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97 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Authoritarian Government
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form of gov't in which leaders, though they admit to no limits on their powers, are effectively limited by other centers of power in the society
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Authority
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The recognized right of an ind. or institution to exercise power
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Autocracy
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A form of govt in which absolute control rests with a single person
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Bureaucratic Rule
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The tendency of large-scale org. to develop into the bureaucratic form with the effect that administrators make key policy decisions
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Capitalism
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Economic system based on idea govt should interfere w economic trans as little as possible
Free enterprise and self-reliance |
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Communism
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Economic system in which govt owns most or all major industries and takes resp for overall management of the economy
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Constitutionalism
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Idea that there are definable limits on the rightful power of a govt over its citizens
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Democracy
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Govt in which the people govern either directly or through elected reps
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Diversity
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Princ that ind and group diff should be respected and are a source of natl strength
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Elitism
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View that the US essentially is run by a tiny elite who control public policy through direct and indirect means
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Equality
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All ind are equal in their moral worth in treatment under law and their political voice
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Individualism
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Idea people should take the intiative be self-sufficient and accumulate the material adv necessary for their well being
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Liberty
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Princ. that ind should be free to act and think as they choose provided they do not infringe unreasonably on the rights and freedoms of others
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Majoritarianism
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Idea that the majority prevails not only in elections but also in determining policy
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Oligarchy
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Form of govt in which the control rests with a few persons
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Pluralism
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Theory of American politics that holds that society's interest are substantially represented through the activities of groups
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Political Culture
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The characteristic and deep-seated beliefs of a particular people
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Political System
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The various components of American govt The parts are separate but they connect with each other, affecting how each performs
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Politics
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the process through which society makes its governing decisions
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Power
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The ability of persons or institutions to control policy
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Public Policy
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A decision of govt to pursue a course of action designed to produce an intended outcome
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Self-Govt
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Principle that the people are the ultimate source and proper beneficiary of governing authority, a govt based on majority rule
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Social Contract
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A voluntary agreement by ind to form a govt which is then obligated to act within the confines of that agreement
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Socialism
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Economic system in which govt owns and controls many of the major industries
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Totalitarian Govt
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Form of govt in which the leaders claim complete dominance of all ind and institutions
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Unity
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The principle that Americans are one people and form an indivisible union
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Anti-Federalists
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Against the ratification of the constitution
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Bill of Rights
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First 10 amendments
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Checks and Balances
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Separation of powers to the diff branches of govt
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Constitution
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Fundamental law that defines how a govt will legitimately operate
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Constitutional Democracy
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Govt that is democratic in its provisions for majority influence through elections and constitutional in its provisions for minority rights and rule by law
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Delegates
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Elected Repres whose obligation is to act in accordance with the expressed wishes of the people they represent
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Democracy
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Form of govt which people govern either directly or through elected representatives
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Denials of Power
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Constitutional means of limiting governmental action by listing those powers that govt is expressly prohibited from using
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Electoral College
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unofficial term that refers to the electors who cast the states' electoral votes
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Electoral Votes
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Most popular votes wins the electoral votes for a state
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Federalists
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Pro-Constitution
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Grants of Power
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The method of limiting the US govt by confining its scope of authority to those powers expressly granted in the Constitution
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Great Compromise
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Agreement of the constitutional convention to create a two-chamber Congress and the House apportioned by pop and the Senate apportioned equally by state
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Inalienable Rights
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Rights such as life, liberty, and property
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Judicial Review
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power of courts to decide whether a governmental institution has acted within its constit powers and if not to declare its action null and void
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Limited Govt
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subject to strict limits on its lawful uses of powers and hence on its ability to deprive people of their liberty
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New Jersey Plan
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Each state have 1 Congress vote
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North South Compromise
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agreement over economic and slavery issues to avoid new constitution
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Primary Election
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election people choose party candidate
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Representative Democracy
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A system where people participate in the decision-making process of govt not dir but indir through the election of officials to repr their interests
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Republic
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Govt that representative officials meet to decide on policies and represent public interest
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Self-govt
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Principle people are ultimate source and proper beneficiary of governing authority, Govt Based on Majority Rule
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Separated Institutions sharing power
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Power divided by branches
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Separation of powers
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division of the powers of govt among sep institutions or branches
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Trustees
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elected repres whose obligation is to act on their conscience with respect to public interest
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Tyranny of the majority
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Potential of a majority to monopolize power for its own gain and detriment of minority rights and interests
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Virginia Plan
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Strong Congress with two chambers more power to large states
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Block Grants
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Federal Grants that allow states and local officials to spend money in a general category
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Categorical Grants
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Fed grants that can be used only for specific projects
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Commerce Clause
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Clause of Constitution that empowers fed govt to regulate interstate commerce
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Confederacy
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Govt power vested in states
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Cooperative Federalism
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Situation in which the natl state and local levels work together to solve problems
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Devolution
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the passing down of authority from the natl govt to states and localities
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Dual Federalism
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doctrine based on the idea that a precise sep of natl power and state power is both possible and desirable
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Enumerated Powers
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17 powers granted to natl govt under Article I and include taxation and the reg of commerce and provide natl defense
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Federalism
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governmental system which authority is divided into natl and regional govt
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Fiscal Federalism
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expenditure of federal funds on programs run in part through states and localities
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Grants-in-aid
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Federal cash payments to states and localities for programs they administer
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implied powers
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ability for natl govt to take powers not in constitution but supports powers that are
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necessary and proper clause
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implied powers
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reserved powers
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powers granted to the states under the 10th amendment to the Constitution
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sovereignty
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ultimate auth to govern within a certain geographical area
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supremacy clause
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Article 6 of the Constitution makes powers of natl higher than states when they abide by constitution
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unitary system
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govt system which natl govt alone has sovereign authority
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Bill of Rights
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first 10 amendments to Constitution
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Civil Liberties
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fundamental individual rights of a free society
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Clear-and-present-danger test
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test to define if govt limits free speech
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due process clause of the fourteenth Amendment
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clause of Constitution that is used by judiciary to apply the bill of rights to the actions of the state govts
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Establishment Clause
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1st amendment provision that govt may not favor one religion over another
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Exclusionary rule
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legal principle that govt is prohibited from using in trials evidence that was obtained by unconstitutional means
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freedom of expression
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Americans' freedom to communicate their views
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free-exercise clause
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1st amendment provision that prohibits the govt from interfering with the practice of religion or prohibiting the practice
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imminent-lawless-action test
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legal test govt cant lawfully suppress advocacy that promotes lawless action unless such advocacy is aimed at prod and is likely to prod imminent lawless action
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libel
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public of material that falsely damages a person's reputation
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prior restraint
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govt prohibition of speech or publication before the fact which is presumed by the courts to be constitutional unless the justification for its overwhelming
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procedural due process
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const req that goct follow proper legal proc before a person can be legit punished for an alleged offense
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Selective Incorp
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absorption of certain provisions of the Bill of Rights into the 14th amendment so that these rights are protected from infringement by the states
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Slander
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Spoken words that falsely damage a person's reputation
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Symbolic Speech
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action for the purpose of expressing a political opinion
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Affirmative Action
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programs ensure women, minorities and other trad disadvantaged groups have full and equal opp in employment edu and other areas
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Civil Rights
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right every person to equal protection under the laws and equal access to society's opport and public facilities
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De Facto Discrimination
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discrimination based on race,sex,religion,ethnicity, and the like that results from social economic and cultural biases and conditions
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De Jure Discrimination
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discrimination basis of race sex religion ethnicity and the like that result from a law
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Equality of Result
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obj of policies intended to reduce or eliminate the effects of discrimination so that memebers of trad disadvantaged groups will have the same benefits of society
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Equal-protection clause
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clause of the 14th amend that forbids any state to deny equal protection of the laws to any ind within its jurisdiction
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Equal Rights
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civil rights
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Gender Gap
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tendency of women and men to differ in their political attitudes and voting pref
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Intermediate-scrutiny test
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test eliminates gender as a legal classification unless it serves an imp objective and is substantially related to the obj and is substantially related to the obj achievement
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reasonable-basis test
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test applied by courts to laws that treat individuals unequally
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strict-scrutiny test
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test applied by courts to laws that attempt a racial or ethnic classification
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suspect classifications
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legal classifications such as race and natl origin that have invidious discrimination as their purpose and are therefore unconstitutional
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