Part 1 (Chapters 1-6)

Question 1

authority

Answer 1

the right to use power

Question 2

power

Answer 2

the ability of one person to get another person to act in accordance with the first person’s intentions

Question 3

legitimacy

Answer 3

Political authority conferred by law or by a state or national constitution. What makes a law or constitution a source of right, which in turn makes power rightful (i.e., a person has political authority if his or her right to act in a certain way is conferred by a law or by a state or national constitution)

Question 4

elite

Answer 4

Persons who possess a disproportionate share of some valued resource, like money or power. An identifiable group of persons who possess a disproportionate share of some valued resource (in this case, political power)

Question 5

power elite

Answer 5

?? corporate leaders, top military officers,, handful of elected officials ??

Question 6

democracy

Answer 6

The rule of the many. (1) a regime that is as close as possible to Aristotle’s definition – the “rule of the many”; or (2) institutional arrangement for arriving at political decisions in which leaders/individuals acquire the power to decide by means of a competitive struggle for the people’s vote (also known as “representative democracy”)

Question 7

direct (participatory) democracy

Answer 7

A system where all or most citizens participate directly in either holding office or making policy.

Question 8

representative democracy

Answer 8

institutional arrangement for arriving at political decisions in which leaders/individuals acquire the power to decide by means of a competitive struggle for the people’s vote

Question 9

marxist view

Answer 9

View that the government is dominated by capitalists. Karl Marx’s theory re distribution of power: government, even if democratic in form, is merely a refection of underlying economic forces (whichever class – capitalists or workers – that dominated the economy also controls the government)

Question 10

power elite view

Answer 10

View that the government is dominated by a few top leaders, most of whom are outside of goverment. C. Wright Mills’ theory re distribution of power: a coalition of three groups (corporate leaders, top military officials, and a handful of elected officials) dominate politics and government. View that American democracy is dominated by a few top leaders, most of whom are outside government and enjoy great advantages in wealth, status or organizational position

Question 11

pluralist view

Answer 11

The belief that competition among all affected interests shapes public policy. Theory re distribution of power: political resources ((money, prestige, expertise, organizational position, access to mass media) are so scattered that no single elite has a monopoly. Likewise, diversity of governmental institutions in which may be exercised (city, state, federal, mayors, managers, legislators, presidents, judges, etc.) are too diverse for a single group to dominate.

Question 12

bureaucratic view

Answer 12

view that the government is dominated by appointed officials. Max Weber’s theory re distribution of power: power is mainly in the hands of America’s appointed officials/career government workers, regardless of who comes into power (capitalists or workers in the Marxist view, or well-positioned elites in the power elite view)

Question 13

amendment

Answer 13

a new provision in the Constitution that has been ratified by the states

Question 14

Antifederalists

Answer 14

those who favor a weaker national government

Question 15

Articles of Confederation

Answer 15

a weak constitution that governed America during teh Revolutionary War

Question 16

bill of attainder

Answer 16

a law that declares a person, without a trial, to be guilty of a crime

Question 17

Bill of Rights

Answer 17

first 10 amendments to the Constitution

Question 18

checks and balances

Answer 18

system of authority shared by three branches of government that can each keep the others from overstepping/abusing/etc.

Question 19

coalition

Answer 19

an alliance of factions

Question 20

concurrent powers

Answer 20

powers shared by the national and state goverments

Question 21

Constitutional Convention

Answer 21

meeting in Philadelphia in 1787 that produced a new constitution

Question 22

enumerated powers

Answer 22

powers given to the national government alone

Question 23

ex post facto law

Answer 23

a law that makes an act criminal although the act was legal when it was committed

Question 24

faction

Answer 24

a group with a distinct political interest

Question 25

federalism

Answer 25

government authority shared by national and state governments

Question 26

Great Compromise

Answer 26

plan to have a popularly elected House based on state population and a state-selected Senate, with two members for each state

Question 27

habeas corpus

Answer 27

an order to produce an arrested person before a judge

Question 28

line-item veto

Answer 28

an executive's ability to block a particular provision in a bill passed by the legislature

Question 29

New Jersey Plan

Answer 29

proposal to create a weak national government

Question 30

republic

Answer 30

a government in which elected representatives make the decisions

Question 31

reserved powers

Answer 31

powers given to the state government alone

Question 32

separation of powers

Answer 32

constitutional authority is shared by three different branches of government

Question 33

Shay's Rebellion

Answer 33

a 1787 rebellion in which ex-Revolutionary War soldiers attempted to prevent foreclosures of farms as a result of high interest rates and taxes

Question 34

unalienable (inalienable)

Answer 34

a human right based on nature or God

Question 35

Virginia Plan

Answer 35

proposal to create a strong national government

Question 36

judicial review (bonus word)

Answer 36

the power of the courts to declare laws constitutional

Question 37

Federalists (bonus word)

Answer 37

those who favor a stronger national government

Question 38

block grants

Answer 38

money from the national government that states can spend within broad guidelines by Washington

Question 39

conditions of aid

Answer 39

terms set by the national government that states must meet if they are to receive certain federal funds

Question 40

devolution

Answer 40

the effort to transfer responsibility for many public programs and services from the federal government to the states

Question 41

dual federalism

Answer 41

doctrine holding that the national government is supreme in its sphere, the states are supreme in theirs, and the two spheres should be kept separate

Question 42

grants-in-aid

Answer 42

money given by the national government to the states

Question 43

initiative

Answer 43

process that permits voters to put legislative measures directly on the ballot

Question 44

mandates

Answer 44

terms set by the national government that states must meet whether or not they accept federal grants

Question 45

"necessary and proper" clause

Answer 45

section of the Constitution allowing Congress to pass all laws "necessary and proper" to it duties, which has permitted Congress to exercise powers not specifically given to it (enumerated) by the Constitution

Question 46

nullification

Answer 46

the doctrine that a state can declare null and void a federal law that, in the state's opinion, violates the Constitution

Question 47

police power

Answer 47

state power to enact laws promoting health, safety and morals

Question 48

recall

Answer 48

procedure whereby voters can remove an elected official from office

Question 49

referendum

Answer 49

procedure enabling voters to reject a measure passed by the legislature

Question 50

categorical grants (bonus word)

Answer 50

federal grants for specific purposes, such as building an airport

Question 51

revenue sharing (bonus word)

Answer 51

federal sharing of a fixed percentage of its revenue with the states

Question 52

political culture

Answer 52

A coherent way of thinking about how politics and government ought to be carried out.

Question 53

civic duty

Answer 53

A belief that one has an obligation to participate in civic and political affairs.

Question 54

civic competence

Answer 54

A belief that one can affect government policies.

Question 55

class consciousness

Answer 55

A belief that you are a member of an economic group whose interests are opposed to people in other such groups.

Question 56

orthodox

Answer 56

A belief that morality and religion ought to be of decisive importance.

Question 57

progressive

Answer 57

A belief that personal freedom and solving social problems are more important than religion.

Question 58

political efficacy

Answer 58

A belief that you can take part in politics (internal efficacy) or that the government will respond to the citizenry (external efficacy).

Question 59

internal efficacy

Answer 59

The ability to understand and take part in politics.

Question 60

external efficacy

Answer 60

The willingness of the state to respond to the citizenry.

Question 61

due process of law

Answer 61

denies the government the right, without ______________, to deprive people of life, liberty and property

Question 62

equal protection of the law

Answer 62

a standard of equal treatment that must be observed by the government

Question 63

selective incorporation

Answer 63

court cases that apply the Bill of Rights to states

Question 64

freedom of expression

Answer 64

people shall be free to exercise their religion, and government may not establish a religion

Question 65

prior restraint

Answer 65

censorship of publication (telling a newspaper in advance what it can publish)

Question 66

clear-and-present-danger test

Answer 66

law should not punish speech unless there was a _____________________ [threat, or risk] of producing harmful actions

Question 67

libel

Answer 67

a writing that falsely injures another person

Question 68

symbolic speech

Answer 68

an act that conveys a political message

Question 69

free-exercise clause

Answer 69

First Amendment requirement that law cannot prevent ____________ of religion

Question 70

establishment clause

Answer 70

First Amendment ban on laws "respecting an ______________ of religion"

Question 71

wall of separation

Answer 71

court ruling that government cannot be involved with religion

Question 72

exclusionary rule

Answer 72

improperly gathered evidence may not be introduced in a criminal trial

Question 73

search warrant

Answer 73

a judge's order authorizing a search

Question 74

probable cause

Answer 74

reasonable cause for issuing a search warrant or making an arrest; more than mere suspicion

Question 75

good-faith exception

Answer 75

an error in gathering evidence sufficiently minor that it may be used in a trial

Question 76

civil rights

Answer 76

the rights of people to be treated without unreasonable or unconstitutional differences

Question 77

suspect classifications

Answer 77

classifications of people on the basis of their race or ethnicity

Question 78

strict scrutiny

Answer 78

a USSC test to see if a law denies equal protection because it does not serve a compelling state interest and is not narrowly tailored to achieve that goal

Question 79

separate-but-equal doctrine

Answer 79

the doctrine established in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) that African Americans could constitutionally be kept in ________________ facilities

Question 80

de jure segregation

Answer 80

racial segregation that is required by law

Question 81

de facto segregation

Answer 81

racial segregation that occurs in schools, not as a result of the law, but as a result of patterns of residential settlement

Question 82

civil disobedience

Answer 82

opposing a law one considers unjust by peacefully disobeying it and accepting the resultant punishment

Question 83

police powers

Answer 83

state power to effect laws promoting health, safety, and morals

Question 84

affirmative action

Answer 84

programs designed to increase minority participation in some institution (businesses, schools, labor unions, or government agencies) by taking positive steps to appoint more minority-group members

Question 85

equality of result

Answer 85

making certain that people achieve the same result

Question 86

reverse discrimination

Answer 86

using race or sex to give preferential treatment to some people

Question 87

equality of opportunity

Answer 87

giving people an equal chance to succeed

Question 88

Jim Crow

Answer 88

Segregation and disenfranchisement laws; a formal, codified system of racial apartheid that dominated the American South for three quarters of a century beginning in the 1890s. The laws affected almost every aspect of daily life, mandating segregation of schools, parks, libraries, drinking fountains, restrooms, buses, trains, and restaurants.