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GOVT 2305 Spiker Rainey Spring 2013 Exam 1 Study Guide
Erin Laster
101
Other
Undergraduate 3
06/13/2014

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Term
Political Thinking
Definition
reflective thinking focused on deciding what can reasonably be believed and then using this information to make political judgments.
Term
Political Science
Definition
the systematic study of government and politics.
Term
Political Culture
Definition
the widely shared and deep-seated beliefs of it`s people about politics.
Term
Liberty
Definition
the principle that individuals should be free to act and think as they choose, provided they do not infringe unreasonably on the freedom and well-being of others.
Term
Individualism
Definition
a commitment to personal initiative and self-suffiency.
Term
Equality
Definition
the notion that all individuals are equal in their moral worth and thereby entitled to equal treatment under the law.
Term
Self Government
Definition
the principle that the people are the ultimate source of governing authority and should have a voice in their governing.
Term
Politics
Definition
the means by which society settles its conflicts and allocates the resulting benefits and costs
Term
Power
Definition
refers to the abilities of persons, groups, or institutions to influence political developments.
Term
Democracy
Definition
a form of government in which the people govern, either directly or through elected officials.
Term
Majoritarianism
Definition
When political leaders respond to the policy desires of the majority, the result is?
Term
Pluralism
Definition
holds that, on most issues, the preference of the special interest largely determines what government does.
Term
Party Polarization
Definition
used to characterize todays party politics.
Term
Authority
Definition
the recognized right of officials to exercise power.
Term
Constitutionalism
Definition
the idea that there are lawful restrictions on governments power.
Term
Legal Action
Definition
the use of the courts as means of asserting rights and interests-a channel through which ordinary citizens exercise power.
Term
Free Market Systems
Definition
operate mainly on private transactions.
Term
Corporate Power
Definition
operates in part through the influence that firms have with policy makers.
Term
Elitism
Definition
refers to the power exercised by well-positioned and highly influential individuals.
Term
Public Policies
Definition
are the decisions of government to pursue particular courses of action.
Term
Public Policy
Definition
Policies are the result of political interactions that political scientist call ______ _______ process.
Term
Limited Government
Definition
a government that is subject to strict legal limits on the uses of power, so that the peoples liberty is not threatened.
Term
Representative Government
Definition
a government in which the people would govern through the selection of their representatives.
Term
Social Contract
Definition
a government in which the people submit to the governments authority in return for the protection it can provide.
Term
Inalienable Rights
Definition
People living in a state of nature enjoy certain _______ ________, including those of life, liberty, and property, which are threatened by individuals who steal, kill, or otherwise act without regard for others.
Term
Constitution
Definition
the fundamental law that defines how a government will legitimately operate.
Term
The Virginia Plan(or large-state plan)
Definition
included separate judicial and executive branches as well as a two chamber Congress that would have supreme authority in all areas "in which the separate states are incompetent," particularly in defense and interstate trade.
Term
The New Jersey Plan( or small-state plan)
Definition
called for a stronger national government than that provided by the Articles of Confederation.
Term
The Great Compromise
Definition
provided for a bicameral(two-chamber) Congress.
Term
Three Fifths Compromise
Definition
for purposes of apportionment of taxes and seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, each slave was to count as less than one full person.
Term
Anti-Federalist
Definition
Those who were opponents of the Constitution.
Term
Federalist
Definition
Those who supported the constitution.
Term
Grants of Power
Definition
Powers granted to the national government.
Term
Separated Institutions
Definition
The division of the national government`s power among three power-sharing branches, each of which is to act as a check on the powers of the other two.
Term
Federalism
Definition
The divisions of political authority between the national government and the states, enabling the people to appeal to one authority if their rights and interests are not respected by the other authority.
Term
Denials of Power
Definition
powers expressly denied to the national and state governments by the Constitution.
Term
Bill of Rights
Definition
The first 10 amendments to the Constitution.
Term
Judicial Review
Definition
the power of the courts to declare governmental action null and void when its found to violate the Constitution.
Term
Elections
Definition
the power of the voters to remove officials from office.
Term
Separations of Powers
Definition
the idea that the power of the government could be controlled by dividing it among separate branches rather than investing in a single individual or institution.
Term
Checks and Balances
Definition
each of the three branches of government can limit the powers of the others. This way, no one branch becomes too powerful.
Term
Tyranny of the Majority
Definition
the people acting as an irrational mob that tramples on the rights of the minority.
Term
Virtuous Representatives
Definition
lawmakers who have an enlightened sense of the public interest.
Term
Trustees
Definition
representatives who are obliged to serve the interest of those who elect them, but the nature of this interest is for the representatives, not the voters, to decide.
Term
Electoral Votes
Definition
Each state would have the same number of ______ ____ as it had members in the Congress and could select its electors by a method of choosing.
Term
Electoral College
Definition
means that the president is selected by the votes of the electors.
Term
Delegates
Definition
officeholders who are obligated to carry out the expressed opinions of the people they represent.
Term
Primary Election
Definition
which gives rank-and-file voters the power to select party nominees.
Term
Constitutional Democratic Republic
Definition
A government that is constitutional in its requirement that power gained through elections be exercised in accordance with law and with due respect for individual rights; democratic in its provisions for majority influence through elections; and a republic in its mix of deliberative institutions, each of which moderates the power of others.
Term
Sovereignty
Definition
supreme and final governing authority.
Term
Unitary System
Definition
in which sovereignty is vested solely in the national government.
Term
Confederacy
Definition
which was the type of government that existed under the Articles of Confederation.
Term
Enumerated Powers
Definition
Term
Supremacy Cause
Definition
which provides that "the laws of the United States....shall be the supreme law of the land."
Term
"Necessary and Proper" Clause
Definition
It gives Congress the power "to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foreign powers."
Term
Implied Powers
Definition
powers that are not listed in the Constitution but are related to the exercise of the powers that are listed.
Term
Reserved
Definition
The states` powers under the U.S. Constitution are called ___ powers.
Term
Nationalization
Definition
an increase in national authority.
Term
in favor of national authority
Definition
What did the Supreme Court rule in favor of during the McCulloch v. Maryland(1819)?
Term
Dual Federalism
Definition
was based on the idea that a precise separation of national and state authority was both possible and desirable.
Term
Commerce Clause
Definition
says that Congress shall have the power "to regulate commerce" among the states.
Term
Cooperative Federalism
Definition
is based on shared policy responsibilities rather than sharply divided ones.
Term
Fiscal Federalism
Definition
refers to the expenditure of federal funds n programs run in part through state and local governments.
Term
Grants-In-Aid
Definition
government provides some or all of the money to states and localities, which then administer the programs.
Term
Categorical Grants
Definition
are grants that can only be used for a designated activity.
Term
Block Grants
Definition
a large sum of money granted by the national government to a regional government with only general provisions as to the way it is to be spent
Term
Civil Liberties
Definition
specific individual rights, such as freedom of speech, that are constitutionally protected against infringement by government.
Term
Search and Seizure
Definition
You are protected from unreasonable searches and seizures, although you forfeit that right if you knowingly waive it.
Term
Due Process Clause
Definition
says that "no state shall...deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law."
Term
Selective Incorporation
Definition
the process by which certain of the rights contained in the Bill of Rights become applicable through the Fourteenth Amendment to actions by the state government.
Term
Freedom of Expression
Definition
the right of individual Americans to hold and communicate thoughts of their choosing.
Term
Clear-and-Present-Danger Test
Definition
the government has to clearly demonstrate that spoken or written expression presents a clear and present danger before it can prohibit the expression.
Term
Imminent Lawless Action
Definition
is a refinement of the clear-and-present-danger test that allows individuals more latitude in what they say.
Term
Symbolic Speech
Definition
Term
Prior Restraint
Definition
government prohibition of speech or publication before it occurs-is basic to the current doctrine of free expression.
Term
Libel
Definition
False information about someone that is published or written.
Term
Slander
Definition
False information about someone that is spoken.
Term
Establishment Clause
Definition
the government may not favor one religion over another or support religion over no religion.
Term
Lemon Test
Definition
A three point test that the Court articulates
Term
Free-Exercise Clause
Definition
Americans are free to hold any religious belief of their choosing.
Term
Right of Privacy
Definition
which means that individuals have a "zone of privacy" that government cannot lawfully invade.
Term
Procedural Due Process
Definition
the term refers primarily to procedures that authorities must follow before a person can lawfully be punished for an offense.
Term
The Sixth Amendment
Definition
Which amendment provides the right to legal counsel before and during trial?
Term
Exclusionary Rule
Definition
bars the use of evidence if the evidence was obtained in violation of the defendants rights.
Term
that evidence discovered under a faulty warrant was admissible because the police had acted in "good faith."
Definition
In United States v. Leon the court ruled:
Term
The Eight Amendment
Definition
Which Amendment prohibits "cruel and unusual punishment"?
Term
Equal Rights(also called Civil Rights)
Definition
refers to the right of every person to equal protection under the laws and equal access to society's opportunities and public facilities.
Term
Equal-Protection Clause
Definition
basis for equal treatment under the law.
Term
Reasonable-Basis Test
Definition
the court require government only to show that a particular law is reasonable.
Term
Strict-Scrutiny Test
Definition
which presumes that the law is unconstitutional unless government can provide a compelling basis for it.
Term
Suspect Classifications
Definition
laws that classify people differently on the basis of their race or ethnicity are presumed to have discrimination as their purpose.
Term
1920
Definition
What year did women acquire the right to vote?
Term
1848 in Seneca Falls, New York.
Definition
Where and when did the first large and well-organize attempt to promote women`s rights take place?
Term
1968
Definition
When did Congress pass a civil rights legislation designed to prohibit discrimination in housing?
Term
Affirmative Action
Definition
refers to deliberate, efforts to provide full and equal opportunities in employment, education, and other areas for members of traditionally disadvantaged groups.
Term
De Jure Discrimination
Definition
which is discrimination based on law.
Term
De Facto Discrimination
Definition
the condition whereby historically disadvantaged groups have fewer opportunities and benefits because of prejudice and economic circumstances. such as their inability to pay for a college education.
Term
Sandra Day O`Connor
Definition
The first woman to serve on the Supreme Court was?
Term
Geraldine Ferraro
Definition
The first woman to run on a national ticket of a major political party was?
Term
Hispanics
Definition
What is the fastest growing minority in the United States?
Term
roughly 4 percent
Definition
What percentage of Asian Americans make up the US population?
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