POSC 100 EXAM 1

institutions and procedures through which a territory and its people are ruled

conflict over the leadership, structure, and policies of governments

a form of government in which a single individual—a king, queen, or dictator—rules

a form of government in which a small group—landowners, military officers, or wealthy merchants—controls most of the governing decisions

a principle of democracy in which political authority rests ultimately in the hands of the people

a system of rule that permits citizens to play a significant part in the governmental process, usually through the election of key public officials

a system of rule in which formal and effective limits are placed on the powers of the government

a system of rule in which the government recognizes no formal limits but may nevertheless be restrained by the power of other social institutions

a system of rule in which the government recognizes no formal limits on its power and seeks to absorb or eliminate other social institutions that might challenge it

a system of rule that permits citizens to vote directly on laws and policies

the democratic principle that a government follows the preferences of the majority of voters but protects the interests of the minority

a system of government in which the populace selects representatives, who play a significant role in governmental decision-making

influence over a government's leadership, organization, or policies

the theory that all interests are and should be free to compete for influence in the government; the outcome of this competition is compromise and moderation

membership in a political community that confers legal rights and carries participation responsibilities

information about the formal institutions of government, political actors, and political issues

false information that is shared intentionally to reach a political goal

the belief that one can influence government and politics

broadly shared values, beliefs, and attitudes about how the government should function; American __________ emphasizes the values of liberty, equality, and justice

freedom from governmental control

a principle of constitutional government; a government whose powers are defined and limited by a constitution

an economic system in which the means of production and distribution are privately owned and operated for profit with minimal or no government interference

a widely shared American ideal that all people should have the freedom to use whatever talents and wealth they have to reach their fullest potential

the right to participate in politics equally, based on the principle of "one person, one vote"

the fairness of how rewards and punishments are delivered, especially by governments and courts, but also in society

impartial decision-making; the quality of treating people equally, free from discrimination

the just allocation of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society

a form of colonialism that seeks to remove Native peoples from land and replace them with a new settler population

a system of slavery in which individuals are held as property for the purpose of forced labor so that profit can be extracted

America's first written constitution; served as the basis for America's national government until 1789

a system of government in which states retain sovereign authority except for the powers expressly delegated to the national government

a framework for the Constitution that called for representation in the national legislature based on the population of each state

a legislative assembly composed of two chambers or houses

a framework for the Constitution that called for equal state representation in the national legislature regardless of population

a legislative assembly having only one chamber or house

the agreement reached at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 that gave each state an equal number of senators regardless of its population but linked representation in the House of Representatives to population

the agreement reached at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 that stipulated that for purposes of apportioning congressional seats only three-fifths of enslaved people would be counted

the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1791; they ensure certain rights and liberties to the people

the division of governmental power among several institutions that must cooperate in decision-making

a system of government in which power is divided, by a constitution, between a central government and regional governments

specific powers granted by the Constitution to Congress (Article I, Section 8) and to the president (Article II)

the concluding paragraph of Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution (also known as the "necessary and proper clause"), which provides Congress with the authority to make all laws "necessary and proper" to carry out its enumerated powers

the power of the courts to review actions of the legislative and executive branches and, if necessary, declare them invalid or unconstitutional

Article VI of the Constitution, which states that laws passed by the national government and all treaties are the supreme law of the land and superior to all laws adopted by any state or any subdivision

a change added to a bill, law, or constitution; the process of making such change through constitutional procedure

mechanisms through which each branch of government is able to participate in and influence the activities of the other branches; examples include the presidential veto power over congressional legislation, the Senate's power to approve presidential appointments, and the Supreme Court's power of judicial review of congressional enactments

those who favored a strong national government and supported the Constitution proposed at the American Constitutional Convention of 1787

those who favored strong state governments and a weak national government and who were opponents of the Constitution proposed at the American Constitutional Convention of 1787

a series of essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay supporting ratification of the Constitution

oppressive government that employs cruel and unjust use of power and authority

a principle of constitutional government; a government whose powers are defined and limited by a constitution

a centralized government system in which lower levels of government have little power independent of the national government

the processes by which the three levels of American government (national, state, local) negotiate and compromise over policy responsibility

powers derived from the necessary and proper clause of Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution; such powers are not specifically expressed but are implied through the expansive interpretation of delegated powers

Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution, which provides Congress with the authority to make all laws "necessary and proper" to carry out its expressed powers

powers, derived from the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution, that are not specifically delegated to the national government or denied to the states

authority possessed by both state and national governments, such as the power to levy taxes

power reserved to the state government to regulate the health, safety, and morals of its citizens

provision from Article IV, Section 1, of the Constitution requiring that the states normally honor the public acts and judicial decisions that take place in another state

provision, from Article IV, Section 2, of the Constitution, that a state cannot discriminate against someone from another state or give its own residents special privileges

power delegated by the state to a local unit of government to manage its own affairs

the system of government that prevailed in the United States from 1789 to 1937 in which most fundamental governmental powers were shared between the federal and state governments

Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution, which delegates to Congress the power "to regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several States and with the Indian tribes"; this clause was interpreted by the Supreme Court in favor of national power over the economy

programs through which Congress provides money to state and local governments on the condition that the funds be employed for purposes defined by the federal government

congressional grants given to states and localities on the condition that expenditures be limited to a problem or group specified by law

a type of federalism existing since the New Deal era in which grants-in-aid have been used strategically to encourage states and localities (without commanding them) to pursue nationally defined goals; also known as intergovernmental cooperation

a form of federalism in which Congress imposes legislation on states and localities, requiring them to meet national standards

the principle that allows the national government to override state or local actions in certain policy areas; in foreign policy, the willingness to strike first in order to prevent an enemy attack

the principle that the states should oppose the increasing authority of the national government; this principle was most popular in the period before the Civil War

a policy to remove a program from one level of government by delegating it or passing it down to a lower level of government, such as from the national government to the state and local governments

federal grants-in-aid that allow states considerable discretion in how the funds are spent

attempts by Presidents Nixon and Reagan to return power to the states through block grants

the process by which one unit of government yields a portion of its tax income to another unit of government, according to an established formula; revenue sharing typically involves the national government providing money to state governments

the process by which policy decisions in one political jurisdiction are influenced by choices made in another jurisdiction

a law or regulation requiring a state or local government to perform certain actions without providing funding for fulfilling the requirement

economic policies designed to transfer income through taxing and spending, with the goal of benefiting people in poverty

areas of personal freedom constitutionally protected from government interference

a court order demanding that an individual in custody be brought into court and shown the cause for detention

the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1791; they ensure certain rights and liberties to the people

the process by which different protections in the Bill of Rights were incorporated into the Fourteenth Amendment, thus guaranteeing citizens protection from state as well as national governments

the First Amendment clause that says "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion"; this constitutional provision means that a "wall of separation" exists between church and state

a rule articulated in Lemon v. Kurtzman that government action toward religion is permissible if it is secular in purpose, neither promotes nor inhibits the practice of religion, and does not lead to "excessive entanglement" with religion

the First Amendment clause that protects a citizen's right to believe and practice whatever religion they choose

test used to determine whether speech is protected or unprotected, based on its capacity to present a "clear and present danger" to society

speech that directly incites damaging conduct

speech accompanied by conduct such as sit-ins, picketing, and demonstrations; protection of this form of speech under the First Amendment is conditional, and restrictions imposed by state or local authorities are acceptable if properly balanced by considerations of public order

an effort by a governmental agency to block the publication of material it deems libelous or harmful in some other way; censorship; in the United States, the courts forbid prior restraint except under the most extraordinary circumstances

a written statement made in "reckless disregard of the truth" that is considered damaging to a victim because it is "malicious, scandalous, and defamatory"

an oral statement made in "reckless disregard of the truth" that is considered damaging to the victim because it is "malicious, scandalous, and defamatory"

the right of every individual against arbitrary action by national or state governments

the ability of courts to exclude evidence obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendment

jury that determines whether sufficient evidence is available to justify a trial; ______ do not rule on the accused's guilt or innocence

the Fifth Amendment right providing that a person cannot be tried twice for the same crime

the requirement, articulated by the Supreme Court in Miranda v. Arizona, that persons under arrest must be informed prior to police interrogation of their rights to remain silent and to have the benefit of legal counsel

the right to be left alone, which has been interpreted by the Supreme Court to entail individual access to birth control and abortions

the right of government to take private property for public use

using the internet, social media, and other information technology to engage in society and government

goods that benefit everyone but that no individual \n or group on its own can afford to supply

government recognizes no limits on their authority.

government recognizes no limits on \n their authority, but they are constrained by other institutions, such as a business or a church.