Government Vocabulary

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Democratic

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A political system in which people rule.

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Republican

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Celebrates freedom and individual rights, but views too much government and population involvement threats these values.

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Tyranny

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The abuse of the inalienable rights to the citizens by government.

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Majority Tyranny

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The suppression of the rights and liberties of a minority by the majority.

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Direct Democracy

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Requires that all citizens meet together regularly to debate and decide the issues of the day.

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Representative Democracy

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A system in which the people select others called representatives, to act in their place.

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Majority Rule

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Doing what the most people want.

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Democracy

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Rule by the people or self government by the many.

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Social Contract

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If the government fails to protect people's rights or itself becomes a threat to them, people can withdraw their consent to the government and create a new one.

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Constitution

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A document specifying the basic organization, powers, and limits of government.

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Articles of Confederation

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A loose Confederation, a form of government in which the states are virtually independent and hold most powers.

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Virginia Plan

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Legislative branch based on population.

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New Jersey Plan

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Legislative branch based on equal representation.

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Great Compromise

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Bicameral Legislature

HOR- based on population

Senate- 2 per state

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Electoral College

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Each state has a total of votes equal to its total number of representatives and senators.

-Chose President

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Supremacy Clause

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Recasting of the union from a loose confederation.

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Elastic Clause

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-Necessary and Proper

Congress has the power to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper to carry out its powers and responsibilities. If its not in the Constitution-states.

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Bill of Rights

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The first 10 amendments to the Constitution.

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Separation of Powers

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3 Branches of Government

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Checks and Balances

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Each branch can be checked by the other 2.

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Judicial Review

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The right to declare the actions of the other branches of government null and void if they are contrary to the Constitution.

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Federalism

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Levels of government.

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Confederation

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The Constitution states get together for certain common causes.

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Unitary System

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The central government has all the power.

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10th Amendment

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Powers not in the Constitution are reserved to the states.

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Concurrent Powers

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Overlapping or shared powers.

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Horizontal Federalism

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state-to-state relations

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Nationalist Position

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Believed that the Constitution was formed by a compact among the people to create a single national community "We the People"

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States RIght's Position

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The Constitution was created as a compact among the states and that the framers meant for the states to be coequal.

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Necessary and Proper Clause

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(Elastic Clause)

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Nullification

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To make void.

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Civil War Amendments

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13- abolished slavery

15- gave former male slaves and their descendants the right to vote.

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Due Process Clause

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The civil liberties in the BOR which originally protected people by the national government also provided protections by states.

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Equal Protection Clause

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Foundation for protecting the rights of blacks,women, and other categories of people against discrimination by state or local governments.

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Devolution

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The idea that some of the powers and responsibility of the national government ought to be distributed back to the states.

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Grants in Aid

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Different types of grants

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Categorical Grants

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Gives money to the state but clearly specify the category of activity for which the money has to be spent and how often.

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Block Grants

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Money for more general purposes such as secondary education and with fewer rules than categorical grants.

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General Revenue Sharing

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Distributes money to the states with no federal control.

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Conditional Grants

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Grants that support social welfare for the poor have conditions.

States can refuse to accept the aid.

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Mandates

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Demand that states carry out certain policies even when little or no national government aid is offered.

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Fiscal Federalism

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The transfer of money from the levels of government.

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Civil Liberties

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Freedoms protected by constitutional provisions, laws and practiced from certain types of government interference.

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Ex Post Facto Laws

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When you commit a crime before a law is in place, you cannot be tried.

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Full Faith and Credit Clause

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Each state is to recognize contracts and other legal obligations entered into by its citizens with citizens or legal bodies in other states.

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Selective Incorperation

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The case by case application of each right found within the Bill of Rights

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Privileges and Immunities Clause

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States cannot enact laws that take away the constitutional rights of Americans that are ensured in the Bill of Rights.

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Prior Restraint

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Prevents publication before something has occurred.

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Free Exercise Clause

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Neither the federal or state governments may interfere with religious beliefs

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Establishment Clause

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Keeps the governments from making laws that interfere with religion

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Exclusionary Clause

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Prevents the police and prosecutors from using evidence that has been gained without a warrant.

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Miranda Rule

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A criminal should be told their rights before being prosecuted.

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Capital Crime

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Any crime in which the death penalty can be imposed.

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Civil Rights

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The rights of citizens to political and social freedom.

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Jim Crow Laws

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Laws the segregated the blacks and whites.

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Poll Tax

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A tax required for all voters in many states.

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Literacy Test

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If you failed the test you could not vote. Given so that black people could not vote.

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Grandfather Clause

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Anyone whose ancestors has voted prior to 1867 could vote.

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White Primaries

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Excluded African Americans from the process of nominating candidates for local, state, and national offices.

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Civil Disobedience

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A conscious refusal to obey a law that a group considers unfair, unjust, or unconstitutional

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Segregation

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The separation of races.

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Integration

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When the races were mixed together again

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Affirmative Action

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Programs of private and public institutions favoring minorities and women in hiring and in admissions to colleges and universities in an attempt to compensate for past discrimination.

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Civil Union

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All people have the same legal rights, protections and benefits.

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Separate but Equal

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The principle that originated in Plessy v. Ferguson that laws prescribing separate public facilities and services for nonwhite Americans are permissible if the facilities and services are equal to those provided for whites.