A fundamental democratic principle requiring that the majoritys
view be respected. Majority Rule
Slide 2
System in which each branch of government can limit the power
of the other two branches Checks & Balances
Slide 3
System of government in which all power is invested in a
central government Unitary System
Slide 4
A system of government in which power is divided by a written
constitution between a central government and regional governments.
As a result, two or more levels of government have formal authority
over the same geographic area & people Federalism
Slide 5
Powers specifically granted to the federal government by the
Constitution Ex: Congress coining money Expressed powers
Slide 6
Powers of the federal government that go beyond those
enumerated in the Constitution and are derived from the elastic or
necessary & proper clause Implied Powers
Slide 7
Powers not specifically granted to the national government of
denied to the states & are held by the states through the 10 th
amendment Reserved Powers
Slide 8
Situations in which the national & state governments work
together to complete projects. Cooperative federalism (aka fiscal
federalism)
Slide 9
Funds provided for a specific & clearly defined purpose
Categorical grant
Slide 10
Funds granted to the states for a broadly defined purpose Block
grant
Slide 11
Rules telling states what they must do to comply with federal
guidelines Mandates
Slide 12
A movement to transfer the responsibilities of governing from
the federal government to state & local governments.
Devolution
Slide 13
A set of widely shared political beliefs & values like
liberty, political equality, & limited government Political
culture
Slide 14
The process by which political values are formed & passed
from one generation to the next. The family is the most important
agent of this Political socialization
Slide 15
Attitudes about institutions, leaders, political issues, &
events Public opinion
Slide 16
A cohesive set of beliefs about politics, public policy &
the role of government Political ideology
Slide 17
The belief that ones political participation makes a difference
Political efficacy
Slide 18
Voting for candidates of different parties for different
offices in the same election Split-ticket voting
Slide 19
A group of citizens who organize to win elections, hold public
offices, operate governments & determine public policy
Political party
Slide 20
The winning candidate is the person who receives more votes
than anyone else, but less than half the total Plurality
election
Slide 21
An electoral district from one person is chosen by the voters
for each elected office & typically leads to legislatures
dominated by two political parties Single-member district
Slide 22
An historical period dominated by one political party Party
era
Slide 23
An election when significant groups of voters change their
traditional patterns of party loyalty Critical election
Slide 24
The majority party is displaced by the minority party, thus
ushering in a new party era ex: FDR led the New Deal Party
realignment
Slide 25
A government in which one party controls the presidency while
another party controls Congress. Divided government
Slide 26
An organization of people whose members share views on specific
interests & attempt to influence public policy to their
benefit. Unlike political parties, interest groups do no elect
people to office Interest groups
Slide 27
A committee formed by business, labor, or other interest groups
to raise money & make contributions to the campaigns of
political candidates whom they support. Political Action Committee
(PAC
Slide 28
People who benefit from an interest group without making any
contributions. Labor unions & public interest groups often have
a free-rider problem because people can benefit from the groups
activities without joining Free riders
Slide 29
The theory that a small number of very wealthy individuals,
powerful corporate interest groups, & large financial
institutions dominate key policy areas. Power elite theory
Slide 30
The theory that many interest groups compete for power in a
large number of policy areas Pluralist theory
Slide 31
The theory that government policy is weakened & often
contradictory because there are so many competing interest groups
Hyperpluralist theory
Slide 32
Means of communication such as newspapers, radio, TV, and the
internet that can reach large, widely dispersed audiences Mass
media
Slide 33
Institutions that connect citizens to government. The mass
media, interest groups, and political parties are the three main
ones Linkage institutions
Slide 34
The tendency of media to cover campaigns by emphasizing how
candidates stand in the polls instead of where they stand on the
issues Horse-race journalism
Slide 35
The reallocation of the number of representatives each states
has in the house of representatives Congressional
redistricting
Slide 36
The legislative process by which the majority party in each
state legislature redraws congressional districts to ensure the
maximum number of seats for its candidates gerrymandering
Slide 37
An officeholder who is seeking reelection incumbent
Slide 38
The right of members of congress to mail newsletters to their
constituents at the governments expense Franking privilege
Slide 39
Permanent subject- matter congressional committees that handle
legislation & oversee the bureaucracy Standing committees
Slide 40
Temporary bodies that are formed to resolve differences between
House & Senate versions of a bill Conference committees
Slide 41
Sets the guidelines for floor debates. It gives each bill a
rule that places the bill on the legislative calendar, limits time
for debate, and determines the type of amendments that will be
allowed House Rules Committee
Slide 42
House committee that handles tax bills House ways & means
committee
Slide 43
Unwritten rule in both houses of Congress reserving committee
chairs to member of the committee with the longest records of
continuous service. Seniority
Slide 44
A way of delaying or preventing action on a bill by using long
speeches & unlimited debate to talk a bill to death Majority
Rule
Slide 45
A Senate motion to end a filibuster & it requires a 3/5
vote cloture
Slide 46
Tactic of mutual aid & vote trading among legislators
logrolling
Slide 47
Congressional review of the activities of an executive agency,
department, or office. oversight
Slide 48
When members of Congress cast votes based on the wished of
their constituents Delegate role of representation
Slide 49
A primary in which voters are required to identify a party
preference before the election & are not allowed to split their
ticket Closed primary
Slide 50
The recent pattern of states holding primaries early in order
to maximize their media attention & political influence. 3/4 of
the presidential primaries are now held between February &
mid-March. Frontloading
Slide 51
Contributions to political parties for party-building
activities. Soft money contribution are used to circumvent limits
on hard money Soft money
Slide 52
A taw-exempt organization created to influence the political
process & are not regulated by the federal election commission
because they do not coordinate their activities with a candidate or
party 572 group
Slide 53
The presidents constitutional power to reject a bill passed by
congress. Congress may override with a 2/3 votes in each chamber
Veto
Slide 54
The power to veto specific dollar amounts of line items from
major congressional spending bills. The Supreme Court struck down
this as an unconstitutional expansion of the presidents veto power
Line-item veto
Slide 55
A pact between the president & a head of a foreign state.
They do not have to be approved by the Senate. However, unlike
treaties, executive agreements are not part of U.S. law & are
not binding on future presidents Executive agreement
Slide 56
The president's power to refuse to disclose confidential
information Executive privilege
Slide 57
The period of time in which the presidents term is about to
come to an end & has less influence Lame-duck period
Slide 58
A large, complex organization of appointed officials
bureaucracy
Slide 59
A directive, order or regulation issued by the president
Executive order
Slide 60
An alliance among an administrative agency, an interest group
& a congressional committee. Iron triangle
Slide 61
A network that includes policy experts, media pundits,
congressional staff member, & interest groups who regularly
debate an issue Issue network
Slide 62
A set of issue & problems that policy makers consider
important. The mas media play an important role in influencing the
issues which receive public attention Policy agenda
Slide 63
The authority of a court to hear an appeal from a lower court
Appellate jurisdiction
Slide 64
An unwritten tradition whereby the Senate will not confirm
nominations for lower court positions that are opposed by a senator
of the presidents own party from the state in which the nominee is
to serve Senatorial courtesy
Slide 65
An order by the Supreme Court directing a lower court to send
up the record in a given case for its review Writ of
Certiorrari
Slide 66
The Supreme Court will hear a case if four justices agree to do
so. Rule of four
Slide 67
is responsible for handling all appeals on behalf of the U.S.
government to the Supreme Court Solicitor general
Slide 68
A friend of the court brief filed by an interest group or
interest party to influence a Supreme Court decision Amicus Curiae
brief
Slide 69
let the decision stand the vast majority of Supreme Court
decisions are based on precedents established in earlier cases
Stare Decisis
Slide 70
Philosophy that the Supreme Court should use precedent &
the framers original intent to decide cases Judicial restraint
Slide 71
Philosophy that the Supreme Court must conduct injustices when
other branches of government of the states refuse to do so Judicial
activism
Slide 72
A fundamental democratic principle requiring that the majoritys
view be monetary policy involves regulating the money supply,
controlled by the Federal Reserve Board Monetary Policy
Slide 73
Raising & lowering taws and government spending programs.
It is controlled by the executive & legislative branches Fiscal
Policy
Slide 74
A government-sponsored program that provides mandated benefits
to those who meet eligibility requirements ex: Social Security
& Medicare Entitlement program
Slide 75
It is responsible for preparing the budget that the president
submits to Congress Office of Management & Budget (OMB)
Slide 76
Legal & constitutional rights that protect individuals from
arbitrary acts of government. Ex: freedom of speech &
guarantees of a fair trial Civil Liberties
Slide 77
Policies designed to protect people against arbitrary or
discriminatory treatment by government officials of individuals.
Civil rights include laws prohibiting racial & gender
discrimination Civil Rights
Slide 78
The case-by-case process by which liberties listed in the bill
of Rights have been applied to the states using the Due Process
Clause of the 14 th Amendment Selective incorporation
Slide 79
A provision of the 1 st Amendment that prohibits Congress from
establishing an official government-sponsored religion
Establishment clause
Slide 80
A provision of the 1 st that guarantees each person the to
believe what he or she wants. However, a religion cannot make an
act legal that would otherwise by illegal Free exercise clause
Slide 81
Judicial interpretation of the 1 st Amendment that government
may not ban speech unless it poses an imminent threat to society
Clear & present danger test
Slide 82
A court order directing that prisoner be brought before a court
& that the court officers show cause why the prisoner should
not be released Writ of Habeas Corpus
Slide 83
A legislative act the provides for the punishment of a person
without a court trial Bill of Attainder
Slide 84
A law applied to an act committed before the law was enacted Ex
Post Facto Law
Slide 85
Supreme Court guideline that prohibits evidence obtained by
illegal searches or seizures from being admitted in court
Exclusionary rule
Slide 86
Warnings that police must read to suspects prior to questioning
that advises them of their rights Miranda warnings
Slide 87
Supreme Court rule that classification by race & ethnic
background is inherently suspect & must be justified by a
compelling public interest Strict scrutiny
Slide 88
A policy requiring federal agencies, universities, & most
employers to take positive steps to remedy the effects of past
discrimination Affirmative action