Government

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government

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institution through which a society makes and enforces its public policies

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public policy

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all of those things a government decides to do

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legislative power

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power to make law and to frame public policies

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executive power

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power to execute, enforce, and administer law

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judicial power

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power to interpret laws, to determine their meaning, and to settle disputes that arise within the society

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constitution

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the body of fundamental laws setting out the principles, structures, and processes of a government

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dictatorship

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those who rule cannot be held responsible to the will of the people

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democracy

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supreme authority rests with the people

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state

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a body of people, living in a defined territory, organized politically, and with the power to make and enforce law without the consent of any higher authority

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sovereign

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states have supreme and absolute power within their own territory and can decide its own foreign and domestic policies

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autocracy

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a government in which a single person holds unlimited political power

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oligarchy

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government in which the power to rule is held by a small, usually self-appointed elite

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unitary government

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all powers held by the government belong to a single, central agency

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federal government

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the powers of government are divided between a central government and several local governments

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confederation

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an alliance of independent states

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presidential government

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features a separation of powers between the executive and the legislative branches of the government

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parliamentary government

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the executive is made up of the prime minister of premier, and that official's cabinet

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compromise

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process of blending and adjusting competing views and interests

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free enterprise system

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system characterized by the private ownership of capital goods, investments made by private decision, not by government directive, and success or failure determined by competition in the marketplace

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law of supply and demand

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law that states when supplies of goods and services become plentiful, prices tend to drop. when supplies become scarcer, prices tend to rise

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limited government

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government is restricted in what it may do, and each individual has certain rights that government cannot take away

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representative government

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government should serve the will of the people

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Magna Carta

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seeking protection against heavy-handed and arbitrary acts by the king

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Petition of Right

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limited the king's power in several ways

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English Bill of Rights

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prohibited a standing army in peacetime, except with the consent of Parliament, and required that all parliamentary elections be free

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charter

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written grant of authority from the king

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bicameral

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an adjective describing a legislative body composed of two chambers

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proprietary

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Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Delaware; organized by a proprietor, a person to whom the king had made a grant of land

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unicameral

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an adjective describing a legislative body composed of one chamber

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conferation

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a joining of several groups fo a common purpose

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Albany Plan of Union

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plan proposed by Benjie Franklin in 1754 that aimed to unite the 13 colonies for trade, military, and other purposes; turned down by the colonies

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delegates

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representatives

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boycott

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refusal to buy of English goods

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repealed

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withdrawn, cancelled

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popluar sovereignty

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government can exist only with the consent of the governed

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Articles of Confederation

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plan of government adopted by the continental congress after the american revolution; established "a firm league of friendship" among the states, but allowed few important powers to the central government

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ratification

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formal approval

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presiding officer

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chair

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Framers

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droup of delegates who attended the Philadelphia Convention

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Virginia Plan

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called for new government with three separate branches

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New Jersey Plan

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retained the unicameral Congress of the Confederation, with each of the states equally represented

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Connecticut Compromise

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congress should be composed of two houses

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3/5ths compromise

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all "free persons" should be counted, and so, too, should "3/5ths of all other persons"

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commerce and slave trade sompromise

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congress was forbidden the power to tax the export of goods from any state

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federalists

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favored ratification

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anti-federalists

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opposed ratification

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quorum

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majority

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preamble

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introduction

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articles

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constitution broken into 7 numbered sections

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constitutionalism

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govt must be conducted according to constitutional principles

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rule of law

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holds that govt and its officers are always subject to-never above-the law

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separation of powers

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basic powers are separated among 3 distinct branches of the govt

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checks and balances

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each branch is subject to a number of constitutional checks by the other branches

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veto

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reject

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judicial review

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power of courts to determine thether what govt does is in accord with what the constitution provides

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unconstitutional

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to declare illegal

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federalism

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division of power among a central govt

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amendment

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changes in written words

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formal amendment

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changes or additions that become part of the written language of the constitution itself

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Bill of Rights

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first ten amendments

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executive agreement

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pact made by the president directly with the head of a foreign state

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treaty

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formal agreement between two or more sovereign states

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electoral college

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group that makes the formal selection of the nation's president

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cabinet

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advisory body to the president

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senatorial courtesy

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custom that the senate will not approvea a presidential appointment opposed by a majority party senator from the state in which the appointee would serve

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delegated powers

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govt only has those powers granted to it in the constitution

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reserved powers

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powers that the constitution does not grant to the natl govt and does not at the same time, deny to the states

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exclusive powers

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powers can be exercised by the natl govt alone

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concurrent powers

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powers that both the natl govt and the states have

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enabling act

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directing the people of the territory to frame a proposed state constitution

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act of admission

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creating a new state

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grants-in-aid programs

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grants of federal money or other resources to the states and their cities, counties, and other local units

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revenue sharing

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annual share of the huge federal tax revenue to the states and their cities, counties, and townships

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categorical grants

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made for specific, closely defined purpose

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block grants

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made for more broadly defined purposes than are categorical grants (health care, social services, etc)

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project grants

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grants made to states, localities, and someimes private agencies that apply for them

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interstate compact

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agreements among states and with foreign states

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Full Faith and Credit Clause

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a person can prove age, place of birth, marital status, title to property, etc by secureing the necessary documents from the state where the record was made

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privileges and immunities clause

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no state can draw unreasonable distinctions between its own residents and those persons who happen to live in other states

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political party

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group of persons who seek to control govt through the winning of elections

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major parties

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republicans and democrats

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partisanship

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strong support of their party and its policy stands

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party in power

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whoever controls the executive branch of govt

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minor party

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one of many policial parties

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two-party system

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polical system dominated by 2 major parties

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single-member districts

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contests that only one candidate is elected to each offece on the ballot

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plurality

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largest number of votes cast for the office

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bipartisan

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the two major parties find common ground and work together here

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pluralistic society

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consisting of several distinct cultures and groups

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consensus

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general agreement among various groups

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multiparty

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system that several major and many lesser parties exist, and compete for, and win, pubic offices

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coalition

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temporary alliance of several groups who come together to form a working majority and so to control a govt

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one-party system

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only one political party is allowed

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incumbent

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current officeholder

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factions

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conflicting groups

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electorate

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people eligible to vote

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sectionalism

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emphasizes a devotion to the interests of a particular region

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ideological parties

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based on a particular set of beliefs

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sinle-issue parties

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focus on one publis-policy matter

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economic protest parties

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rooted in periods of economic discontent

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splinter parties

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have split away from one of the major parties

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ward

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unit into which cities are often divided for the election of city council

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precinct

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smallest unit of election administration

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split-ticket voting

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voting for candidaes of different parties for different offices at the same election

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suffrage

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right to vote

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franchise

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right to vote

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electorate

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potential voting population

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transients

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persons living in the state for only a short time, from gaining a legal residence there

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registration

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procedure of voter identification intended to prevent fraud voting

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purging

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officials review the lists of voters and rmove the names of those who are no longer eligible to vote

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poll books

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the official lists of qualified voters in each precinct

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literacy

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person's abilit to read or write

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poll tax

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payment of a special tax as a condition for voting

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gerrymandering

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doodles of states in creater form

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injunction

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court order that forces or limits the merformance of some act by a private individual or by a public official

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preclearance

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approved

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off-year elections

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congressional elections held in the even-numbered years btw presidential elections

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political efficacy

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lack of feeling of influence of effectiveness in politices

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political socializaion

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process that ppl gain political attitudes and opinions

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gender gap

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measurable differences btw votes of males and females

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party identification

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loyalty of ppl to a political party

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straight-ticket voting

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voting for candidates of only one party in an election

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independents

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ppl who have no party affiliation

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nomination

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naming of those who will seek office

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general elections

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regularly scheduled elections at which voters make the final selection of offictholders

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caucus

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group of like-minded ppl who meet to select the candidtaes they will support in an upcoming election

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closed primary

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party's nominating election in which only declared party members can vote

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open primary

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party's nominating election in which any qualified voter can cast a ballot

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blanket primary

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every voter received the same ballot with every candidate on it

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runoff primary

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the 2 top vote-getters in the first electon face off in another vote

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nonpartisan elections

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elections in which candidates are not identified by party labels

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absentee voting

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process by which they could vote without actually going to the polling places

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coattail effect

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occures when a strong candidate running for an office at the top of the ballot helps attract voters to other candidates on the party's ticket

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precinct

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voting district

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ballot

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voter registers a choice in an election

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political action committees (PACs)

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political arms of special-interest and other organizations with a stake in electoral politics

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subsidy

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grant of money from the govt

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hard money

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money raised and spent to elect candidates for congress and the white house

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soft money

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funds given to party organizations

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term

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lasts for two years

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adjourns

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suspends until the next session

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prorogue

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end, discontinue

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special session

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meeting to deal with some emergency situation

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session

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period of time during congress assembles and conducts business

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apportioned

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distributed

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reapportion

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redistribute

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at-large

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elected from the state as a whole rather than from a particular district

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continuous body

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all of its seats are never up for election at the same time

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constituencies

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ppl and interests the senators represent

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trustee

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believe each question they face must be decided on its merits

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partisans

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feel duty-bound to vote in line with the party platform and the wishes of their party's leaders

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politicos

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attempt to combine basic element of the trustee, delegate, and partisan roles

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oversight function

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congress checks to see that the various agencies in the executive branch are working effectively and acting in line

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franking privilege

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allows members to mail letters postage-free

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strict constructionists

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argue the anti-federalist position from the reatification period

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liberal constructionists

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fought to adopt the constitution

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consensus

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general agreement

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tax

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charge levied by govt on persons or property to raise money to meet public needs

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direct tax

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paid directly to the govt

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indirect tax

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paid by one person but then passed on to another

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public debt

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all of the money borrowed by the federal govt

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deficit financing

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regularly spend more than it takes in each year

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commerce power

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power of congress to regulate interstate and foreign trade

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legal tender

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any kind of money that a creditor must by law accept in payment for debts

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bankruptcy

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legal proceeding in which the bankrupt's assets are distibuted among those to whom a debt is owed

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naturalization

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becoming a citizen of a country

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copyright

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exclusive right of an author to reproduce, publish and sell his or her creative work

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patent

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grants a person the sole right to manufactuer, use, or sell "any new and useful are, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof."

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eminent domain

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inherent power to take private property for public use

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appropriates

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assigns to a particular use

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necessary and proper clause

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gives congress power to make all laws

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doctrine

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principle or fundamental policy

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successor

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replacement

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impeach

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accuse

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acquit

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found not guilty

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perjury

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lying under oath

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subpoena

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legal order directing one to court

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party caucus

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closed meeting of the members of each party in each house

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whips

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2 floor leaders in each house are assisted by whips

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floor leaders

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legislative strategists

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committee chairmen

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members who head the standing committees in each chamber

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seniority rule

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the most important posts will be held by those party members with the longest records of service

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standing committees

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permanent panel for each house

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select committee

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panels set up for some specific purpose for a limited time

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joint committee

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composed of members of both houses

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conference committee

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temporary, joint body

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bill

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proposed law presented tothe house or senate for consideration

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joint resolutions

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similar to bills, but have force of law when passed

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concurrent resolutions

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deal with matters in which the house and senate must act jointly

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resolutions

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deal with matters concerning either house alone and are taken up only by that house

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rider

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unrelated matter is attached to pass

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discharge petition

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enables members to force a bill tht has remained in committee 30 days onto the floor for consideration

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subcommittees

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divisions of existing committees formed to address specific issues

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Committee of the Whole

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parliamentary devicefor speeding businesson the floor

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quorum

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majority of the full membership

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engrossed

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the bill is printed in its final form

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filibuster

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"talk a bill to death"

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cloture

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limiting debate