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33 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
legislature |
the body of government that makes laws |
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bicameral legislature |
a legislature with two chambers |
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republic |
a government in which decisions are made through representatives of the people |
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unicameral legislature |
a legislature with one chamber |
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executive |
the branch of government responsible for putting laws into effect |
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Electoral College |
an intermediary body that elects the president |
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presidential system |
government in which the executive is chosen independently of the legislature and the two branches are seperate |
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parliamentary system |
government in which the executive is chosen by the legislature from among its members and the two branches are merged |
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judicial power |
the power to interpret laws and judge whether a law has been broken |
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judicial review |
the power of the Supreme Court to rule on the constitutionality of laws |
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legislative supremacy |
an alternative to judicial review, the acceptance of legislative acts as the final law of the land |
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separation of powers |
the institutional arrangement that assigns judicial, executive,and legislative powers to different persons or groups, thereby limiting the powers of each |
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checks and balances |
the principle that allows each branch of government to exercise some form of control over the others |
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fusion of powers |
an alternative to separation of powers, combining or blending branches of government |
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enumerated powers of Congress |
congressional powers specifically named in the Constitution (Article I Section 8) |
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necessary and proper clause |
constitutional declaration (Article VI) that the Constitution and laws made under its provisions are the supreme law of the land |
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supremacy clause |
constitutional declaration (Article VI) that the Constitution and laws made under its provisions are the supreme law of the land |
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concurrent powers |
powers that are shared by both the federal and state governments |
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dual federalism |
the federal system under which the national and state governments are responsible for separate policy areas |
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cooperative federalism |
the federal system under which that national and state government share responsibilities for most domestic policy areas |
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unitary system |
government in which all power is centralized |
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confederal system |
government in which local units hold all the power |
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McCulloch v. Maryland |
Supreme Court ruling (1819) confirming the supremacy of national rule over state government |
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Gibbons v. Ogden |
Supreme Court ruling (1824) establishing national authority over interstate business |
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nullification |
declaration by a state that a federal law is void within its borders |
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devolution |
the transfer of powers and responsibilities from the federal government to the states |
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categorical grant |
federal funds provided for a specific purpose, restricted by detailed instructions, regulations, and compliance standards |
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block grant |
federal funds provided for a broad purpose, unrestricted by detailed requirements and regulations |
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unfunded mandate |
a federal order mandating that states operate and pay for a program created at the national level |
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amendability |
the provision for the Constitution to be changed, so as to adapt to new circumstances |
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initiative |
citizen petitions to place a proposal or constitutional amendment on the ballot, to be adopted or rejected by majority vote, bypassing the legislature |
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referendum |
an election in which a bill passed by the state legislature is submitted to voters for approval |
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recall election |
votes to remove elected officials from office |