Pols 41 Midterm 1

Front 1

Government

Back 1

Institutions and procedures through which a territory and its people are ruled

Front 2

Politics

Back 2

The conflict over the leadership, structure, and policies of governments

Front 3

Autocracy

Back 3

a form of government in which a single individual—a king, queen, or dictator rules

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Oligarchy

Back 4

A form of government in which a small group—landowners, military officers, or wealthy merchants—controls most of the governing decisions

Front 5

Democracy

Back 5

A system of rule that permits citizens to play a significant part in the governmental process, usually through the election of key public officials

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Constitutional government

Back 6

a system of rule in which formal and effective limits are placed on the powers of the government

Front 7

Authoritarian government

Back 7

A system of rule in which the government recognizes no formal limits but may nevertheless be restrained by the power of other social institutions

Front 8

Totalitarian government

Back 8

A system of rule in which the government recognizes no formal limits on its power and seeks to absorb or eliminate other social institutions that might challenge it

Front 9

Power

Back 9

The influence over a government’s leadership, organization, or policies

Front 10

Representative democracy (republic)

Back 10

A system of government in which the populace selects representatives, who play a significant role in governmental decision-making

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Direct democracy

Back 11

a system of rule that permits citizens to vote directly on laws and policies

Front 12

Pluralism

Back 12

The theory that all interests are and should be free to compete for influence in the government; the outcome of this competition is compromise and moderation

Front 13

Political knowledge

Back 13

possessing information about the formal institutions of government, political actors, and political issues

Front 14

Citizenship

Back 14

Informed and active membership in a political community

Front 15

Digital citizenship

Back 15

using the internet, social media, and other information technology to engage in society and government

Front 16

Political efficacy

Back 16

the ability to influence government and politics

Front 17

Political culture

Back 17

broadly shared values, beliefs, and attitudes about how the government should function; American political culture emphasizes the values of liberty, equality, and democracy

Front 18

Liberty

Back 18

Freedom from governmental control

Front 19

Limited government

Back 19

a principle of constitutional government; a government whose powers are defined and limited by a constitution

Front 20

laissez-faire capitalism

Back 20

an economic system in which the means of production and distribution are privately owned and operated for profit with minimal or no government interference

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equality of opportunity

Back 21

a widely shared American ideal that all people should have the freedom to use whatever talents and wealth they have to reach their fullest potential

Front 22

political equality

Back 22

the right to participate in politics equally, based on the principle of “one person, one vote”

Front 23

popular sovereignty

Back 23

a principle of democracy in which political authority rests ultimately in the hands of the people

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majority rule, minority rights

Back 24

the democratic principle that a government follows the preferences of the majority of voters but protects the interests of the minority

Front 25

Articles of confederation

Back 25

America’s first written constitution; served as the basis for America’s national government until 1789

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confederation

Back 26

a system of government in which states retain sovereign authority except for the powers expressly delegated to the national government

Front 27

Virginia Plan

Back 27

a framework for the Constitution, introduced by Edmund Randolph, that called for representation in the national legislature based on the population of each state

Front 28

New Jersey Plan

Back 28

a framework for the Constitution, introduced by William Paterson, that called for equal state representation in the national legislature regardless of population

Front 29

Great Compromise

Back 29

the agreement reached at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 that gave each state an equal number of senators regardless of its population but linked representation in the House of Representatives to population

Front 30

Three-Fifths Compromise

Back 30

the agreement reached at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 that stipulated that for purposes of the apportionment of congressional seats only threefifths of slaves would be counted

Front 31

bicameral

Back 31

having a legislative assembly composed of two chambers or houses; distinguished from unicameral

Front 32

checks and balances

Back 32

mechanisms through which each branch of government is able to participate in and influence the activities of the other branches; major examples include the presidential veto power over congressional legislation, the power of the Senate to approve presidential appointments, and judicial review of congressional enactments

Front 33

Bill of Rights

Back 33

the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1791; they ensure certain rights and liberties to the people

Front 34

separation of powers

Back 34

the division of governmental power among several institutions that must cooperate in decision making

Front 35

federalism

Back 35

a system of government in which power is divided, by a constitution, between a central government and regional governments

Front 36

expressed powers

Back 36

specific powers granted by the Constitution to Congress (Article I, Section 8) and to the president (Article II)

Front 37

elastic clause

Back 37

The concluding paragraph of Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution (also known as the “necessary and proper clause”), which provides Congress with the authority to make all laws “necessary and proper” to carry out its enumerated powers

Front 38

judicial review

Back 38

the power of the courts to review and, if necessary, declare actions of the legislative and executive branches invalid or unconstitutional; the Supreme Court asserted this power in Marbury v. Madison (1803)

Front 39

supremacy clause

Back 39

Article VI of the Constitution, which states that laws passed by the national government and all treaties are the supreme law of the land and superior to all laws adopted by any state or any subdivision

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Federalists

Back 40

those who favored a strong national government and supported the Constitution proposed at the American Constitutional Convention of 1787

Front 41

Federalism

Back 41

a system of government in which power is divided, by a constitution, between a central government and regional governments

Front 42

unitary system

Back 42

a centralized government system in which lower levels of government have little power independent of the national government

Front 43

Expressed powers

Back 43

specific powers granted by the Constitution to Congress (Article I, Section 8) and to the president (Article II)

Front 44

Implied powers

Back 44

powers derived from the necessary and proper clause of Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution; such powers are not specifically expressed but are implied through the expansive interpretation of delegated powers

Front 45

Necessary and proper clause

Back 45

Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution, which provides Congress with the authority to make all laws “necessary and proper” to carry out its expressed powers

Front 46

Reserved powers

Back 46

powers, derived from the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution, that are not specifically delegated to the national government or denied to the states

Front 47

Police powers

Back 47

power reserved to the state government to regulate the health, safety, and morals of its citizens

Front 48

Concurrent powers

Back 48

authority possessed by both state and national governments, such as the power to levy taxes

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Full faith and credit clause

Back 49

provision from Article IV, Section 1 of the Constitution requiring that the states normally honor the public acts and judicial decisions that take place in another state

Front 50

Privileges and immunities clause

Back 50

provision, from Article IV, Section 2 of the Constitution, that a state cannot discriminate against someone from another state or give its own residents special privileges

Front 51

Home rule

Back 51

power delegated by the state to a local unit of government to manage its own affairs

Front 52

Antifederalists

Back 52

those who favored strong state governments and a weak national government and who were opponents of the Constitution proposed at the American Constitutional Convention of 1787

Front 53

Federalist papers

Back 53

series of essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay supporting ratification of the Constitution

Front 54

Tyranny

Back 54

oppressive government that employs cruel and unjust use of power and authority

Front 55

Limited government

Back 55

A principle of constitutional government; a government whose powers are defined and limited by a constitution

Front 56

Amendment

Back 56

a change added to a bill, law, or constitution

Front 57

dual federalism

Back 57

the system of government that prevailed in the United States from 1789 to 1937 in which most fundamental governmental powers were shared between the federal and state governments

Front 58

commerce clause

Back 58

Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution, which delegates to Congress the power “to regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several States and with the Indian tribes”; this clause was interpreted by the Supreme Court in favor of national power over the economy

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grants-in-aid

Back 59

programs through which Congress provides money to state and local governments on the condition that the funds be employed for purposes defined by the federal government

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categoricaI grant

Back 60

congressional grants given to states and localities on the condition that expenditures be limited to a problem or group specified by law

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Cooperative federalism

Back 61

type of federalism existing since the New Deal era in which grants-in-aid have been used strategically to encourage states and localities (without commanding them) to pursue nationally defined goals; also known as intergovernmental cooperation

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regulated federalism

Back 62

a form of federalism in which Congress imposes legislation on states and localities, requiring them to meet national standards

Front 63

preemption

Back 63

the principle that allows the national government to override state or local actions in certain policy areas; in foreign policy, the willingness to strike first in order to prevent an enemy attack

Front 64

states' rights

Back 64

the principle that the states should oppose the increasing authority of the national government; this principle was most popular in the period before the Civil War

Front 65

devolution

Back 65

a policy to remove a program from one level of government by delegating it or passing it down to a lower level of government, such as from the national government to the state and local governments

Front 66

diffusion

Back 66

policy decisions in one political jurisdiction are influenced by choices made in another jurisdiction

Front 67

block grants

Back 67

federal grants-in-aid that allow states considerable discretion in how the funds are spent

Front 68

New federalism

Back 68

attempts by presidents Nixon and Reagan to return power to the states through block grants

Front 69

general revenue sharing

Back 69

the process by which one unit of government yields a portion of its tax income to another unit of government, according to an established formula; revenue sharing typically involves the national government providing money to state governments

Front 70

Unfunded mandate

Back 70

a law or regulation requiring a state or local government to perform certain actions without providing funding for fulfilling the requirement

Front 71

redistributive programs

Back 71

economic policies designed to transfer income through taxing and spending, with the goal of benefiting the poor

Front 72

Habeas corpus

Back 72

a court order demanding that an individual in custody be brought into court and shown the cause for detention

Front 73

Bill of Rights

Back 73

the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1791; they ensure certain rights and liberties to the people

Front 74

Civil liberties

Back 74

areas of personal freedom constitutionally protected from government interference

Front 75

Selective incorporation

Back 75

the process by which different protections in the Bill of Rights were incorporated into the Fourteenth Amendment, thus guaranteeing citizens protection from state as well as national governments

Front 76

Establishment Clause

Back 76

the First Amendment clause that says that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion”; this law means that a “wall of separation” exists between church and state

Front 77

Lemon test

Back 77

a rule articulated in Lemon v. Kurtzman that government action toward religion is permissible if it is secular in purpose, neither promotes nor inhibits the practice of religion, and does not lead to “excessive entanglement” with religion

Front 78

Free exercise clause

Back 78

the First Amendment clause that protects a citizen’s right to believe and practice whatever religion he or she chooses

Front 79

Clear and present danger test

Back 79

test used to determine whether speech is protected or unprotected, based on its capacity to present a “clear and present danger” to society

Front 80

Fighting words

Back 80

speech that directly incites damaging conduct

Front 81

Speech Plus

Back 81

speech accompanied by conduct such as sit-ins, picketing, and demonstrations; protection of this form of speech under the First Amendment is conditional, and restrictions imposed by state or local authorities are acceptable if properly balanced by considerations of public order

Front 82

Prior restraint

Back 82

an effort by a governmental agency to block the publication of material it deems libelous or harmful in some other way; censorship; in the United States, the courts forbid prior restraint except under the most extraordinary circumstances

Front 83

Libel

Back 83

a written statement made in “reckless disregard of the truth” that is considered damaging to a victim because it is “malicious, scandalous, and defamatory”

Front 84

slander

Back 84

an oral statement made in “reckless disregard of the truth” that is considered damaging to the victim because it is “malicious, scandalous, and defamatory”

Front 85

Due process of law

Back 85

the right of every individual against arbitrary action by national or state governments

Front 86

Exclusionary rule

Back 86

the ability of courts to exclude evidence obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendment

Front 87

Grand jury

Back 87

jury that determines whether sufficient evidence is available to justify a trial; grand juries do not rule on the accused’s guilt or innocence

Front 88

Double jeopardy

Back 88

the Fifth Amendment right providing that a person cannot be tried twice for the same crime

Front 89

Miranda rule

Back 89

the requirement, articulated by the Supreme Court in Miranda v. Arizona, that persons under arrest must be informed prior to police interrogation of their rights to remain silent and to have the benefit of legal counsel

Front 90

Eminent domain

Back 90

the right of government to take private property for public use

Front 91

Right to privacy

Back 91

the right to be left alone, which has been interpreted by the Supreme Court to entail individual access to birth control and abortions

Front 92

discrimination

Back 92

the use of any unreasonable and unjust criterion of exclusion

Front 93

civil rights

Back 93

obligation imposed on government to take positive action to protect citizens from any illegal action of government agencies and of other private citizens

Front 94

equal protection clause

Back 94

provision of the Fourteenth Amendment guaranteeing citizens “the equal protection of the laws.” This clause has been the basis for the civil rights of African Americans, women, and other groups

Front 95

13th ammendment

Back 95

one of three Civil War amendments; it abolished slavery

Front 96

14th ammendment

Back 96

one of three Civil War amendments; it guaranteed equal protection and due process

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15th ammendment

Back 97

one of three Civil War amendments; it guaranteed voting rights for African Americans

Front 98

Jim Crow laws

Back 98

laws enacted by southern states following Reconstruction that discriminated against African Americans

Front 99

“separate but equal” rule

Back 99

doctrine that public accommodations could be segregated by race but still be considered equal

Front 100

Brown v. Board of Education

Back 100

the 1954 Supreme Court decision that struck down the “separate but equal” doctrine as fundamentally unequal; this case eliminated state power to use race as a criterion of discrimination in law and provided the national government with the power to intervene by exercising strict regulatory policies against discriminatory actions

Front 101

strict scrutiny

Back 101

a test used by the Supreme Court in racial discrimination cases and other cases involving civil liberties and civil rights that places the burden of proof on the government rather than on the challengers to show that the law in question is constitutional

Front 102

de jure

Back 102

literally, “by law”; refers to legally enforced practices, such as school segregation in the South before the 1960s

Front 103

de facto

Back 103

literally, “by fact”; refers to practices that occur even when there is no legal enforcement, such as school segregation in much of the United States today

Front 104

gerrymandering

Back 104

the apportionment of voters in districts in such a way as to give unfair advantage to one racial or ethnic group or political party

Front 105

redlining

Back 105

a practice in which banks refuse to make loans to people living in certain geographic locations

Front 106

intermediate scrutiny

Back 106

a test used by the Supreme Court in gender discrimination cases that places the burden of proof partially on the government and partially on the challengers to show that the law in question is unconstitutional

Front 107

affirmative action

Back 107

government policies or programs that seek to redress past injustices against specified groups by making special efforts to provide members of those groups with access to educational and employment opportunities

Front 108

Public opinion

Back 108

citizens’ attitudes about political issues, leaders, institutions, and events

Front 109

values

Back 109

basic principles that shape a person’s opinions about political issues and events

Front 110

political ideology

Back 110

a cohesive set of beliefs that forms a general philosophy about the role of government

Front 111

attitude

Back 111

a specific preference on a particular issue

Front 112

liberty

Back 112

freedom from governmental control

Front 113

equality of opportunity

Back 113

a widely shared American ideal that all people should have the freedom to use whatever talents and wealth they have to reach their fullest potential

Front 114

liberal

Back 114

refers to those who generally support social and political reform, governmental intervention in the economy, more economic equality, expansion of federal social services, and greater concern for consumers and the environment

Front 115

conservative

Back 115

refers to those who generally support the social and economic status quo and are suspicious of efforts to introduce new political formulas and economic arrangements; conservatives believe that a large and powerful government poses a threat to citizens’ freedom

Front 116

libertarian

Back 116

someone who emphasizes freedom and believes in voluntary association with small government

Front 117

socialist

Back 117

someone who generally believes in social ownership, strong government, free markets, and reducing economic inequality

Front 118

politicaI socialization

Back 118

the induction of individuals into the political culture; learning the underlying beliefs and values on which the political system is based

Front 119

agents of socialization

Back 119

social institutions, including families and schools, that help to shape individuals’ basic political beliefs and values

Front 120

gender gap

Back 120

a distinctive pattern of voting behavior reflecting the differences in views between women and men

Front 121

marketplace of ideas

Back 121

the public forum in which beliefs and ideas are exchanged and compete

Front 122

public opinion polls

Back 122

scientific instruments for measuring public opinion

Front 123

sample

Back 123

a small group selected by researchers to represent the most important characteristics of an entire population

Front 124

simple random sample

Back 124

a method used by pollsters to select a representative sample in which every individual in the population has an equal probability of being selected as a respondent

Front 125

random digit dialing

Back 125

a polling method in which respondents are selected at random from a list of 10-digit telephone numbers, with every effort made to avoid bias in the construction of the sample

Front 126

sampling error

Back 126

polling error that arises based on the small size of the sample

Front 127

social desirability effect

Back 127

the effect that results when respondents in a survey report what they expect the interviewer wishes to hear rather than what they believe

Front 128

selection bias

Back 128

polling error that arises when the sample is not representative of the population being studied, which creates errors in overrepresenting or underrepresenting some opinions

Front 129

push poll

Back 129

a polling technique in which the questions are designed to shape the respondent’s opinion

Front 130

Bandwagon effect

Back 130

a shift in electoral support to the candidate whom public opinion polls report as the front-runner

Front 131

media

Back 131

print and digital forms of communication, including television, newspapers, radio, and the internet, intended to convey information to large audiences

Front 132

medion monopoly

Back 132

the ownership and control of the media by a few large corporations

Front 133

broadcast media

Back 133

television, radio, or other media that transmit audio and/or video content to the public

Front 134

penny press

Back 134

cheap, tabloidstyle newspaper produced in the nineteenth century, when mass production of inexpensive newspapers first became possible due to the steam-powered printing press; a penny press newspaper cost one cent compared with other papers, which cost more than five cents

Front 135

news aggregator

Back 135

an application or feed that collects web content such as news headlines, blogs, podcasts, online videos, and more in one location for easy viewing

Front 136

digital citizen

Back 136

a daily internet user with broadband (high-speed) home internet access and the technology and literacy skills to go online for employment, news, politics, entertainment, commerce, and other activities

Front 137

digital divide

Back 137

the gap in access to the internet among demographic groups based on education, income, age, geographic location, and race/ethnicity

Front 138

social media

Back 138

web and mobile based technologies that are used to turn communication into interactive dialogue among organizations, communities, and individuals

Front 139

citizen journalism

Back 139

news reported and distributed by citizens, rather than professional journalists and for-profit news organizations

Front 140

agenda setting

Back 140

the power of the media to bring public attention to particular issues and problems

Front 141

selection bias

Back 141

the tendency to focus news coverage on only one aspect of an event or issue, avoiding coverage of other aspects

Front 142

Framing

Back 142

the power of the media to influence how events and issues are interpreted

Front 143

Priming

Back 143

process of preparing the public to bring specific criteria to mind when evaluating a politician or issue

Front 144

equal time rule

Back 144

the requirement that broadcasters provide candidates for the same political office equal opportunities to communicate their messages to the public

Front 145

right of rebuttal

Back 145

a Federal Communications Commission regulation giving individuals the right to have the opportunity to respond to personal attacks made on a radio or television broadcast

Front 146

traditional political participation

Back 146

activities designed to influence government, including voting, campaign contributions and face-to-face activities such as volunteering for a campaign or working on behalf of a candidate or political organization

Front 147

protest

Back 147

participation that involves assembling crowds to confront a government or other official organization

Front 148

suffrage

Back 148

the right to vote

Front 149

turnout

Back 149

the percentage of eligible individuals who actually vote

Front 150

digital political participation

Back 150

activities designed to influence politics using the internet, including visiting a candidate’s website, organizing events online, and signing an online petition

Front 151

socioeconomic status

Back 151

status in society based on level of education, income, and occupational prestige

Front 152

mobilization

Back 152

the process by which large numbers of people are organized for a political activity

Front 153

same day registration

Back 153

the option in some states to register on the day of the election, at the polling place, rather than in advance of the election

Front 154

same day registration

Back 154

the option in some states to register on the day of the election, at the polling place, rather than in advance of the election

Front 155

permanent absentee ballots

Back 155

the option in some states to have a ballot sent automatically to your home for each election, rather than having to request an absentee ballot each time

Front 156

early voting

Back 156

the option in some states to cast a vote at a polling place or by mail before the election