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201 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Politics
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A process by which values are authoritatively allocated for a society; a method of deciding who gets what from government.
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Political Power
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The influence of an individual or a group on the political behavior or others.
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Legitimacy
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The belief that certain principles or rules are right and proper; according to Max Weber, it is based on tradition, charisma, and legality.
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Government
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The institutions and processes by which decisions or rules are made and enforced for all members of a society.
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Democracy
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A system of government in which the policy decisions of the government rest on the freely given consent of the people and that guarantees certain basic rights, such as freedom of speech and the right to vote.
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Direct Democracy
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A form of democracy in which the people themselves meet to discuss and decide issues of public policy.
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Representative democracy
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A form of democracy in which public officals who represent the people are elected by popular vote in free elections.
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Self Government
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The political idea that people are sufficiently rational to govern themselves and do not need to be ruled by kings or tyrants.
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Social Contract
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An agreement by the people creating the political community and the government.
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Majority Rule
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consent given by the majority, but limited by the recognition of certain basic rights of the minority.
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Who is Alexis de Tocqueville?
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author of Democracy in America
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Minority Rights
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The Bill of Rights. Right to vote, run for office and to express dissenting political opinions.
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Constitutional Democracy
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A form of democractic government that places limits on the power of a majority to act and defines thoses limits in a written constitution.
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Civil Liberties
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The rights of the individual that are guaranteed by the US Constitution.
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Political Party
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An organization that attempts to influence the political system by gaining the support of voters and especially by getting its members elected or appointed to public office.
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Who is the author of the Declaration of Independence?
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Thomas Jefferson
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Thomas Jefferson claimed that a nation cannot be both ignorant and free
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True
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When was the Declaration of Independence signed?
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July 4th 1776
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First form of government in America that was ratified in 1781 and remained n effect to 1788?
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Articles of Confederation. (Congress was not given the power to tax or regulate commerce).
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What were the 3 plans the Constitutional Convention came up with the revise the Articles of Confederation?
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Virginia Plan
New Jersey Plan Connecticut Compromise (None were used) |
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Electoral College
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Group of electors chosen from each state in the Novemeber voting and who actually elect the president and vice president.
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Ratification
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Legalization of a constitution or an amendment to a constitution by consent; to become legal by formal procedures defined in the document
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Federalist
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Supporters of the Constitution of 1787; wanted a stronger national government
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Antifederalist
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Opponents of the constitution of 1787; wanted to preserve the authority of state government.
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Bill of Rights
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The first 10 amendments to the constitution. Guarantees the basic rights of Americans.
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Federalism
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system to organize government based on geographic division of power. ie: National government has authority over state government
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Separation of Powers
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organizing the government into legislative, executive, and judicial. No one branch has all the power.
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Checks and Balances
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each branch of the government has some power over each other, preventing arbitrary action by any one branch.
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Impeachment
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Indictment of the president, vice president, federal judges, or other cival officers of the US by the House of Representatives on charges of treason, bribery, and other high crimes. Conviction and removal from office requires a 2/3 majority vote of the senators present to vote.
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Judicial Review
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The power of a court, especially the Supreme Court, to review the acts of the Congress and President to determine whether those acts are consistent with the Constitution.
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Can the Supreme Court's power of judicial review extend to the acts of the state government?
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Yes
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Amendment
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A formal addition to the Constitution.
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Delegated Powers
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Powers especially granted by the Constitution to the federal government. Especially those given to Congress.
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Implied Powers
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Powers given to Congress in the necessary and proper clause that enable the federal government to carry out its delegated powers by any constitutional means.
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Reserved Powers
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Powers that are only given to the State or to the People.
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Concurrent Powers
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Powers that are shared by the national and state governments.
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Writ of Habeas Corpus
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An order issued by a court requiring that the government bring an arrested or detained person before the court to determine whether that individual is being held legally.
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Due Process Clause
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no state shall deprive any person of life, liberty or property without due process of law.
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Equal Protection Clauses
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no state shall deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
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Full Faith and Credit Clause
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requires that states honor the rulings of other states
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Privileges and immunities clause
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prohibits a state from discriminating against citizens of another state.
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Interstate Rendition Clause
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if a person who is charged with a crime in one state and is found in another state must be returned to the state with jurisdiction of the crime.
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Original Jurisdiction
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the authority of a Trial court to hear a case "in the first instance".
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Block Grant
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A sum of money that is given from the National government to a state to be used for broad general purposes.
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Political Culture
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the fundamental, widely supported values that hold a society together and give legitimacy to its political institutions.
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Political Socialization
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The process by which people form political opinions.
(Family, School, Peers, Media, Social Class, Race, Religion, Residence and Political Events) |
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Public Opinion
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the range of opinions expressed by citizens on any subject.
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Public Opinion
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attitudes expressed by members of a particular community on political issues.
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Political Opinion Characteristics
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Intensity-how strongly an opinion is held
Concentracted-opinion is held by a small portion of society. Stable-when opinion is constant over a long period Distribution-refers to the number of people who support various positions on a given issue. Salience-refers to the importance or relevance of an issue to a person or group. |
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Scientific polling
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A means of finding public opinion
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Sampling
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choosing a small number of cases to be studied for information about the larger population.
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Telephone Polls
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polls cunducted by telephone
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Tracking Poll
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polling of thousands on a daily basis immediately preceding an election
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Exit Poll
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sampling voters as they leave polling places on the day of an election
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Yellow Journalism
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tabloid journalism
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Muckrakers
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journalist who sought to expose corruption and wrongdoing in corporations and government in the early years of the 20th century.
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Why do journalist use the Sound Bite?
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people can remember short, punchy messages.
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Political Party Activities
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recruiting, electing, and appointing legislative, executive, and judicial leaders to office.
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Two-Party System
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a system in which only two parties have a real chance of winning an election.
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National Convention
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a national meeting, held by each major party every four years.
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National Committee
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The executive committee of each political party
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National Chair
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the top offical of a political party
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Independent
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a voter who does not identify with a political party
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Party Unity Votes
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Votes in Congress in which a majority of the members of one party vote on one side of an issue and the majority of members of the other party vote on the other side.
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Interest Groups
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An organization of people who share certain attitudes and interests. They try to affect the political system by shaping public opinion, opposing or supporting candidates for public office, and influencing the decisions of government officals.
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Types of Interst Groups
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Economic
Noneconomic Single Issue Political Action Committees |
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Lobbying
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trying to influence government policy by persuading legislators to vote for or against a proposal.
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Briefs
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A written argument submitted to the court by attorneys for the parties in a case.
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Primary
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an election in which voters select a candidate for election
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Closed Primary
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only registered voters of a particular party may vote
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Open Primary
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registered voters are allowed to vote for whomever without having to be registers to that party.
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Caucus
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A meeting of party members at the local level. OR a meeting of all members of one party in the House or Senate.
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Party Platform
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A political party's statement of general policy.
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Soft Money
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Money given to political parties not the candidate.
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Hard Money
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contributions made by individuals or groups that are limited in amount by federal law
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Authorizations
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Congressional legislations that permits the executive branch of government to undertake a specific program and limits the funds to be spent.
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Appropriations
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congressional legislation that allocates funds to a program of the executive branch of government.
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Oversight
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The power of Congress to supervise the activities of executive departments and agencies.
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Speaker of the House
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The presiding officer of the House of Representatives, nominated by the majority party and formally elected by all members of the House
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President of the Senate
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The Vice President
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President Pro Tempore
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a senator who is elected by the majority party to preside in absence of the President of the Senate.
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Senate Majority Leader
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A legislator who is chosen by the majority party in the Senate but is not a constitutional officer of that chamber.
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House Majority Leader
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A legislator who is chosen by the majority party in the House but is not an officer of that chamber.
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Minority Leader
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same as the majority leader but for the minority party
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Whip
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Assistant floor leader
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Standing Committee
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A permanent congressional committee with authority to consider bills in a specific area.
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Select Committee
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A congressional comittee created to do a specific job
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Joint Committee
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committee of members from the House and Senate that has been created to deal with issues that require joint consideration
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Policy Agenda
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proposals on problems that government officals are concerned with at a given time.
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Veto
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the power of the President to reject a bill passed by Congress.
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Treaty
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an international agreement negotiated by the president that requires the advice and 2/3 consent of the Senate.
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Executive Agreement
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Same as a treaty but does not require consent from the Senate.
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Pocket Veto
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A form of veto. Bills that are sent to the president during the ten day period before Congress adjourns automatically die unless the President signs
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Line Item Veto
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The power to cancel specific items in an appropriation or tax bill
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Bureaucracy
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a way of organizing people to achieve aspecific goal; a means to get work done
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Line Agency
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An agency that carries out government policies and provides various types of services
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Staff Agency
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An agency that gathers information and makes it available to the president
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Department
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The major administrative unit within the federal bureauccracy. Headed by a secretary who is a member of the cabinet
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Bureau
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The largest working subunit of an executive department that performs specific functions
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Field Service
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The regional, state, and local subunits of the federal bureaucracy
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Agency
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An organization within the federal bureaucracy that is headed by a single administrator and performs specialized functions
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Government Corporation
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A governmental body that, under policy regulations established by Congress, provides a public service but is organized like a priviate business.
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Independent Regulatory Commission
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A government agency that is responsible for the regulation of a major sphere of the economy.
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Cabinet
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a body that advises the president and serves to coordinate and implement governmental policy. It is composed of the heads of execututive departments.
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Spoils System
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jobs were awarded to friends and supporters in the early part of the nations history.
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Political Executive
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A government employee who is appointed by the president with the advice and consent of the Senate
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Senatorial Courtesy
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Informational rule under which the president must clear nominations for federal positions within a state with the senior senator from that state.
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Impoundment
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a presidents refusal to spend money that has been appropriated by an act of Congress
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Law
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principles and regulations established by the government that are applicable to the people and enforced by the government
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Common Law
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law established by past judicial decisions
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Stare Decisis
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A legal rule that requires courts to apply existing precedent to cases involving similar facts
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Equity
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when common law statutory remedies are inadequate
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Injuction
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A court order issued forbidding a person or a group to commit an act they are trying to commit
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Statutory Law
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law written and enacted by a legislative body
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Constitutional Law
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Law based on state and federal constitutions
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Administrative Law
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The rules and regulations issued by departments and agencies of the executive branch
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Criminal Law
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Violation of public order and provides specific punishments
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Plaintiff
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the party who brings suit or initiates court action
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Defendant
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The party against whom a legal suit is brought
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Misdemeanor
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less serious forms of crimes
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Felony
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More serious forms of crimes
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Civil Law
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Law that defines the legal rights of citizens
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Jurisdiction
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the legal authority of a court to hear a particular kind of case
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Appellate Jurisdiction
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the authority of a court to review and appeal the decision of a lower court
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Constitutional Court
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A court created and authorized by the Constitution
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Legislative Court
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A court created by Congress
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Majority Opinion
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an opinion of the court by the majority of the members
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Concurring Opinion
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a written opinion of a judge that agrees with the majority but feels the majority opinion does not express his/her own.
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Dissenting Opinion
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a written opinion of a judge from the minority explaining why he/she voted against the majority
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Writ of Certiorari
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a writ granted by the Supreme Court directing a lower court to send up a case for review.
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Writ of Mandamus
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A court order to a public offical to perform an act that is legally required.
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Establishment Clause
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admendment that limits the power of of Congress to create a state religion or provide aid to any religion by legislation
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Free Exercise Clause
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Amendment that prohibits the national government from restricting an individuals right to the free exercise of his/her religion.
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Compelling Interest
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a test used by the courts in interpreting some civil liberties and civil rights issues the require the government to produce very strong and convincing reasons to justify its policies
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Prior Restraint
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Censoring or preventing the publication of material before it is actually released
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Sedition
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Oral or written advocacy of rebellion against the government that is designed to overthrow the government
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Defamation
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spoken or written words that are false and hold an individual up to public ridicule or contempt
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Slander
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spoken statements that publicly defame the character of an individual
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Libel
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Written material that publicly defames the character of an individual
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Exclusionary Rule of Evidence
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a requirement that any evidence in a criminal case obtained illegally by police cannot be used in a trial
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Self Incrimination
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being compelled to be a witness against oneself
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Grand Jury
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a jury that decides whether there is enough evidence to indict and bring to trial a person accused of a criminal act.
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Indictment
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a formal accusation of a named person with the commission of specific criminal acts
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Bill of Information
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a method of obtaining an indictment in which the prosecutor presents a written statement of the evidence to a judge.
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Double Jepardy
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the retrail of an individual for a crime of which he/she has already been acquitted. (prohibited)
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Voir Dire
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the process by which members of a trail jury are selected.
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Seperate but Equal doctrine
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seperation of blacks until the mid 1950
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Jim Crow Laws
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laws that enforced the practice of segregation
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De Facto Segregation
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segregation that is a product of private action and not of government policy
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De Jure Segregation
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segregation that has been created by the poplicies and actions of government
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Class Action
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a legal action brought by one or more individuals as representatives of a group or similarly situated persons
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Reasonableness Test
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The Court assumes that the law in question is constitutional and will uphold it if the government can advance reasonable argument in its defense
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Strict Scrutiny
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laws based on race are subject to the highest degree of examination by the court and are always found unconstitutional
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Skeptical Scrutiny
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laws based on gender are subject to the highest degree of examination by the court and are always found unconstitutional
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Affirmative Action
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programs created by government and private organization that are designed to provide greater opportunities for woman, African Americans, and other minority groups who have been victims of past discrimination
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Poll Tax
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a way to keep blacks and the poor from voting
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White Primary
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a way to keep blacks from participating in elections
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Literacy Test
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a way to prevent blacks from voting
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Public Policy
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ongoing, goal oriented action that deals with both real and perceived public problems
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Group Theory
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the theory that holds public policy is a product of competition amoung groups in society
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Pluralism
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the theory that holds public policy is dispersed among many individuals and groups
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Elite Theory
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the theory that holds public policy is made by a small group of influential leaders who share common outlooks and goals
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Corporatism
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the theory that holds that groups in society do not merely attempt to influence public policy but are themselves part of the decision making and implementation system
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Subgovernment
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the theory that holds that governement does not make policy choices on its own but endorses decisions made by sections of the government in alliance with interest groups.
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Regulatory Policy
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those rules established by government the embody rules of conduct enforced by sanctions
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Distributive Policy
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those policies of government that provide tangible benefits to groups or individuals in a noncompetitive manner.
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Redistributive Policy
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those policies of government that reallocate resources amoung groups in society.
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Material Policies
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those policies of government that provide tangible resources or power to their beneficiaries or impose costs on groups in society.
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Symbolic Policies
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those policies of government that provide little or no tangible benefits but appeal to widely held values, such as justice, equality, and patriotism.
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Substantive Policies
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those policies of government that embody actual plans of action and provide individuals with advantages or disadvantages.
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Procedural Policies
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those policies of government that deal with the way something will be done and/or who will do it.
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Issue
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a subject becomes an issue after the attention of policymakers is drawn to a particular problem that requires government action.
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Agenda
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the list of issues to which government actors are paying serious attention at any given time.
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How does an issue get on the agenda?
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Issue identification
Policy formulation Policy adoption Policy implementation Policy evaluation |
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The process of building support for a proposed policy is known as...
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Policy Legitimation
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Implementation
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the directed change that occurs over time following the adoption of a new policy of government
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Process Evaluation
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an examination designed to discover the extent to which a policy is implemented according to the guidelines set forth in law.
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Impact Evaluation
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an examination designed to discover the extent to which a policy causes a change in the situation it is designed to address
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Fiscal Policy
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that area of public policy that seeks to control the economy through the raising and lowering of tax rates and levels of public expenditure
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Monetary Policy
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that area of public policy that seeks to control the economy through the control of the money supply and the raising or lowering of interest rates.
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Welfare
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services provided by government that cover a wide range of social and economic benefits, such as health care and education.
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What are the 3 approaches the US has taken to providing social welfare?
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preventative: tries to ensure that people do not become poor
alleviative: deals with people who are poor and attempts to improve their situation punitive: based on the assumption that people are poor because of their own moral and character defects. |
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Realism
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the theory of international affairs that holds that cooperation among nations is limited by competition among states and by the lack of any institution capable of enforcing good behavior
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Liberalism
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a view of international affairs that believes that capitalism and democracy working through international instititions can produce peaceful cooperation among nations.
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Anarchy
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a view of international affairs that holds that nations are free to act according to their interests as they define them since there is no institution or supreme authority in the world capable of defining rules of good conduct or punishing countries that violate these rules.
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Balance of Power
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the theory in foreign affairs that holds that threats to the security of a country from another nation or a coalition of nations are best prevented by increasing armaments and by creating countervailing power through alliances with other countries.
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Monroe Doctrine
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the doctrine stated by President James Monroe in 1823 that European nations would not be allowed to interfere with or colonize any country in the Western Hemisphere
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Isolationism
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a theory of world affairs that holds that a nation's interest are best served by having a minimum involvement in world affairs and by avoiding all alliances with other countries
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Unilateralism
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the theory that a nation should act alone in international affairs without seeking the approval or cooperation of other countries.
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Hegemon
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the dominant nation in a particular geographic area.
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Mercantilism
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the theory that wealth and power are connected and that a nation should pursue policies that are intended to increase its wealth.
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Realpolitik
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the unsentimental pursuit by a country of its national interest.
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Roosevelt Corollary
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the doctrine set forth by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1904 that, when necessary, the United States had the right to interfere in the domestic affairs of any Latin American or Caribbean nation.
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Containment
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the policy followed by the United States and its allies after WWII of containing the threat posed by the Soviet Union and the spread of communism throughout the world.
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Detente
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the policy followed by the United States in 1970's of favoring the normalization of relations with the Soviet Union.
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Collective Security
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a view of international affairs that holds that the security of nation can best be attained through the creation of an international organization that can maintain world order by the cooperation efforts of its members against any acts of aggression.
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Selective Engagement
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the theory that in the post-Cold War era, the US should not overextend itself in foreign affairs, but should limit its involvement to only those situations that affect vital national interest.
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Multilateralism
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the theory that the security of nation states can be secured not by the pursuit of national power and alliances but through international law and cooperation among nations in a democratically constituted international organization.
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Terrorism
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politically motivated violence against noncombatant targets by subnational groups.
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Preemption
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the policy first announced by President George W Bush that the US would use military force to forestall or prevent hostile acts by its adversaries.
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Policy Influentials
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persons who have expertise and access to the governmental decision-making process.
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