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Fed Gov Exam 1
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Sovereignty | The ultimate authority in any system |
| Marbury v. Madison | 1803 case that claimed judicial review as the authority of the Supreme Court |
| Writ of mandamus | Legal order from a court to a public official to take a specific action |
| Federal | System of government where power is divided between a national government and the component units (eg states) with the national gov retaining sovereignty |
| Confederal | System of government where power is divided between a national gov and components with the components retaining sovereignty |
| Unitary | System of government where all power is delegated to the national government |
| Implied powers | The powers that are “necessary and proper” to carry out the expressed powers |
| Expressed powers | Powers specifically granted to the national government |
| Authoritarian | System of gov where all power is concentrated in the national gov and citizens have little to no input |
| Checks and balances | A variety of powers that allow each branch of government to both participate in and limit the powers of the other branches |
| Republic | System of government where citizens elect representatives to pass laws on their behalf |
| Socialism | Economic system where most of the means of production and distribution are in the hands of the public sector (publicly owned and operated) |
| Capitalism | Economic system where the means of production and distribution are in the hands of the private sector (privately owned and operated FOR PROFIT) |
| Full faith and credit clause | Clause in Article 4 where states are required to recognize Contracts Civil court rulings Decrees from each other |
| Extradition | Clause in Article 4 that requires states to return fugitives from state law to the requesting state |
| Privileges and immunities | Clause in Article 4 that requires states to treat citizens of other states with the same legal protections/rights as their own citizens |
| Social contract | Principle that all legitimate governments arise from an agreement created by the citizens subject to its control |
| Legitimacy | Shared belief by the citizens of a nation that its gov has the right to make the rules and expect obedience |
| Representative democracy | System of gov where citizens elect representatives to make laws on their behalf |
| Direct democracy | System of gov where citizens directly shape public policy by voting directly on issues and attending assemblies |
| Supremacy clause | Clause in article 6 that states that national law is sovereign and that state laws cannot contradict national law |
| Guaranty clause | Clause in article 4 that guarantees that each state will have a republican form government |
| Electoral College | Experimental institution created to alter the choice of the public in a presidential election |
| Amendment | Alteration to the constitution (addition or removal) Usually achieved by a 2/3 majority in both chambers of Congress to propose the amendment, 3/4 majority of state legislatures to ratify |
| Personnel policy | Limited ability for the officials in the national gov to consolidate power by arranging it so that they Get their positions in diff ways Owe their positions to diff ppl Hold their positions for diff, overlapping periods of time |
| How did the framers of the constitution divide power effectively so that power was limited but not to the point of uselessness? | They implemented separation of powers, where it’s not so much divided but where each branch shares a bit of it’s power with the others They divided power between the national and state govs through the federal structure Use of personnel policy |
| How did the decision of Marbury v. Madison affect the relationship between the 3 branches of government? | The decision recognized the right of the executive and legislative branches to interpret their powers, but left the ultimate authority of deciding constitutionality to the Supreme Court (judicial branch) |
| The basic characteristics of a good constitution | Confers legitimacy in the gov Only creates the basic framework Distributes power Places limits on power |
| Government | Institutions and procedures through which a territory and its people are ruled |
| Politics | Conflict over the leadership structure and policies of governments |
| Autocracy | form of government in which a single individual rules (king, dictator, etc) |
| Oligarchy | Form of gov where a small group rules |
| Democracy | Form of gov where citizens are allowed to play a significant part in the governmental process |
| Constitutional government | A system of rule in which formal and effective limits are placed on the powers of the government |
| Authoritarian government | A system of rule in which the government recognizes no formal limits but may nevertheless be restrained by the power of other social institutions |
| Totalitarian government | 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 |
| Political power | Influence over a government's leadership& organization or policies |
| Representative democracy/republic | A system of government in which the populace selects representatives who play a significant role in governmental decisions and policy making |
| Direct democracy | system of rule that permits citizens to vote directly on laws and policies |
| Pluralism | 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 |
| Political knowledge | Information about the formal institutions of government political actors and political issues |
| Citizenship | Informed and active membership in a political community |
| Political efficacy | The belief that one can influence government and politics |
| Political culture | Broadly shared values beliefs and attitudes about how the government should function American political culture emphasizes the values of liberty, equality, and democracy |
| Liberty | Freedom from governmental control |
| Limited government | A principle of constitutional government a government whose powers are defined and limited by a constitution |
| Lassiez-faire capitalism | economic system in which the means of production and distribution are privately owned and operated for profit with minimal or no government interference |
| Equality of opportunity | 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 |
| Political equality | The right to participate in politics equally based on the principle of “one person, one vote” |
| Popular sovereignty | A principle of democracy in which political authority rests ultimately in the hands of the people |
| Majority rule, minority rights | The democratic principle that a government follows the preferences of the majority of voters but protects the interests of the minority |
| Articles of Confederation | America's first written constitution served as the basis for America's national government until 1789 |
| Virginia Plan | A framework for the Constitution introduced by Edmund Randolph that called for representation in the national legislature based on the population of each state |
| New Jersey Plan | A framework for the Constitution, introduced by William Paterson, that called for equal state representation in the national legislature regardless of population |
| Great Compromise/ Connecticut plan | 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 |
| 3/5ths compromise | The agreement reached at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 that stipulated that for purposes of the apportionment of congressional seats only three‐fifths of enslaved people would be counted |
| Bicameral | Having a legislative assembly composed of two chambers or houses; distinguished from unicameral |
| Checks and balances | Mechanisms through which each branch of government is able to participate in and influence the activities of the other branches |
| Bill of rights | The first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1791; they ensure certain rights and liberties to the people. |
| Separation of powers | The division of governmental power among several institutions that must cooperate in decision‐making. |
| Federalism | A system of government in which power is divided, by a constitution, between a central government and regional governments |
| Expressed powers | Specific powers granted by the Constitution to Congress (Article I, Section 8) and to the president |
| Implied powers | 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. |
| Judicial review | The power of the courts to review actions of the legislative and executive branches and, if necessary, declare them invalid or unconstitutional; the Supreme Court asserted this power in Marbury v. Madison (1803). |
| Federalists | Those who favored a strong national government and supported the Constitution proposed at the American Constitutional Convention of 1787 |
| The Federalist Papers | A series of essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay supporting ratification of the Constitution. |
| Tyranny | Oppressive government that employs cruel and unjust use of power and authority |
| Reserved powers | Powers derived from the 10th Amendment that aren’t delegated to the national gov or denied to the states |
| Police power | Power reserved to the state government to regulate the health, safety, and morals of its citizens |
| Concurrent powers | Authority possessed by both state and national govs Such as the power to levy taxes |
| Home rule | Power delegated by the state to a local unit of government to manage its own affairs |
| 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 |
Created by:
1763
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