gov. and listed in the Constitution

Front 54

implied powers

Back 54

powers inferred from the express powers that allow Congress to carry out its function

Front 55

necessary and proper clause

Back 55

the clause in the Constitution (Article I, Section 8, Clause 3) setting forth the implied powers of Congress. It states that Congress, in addition to its express powers, has the right to make all laws necessary and proper to carry out all powers the Constitution vests in the national gov.

Front 56

inherent powers

Back 56

the powers of the national gov. in foreign affairs that he Supreme Court has declared do not depend on constitutional grants but rather grow out of the national gov.'s obligation to protect the nation form domestic and foreign threats

Front 57

supremacy clause

Back 57

contained in Article 4 of the Constitution, the clause gives national laws the absolute power even when states have enacted a competing law

Front 58

commerce clause

Back 58

the clause in the Constitution (Article 1, Section 8, Clause 1) that gives Congress the power to regulate all business activities that cross the state lines or affect more than one state or other nations

Front 59

federal mandate

Back 59

a requirement the national government imposes as a condition for receiving federal funds

Front 60

reserve powers

Back 60

all powers not specifically delegated to the national government by the Constitution; can be found in the 10th to Constitution

Front 61

concurrent powers

Back 61

powers that the Constitution gives to both the national and state gov., such as the power to levy taxes

Front 62

full faith and credit clause

Back 62

the clause in the Constitution, Article 4, Section 1, requiring each state to recognize the civil judgments rendered by the courts of the other states and to accept their public records and acts as valid

Front 63

extradition

Back 63

The legal process whereby an alleged criminal offender is surrendered by the officials of one state to officials of the state in which the crime is alleged to have been committed

Front 64

interstate compact

Back 64

an agreement among two or more states. Congress must approve most such agreements

Front 65

national supremacy

Back 65

a constitutional doctrine that whenever conflict occurs between the constitutionally authorized actions of the national government and those of a state or local gov. the actions of the national government

Front 66

preemption

Back 66

the right of a national law or regulation to preclude enforcement of a state or local law or regulation

Front 67

centralist

Back 67

people who favor national action over action at the state and local levels

Front 68

decentralist

Back 68

people who favor state or local action rather than national action

Front 69

states' rights

Back 69

powers expressly or implicitly reserved to the states

Front 70

devolution revolution

Back 70

the effort to slow the growth of the national gov. by returning many functions to the state