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| "the Revolution of 1800" because it marked the first time that power in America passed from one party to another. |
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| 2008 U.S. election turnout |
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| voter turnout for the 2008 election was the highest in at least 40 years. |
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| the ability of privileged outsiders, such as interest group representatives, to obtain a hearing from elected officials or bureaucrats |
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| the capacity to set the choices available to others |
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| a state of mind produced when particular issues evoke attitudes and beliefs that pull in opposite directions |
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| a loosely organized group (never a formal political party) that opposed ratification of the Constitution, which the group believed would jeopardize individual freedom and states’ rights. After ratification, the efforts of the Antifederalists led to adoption of the first ten amendments, the Bill of Rights |
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| Articles of Confederation |
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| the compact among the thirteen original states that formed the basis of the first national government of the United States from 1777 to 1789, when it was supplanted by the Constitution |
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| a ballot prepared by government officials that places the names of all candidates on a single list and is filled out by voters in private. First adopted in the United States in 1888, the Australian ballot replaced oral voting and party-supplied ballots |
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| a bicameral parliament or bicameral legislature is a legislature which consists of two chambers or houses. The US Congress (house and senate) and every US state legislature (with the exception of Nebraska’s, which is unicameral) are bicameral legislatures |
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| the first ten amendments to the US Constitution |
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| a broad grant of money given by the federal government to a state government. The grant specifies the general area (such as education or health services) in which the funds may be spent but leaves it to the state to determine the specific allocations |
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| a case in which the Supreme Court of the United States upheld a federal law which set limits on campaign contributions, but ruled that spending money to influence elections is a form of constitutionally protected free speech, and struck down portions of the law. The court also stated candidates can give unlimited amounts of money to their own campaigns. |
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| the use of paid media (newspapers, radio, television, etc.) to influence the decisions made for and by groups |
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| the carrot is federal grants to the states and the stick is unfunded mandates. Carrots and sticks is a way that federal government can induce cooperation from the states (financial incentives and federal laws) |
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| grants issued by the US Congress, which may be spent only for narrowly-defined purposes. Additionally, recipients of categorical grants are often required to match a portion of the federal funds |
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| a closed meeting of a political or legislative group to choose candidates for office or to decide issues of policy |
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| To prevent one branch from becoming supreme, and to induce the branches to cooperate |
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| freedoms that protect the individual from the government |
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| Clear and present danger test |
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| An early standard by which the constitutionality of laws regulating subversive expression were evaluated in light of the First Amendment's guarantee of Freedom of Speech. |
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| an agreement between large and small states reached during the Philadelphia Convention of 1787 that in part defined the legislative structure and representation that each state would have under the United States Constitution. It proposed a bicameral legislature, resulting in the current United States Senate and House of Representatives. |
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| Constitutional Convention |
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Definition
| took place in Philadelphia to address problems in governing the US, which had been operating under the Articles of Confederation following independence from Great Britain. Delegates elected George Washington to preside over the convention which resulted in the creation of the US Constitution |
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| the assignment of authority and responsibility to another person (normally from a manager to a subordinate) |
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| Collective Action (logic/problem) |
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Definition
| an action taken by a group of like-minded individuals to achieve a common goal |
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| the clause in Article I, section 8, of the Constitution that gives Congress the authority to regulate commerce with other nations and among the states |
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| a political system in which states or regional governments retain ultimate authority except for those powers they expressly delegate to a central government |
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| the difference between what a person ideally would prefer and what the group with which that person makes collective decisions actually does. Individuals pay conformity costs whenever collective decisions produce policy outcomes that do not best serve their interests |
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| a term used to describe government when one political party controls the executive branch and the other political party controls one or both houses of the legislature |
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| a system of government in which the federal government and state governments each have mutually exclusive spheres of action |
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| consists of the popularly elected representatives who formally elect the President and Vice President of the US. each state’s # of electoral votes equals its representation in congress; the district of Columbia has three votes. |
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Equal protection clause of the Fourteenth
Amendmen |
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Definition
| a clause guaranteeing all citizens equal protection of the laws. The courts have interpreted the clause to bar discrimination against minorities and women |
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Establishment of religion clause of the First
Amendmen |
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Definition
| first clause of the first amendment. This clause prohibits the national government from establishing a national religion |
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Definition
| a judicial rule prohibiting the police from using a trial evidence obtained through illegal search and seizure |
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| the branch of the United States government that is responsible for carrying out the laws. Established by FDR |
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Term
| Federal Election Campaign Act |
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Definition
| a United States federal law which increased disclosure of contributions for federal campaigns, and amended in 1974 to place legal limits on the campaign contributions. |
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| Federal Election Commission (FEC) |
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Definition
| independent regulatory agency that was founded in 1975 by the United States Congress to regulate the campaign finance legislation in the United States |
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Definition
| : a system of government in which power is divided between a central government and several regional governments. In the US the division is between the national government and the states |
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| an essay by Alexander Hamilton titled "The Executive Department Further Considered", and it is the fourth in a series of 11 essays discussing the powers and limitations of the Executive branch |
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| Hamilton titled it "The Duration in Office of the Executive", and it is the fifth in a series of 11 essays discussing the powers and limitations of the Executive branch. |
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| an essay by James Madison arguing for ratification of Constitution. Most famous of federal papers and addresses the question of how to guard against "factions” |
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Definition
| Major task for James Madison as to devise a republic in which a majority of citizens would be unable to tyrannize the minority |
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| formed by Alexander Hamilton. Federalist party wanted a fiscally sound and strong nationalistic government and was opposed by the Democratic-Republican |
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| An amendment to the Constitution of the US guaranteeing the right of free expression; includes freedom assembly, press, religion and speech |
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Definition
| providing a context that affects the criteria citizens use to evaluate candidates, campaigns and political issues |
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Definition
| a situation in which individuals can receive the benefits from a collective activity whether or not they helped to pay for it, leaving them with no incentive to contribute |
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Term
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Definition
| “Get out the vote" are terms used to describe 2 categories of political activity, both aimed at increasing the number of votes cast in one or more elections |
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Definition
| lobbying conducted by rank-and-file members of an interest group |
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Definition
| power given by a state to a locality to enact legislation and manage its own affairs locally. Home rule also applies to Britain’s administration of the American colonies |
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Definition
the first of two stages in a specific process for a legislative body to consider whether or not to forcibly remove a government official from office
Implied powers |
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Definition
| interest group activity that includes normal lobbying on Capitol Hill, working closely with members of Congress, and contributing money to incumbents’ campaigns. |
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Definition
| an organization that manages potential conflicts between political rivals. Ex: congress, the presidency & supreme court |
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Definition
| organized groups of people seeking to influence public policy |
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Definition
| : activities through which individuals, interest groups & other institutions seek to influence public policy by persuading government officials to support their groups’ position |
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| the result of legislative vote trading. Ex: legislators representing urban districts may vote for an agricultural bill provided that legislators from rural districts vote for a mass transit bill |
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| a grant of money given by the federal gov to a state gov for which the federal gov provides matching funds, usually between 1 and 2 dollars, for every dollar the state spends in some area |
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Definition
| requirement that police inform suspects that they have right to remain silent and right to have counsel while being interrogated |
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Definition
| members of Judicial Branch are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate |
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Term
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Definition
| main job of legislature is to make & amend laws. In parliamentary system, the legislature is supreme and appoints the executive. In presidential systems, the legislature is considered a power branch which is equal to and independent of the executive |
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Term
| Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (LDA) |
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Definition
| legislation aimed at bringing a level of accountability to federal lobbying practices in the US. Law was amended substantially in 2007 |
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| Low-information rationality |
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Definition
| voters use low information rationality gained in their daily lives, through the media and through personal interactions, to evaluate candidates and facilitate electoral choices. |
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Term
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Definition
| brought together the supremacy and elastic clauses & moved them to the forefront of constitutional interpretation |
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Term
| Necessary and proper clause |
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Definition
| sometimes called the “elastic” clause, is an enlargement of the powers expressly granted to Congress |
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Definition
| political philosophy based on the transfer of certain powers from US federal government to the states. States lost power as a consequence of FDR’s new deal and federal civil rights laws (1960s) |
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