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Chapter 1 - Key Terms
Civil Liberties |
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Definition
| The rights of the individual that are guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution |
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Chapter 1 - Key Terms
Constitutional Democracy |
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Definition
| a form of democratic government that places limits on the power of a majority to act and defines those limits on the power of the majority to act and defines those limits in a written constitution |
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Term
Chapter 1 - Key Terms
Democracy |
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Definition
| a system of government in which the policy decisions of the government rest on the freely given consent of the people and that guarantees certain basic rights, such as freedom of speech and their right to vote |
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Chapter 1 - Key Terms
Direct Democracy |
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Definition
| A form of democracy in which the people themselves meet to discuss and decide issues of public policy |
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Chapter 1 - Key Terms
Government |
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Definition
| The institutions and processes by which decisions or rules are made and enforced for all members of a society |
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Chapter 1 - Key Terms
Legitimacy |
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Definition
| The belief that certain principles or rules are right and proper |
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Chapter 1 - Key Terms
Majority Rule |
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Definition
| A basic principle of democracy under which public policy is set by the freely given consent of the majority, either directly by the people or through elected officials, but limited by the recognition of certain basic rights of the minority |
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Term
Chapter 1 - Key Terms
Minority Rights |
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Definition
| Those rights of the minority recognized in a democracy. These include the rights to vote to run for public office, and to express dissenting political opinions. In the American system of government, these rights are found in the Constitution and especially in the Bill of Rights and the Fourteenth Amendment. |
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Chapter 1 - Key Terms
Politics |
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Definition
| A process by which values are authoritatively allocated for a society; a method of deciding who gets what from government |
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Chapter 1 - Key Terms
Representative Democracy |
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Definition
| A form of democracy in which public officials who represent the people are elected by popular vote in free elections |
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Term
Chapter 1 - Questions
American democracy operates under a principle of majority rule with _____. |
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Definition
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Term
Chapter 1 - Questions
The institutions and processes that society uses to make decisions is known as ______. |
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Definition
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Term
Chapter 1 - Questions
What is an aspect of direct democracy currently used in the United States? |
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Definition
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Term
Chapter 1 - Questions
What is the most basic definition of democracy? |
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Definition
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Chapter 1 - Questions
What institution is most clearly a form of representative democracy? |
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Definition
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Term
Chapter 1 - Questions
Majority rule means that ____________. |
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Definition
| government enacts policies that more than half of the people want. |
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Chapter 1 - Questions
When compared with other countries, American democracy has a disproportionately large number of ______. |
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Definition
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Chapter 1 - Questions
Who has a monopoly on the legitimate use of force? |
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Definition
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Chapter 1 - Questions
In a monarchy, power is determined by _______. |
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Definition
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Chapter 1 - Questions
A fundamental aspect of American democracy is _________. |
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Definition
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Chapter 1 - Questions
According to Thomas Hobbes, what was man's natural state? |
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Definition
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Chapter 1 - Questions
The idea that government authority is given by the people to the government is known as __________________. |
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Definition
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Term
Chapter 1 - Questions
What kind of equality do Americans typically believe in? |
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Definition
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Term
Chapter 1 - Questions
Representative democracy is a form of _______________. |
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Definition
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Term
Chapter 1 - Questions
Which of the following countries is a democracy? |
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Definition
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Chapter 1 - Questions
Government by a few leaders, who often obtain their positions through heredity, is known as_________________. |
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Definition
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Term
Chapter 1 - Questions
A type of democracy in which ordinary people make the laws themselves is called a _______________________. |
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Definition
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Term
Chapter 1 - Questions
Most Americans ________________________
___________________________. |
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Definition
| are not very attentive to politics. |
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Term
Chapter 1 - Questions
According to John Locke, what is required for legitimate government? |
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Definition
| The consent of the governed |
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Term
Chapter 1 - Questions
Who wrote Leviathan? |
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Definition
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Term
Chapter 2 - Key Terms
Amendments |
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Definition
| A Formal addition to the Constitution that either changes one of its sections or adds matters that were not included in the original document. |
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Term
Chapter 2 - Key Terms
Anti-Federalist |
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Definition
| Opponents of the Constitution of 1787 who wanted to preserve the authority of state governments. |
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Term
Chapter 2 - Key Terms
Articles of Confederation |
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Definition
| The Document that created the United Sates First Central Government |
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Chapter 2 - Key Terms
Bill of Rights |
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Definition
| First 10 amendments of the Constitution of the United States |
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Term
Chapter 2 - Key Terms
Checks and balances |
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Definition
| A system of organizing the power of government in which the executive, legislative, and judicial branches possess some power over each other’s activities, thus preventing arbitrary action by any one branch |
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Term
Chapter 2 - Key Terms
Connecticut Compromise |
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Definition
| Agreed that the national legislature would be bicameral. House of Representatives would be based on Population but in the Senate each state would have equal representation |
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Term
Chapter 2 - Key Terms
Federalism |
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Definition
| A system in which the legal power of government is divided between a central or national government and smaller units of state government under the authority of a written constitution. |
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Term
Chapter 2 - Key Terms
Federalist |
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Definition
| supporters of the Constitution of 1787 who favored a stronger national government National Supremacy |
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Term
Chapter 2 - Key Terms
New Jersey Plan |
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Definition
| Proposed by William Paterson, as the New Jersey Representative, fought for equal representation, supported by the smaller states |
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Term
Chapter 2 - Key Terms
Ratification |
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Definition
| Legalization of a constitution or an amendment to a constitution by formal consent; to become legal by formal procedures defined in the document. |
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Term
Chapter 2 - Key Terms
Separation of Powers |
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Definition
| A system of organizing the legislative, executive and judicial functions of government, characterized by the creation of separate institutions to perform those functions |
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Term
Chapter 2 - Key Terms
Shay’s Rebellion |
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Definition
| A Protest by indepted farmers in 1786 against mortgage Foreclosures and high taxes in Massachusetts led by Captain Daniel Shays |
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Term
Chapter 2 - Key Terms
Virginia Plan |
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Definition
| Proposed by Gov. Edmund Randolph, as the Virginia Representative, fought for representation based on population, supported by the Large States. |
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Term
Chapter 2 - Questions
The bulk of the Declaration of Independence lists ___________. |
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Definition
| complaints against the British |
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Term
Chapter 2 - Questions
What are natural rights? |
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Definition
| Those rights that are inherent to all people and granted by God |
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Term
Chapter 2 - Questions
The Declaration of Independence borrows heavily from the writings of __________. |
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Definition
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Term
Chapter 2 - Questions
The Declaration of Independence says that people are entitled to __________. |
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Definition
| "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." |
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Term
Chapter 2 - Questions
What describes the relationship of the states under the Articles of Confederation? |
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Definition
| A loose relationship between independent states |
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Term
Chapter 2 - Questions
Who participated in Shays' Rebellion? |
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Definition
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Term
Chapter 2 - Questions
Why was the Constitutional Convention of 1787 convened? |
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Definition
| To revise the Articles of Confederation |
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Term
Chapter 2 - Questions
When drafting the Constitution, which proposal called for equal representation of each state in Congress? |
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Definition
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Term
Chapter 2 - Questions
The Three-Fifths Compromise settled the debate over __________. |
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Definition
| how slaves would be counted when determining population and representation in the House |
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Term
Chapter 2 - Questions
The Framers' primary goal in drafting the U.S. Constitution was to __________. |
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Definition
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Term
Chapter 2 - Questions
What is a way that the executive branch checks the legislative branch? |
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Definition
| The president vetoes legislation |
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Term
Chapter 2 - Questions
Who most strongly advocated for ratification of the Constitution? |
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Definition
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Term
Chapter 2 - Questions
How many states needed to ratify the Constitution for it to go into effect? |
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Definition
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Term
Chapter 2 - Questions
What concession was made to the Anti-Federalists before the Constitution was ratified? |
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Definition
| The promise that a Bill of Rights would be added |
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Term
Chapter 2 - Questions
How many times has the Constitution been amended? |
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Definition
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Term
Chapter 2 - Questions
A system that gives each branch some oversight and control over the other branches is known as __________. |
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Definition
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Term
Chapter 2 - Questions
What is a way that the judicial branch checks the legislative branch? |
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Definition
| Courts can declare laws unconstitutional |
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Term
Chapter 2 - Questions
What was the main purpose for writing The Federalist Papers? |
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Definition
| To advocate for ratification of the Constitution |
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Term
Chapter 2 - Questions
What is a method of amending the Constitution? |
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Definition
| Amendments are proposed by two-thirds of both houses of Congress and then ratified by conventions in three-fourths of the states. |
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Term
Chapter 2 - Questions
The U.S. Constitution contains the phrase… |
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Definition
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Term
Chapter 3 - Key Terms
Block Grant |
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Definition
| A sum of money that is given by the national government to a state to be used for a brood general purpose |
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Term
Chapter 3 - Key Terms
Centralized Federalism |
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Definition
| A view of federalism followed by President Lyndon Johnson during the ‘60s, which believed that the national government should define public problems and provides national solutions that state and local governments must follow |
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Term
Chapter 3 - Key Terms
Concurrent powers |
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Definition
| Powers that are shared by the state and national governments |
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Term
Chapter 3 - Key Terms
Confederation |
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Definition
| A system in which the legal power of government is held by state governments; the central government has only the powers that have been given to it by those governments. |
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Term
Chapter 3 - Key Terms
Cooperative Federalism |
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Definition
A form of federalism that emphasizes cooperation between the national government and the states to achieve policy goals set by the national government
Delegated Powers: Powers specifically granted by the Constitution to the federal government, especially those given to Congress by Article 1, Section 8. |
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Term
Chapter 3 - Key Terms
Ex Post Facto Laws |
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Definition
| A law that imposes a penalty for performing an act that was not considered criminal when it was committed or that increases the punishment for a crime after it has been committed. Such laws are prohibited by the constitution. |
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Term
Chapter 3 - Key Terms
Full Faith and Credit Clause |
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Definition
| A provision of Article 4, Section 1 of the Constitution that requires states to honor the final civil rulings of other states |
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Term
Chapter 3 - Key Terms
Grant-in-Aid |
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Definition
| A sum of money that is given by a higher level of government to a lower level to help finance programs |
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Term
Chapter 3 - Key Terms
Implied Powers |
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Definition
| Powers given to Congress in the necessary and proper clause of Article 1, Section 8 of the constitution that enable the federal government to carry out its delegated powers by any constitutional means |
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Term
Chapter 3 - Key Terms
Interstate compacts |
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Definition
| An agreement between two or more states adopted by the state legislatures and approved by congress, in which arrangements are made to deal with interstate problems |
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Term
Chapter 3 - Key Terms
Interstate Rendition Clause |
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Definition
| Article 4, Section 2 of the Constitution, which prohibits a state from discriminating against citizens of another state. |
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Term
Chapter 3 - Key Terms
Necessary and Proper Clause |
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Definition
| Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution, which provides that Congress can “…make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution…” its delegated powers and the powers of any other branch of the U.S. Government. |
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Term
Chapter 3 - Key Terms
Privileges and Immunities Clause |
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Definition
| Article 4, Section 2 of the constitution which prohibits a state from discriminating against citizens of another state |
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Term
Chapter 3 - Key Terms
Reserved Powers |
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Definition
| Powers that are neither delegated to the national government nor denied to the states by the constitution; they are “reserved” to the states or the people by the 10th Amendment |
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Term
Chapter 3 - Key Terms
Unitary Government |
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Definition
A system in which the legal power of government is possessed by the national or central government.
Interstate Commerce |
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Term
Chapter 3 - Key Terms
Interstate Commerce |
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Definition
| A domestic power of congress granted by Article 1, section 8 of the Constitution is the authority to regulate interstate commerce. Regulating the American economy as far as materials or goods that cross state lines |
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Term
Chapter 3 - Key Terms
McCulloch v Maryland |
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Definition
| Congress created a system of national banks—Maryland imposed a tax on the operation of the system’s Baltimore branch—the bank refused to pay. Maryland’s stand was that the constitution did not grant the government to create a bank but the Courts found that it was an implied power given to the government. “Let the scope of the constitution, and all means which are appropriate, which are plainly adapted to that end, which are not prohibited, but consistent with the letter and the spirit of the constitution, are constitutional.” |
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Term
Chapter 3 - Questions
What is federalism? |
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Definition
| The division of government authority between a central government and smaller units, such as states |
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Term
Chapter 3 - Questions
If Dennis and Becky get married in Florida and then move to Pennsylvania, what constitutional provision ensures that their marriage is valid in their new state? |
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Definition
| The full faith and credit clause |
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Term
Chapter 3 - Questions
The Tenth Amendment states that powers not given to the federal government (and not prohibited to it by the Constitution) are given __________. |
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Definition
| to the states or the people |
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Term
Chapter 3 - Questions
What powers do the national and state governments share? |
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Definition
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Term
| The specific powers granted to Congress by Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution are known as __________. |
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Definition
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Term
Chapter 3 - Questions
The Necessary and Proper Clause was first used to expand the powers of the national government in __________. |
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Definition
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Term
Chapter 3 - Questions
The Supremacy Clause was first used to expand the powers of the national government in __________. |
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Definition
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Term
Chapter 3 - Questions
Why is Gibbons v. Ogden significant? |
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Definition
| It established that the Congress had expansive authority under the commerce clause. |
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Term
Chapter 3 - Questions
The New Deal ushered in an era of __________. |
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Definition
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Term
Chapter 3 - Questions
Ronald Reagan was a strong advocate of __________. |
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Definition
| returning power to the states |
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Term
Chapter 3 - Questions
The Supremacy Clause says that __________. |
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Definition
| Federal laws and the U.S. Constitution trump state laws and state constitutions. |
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Term
Chapter 3 - Questions
Which sort of federalism existed after the Civil War? |
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Definition
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Term
Chapter 3 - Questions
How can the national government manipulate state government policies? |
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Definition
| Through the use of grants |
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Term
Chapter 3 - Questions
A system of government where the central government controls all lower governments is known as a __________. |
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Definition
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Term
Chapter 3 - Questions
Which of the following is an enumerated power? |
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Definition
| Regulation of interstate commerce |
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Term
Chapter 3 - Questions
Republicans tend to believe that, whenever possible, government responsibilities should belong to __________. |
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Definition
| state and local governments |
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Term
Chapter 3 - Questions
Cooperative federalism is often referred to as __________. |
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Definition
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Term
Chapter 3 - Questions
Identify the following clause in the Constitution: "Congress shall have power...to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers..." |
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Definition
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Term
Chapter 3 - Questions
What kind of grants do states generally prefer? |
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Definition
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Term
Chapter 3 - Questions
Federal regulations that impose burdens on state and local governments without appropriating enough money to cover costs are known as __________. |
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Definition
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Term
Chapter 11 - Key Terms
Defamation |
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Definition
| Spoken or written words that are false and hold an individual up public ridicule and contempt. (Slander/Spoken or Libel/Written) |
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Term
Chapter 11 - Key Terms
Double Jeopardy |
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Definition
| The retrial of an individual for a crime of which he or she has already been acquitted, is prohibited by the 5th Amendment in federal courts and by the due process clause of the 14th Amendment in state prosecutions |
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Term
Chapter 11 - Key Terms
Establishment Clause |
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Definition
| A provision of the 1st Amendment that limits the power of Congress to create a state religion or provide aid to any religion by legislation. This restriction also applies to state governments through the due process clause of the 14th Amendment |
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Term
Chapter 11 - Key Terms
Exclusionary Rule of Evidence |
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Definition
| A requirement that any evidence in a criminal case obtained illegally by police cannot be used as evidence in a trial |
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Term
Chapter 11 - Key Terms
Free Exercise Clause |
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Definition
| Provision of the 1st Amendment that prohibits the national government from restricting an individual’s right to the free exercise of his or her religion, as long as the religious practices involved do not violate the law. The free exercise clause is also applicable to the states through the due process clause of the 14th Amendment. (You can believe whatever you want, but you can only practice that which is not against the law.) |
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Term
Chapter 11 - Key Terms
Libel |
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Definition
| Written material that is false and publicly defames the character of an individual |
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Term
Chapter 11 - Key Terms
Prior Restraint |
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Definition
| Censoring or preventing the publication of material, that would do harm, before it is actually released |
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Term
Chapter 11 - Key Terms
Selective Incorporation |
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Definition
| The Process by Which the U.S. Supreme Court incorporated most of the provisions of the Bill of Rights into the due process clause of the 14th Amendment. The court selectively chose individual provisions rather than incorporate the entire Bill of Rights at one time. |
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Term
Chapter 11 - Key Terms
Self Incrimination |
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Definition
| Being compelled to be a witness against oneself. Self-incrimination is prohibited by the 5th Amendment and is applicable to the states through the due process clause of the 14th Amendment |
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Term
Chapter 11 - Key Terms
Sedition |
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Definition
| any action, especially in speech or writing, promoting such discontent or rebellion. |
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Term
Chapter 11 - Key Terms
Slander |
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Definition
| Spoken statements that publicly defame the character of an individual |
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Term
Chapter 11 - Key Terms
Bill of Rights |
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Definition
| First ten Amendments to the Constitution |
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Term
Chapter 11 - Key Terms
Engel v. Vitale |
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Definition
| The New York State board of Education approved a prayer for recitation each morning in public schools. The parents of 10 students objected and sued the board of Education as the prayer violated their 1st amendment rights and should not be allowed in the school. The courts found in the favor of the parents saying “state governments could not prescribe by law any particular form of prayer which is to be used as an official prayer in carrying on any program of governmentally sponsored religious activity. |
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Term
Chapter 11 - Key Terms
Miller v. California |
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Definition
Miller was convicted for mailing advertisements for “adult” books to unwilling recipients. Miller sued the state on the issue of can the state statutes regulate obscene material without limits. Court’s ruling on the basis of obscenity
(a) whether “the average person, applying contemporary community standards” would find the material, taken as a whole, appeals to the prurient interest of sex,
(b) whether the work depicts or describes, in a patently offensive way, sexual conduct specifically defined by the applicable state law, and
(c) whether the work, taken as a whole, lacks serious literacy, artistic, political, or scientific value |
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Term
Chapter 11 - Questions
What factors has the greatest effect on political socialization? |
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Definition
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Term
Chapter 11 - Questions
The father of public opinion polling was __________. |
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Definition
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Term
Chapter 11 - Questions
Most public opinion polls are __________. |
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Definition
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Term
Chapter 11 - Questions
According to a public opinion poll from December, 2008, 30% of likely voters approved of the job George W. Bush was doing as president. This poll had a sampling error or margin of error of 3%. This means that __________. |
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Definition
| George W. Bush's approval among the population is probably between 27% and 33%. |
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Term
Chapter 11 - Questions
Why did the Literary Digest poll incorrectly predict the outcome of the 1936 presidential election? |
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Definition
| Because the magazine used an unrepresentative sample |
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Term
Chapter 11 - Questions
Soon after the polls close on Election Day, the media often predicts the outcome of the election. These predictions are based most heavily on __________. |
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Definition
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Term
Chapter 11 - Questions
What best summarizes Americans' knowledge of politics? |
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Definition
| Most Americans are not very knowledgeable about politics |
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Term
Chapter 11 - Questions
What best describes the trend in political trust since 1960? |
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Definition
| Political trust has generally been declining, although there was a brief increase after September 11, 2001. |
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Term
Chapter 11 - Questions
A liberal would be most likely to support __________. |
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Definition
| expanded social programs for the disadvantaged |
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Term
Chapter 11 - Questions
A conservative would be most likely to support ___________. |
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Definition
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Term
Chapter 11 - Questions
What happened to George W. Bush's job approval ratings immediately after September 11, 2001? |
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Definition
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Term
Chapter 11 - Questions
What high school students is most likely to be a Democrat? |
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Definition
| Someone whose mother and father are Democrats |
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Term
Chapter 11 - Questions
The process by which citizens learn about politics and formulate their political attitudes and beliefs is known as _________. |
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Definition
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Term
Chapter 11 - Questions
When are exit polls conducted? |
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Definition
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Term
Chapter 11 - Questions
The best way to help ensure that the results of a public opinion poll are accurate is to __________. |
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Definition
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Term
Chapter 11 - Questions
A method of selecting those who will be interviewed for a poll that gives each person in the population the same probability of being chosen is called |
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Definition
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Term
Chapter 11 - Questions
A poll where campaigns call citizens under the guise of conducting a public opinion poll and provide misleading information in order to win more votes for their candidate is called? |
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Definition
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Term
Chapter 11 - Questions
Political socialization in elementary schools often instills |
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Definition
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Term
Chapter 11 - Questions
A woman holding very different political opinions than men is called the __________. |
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Definition
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Term
Chapter 11 - Questions
Americans are most likely to describe their political ideology as __________. |
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Definition
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