test 1 Flashcards
1
Q
government
A
the means by which a sociaety organizes itself
2
Q
politics
A
the process of gaining and exercising control within a goverment
3
Q
democracy
A
a political system in which people govern themselves with capitalism
4
Q
oiligarchy
A
only members of a certain political party or ruling elite can participate
5
Q
private goods
A
food clothing and housing provided by private means
6
Q
public goods
A
goods and services available to all without a charge
7
Q
toll good
A
private schooling, cable, turnpikes
8
Q
common goods
A
goods that all people may use free of charge but that lare of limited supply such as fish and clean drinking water
9
Q
representative democracy
A
elected representatives make descions
10
Q
majority rule
A
the opinions of the majority have rule
11
Q
minority rights
A
people cannot be deprived of rights even if they are minority
12
Q
direct democracy
A
people participate in making the descions
13
Q
monarchy
A
one rulers
14
Q
totalitarianism
A
the government controls all aspects of citizens lives
15
Q
elitism vs pluralism
A
the idea that a ruling calls of elite take prcidence over the others who have to infulence over the poor
16
Q
pluralism
A
gov power amd influence rests with political interest groups
17
Q
social capital
A
the collective value of all social networks
18
Q
ideology
A
established beliefs and ideals
19
Q
latent preferences
A
loosely held beliefs change over time
20
Q
intense preferences
A
strong and unchanging feelsings
21
Q
partisenship
A
string support or even blind alliagences
22
Q
anti federalists
A
those who did not support ratification of the Constitution
23
Q
articles of confederation
A
the first basis for the new nations government adopted in 1781 created an alliance of soverign states held together by a weak central governments
24
Q
bi cameral legislature
A
two houses
25
Bill of Rights
the first ten amendments of the Constitution were designed to protect fundemental rights and liberties
26
checks and balences
a system that allows one branch of goverment to limit the exercise of power by another branch
27
confederation
a highly decentralized form of government, soverighn states form a union for purposes such as defense
28
enumerated powers
the powers given explicitly to the Federal government by the Constitution to regulate interstate and foreign commerce, raise and support armies, declare war, coin money and conduct foriegn affairs
29
Federal system
a form of government in which power is divided between state governments and a national government
30
Federalists
those whosupported ratification of the Constitution
31
great compromise
a compromise between the Virginia plan and the New Jersey Plan that created a two house congress respresentation based on population in the House of Representatives and equal representation of states in the Senate
32
natural rights
the right to life, liberty and property belived to be given by God no governements can take away
33
New Jersey Plan
a plan that called for a one house national legislature
34
republic
a form of government in which political power rests in the hands of the people not a monarch and is exerside by elected representatives
35
reserved powers
any powers not prohibited by the Constitutional or delegated to the national governments
36
seperation of powers
the sharing of powers among three seperate branches of government
37
social contract
an agreement between people and government in which citizens consent to be government so long as the government protects thier natural rights
38
supremacy clause
the statement in Article VI of the Constitution that Federal Law is superior to laws passed by state ;egislatures
39
The Federalists Papers
a collection of eighty five essays written by A Hamilton, Madison and John Jay in support of the ratification of the Constitution
40
three fifths compromise
compromise between northrn and southern states that called for counting all of a states free population and 60precent of its slave population for both federal tatation and respresentation on Congress
41
veto
the power of the president to reject a law proposed by Congress
42
Virginia Plan
a plan for two house legislature
43
bill of attainder
a legislature action declaring someone guilty without a trail prohibited under the Constitution
44
blocks grant
type of grant that comes with less stringent federal administrative conditiond and provide recipients more latitude over how to spend grant funds
45
categorical grant
a federal transfer formulated to limit recepients discretion in the use of funds and subject them to strict administrative criteria
46
concurrent powers
shared state and federal powers that range from taxing borrowing and making and enforcing laws to estabiling court systems
47
cooperative federalism
a style of fderealism in which both levels of governments coordinate thier actions to solve national problems leading to the blending of layers as in a mrable cake
48
creeping categorization
a process in which powers from the central government in a unitary system are delegated to subnational units
49
devolution
a process in which powers from the central government in a unitary system are delegated to subnational units
50
dual federalism
a syle of federalism in which the states and national government excersise exclusive authority
51
elastic cause
the last clause of Article 1 sec 8 which enables the national government to make laws which shall be neccessary and proper for carrying out all its constitutional responsibilities
52
ex post facto
a law that criminalizes an act retroactively prohibited under the Constitution
53
full faith and credit
requires states to accept court descions public acts and contracts of other states also reffered to as the comity provision
54
general revenue sharing
a type of fderal grant that places minimal restrictions on how state and local govenments
55
immigaration federalism
the gradual movement of states into immigration poligy domain traditionally handled by the local federal government
56
new federalism
a style of fderalism premised on the idea that the decentralization of polotics enhances adminstration
57
nullification
a doctrine promoted by john calhoun of south carolina in the 1830's asserting that if a state deems a federal law unconstitutional it can nullify it within its borders
58
privilages and immunities
prohibits states from discrimination againts out of staters by deniying such garuntees as access to courts legal protection and property and travel rights
59
race to the bottom
a dynamic in which states comptete to attaract business by lowering taxes and regulations often to workers detriment
60
unfunded mandates
federal laws and regulations that impose obligations on state and local governments without fully compensation them for the costs of implementation
61
unitary system
a centralized system of government in which the subnational government is depoendent on the central government where substantial authority is concentrated
62
venue shopping
a strategy in which interest groups select the level and branch of gevernment they calculate will be most receptive to thier policy goals
63
writ iof habeas corpus
a pettion that enables someone in custody to petition a judge to determine wherther that persons detention is legal
64
blue law
a law originally created to uphold a religious or moral standard
65
civil liberties
limitations on the power of governemnt designed to ensure personal freedom
66
civil rights
guarantees of equal treatment by government authorities
67
common law
a right of the people rooted in legal tradition and past court rulings rather than the Constitution
68
conscientious objector
a person who claims to have a right to refuse to perform military service
69
double jepordy
cannot be tried twice for the same crime
70
due process
provisions of the 5th and 14th amendment that limit government power to deny people life liberty and property
71
economic liberty
the right of individuals to obtain use and trade things of value for thier own benefit
72
eminent domain
the power of governemnt to take or use property for a public purpose aftre compensation its owner also known as the takings clause of the 5th amendment
73
establishment clause
the provision of the 1st amendment thatprohibits the government from endorsing a state sponsored religion interpreted as preventing government from favoring some religious belifes over others religion
74
exclusionary rule
a requirement from supreme court case Mapp v Ohio that evidence obtained as a result of an illegal search or seizure cannot be used totry someone for a crime
75
free exercise clause
the provision of 1st amendment that prohibits the government from regulating religious beliefs
76
miranda warning
a statement of law enforcement giving you your rights
77
patriot act
a law passed by congress that gives the us permission to monitor electronic communication
78
prior restraint
government action that stops someone from doing something before they are able to do it
79
probable cause
legal standard for determining wheterher a search or seizure is constitutional or a crime has been commited
80
selective incorporation
the gradual process of making some guarantee of the bill of rights
81
Sherbert test
a standard for deciding whether a law violates the free excersice clause
82
symbolic speech
form of expression that does not use writing or speech non the less communicates an idea
83
undue burden test
a measn of decoding whether a law that makes it harder for women to seek abortions is constitutional
84
affirmative action
the uese of programs and policies design to assist groups that have historically been subject to discrimination
85
american indian movement
the native american civil rights groups reponsible for the occupation of wounded knee
86
black codes
laws immediately passed after the civil war that discriminated against freed slaves
87
brown vs board of education
the 1954 supremem court ruling stricking down plessy v ferguson declared segregation
88
chicano
a term adopted by some Mexican Americans
89
civil disobedience
an action taken in violation of the letter of the law to demonstrate that the law is unjust
90
comparable worth
a doctrine calling for the same pay for workers whose jobs require the same level of education responsibility training or working condition
91
coverture
alegal status of married women in which thier seperate legal identities were erased
92
de facto segregation
segregation that results from the private choices of individuals
93
de jure segregation
segregation that results from government discrimination
94
direct action
civil rights campaigns that directly confronted segregationists practices through public demonstrations
95
disenfrancchisement
the revocation of someones right to vote
96
equal protection clause
a provision of the fourteenth amendment that requires the states to treat all residents equally under the law
97
glass ceiling
an invisible barrier caused by discrimination
98
grandfather claus
the provision in some southern states that allowed illerterate whites to vote because ancestors had been able to vote before the fifthteenth amendment was ratified
99
hate crime
harrassment bullying or other criminal acts directed against someone because of bias against that persons sex gender
100
intermediate scrutiny
the standard used by the courts to decide cases of discrimination based on gender and sex
101
Jim Crowe Laws
state and local laws that promoted racial segregation and underminded black voting rights
102
literacy tests
tests that required the prospective voter in some states to be able to read a passage of text and answer questions
103
Plessy v Ferguson
the 1896 supreme court ruling that allowed seperate but equal
104
poll tax
annual tax imposed by some states before a person was allowed to vote
105
rational basis test
the standards used by courts to decide most forms of discriminations the burden of proof is on those challenging the law or action
106
reconstruction
the period from 1865-1877 during which the givernment of conferderate states were reorganized prior to being readmitted to the Union
107
stonewall inn
a bar in greenwhich village new yourk where mondern Gay pride movement began after rioters protested the police treatment of the LGBT
108
strict scrutiny
the standard used by courts to decide cases of discrimination based on race, ethnicity national origin
109
title IX
the section of the US education amendments of 1972 that prohibits discrimination in education on the basisi of sex
110
understanding tests
tests requireing prospective voters in some states to be able to explain the meaning of passage of text or to answer a question related to citizenship often used as a way to disenfranchise black votesr
111
white primary
a primary election in which only whites are allowed to vote
112
agent of political socialization
a person or entity that teachers and influences others about through use of information
113
bandwagon effect
increased media coverage of candidates who poll high
114
bradley effect
the difference between a poll reseult and an election result in which voters gave a socially desirable poll response rather than a true response that might be perceived as racist
115
classical liberalism
apolitical ideology based on belief in individual liberties and rights and the idea of free will with little role of givernment
116
communism
a political and economic system in which in theory government promotes common ownershop of all property meansof production and materials to prevent the explotaion of workers while creating equal sociaety
117
covert content
ideologically slanted infromation presented as unbiased
118
diffuse support
the widespread belief that a country and its legal system are legistatmate
119
exit poll
an election poll taken by interviewing voters as they leave the polling place
120
fascism
apolitical system of total control by the ruling party or political leader over the economy
121
favorability poll
a public opinion poll that measures a piblic positive feelings about a candidate or politician
122
heuristics
shortcuts or rules of thumb for decision making
123
horserace coverage
day to day media coverage of candidate performace in the election
124
leading question
a question worded to lead a respndents to give desired answer
125
margin of error
a number that states how far the poll results may be from the actual preferences of the total population
126
modern conservation
political ideology that prioritizes individual liberties preferring a smaller givernment that stays out of the economy
127
modern liberalism
apolitical ideology focused on equality and supporting government interventation in society and th eeconomy if it promotes equality
128
overt content
political information whose author makes clear that only one side is presented
129
policatl culture
the prevailing political attitudes and beliefs within asociety or region
130
political elite
a political opinion leader who alerts the public to changes
131
political socialization
the processe of learning the norms and practices of a political system through oyhers and societal insttutions
132
public opion
a collection of opions of an individuals or a group of individuals on a topic person or event
133
push poll
politically biased campaign information presented as a poll in order to change minds
134
random sample
a limited number of pople from th eoverall populations
135
respresentative sample
a group of respondents demographically similar to the population of interest
136
socialism
a political and economic system in which government uses its authority to promote social economic eqality providing everyome with basic services and equal opportunities
137
straw poll
an informal and unofficial electionpoll conducted with a non random population
138
thory of delgate representation
a theory that assumes the politician is in office to be the voice of the people and to voite only asthe people want
139
traditional conservatism
a political ideology supporting the authority of the monary and the church in the belief that government provides the rule of law
