Use LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to navigate between flashcards;
Use UP and DOWN arrow keys to flip the card;
H to show hint;
A reads text to speech;
87 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
government
|
The system for implementing decisions made through the political process.
|
|
factions
|
Groups of like-minded people who try to influence the government
|
|
Public goods
|
Services or actions that are available to everyone by the government.
|
|
Politics
|
The process that determines what government does.
|
|
Free Market
|
An economic system based on competition between businesses without government interference.
|
|
Ideology
|
A cohesive set of ideas and beliefs used to organize and evaluate the political world.
|
|
Conservative
|
One side of the idealogical spectrum defined by support for lower taxes; a free market; and a more limited government.
|
|
Liberal
|
one side of the idealogical spectrum defined by support for stronger government programs, and more market regulation.
|
|
Political Participation
|
All activities used by citizens to influence the selection of political leaders and the policy they pursue.
|
|
Single-issue Groups
|
Groups that have narrow interest, tend to dislike compromise, and often draw membership from those new to politics.
|
|
Linkage Institutions
|
The political channels through which peoples concerns become political issues into policy agenda.
|
|
Policy Agenda
|
The issues that attract the serious attention of public officials.
|
|
Political Issue
|
An issue that arises when people disagree about a problem and how to fix it.
|
|
Policy Making Institutions
|
The branches of government charged with taking action on political issues.
|
|
Public Policy
|
A choice that government makes in response to a political issue.
|
|
Democracy
|
A system of selecting policymakers and of organizing government so that policy represents and responds to public preferences.
|
|
Majority Rule
|
A decision rule that selects alternatives which have a majority.
|
|
Minority Rights
|
The rights of racial, ethnic, class, religious, linguistic or sexual minorities.
|
|
Representation
|
the relationship between the party and their electoral majority.
|
|
Pluralist Theory
|
contends that many centers of influence compete for power and control.
|
|
Elite and Class Theory
|
Contends that our society is divided along class lines.
|
|
Hyperpluralism
|
Pluralism gone sour. Never coming to a decision because opposing groups are too strong.
|
|
Policy Grid Lock
|
When the government is divided and can't decide on a policy.
|
|
Political Culture
|
Political Views that are popular amongst the population.
|
|
Gross Domestic Product
|
The value all goods and services produced annually by the US.
|
|
Capitalism
|
An economic system in which things are privately owned.
|
|
Socialism
|
An economic theory promoting common ownership and cooperative management of the means of production.
|
|
Constitution
|
A nations basic laws.
|
|
Declaration of Independence
|
A document outlining America's independence from Britain.
|
|
Natural Rights
|
The belief that people exist in a state of nature before the rise of government. (Loke)
|
|
Consent of the Governed
|
People must agree on who their rulers are. (Loke)
|
|
Limited Government
|
There should be clear restrictions on what rulers can do.
|
|
Articles of Confederation
|
A document that established a government ruled by the states.
|
|
Shay's Rebellion
|
A series of armed attacks on courthouses that spurred the birth of the US constitution.
|
|
US Constitution
|
A US document that assigns powers to different branches of government.
|
|
New Jersey Plan
|
A plan that called for each state to be equally represented in congress.
|
|
Virginia Plan
|
A plan that suggested that the representation in congress be based on the population of the state.
|
|
Connecticut Compromise
|
A plan that suggested that each state have two members in the house of Reps. and have representation based on population.
|
|
Writ of Habeaus Corpus
|
Means that one can't be put in jail without a body of evidence.
|
|
Three- Fifths Compromise
|
Every African American person equaled 3/5ths of a person in relation to taxes.
|
|
Federalists
|
Advocates of the constitution.
|
|
Anti- Federalists
|
those who oppose a strong national government.
|
|
Republic
|
A state in which elected officials represent the interests of the people.
|
|
Federalist Papers
|
A series of documents about the federalist position.
|
|
Bill of Rights
|
The first ten amendments of the constitution.
|
|
Elastic Clause
|
Part of the Constitution that grants Congress the power to pass any laws that relate to any of its expressed powers.
|
|
Checks and Balances
|
A part of the framework of the constitution that prevents majority tyranny.
|
|
Judicial Review
|
The supreme court's power to strike down a law or executive branch that it finds unconstitutional.
|
|
Commerce Clause
|
The part of the constitution that gives congress the right to regulate commerce.
|
|
Separation of Powers
|
Power being dispersed amongst different parts of government.
|
|
Equal Rights Amendment
|
Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the US or any state on account of sex.
|
|
Federalism
|
A way of organizing a nation so that two or more levels of government have formal authority over the same area of people.
|
|
Unitary Government
|
A government in which all power resides int he central government.
|
|
Supremacy Clause
|
Part of the constitution that declares the supreme law of the land.
|
|
McCulloch v. Maryland
|
the case that first bought the issue of state versus national power.
|
|
Implied Powers
|
Grants congress the power to make all laws necessary to execute foregoing powers.
|
|
Enumerated Powers
|
powers specifically listed in the constitution.
|
|
Full Faith and Credit
|
A requirement of all states to give full faith and credit to public acts, records and civil judicial proceedings of every other state.
|
|
Extradition
|
A requirement of states to return a person charged with a crime in another state.
|
|
Privileges and Immunities
|
Citizens of each state will receive all the privileges and immunities of any other state where they happen to be.
|
|
Dual Federalism
|
A form of federalism in which the state and national government each stay supreme within their own spheres.
|
|
Cooperative Federalism
|
A form of federalism with a blurred distinction between levels of government.
|
|
Fiscal Federalism
|
The pattern of spending, taxing, and providing grants in the federal system.
|
|
Categorical Grants
|
Grants that can only be used for specific purposes.
|
|
Project Grants
|
Grant awarded on the basis of competitive applications
|
|
Formula Grants
|
Grants distributed according to a formula.
|
|
Block Grants
|
Grants used to support broad programs.
|
|
Mandates
|
When the government requires a state to do something.
|
|
Concurrent Powers
|
Responsibilities shared by federal, state, and local governments.
|
|
States RIghts
|
THe idea that states are entitled to a certain amount of self government.
|
|
Competitive Federalism
|
A form of federalism in which states compete to attract businesses through the policies they adopt.
|
|
Census
|
A count of the American population done every ten years.
|
|
Civil Disobedience
|
purposely breaking a law that is thought to be unjust.
|
|
Demography
|
the science of human populations.
|
|
Exit Poll
|
A poll of random citizens after they have casted a vote.
|
|
Gender Gap
|
A pattern of women most likely being liberal and men being conservative.
|
|
Melting Pot
|
A mixture of cultures and ideas.
|
|
Political Culture
|
An overall set of values widely shared within a society.
|
|
Political Ideology
|
A coherent set of values and beliefs about public policy.
|
|
Political Participation
|
The process by which citizens acquire knowledge about the political world.
|
|
Protest
|
a form of political participation designed to change policy through unconventional tactics.
|
|
Public Opinion
|
The distribution of the populations beliefs about politics and issues.
|
|
Random Digit Dialing
|
Phone numbers are dialed at random around the country.
|
|
Random Sampling
|
A polling technique where everyone has a probability of being selected.
|
|
Reapportionment
|
the reallocation of 435 seats in the House of Reps based on changes in residency.
|
|
Sample
|
A small proportion of the population chosen as a representative of the whole population.
|
|
Sampling Error
|
The level of confidence involved in a sample result.
|